The North-Carolinian., 1857-02-21
NORTH CAROLINIAN
AN ENGLISH SKETCH or JAMES BUCHANAN.
E.aFETTEVILiE, II: {

FAFETTEPILLE. II: e
AN ENGLISH SKETCH or JAMES BUCHANAN.
The CURRENT humber of the English New
! Quarterly Rcv.ew, contains paper npou oui
new President. It ~ - ,,es
Of brother dipfomatist of the late American
Ambassador to the Court of St. James. After
resume of the condition of the United States,
the writer thus portrays Mr. Buchanan's charac-
ter, and indicates his policy as President:
Mr. Buchanan has one quality and perhaps
only one in common with Louis Napoleon: he
keeps his own counsel. In both instances it has
been source of power and means Of success.
1t is easier to offer a negative than positive
affirmation as TO the policy of the future Prcsi-
dent He will certainly not be K ing Log.
lie will be no puppet in the hands of his sup.
pofters; nor will he, knowingly, allow his friends
to sway his better judgment He will not
blindy commit himself to one-sided policy.
nor rashly throw defiance in the face of all
parties and governments who declare for the
interests of civilization and humanity
1t is only by knowledge Of his personal and
political character that opinion can be formt
of the policy the President elect is likely to
pursue. BY giving our readers description,
borrowed from those whU have long known
him, inferences may be drawn as to his probable
conduct when the time comes for him to exer-
else the high powers with which he has been
invested. Physically he is large, powerfully
built man; indeed, neither physically, morally,
nor politically, is there anything little about
him. He is above six feet high, large-limbed,
fan 1py al nnh
sixty, still shows that he was in early days,
what the other SEX (who must be allowed to
decide in such matters) call handsome man.
He has the habit of holding his head inclined
to one slde and sometimes partially closing one
eye, as if to prove, what was undoubtedly the
case f'lrlng MS nissIoh III this country, That he
could vast deal more with half an eye
than all our Ministers when they opened both
theirs TO the fullest extent: they had to do
more than once, if all tales be true, during the
course Of their 'transacten of business with Mr.
Buchanan. He is hale and vigorous, of regular
and active habits, and uncxceptionable moral
conduct; conscientiously religious a Presbyte
rian, with more indulgence for those of other
creeds than is sometimes found in persons of
that persuasion; kind-hearted, generous, and
charitable, as many instances reported by those
who knew him will prove; distinguished for
great prudence and sagacity i'll making his de-
cisions, and for frmness in their execution
when taken. lie has forethought and cool
policy, and proves the sohndness of his judg-
ment by being favorable to the Conservative
party in England. He has been heard to say
more than once-It is remarkable that the
Conservative leaders and party in England have
always been more inclined to be friendly with
the United States than the Wings In this,
by the way, he is not singular, for we have
heard similar opinion expressed by other dis
tinguished Americans.
He has been from early life Successful laws
yer in extensive practice, and most ably filed
the highest posts in the Government, nest to
that of President, having been Secretary of
State, Envoy to St. Petersburg; &c. He new
er was married; an early and mutual attach
ment is spoken Of by his friends, whose object
was by of whose terrible dispensations
which certain, steadfast natures never can for
get, snatched from him. Like another distin-
guished American, Washington Irving, who
sIffeIeu a
faithful to the memory of her whom he has
lost Although the private lives of men III high
stations considered as belonging to the
public domain, it would not, we think, be deli
cate to allude more particularly to the circam-
stances attendant on this deep affection in the
outset of MIR Buchanan's career What we
have said suf1ces to show that no cold insensi-
bility Of character condemned him to celibacy
In manner, Mr. Buchanan is courteous, and in
conversation mild and deliberate, with smack
of the old school His bearing is calm and
dignified, his temper and language under cons
plete control; although on occasions, when he
has conceived that personal official slight
was intended, he has shown that, although his
parents were Irish, he can vinlicate the claim
of his family to Scotch origin, by acting tip
to the motto IN Nemo me iMpune lacesst."
The President is designated by some as
the Jealous leader of the Slaveocsacy, ana re-
ported to be the warm advocate of Slavey.
That this is correct in its full extent, we must
be permitted to doubt. Mr. Buchanan is not a
native of Slave State, but a Pennsylvania
who never owned q slave in his life, nor is he
likely ever to- do So Nor do we think that he
is an approver Of Slavery, although, in dealing