Letter from James Buchanan to John Davis

Secretary of State James Buchanan (Class of 1809) writes to Massachusetts Senator John Davis regarding the burglary of Mrs. Sally Blake's house in Boston. The burglar, William Baird, has fled the United States for Britain, and it is Buchanan's opinion that "the expense attending the apprehension of fugitives charged with offences against the laws of one of the States, and their delivery to the authorities of such States, should not be borne by the United States."