Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-01-18
WHY TRADUCE OUR PRESIDENT

WHY TRADUCE OUR PRESIDENT?
We copy from the San Francisco National the
following welLmerited and well-written rebuke to
the abusers and slanderers of the worthy Chief Mag
istrate, and commend it to the attention of ALL
s.Quite an old man tenants very large white house
at our distant Federal Capital There is hoar frost
upon his erst dark locks, and his cheeks and brow
are ploughed with deep burrows. He is the master
engineer of complex governmental machinery
Strange is it that man advances in the pathway
of civilization the legal network surrounding him
grows more minute and intricate in proportion to
his progress While the red savage is ruled by the
simple edct of his patrarcha Chief the enlightened
Republican letters himself with myriad OF written
laws. The very aged man, OF whom we speak, mas
little Joyous pastime. Mostly when men become
sere and their muscles shrinking and their snews
are brittle from aridity, they seize stout cane and
surrounded by pratling grandchildren, they betake
themselves to lawns and greenwood and lounge and
bask away the sunlight Mostly with green old age
comes ease and sweet abandonment. There is no
such calm or mellow joy in the declining years of
him who now yields the baton of Federal rule. In
other lands of intelligent sway the head of the gov
eminent is an irresponsible puppet and the cares
and tolls of craftsmanship are submitted to the subor
dinates. The diadem presses an Indifferent and in
dolent brow. No maiden's merriment is the office
of President OF these United States Who presides
over these thirty millions of nervous souls has en-
barked upon the labors of Sysiphus. The territory
of his guidance vast beyond the dream of the ava
ricious monarch of Macedon. The human masses
he controls arc the thras of dstempered restless
ness that can scarcely brook any limit His SUBJ
jects wild and fermentlng intelligences who re-
cognise no law master beyond their selfregulated
reason. The laws they have inscribed upon the
statutory page completely null if arrayed against
public sentiment. Of so peculiar people is that
very old man the head and front. He has been pro-
noted to the van of an extraordinary experiment in
the great matter of selfgovernment
Our inquiry is, does our Federal Executive de-
serve the constant and fearful abuse that is showered
upon aim?
If there be truth in biography and the testimony
of his contemporaries, the department of our Chief
Magistrate has been peculiarly decorous during his
entire career while his private life has been singu
larly beyond reproach. At quite early period of
his eventful life he entered upon the political arena
Passing through various grades of preferment, he
ltical apprenticeship of half century. In his time
grave matters have agitated the national heart and
questions of severest moment to the republic have
been permanently adjusted. In the terrific storm
of passionate mnd-n the fierce conflict of giant in
tellects, marked, and suave and polished contest
ant in the hottest of the melee the stalwart in
dividual who is now our Federal Palinurus. Amid
these majestic frames he was no pigmy. He has
impressed his bold and correct suggestions upon eve
ry portion of our federal legislation of any
quence. In the flush of buoyant manhood, or ad-
vancing to the strength Of middle age, or in the
wisdom of maturer years, he has ever been the
courted associate of the bravest and pures and most
intellectual of the land lie has mingled with
vast credit in the deliberations of the Senate cham
Der. He has sat in gravest counsel with his imme-
date Presidential predecessors lie has visited for
Il ! IL
diplomacy. A very Penelope in continuous action,
he has evnced ripe scholarship courteous address,
an intellect of deep, and nervous and varied powers.
Who but the delirious and besotted partisan will
dare to say, that man sprung from the soil and
with an educated morality, is not an American pa
trot? Is he ambitious? Then his hopes fruition
results from earnest devotion to the interests of
his country Patriotism is policy.
At last then, has James Buchanan reached the
most distant and difficult goal of human elevation.
He has clambered to miraculous height He has
attained the summit at the verge of his mortal ca
recr 1t is no stretch of kindness to suppose that
there floats about him the pure atmosphere of loft
lest intention. He knows that the impartial Genius
of History is waiting to catch up his name. With
brief limitation to his term of Office and an ex
pressed determination to retiracy it is very hard to
believe that Chief Magistrate is struggling for
the infamous record of Borga or Caligula
whitening shame on his monstrous and I'M
scrupulous detractors! With every Indictment to
justice and purity, they intimate that he emulates
the bold, bad name Of the Roman Catiline. Why
this venomous expectoration of Shiny epithet? Is
the spirit of insane party in these United States
foul and putrd that its chief behest is unoundcd Vi
tuperation against aged and good man, who has
battled through long life for his countrys veal
Buchanan has no bride save the land of his BIRTH
His good name is the only offspring he will transmit
to posterity. Why, then, SANDER and vlfy that
aged man, who night and day, and amid storm and
sunshine, bravely stands at the helm of the Ship of
State? His energies are enough for the herculean
toll. He is guiding it safely and with all his might
through domestic discussions and foreign aggrcs-
sions. He has done well, very we'll. He will be
reckoned hereafter as peer among the purest and
abest of our Presidents.
Again, we say, a bitter, burning shame on the
tradueers of our good and aged, and excellent Pres
ident".