New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-20
THE PRESIDENTS POsTHUmOUs
PRECAUTIONS.

PRRCAUTIONS'
Like other noted or notorious men before him,
some of them as little and few of them as unsuc-
cessful as he has been the President OF the United
States is said to contemplate an autobiography, to
be published after his death-not bis political de-
mise, which is close at hand, but his physical expi-
ration which we trust may be for many years de-
ferred. The world cannot spare the President yet.
In the grave, he will be too soon forgotten-uness,
indeed, these projected memoirs, full as they doubt
less will be of his peculiar wit and wisdom, his
recognized amiability aud grace, may snatch him
from oblivion But, living, the Presidents, and still
will be, a wholesome example to youthful citizens.
No public man of his time has had such chances Of
honest celebrity and no such man has played SO
laundering game At any time during the last
four years one single hour of vrtuous resolution and
of vigorous accordant action would have made MIR.
Buchanan the most popular parsonage In America.
If he could have stumbled into act of generos-
ty: if he could have been rescued by his better
genius for moment from the slough of selfishness
in which all his life he has been feebly laundering
the world would have been more disposed to par
don and little more inclined to pity that unceas-
ing grasp at Office which has never succeeded with
out lamentably expressing his lack OF capacity
sometimes and sometimes his lack of conscience
| But in his last great failure, Mr.. Buchanan has
| failed in all things. 1t is sufficient to say
that during his term of Office he has lost all bis old
friends. and has made no new ones he has failed,
We will not say in the legitimate duties of his place,
because be was not expected nor desired by his sup
porters TO succeed in performing them; but he has
| failed in drilling the Democratic party. To do
| this he was elected. That he might do this ef
fectiyely, all the revenues and patronage of the
Government were placed in his hands. lie was at
liberty TO eIpel and to INSTALL to bIbe and to buy,
70 intimidate the weak and to repay the yenal. In
sucb influences, he had full faith. The records of
Congress show that the business was undertaken.
The condition of the Democratic party shows how
obviously it was done. The President has made
nothing but bitter bad bargains for his party. de
has shown wonderful talent indeed for buying the
wrong men and for not buying the right ones; and
\ he has 30 mismanaged the trust cOn6ded to him
that Of the party that elected him nothing remains
but brace of factions, impoent either for good or
evil, and hating each other far more cordially than
they hate the common antagonist.
But this should not deterthe President from writ
ing these memoirs. Great failures may carry with
them as much instruction as great successes; and
very interesting bits of biography have solaced, in
heir composition, even the condemned cell. All!
IL the President would but tell all that he knows,
what book be would give us For he knows
betterthan any one else what public men OF thsc
try can be purchased what their prices are, and
how faithfully they will stand by their corrupt con-
tracts. He can give us beautiful stories of I'M
grateful POstmasters and of thankess Collectors.
He, of all living creatures, understands the sheer
sefshness of shareholders. He is the great
squeezed orange of the century; and he can tell
us who fattened upon his juices aud then flung him
away. Surely, those who have for their purposes
used the President have not bethought themselves
of this revenge, which it was in his power to take.
They did not suppose that he would, after 80 many
years of honor" become witness for the Com
monwealth. The President can yet do the country
this last service. We hope that he will. He will
not be living to read it, but he may WRAP the
" drapery of his couch about him " with the full
assurance that bis work will receive in this paper
the ampest critical notice.
In the coming yolume-long, though tantalized,
may ge wait for it the sOmber recital will oc-
casioDaly be illuminated by lighter narration.
We anticipate, with something of the feeling
which a newly.discOyered volume of the NOetes
Ambrosiane would excite, the story of the cele-
brated Oyster Suppers of Ostend. We suppose
they were oyster suppers. The late Mr. Mason
was there, and Osend lie famous for that biyavular
delcacy and therefore there must have been
oysters; and there must have been a Joke about
the world as an oyster, by the sword to be opened
and we would know who made it and who simply
laughed at it. There will be chapter, no doubt,
intitued " "Reminiscences of the American Lega-
% ton in London" which, if faithfully written,
will be as entertaining as a fairy tale" The
juvenile days of the President will furnish chap
ter of the light idylic description with episodes of
youthful love and eleges of youthful disappoint-
ment. The celebrated phlebotomica operation
which Mr.. Buchanan threatened, with his own
private penknife or razor, should drop of Demo-
cratic blood he found in his veins, himself to per-
form upon himself, will ill another chapter inter
ssting at once to the surgeon, the statesman, and
all those who desire to bleed themselves. And, to
skip from Mr.. Buchanan's prime to his penulti-
mate, were there not stores not long ago, floating
through the newspapers, of lovely lady, even q
widow, whose charms rekindled certain fires long
smoldering in the Presidential bosom, and awak-
ened emotions similar IN those eNDerianced nv
Anacreon in his eighty fifth year Possibly, official