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suspicion either of your Democracy or your ability. On the contrary, they expressed much anxiety that you should be the Democratic candidate for Congress in your District.

Permit me to observe, as your father's friend and as your own, (if you will allow me so to be,) that I regretted very much the tone & manner in which you say that "the Republicans will sweep the State of New Jersey next Fall." You ought to recollect that the life of a public man under this & indeed under all popular governments is exposed to many vicissitudes. For this, whilst ever keeping steadily in view a sacred regard for principle, he ought to be prepared. His true policy is to "bide his time," & if injustice has been done him, it is morally certain that the people will in the long run repair it. Indeed, this very injustice, if borne with discreet moderation & firmness, often proves the cause of his eventual triumph. Do not mar your future prospects by hasty actions or expressions which may be employed to your injury. Still believe "there's a better day a-coming," & prepare the way for it.

I was 74 on Sunday last, & considering my advanced enjoy good health as well as a tranquil spirit. From your friend very respectfully

age, I

HON. JAMES W. WALL.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

TO MR. KING.'

WHEATLAND, near LANCASTER, April 27th, 1865.

MY DEAR SIR,

Rest assured that I was much gratified to receive your favor of the 22nd. If I was indebted a letter to you, I am sorry for it; because I entertain no other feeling towards you but that of kindness and friendship.

'Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Curtis's Buchanan, II. 636.

In common with you, I feel the assassination of President Lincoln to be a terrible misfortune to our country. May God, in his mercy, ward from us the evils which it portends, and bring good out of this fearful calamity. My intercourse with our deceased President, both on his visit to me after his arrival in Washington, and on the day of his first inauguration, convinced me that he was a man of a kindly and benevolent heart and of plain, sincere and frank manners. I have never since changed my opinion of his character. Indeed, I felt for him much personal regard. Throughout the years of the war, I never faltered in my conviction that it would eventually terminate in the crushing of the Rebellion, and was ever opposed to the recognition of the Confederate Government by any act which even looked in that direction. Believing, always, Secession to be a palpable violation of the Constitution, I considered the acts of Secession to be absolutely void, and that the States were therefore still members, though rebellious members, of the Union.

Having prayed night and morning for . . . 1
Yours very respect fully,

HON: HORATIO KING.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

MY DEAR SIR/

TO DR. BLAKE.2

WHEATLAND 28 April 1865.

It is a long time since I have enjoyed the pleasure of hearing from you directly; but this is my own fault, as I am indebted to you a letter. Of you I have heard much from Miss Lane, & her representations in regard to yourself are always of a friendly & favorable character.

'The original of this letter is not found. In a copy, from which the foregoing is taken, the page ends at this point, and the rest of the letter is missing.

2 Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

VOL. XI-25

I wish I could give you some news which would interest you; but this I cannot do. The assassination of President Lincoln is now the universal theme. It was a terrible & diabolical crime, over which the whole country mourns. And the deed was performed when we had reason to believe he was about to tranquillise & restore the Union & harmonise the States. It will probably prove a sad event for the Rebels. May God, in his infinite mercy, bring good out of evil! I regret that the assassin had not been taken alive & his crime undergone a public Judicial investigation; which might have cast much light on the dreadful event & discovered his aiders & abettors.

I have reason to believe that my Leonard business will soon be brought to a close. The property is situate on or near the road from Washington to Pooleville in Montgomery County, & about two miles from the latter place. Would you be good enough to inform me of the distance from Washington to Pooleville, as well as that to Rockville; & also the point on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail Road from which a person would get off the cars to go to Pooleville, & what distance he would have to travel to reach it.—I have no doubt I shall be able to sell the property advantageously as soon as I can obtain possession. Still, I should much rather Col: Leonard would pay me the sum I have advanced for him through Mr. Riggs.

When may we expect the pleasure of a visit from you? I need not say with what satisfaction we should all welcome you. I was 74 years of age on Sunday last, & am in good health, thank Providence! considering my advanced age.

Always remember me in the kindest terms to Dr. Jones, & believe me to be ever sincerely your friend

JAMES BUCHANAN.

DR. JOHN B. BLAKE.

MY DEAR SIR/

TO MR. COOMBE.1

WHEATLAND, near LANCASTER, 2 May 1865.

I have received your favor of the 29th ultimo, proposing that I should endow a Professorship in Dickinson College for the education of poor students who do not possess the means of educating themselves. The object is highly praiseworthy; but I regret to say I do not feel myself at liberty to advance $25,000 for this purpose. Under existing circumstances my charities, including those to relatives who require assistance, are extensive; & the world is greatly mistaken as to the amount of my fortune. Besides, if I should hereafter conclude to endow a Professorship, whilst I highly approve the theological doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, I could not well prefer a College under its direction to a College of the Presbyterian Church, in which I was born & educated, or to the German Reformed College, in my immediate vicinity, in which I have taken a deep interest ever since its origin at Mercersburg, near the place of my nativity.

I might add that Dickinson College, when I was a student, was not conducted in such a manner as to inspire me with any high degree of gratitude for the education I received from my "Alma Mater." This was after the death of Dr. Nesbit & before a new President had been elected. I am truly happy to believe that it is now well & ably conducted under the auspices of a Christian Church founded by John Wesley, whose character I have ever held in high veneration, & whose sermons I have read over & over again with great interest.

Yours very respect fully

REV: P. COOMBE.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

'Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Curtis's

Buchanan, II. 636.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK
"EVENING POST."

WHEATLAND, near LANCASTER, II May, 1865.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK EVENING POST.

SIR: In the New York Tribune of yesterday, I read, with no little surprise, an Extract from the Evening Post, (which I do not see,) stating in substance that the Cincinnati Democratic Convention of June, 1856, (not "May") had come to "a dead lock" on the evening before Mr. Buchanan's nomination, & had adjourned until the next morning, "with a fair prospect that it would meet only to adjourn sine die; but that in the meantime arrangements were made to secure his nomination as soon as the Convention should reassemble, in consequence of pledges given by his friends. The nature of these pledges, according to the article in the Post, was openly avowed by Judge Black on the floor of the Convention immediately after nomination had been made. According to it: "A silence ensued for a few moments, as if the Convention was anticipating something prepared, when Judge Black of Pennsylvania (afterwards Attorney General under Buchanan) rose in his place and made a set speech, in which he proceeded to denounce Abolitionism' & 'Black Republicanism' very freely, & to argue that the States possessed, under the Constitution, the right of secession. He went further, & told the Convention that if the nominee was elected, & a Black Republican should be elected as his successor, he [Mr. Buchanan] would do nothing to interfere with the exercise of it. This pledge was ample, & was accepted by the Southern leaders."

You will doubtless be astonished to learn that Judge Black, afterwards Mr. Buchanan's Attorney General, by whom this pledge is alleged to have been made, & through whom the evident purpose now is to fasten it upon Mr. Buchanan, was not a Delegate to the Cincinnati Convention, nor was he within five hundred miles of Cincinnati during its session. Instead of this, he was at the very time performing his high official duties as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

'Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Curtis's Buchanan, II. 637.

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