The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-08
MIR. Rcsnanan and his wal,sing-stick.

ness OF especial interest, and at an early hour
adjourned until Tuesday.
MIR. Buchanan and his WalIsing-Stick.
We learn, from the leading article in yester-
davis impression of the, Union, that the citizens
of Lucas county, Iowa, have presented chick
ory cane" to the Hon. JAMES BUCHANAN,
through the hands of DIR. LEIB This would
seem to be modest sort of gift, and yet there
are some aspects in which it may be regarded
as one of more than ordinary significance. The
"hickory'' is sacred word in the eyes of the
Democracy, and the first hint which this pre-
sent conveys is the gentle intimation of desire,
on the part of the Democracy of Iowa, that
Mr. BUCHANAN should take his place as JAMES
the Second in the Hickory Line of our Presi-
dents. There is even more meaning in this
view of the gift than in the presentation of the
gold watch 10 Senator DOUGLAS by the DEMO
Gratis of California. The latter present was
equivocal. 1t might be interpreted as hint
to the somewhat " fast' Senator from Hi
nois that he must 90 bide his tine"-or that
there is ga good time coming" for him
or that his friends expect to find HIM cup
to time"-or half a dozen other construc
tons might be put upon it, making the gift as
ambiguous as the response of DELPHIc oracle.
But the presentation of the hickory" is
neither more nor less than the broadcast intima-
ton to the Z" favorte son" of Pennsylvania of
the destiny which the DEMOCRATS of Iowa in
tend for the recipient of their favor. They say
to him as Shakespeare said of even more
amiable deluson than that of merely political
attachment
Hope is a lovers staff; walk hence with that,
And manage il against despairing thoughts"
There is another view in which the is
significant. Ii has been regarded for ages, not
merely as support for the old and infrm,
but as an emblem of power and authority.
We cannot Imagine that there was any
intention of indicating to MIR. BUCHANAN
that it was advisable for him to take
heed to his steps-and yet such an intima-
tion might be very pregnant just at this period
The donee may find it useful in assisting him
to pick his way over the deceitful ashes which
conceal the sparks of impending DEMOCRATIC
explosions. Every thing wears fattering
appearance, just at this moment, for Mr.
BUCHANAN. There is reason to believe that he
has succeeded in attracting to a common centre
the combined forces Of Abolition and Secession
His resolutions in favor of Freesoil, pending the
Missouri controversy. are fairly offset by his con-
cessions to the Fire eaters in the matter of CALI
FoRNIA. In the North his claims can be exhibited
on his Freesoi platform; at the South on his Cali
fornia letter. Both sides of the Potomac, his Bit
ter and yirnlept opposition to the war of 1917
will endear him TO the DEMOCRATS proper. In
these regards he is so strongly propped up all
round that we apprehend he has no use for
cane ia the light of supporter. it must have
been, therefore, in its sceptra character that
the Iowa donation is to be construed; and the
sceptre is more ancient emblem of sovereignty
than the crown.
This view of the case accounts also for the
very profound gratitude" with which Mr..
BUCHANAN has received the present 1t is
clear enough that he looks upon the cane as
something more than walking stick. His eye
rested upon it as symbol of the supreme au-
thority. GA crorn of Olives" he said, ''was
the distinction conferred by the free people of
Greece upon the victors in the Olympic games;
and this they priced far more highly than a
crown sparkling with precious stones, if be-
slowed by despot. This plain but beautiful
hickory cane,' coming, it does, from the
hands of the hardy pioneer farmers of Iowa,
who plough their own soil, shall ever be pre-
cious in my eyes" 1t is impossible to avoid
observing the oblique antithesis which is here
suggested. AS the crown of olives is made an
tagonist to the crown Of gems, so the plain walk
ing stick of the Iowa farmers places itself in
obvious opposition 20 the ornate truncheon, or
the gilt and carved sceptral stat. typical of SOW
ereignty, with which the kings and princes Of
the antique world are handed down to US in mar
BILE or on canvas. 1t required no very great
stretch of credulity for Mr.. BUCHANAN to be-
ieve'that these good DEMOCRATS of Iowa did
aot mean to arm him with merely ''barren
sceptre," but designed to convey to him, in the
most delicate manner imaginable, the nature and
extent of the honors which they hold in re-
serve for him.
But, after all, 1t is not impossible that his
Iowa friends have only sought to put Mr. b.
cHANAN on his guard. Perhaps they are
afraid, from the hard words which are circulat-
ing among the Pennsylvania DEMOCRATS, that
hard blows may follow; and, inasmuch as Gen.
CAss was presented by his Democratic friends
with good stout quarter-staf at Detroit, it
was no more than fair that Mr.. BUCHANAN
should also be provided against the contingent
ces of personal renconIre. 1t looks very
much, from the language of the two factions
in the Keystone State, not that there is mis-
understanding exactly, but that they under
stand each other entirely too well. They have
been charging not only each other, but their
mutual friends" with all manner ofintrigues
and abuses; and it is certainly wise precau-