differ both from you & Governor Seymour. I yet perceive no evidence of a change so happy. It may, however, come suddenly with the crash of the paper system, which, sooner or later, is inevitable. The Democratic party is not yet prepared to act with power & unanimity. They would, at the present moment, divide, should they attempt to erect a platform. And yet, in my opinion, the time has arrived when a platform could be constructed which would stand against all external shocks & would carry the principles of the glorious old party triumphantly through the breakers.

Have you ever thought of the danger to our institutions from the disbandment of a standing army of a million of men, one fourth at least being negroes? Will they patiently & quietly consent, with arms in their hands, to return to the labors & duties of private life & to earn their living by the sweat of their brow? What does history teach in this respect? I trust in God it may be so.

As to Christianity:-it seems now to consist in preaching war instead of peace. In New England, I presume the masses are tolerably united in favor of the Gospel of War. In this portion of the world there is considerable division, though the higher law doctrine of the abolitionist would seem to be in the ascendant.

The state of public opinion in this quarter was naïvely illustrated the other day by a young lady who called to see me. She said that the church in their Town (Presbyterian) had been vacant for several months, though they gave a good salary. When, said she, a preacher comes to us on trial and we are pleased with him, after he goes away they begin to inquire whether he is a Republican or Democrat. If found to be a Republican, the Democrats oppose him; & if found to be a Democrat, the Republicans oppose him; & so, between the two, it is hard to tell whether we shall ever have another preacher. From your friend very respectfully JAMES BUCHANAN.

NAHUM CAPEN, ESQUIRE.

MY DEAR SIR/

TO MR. CAPEN."

WHEATLAND 27 January 1864.

I am just recovering from a rather severe illness & was only able on yesterday to leave my room. I find your two letters of Jan. 16 & Jan. 20, but am scarcely in a condition to do more than thank you for them.

My publication is ready for the Press; but the Democrats have made no issue on which to fight a Presidential battle. The struggle between them & the Republicans appears to be which shall support the war with most vigor. The Republicans care not a button how much we complain of their unconstitutional measures, their change of the war from its original purpose, &c., &c., so long as we give them a vigorous material support. From present appearances, Mr. Lincoln will be re-elected, unless some Republican Military Chieftain should supply his place, or our finances should break down.

All I have to say in regard to the Floyd acceptances is that the "gentleman of high respectability" is altogether mistaken in regard to myself, & I have no doubt is equally so in regard to Gov. Toucey.

A Senator first informed me that Drafts on the War Department payable at a future day and accepted by Gov: Floyd were on 'change in New York. I immediately sent for Mr. Floyd & asked him if it were true. He told me that Russell & Co., in order to enable them to send provisions to the army in Utah, had to anticipate their credit, & as these drafts were only payable after the money had been earned, there could be no danger. There were but 3 or 4 of them. I asked him by what law he was authorized to issue such acceptances. He said there was no law for it, but it had been the practice of the office. I told him it must at once be discontinued-that if there was no law for it, it was against law. He told me the few drafts already accepted should be immediately paid & he would never issue another. I rested satisfied, & was greatly astonished when, some months after, the fraud was discovered & the subject placed before the

'Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Imperfectly printed in Curtis's Buchanan, II. 617.

Committee of the House. Mr. Holt, in all he did, acted under my direction & with my assent.

Miss Lane desires to be most kindly remembered to you. I wish I could drop in for a day at Mount Ida.

I had sup

I have received your favor of the 9th Instant. posed that James Henry would have informed you of the reason I had not visited New York. When making the necessary preparations to leave home, I had a violent & very painful attack of Rheumatic Gout. Although I have now recovered from this, I still walk with difficulty & am not yet in a condition to visit your City.

I agree with you that the future of the Democratic party is discouraging. At the moment when it was clearly demonstrated that the administration, departing from the principle of conducting the war for the restoration of the Union as it was, & the Constitution as it is, had resolved to conduct it for the subjugation of the Southern States & the destruction of Slavery, the party had then an opportunity of making a noble & probably a successful issue with their opponents. That time has now passed, & the leaders of our party, beginning at New York, notwithstanding the change in the programme of our opponents, are still nearly as demonstrative in the support of the war as the Republicans. No party can succeed without a great issue, broadly placed before the people.

1 Buchanan Papers, Historical Society Buchanan, II. 617.

of Pennsylvania; Curtis's

We are getting on here as usual, just as you left us. Harriet Buchanan is still with us, & you are often the subject of agreeable conversation in our little group.

I send you a check for the wine, & remain, very respectfully
Your friend

AUGUSTUS SCHELL, ESQ.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

TO MR. CAPEN.1

WHEATLAND, March 14, 1864.

MY DEAR SIR:

I have received your letter of the 1st instant. You may well have expected to hear from me ere this, in answer to yours of the 1st February. I am sorry to say, however, that, about the time of its receipt, I again had an attack of rheumatism in my legs still more violent and painful than the former, which confined me for a considerable time to my bed and to my chamber, because I could not set my feet on the ground. Thank God! I think I have entirely recovered from it, except that I still hobble in my gait. I am, however, daily improving.

Would that I were able to visit your Arcadia in the month of June and receive your cordial welcome; but that is an enjoyment which I fear is not reserved for me.

I owe you many thanks for your very kind offer to cause my record to be stereotyped and to superintend the work. Your services would be invaluable, but I do not consider it of sufficient importance for stereotyping. By the bye, a friend the other day sent me a copy of Appleton's Cyclopædia for 1861, which I find, to my surprise, contains a tolerably fair representation of the last months of my administration, so far as the facts were known to the author. It is, however, greatly deficient in many particulars. Still, there is throughout a spirit of candor manifested, to which I have not been lately accustomed.

'Curtis's Buchanan, II. 618.

I hope your meeting in New York may result in good for the country and the Democratic party. So far as I can learn and observe, there will be very great difficulty in erecting a platform on which the party can unite. It now embraces all shades of opinion, from the prosecution of the war with as much vigor as the Republicans, notwithstanding the violations of the Constitution, down to peace [with the Confederate government], which means neither more nor less than recognition. I say that this means recognition, because I entertain not the least idea that the South would return to the Union, if we were to offer to restore them with all the rights which belonged to them, as expounded by the Supreme Court, at the time of their secession. Besides, I regret to say, many good Democrats in Pennsylvania begin to be inoculated with abolition principles. I could construct a platform which would suit myself; but what is right and what is practicable are two very different things. For the latter we must await the course of events until a short time before the meeting of the convention. I entertain a warm regard both for Mr. Reed and Mr. O'Conor, but I believe both may be called extreme peace men. Have you ever reflected upon what would be the embarrassments of a Democratic administration, should it succeed. to power with the war still existing and the finances in their present unhappy condition?

The Democrats of New Hampshire, with General Pierce, have fought a noble battle worthy of a better fate. I was much pleased with the article you were kind enough to send me.

Miss Lane desires to be most kindly remembered to you. Whilst it is highly improbable that we shall drop in upon you at Mount Ida, I hope it is certain you may drop in upon us at Wheatland during the approaching spring or summer. The bluebirds and other songsters are now singing around me, and the buds are ready to burst; but yet we have all kinds of weather in the course of a single day.

From your friend, very respectfully,

JAMES BUCHANAN.

NAHUM CAPEN, ESQ.