The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-06-21
JAMES BUCHANAN.

Mr.. Buchanan is in the sixty sixth year of
his age, and in the vigor Of health, intellect
ually and physically. He was born in the
county of franklin, in the state of Pennsyl-
vania, Of honest and industrious parents,
and may truly be called the architect Of his
own fortunes Having received good edu-
cation, he studied the profession Of the law,
in the county of Lancaster, in the same
state, which has ever since been his home.
In 1914 and 1915 he was elected to the state
legislature, where he distinguished himself
by those exhibitions Of intellect which gave
promise Of future eminence. In his profess
sion, during many succeeding years, he rose
to the highest class of legal minds, and at a
period when Pennsylvania could boast Of
her Baldwins, her Gibsons. her Rosses. her
Duncaus, her Breckenrdgcs, her Thigh
mans, her Hopkinses, her Jenkinses, her
Dallases, and her Semples, he was prepared
for the struggles Of the future, and soon be-
came conspicuous among those who had but
few equals in their own times, and whose
fame is still cherished among our most
agreeable recollections.
At this day, after more than half centu-
rvs intercourse as man and boy with the
people Of his own Immediate district, and
with the people of Pennsylvania, after hav
ing figured prominently in the conflicts of
parties after having shared the confidence
of successive democratic administrations !;
after having contributed his energies to the
overthrow of political hercsies without num-
Der, he might leave his case to thousands
and to tens of thousands, who have at vari-
Gus times antagonized his opinions, but
now, with the annals Of his life before
them, stand ready to pay their tribute to his
consistency and to his integrity as public
man, by uniting with his political friends in
placing HIM in the Presidential chair -
What nobler monument could be raised in
commemOration of any American patriot
What more significant refutation Of all the
accusations of heated party combatants =
What more conclusive proof could be given
to the nation at large Of fitness and the me-
rits Of a statesman who, after such lifetime
finds its endorsers in the hearts Of people
among whom he has always lived, and his
waTmest supporters among men who have
for more than forty years stood in opposition
to his opinions?
II is said that the grave covers all, that
malgnity halts at the portals of the tomb,
and that from its peaceful bosom spring
flowers of reconciliation and forgetiulness OF
all evil passi ms Those who now mourn
over the humble yet immortal grave of
pursued him like so many uns!eeping furies
during his lifetime. In the universal ho-
mage paid to his memory, which rises fore
ver Ike incense TO the skies, how seldom we
recall the bitter epithets with which he was
attacked during his iiustIiOuS career And
yet that he icas attacked, and that he ,edS
prosecuted almost beyond parallel, Is So
But he outlived detraction. and long before
he passed 70 his final account, most OF his
enemies we translated into friends. We may
saw of James Buchanan, that although still
in the strength Of public usefulness, he too
has Oul'iyed deiraction, and that the echoes
of SANDER which sound up from the deep
oblivion to which the accusations upon his
character have been consigned, fal! family
upon the ear of the present generation. ln
the long catalogue OF mis- pubic services anu
private virtues, w IoU>r sight of the tilse
charge Of the personal foe, in the luminous
and splendid aggregate Of the patriotic cha-
racter which he would impugnl
In 1920, James Buchanan was elected 20
the house of repr, sentatives, and rctaine
his position IN that body for ten years, vo-
unfairly retiring after the first congress un-
der the administration of Andrew Jackson
Probably the most interesting part OF Mr..
Buchanan's history, was his cary and Ell
f.c,ive support Of General jackson for the
Presidency He was one Of the first adyo-
Gates Of the hero Of New Orleans. More
than thirty years ago, as member OF the
house of representatives, OF the United
States, he was recoe enlzed as among the
most sctive and devoted friends of jackson.
D stinguiShed for his eloquence and Judg-
ment, even in that period of h's life, he con-
tributed greatly 10 produce the state OF feel
ing which afterwards put General jackson
forward as the d mo, ratio candidate, Penn
sylvania taking the lead.
When the memorable struggle Of 1928
came on. Mr. Buchanan was prominent in
the contest. Indeed, he was so conspicuous
that the opponents Of Jackson bestowed
full share OF the bitterness reserved for the
old hero upon his faithful and efficient
friend Mr. Buchanan came into the house
Of representatives for the last time in 1929.
1t was during this session that he displayed
those eminent qualities which proved him TO
be one Of the abest constitutional lawyers
in the country; and in a body of which such
statesmen as McDufiie, Wickitfe, and
others, were members, Mr.. Buchanan was
selected as chairman of the committee OF the
judiciary, 4 duty for which he had been
well prepared in the debates which had
taken place in former sessions. between Mr..
Clay, Mr. Calhoun, Mr.. Lowndes, Mr..
Randolph, Mr.. buchanan himself, and
others equally eminent.
After refining from congress in 1881, he
received from General Jackson, unsolicited,
the tender OF the mission to Russia. He ac-
cepted that mission. How he discharged its
grave duties, the archives Of the legation
and of the state department will show
Among other acts, he rendered the country
important and valuable service, by negotla-
ting the first commercial treaty between the
United St,tes and Russia, which secured TO
our commerce The ports Of the Baltic and the
Black Sea- and insured to US valuable and
continually increasing trade. W hat reputa-
tion he lett behind him, those who succeeded
him are willing to attest. The chaste and
manly tribute to his splendid abilities, at ct.
Petersburg, paid during the proceedings OF
the convention, which assembled on the 4th
OF March. 1886, by his immediate successor
in American legation at that court, the Hon.
William Wilkins, shows something of the
habits and capacities of Mr.. Buchanan.
Shortly after Mr.. Buchanan return from
the Russian mission, the democrats in the
Legislature of Pennsylvania made him Their
candidate for the United States senate, and
elected him. Hercmained in the senate from
the 9th Of Dec, mber, 1885, until his resig-
nation. March 3, lSi5, having been twice
reelected during that period Of time. 1t is
not necessary to recapitulate the distin-
guish,d services rendered by our great
statesman, in the highest legislative body on
earth, so we'll and SO widely are they re-
mcmbered.
1t is hardly necessary to go over Mr.. Bu-
chanan's record, to show how true he has
been on all those great Questions involving
the rights of the states and the rights Of the
citizens of the states. On those delicate
questions which tried so many northern
men, and which lost to the democratic party
of the country some of its most prominent
leaders, who would not follow the doctrine
of state rights to its just and logical conclu-