Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-11
Ruchannn and Houston.

A correspondent of the Times has furnished
that paper with some personal sketches and
glimpses of public men at the Capital, COM
mencing with President Buchanan and Gen.
Sam Houston OF the portrait of the first the
writer says-"It is sketched by no unfriendly
hand; if not Aattering 1t is not prejldced; ifnOt
attractive it is not the sketcher's fault"
his Exeelleney, James Buchanan, is an old
gentleman of some aventy years of age, stand
mo six feet one or two inches in his undarned
bachelor stockings, of Aorid and rather hectic
complexion, and with hair white and giistening
as tile ulass threads in the glass tails OF the lass
birds OF paradise made in Barnum' Museum by
an ingenious operator, and sold for twenty-five
cents apiece to gaping children. His anxiety
about the disputed line of Oregon has inclined
his head to the left at angle of fty-iour-orty-
or fight; and his left eye seems detailed from
general service, and on permanent secret duty
superyislng the Developments in Cuba. He
lurches heavily to the left in walking, and sim
pers gossip with ladies' through the left side of
his not regular mouth. In dress he is some
what of the diplomatic dandy; and the vast
white linen kerchief worn round his neck is in
tended, presume, as 4 statesmanlike encour-
apement to the fax growers and linen bleachers
! in the mighty praires of the West. His man
uers are extremely courteous and affable, more
especially to women, with whom he delights to
converse on the small scandals and bohea gossip
of the capital There is something stately and
mournful in his isolation, for | believe he has
not one warm, familiar friend, Except perhaps
the Pitts, of Philadelphia, who are mole like
humble retainers,) on the surface of the foot
stool Even his niece is addressed by him as
.' Miss Harriet and priding himself on consci-
entious eoldness, he gets along as best he can
/ without either sympathy or consolation. Never
has there be5n in the White House more Ia
borious occupant; he rePoses no confidence even
signature He seldom leaves the house for ex-
ercise and air, but spends twelve or sixteen
hours a day N discharging drudgeries of detail,
which might much better be left to the care of
subordiuates in the departments. Again and
again on every possible occasion, he disayows
with contempt and ridicule his supposed aspi-
rations for second term of Office. 1.-TWO old
men," he says, myself and Lewis Cass if we
! live so long, will quit this city on the 9th of
| March, 1861, with much lighter and less bur-
dened hearts than we bore with US on coming
here" There is panied sincerity in the tone
/ of these ayowais-a bitterness as of thwarted
good iatsttisas- and Ia iss ppEshendedd @otiEesy
which esunot find It in my heart either to
doubt or not sympathize with. In spite Of all
mental and bodily pecuiiarities, there is gram
deur of desolation in this old mans life we
cannot properly call him "a splendid ruin, y
for he Is more suggestive in all aspects of an
original chaos, "a which the elements ofstrength
and weakness, good and evil, have never been
adjusted under domestic discipline aud phat con-
fidence which is the most precious fEGit of our
family relations.
Next after James Buchanan, and perhaps
ahead of him IN the personal curiosity which he
excites, is General Sam Houston, of Texas, who
is much such man as " Leather Stocking -
might have Become had he lived to be near
seventy years of age, and afflicted during the
last half of his life with the Presidential itch
ing Tall soldier-like and stately, halting
slightly on one foot, clad in leopard-skin vest,
fur cap, and with an Indian blanket folded
proudly round his martial shoulders, the hero
of San Jacinto enters the dining room of Viii
lard's every day after the guests are seated eats
hurried dinner at the table furthest from the
door, and then stalks up the room again, pausing
to converss at every table where he can see
friendly face Ia this way the good, but not
ayef-sIsyer General, attracts a heap of notice
and L. any lady sufficiently good looking pays
him the comp iliment due to courage and PEI
sonaI honor, he will promise her one of those
queer little wooden figures Shleh he Whlttles
out during the debates in the Senate. " Re-
leased from the duties of State" he says, "
will return to my pasture lands in TeIas-there
feed my sheep and fold the white lambs to my
bosom" Even in the personal vanity of sHch
a man there Is touch of the sublime