, 1860-07-26
Pen Portrait Of tho PresidenS~


James Buchanan, dressed in full evening cos
tune. aud doing the courteses of 4 reception,
presents very striking and dign'f'ed appear
ance. He Is about six feet one or TWO 1ocaes IN
height, With abundant hair OF glssienfnS ana
semi-transparent silver color; smhll' nlaesn
gray eyes. Irregular features, ana comPieA'ou
Suggesting by It's unnatural freshness the hectic
OF constitutional complaint. The heud OF this
venerable man il cooked to the left at an angle
ofcertaiu degrees; the left egg Is contracted
aud drawn downward the lett corner u Tue
mouth shares simllar fate; an immense white
neckcloth bali conceals various o'a cicatlces'
Or flesh wounds, under sba a81e ear aaa sae
whole body of the man lurches slightly to the
left Us he walks-EAsurs thus seeming TO bhad-
ow forth bis constitutional hatred Of thc right
Mr. T. has q shrill, almost female voice and
wholly bes1dless cheeks; and he is not oy any
means, in any aspect, the sort Of nun likely to
cut, or attempt to cut bis throat for any Chloe
in spite OF I'LL these drawbacks. tue port!y hg'
urc aud courtier- Ike address ot Mr. buchanan
form very striking textures at u reception.
Like Dean s 1ilt and Alexander Pope, he ruth
er courts The renutation Of gallantEy; and half
tatber1y, half.loover like attentions to su.a
dies as arc presented, rarely full to a!tter the
vanity and elicit the gratitude Of the nancr1ng
and glittering victims. 4 courtler and q man
ofthe world. our President must have been in
his element when representing the United
States in Lns1and. He is Of the old Federal
School, looking ever toward Europe as the only
fountain Of any desirable applause; and more
anxious to be regarded IS comparative, Or
Arastocratic American BY the titled residents OF
Piccadilly than to hold in the heasfs OF the
deoce and affection which Andrew Jackson oc-
pied. At the official dinners IN the
White House, and few others are giTen, Mr.
buchanan shines to great advantage. He IS at
tentiye, courteous. affable-divfdlng hts civil
ties equally between all biz guoesfs'
a larue c.r-;:..c ;...ce Of nuoEic men and meas
ures in many lands, sut plies him with IN ,,e-:
haus''ble repertory Of personal anecdote; he
amuses, without ever boring or seeming too
loqu .cous; and there is an odd vein Of bitter
humor running through all his veins, such III
we can imagine {after reading Lard Orrery's
letters tn bis sou Hamilton BoyIc}, must hare
pervaded the conversation Of Dean swift. So
cold By nuturc, that no: evcn the warmth OF
blood can re'ax his frosty politeness. the Old
Public Furcionary addresses his niece and
helress as " Miss Harriet" and Insists on being
called " Mr. buchanan" in return. lie toierates
no Intimate associate or walking companion;
ind his present private Secretary, Sir. Mcleod,
formerly schooln,aster in Washington,
stands in as much awe Of the wrathy ola man
as though he was one 1f the foot llen instead
Of couhuentiul clerk. To give J. D. his due.
we must acknowledge thai he is Industrious
and troubl--seeklng 10 miracle. lila suspl-
c'uus nature will not contide the opening Of i,is
letters to any other hand; and at present, when
stacks Of anonymous letters are reaching lin
from all parts uf the country, denou' cling his
Postmaster, aud Custom House ofIiciuls u, se-
cretly working for the National Democratic
candidates, while pretending 10 support Bsrck-
lnrljRe and Lane, the mere ,iaily duty OF op-n-
Ing A1d reading the mail becomes in ITSELF i
heavy ta1- The Cabinet officers are his SER
wants, J. Is. insists, and not his adyisert. OF
Governor Flos d alone dues be seem to stand il,
any dread; Colone! Holt has nad two or :hree
fights with him on questions of honesty: Cobb
was deluded tor ths first three years by hopes
Of tn, succession; but in the naturally uea:,
aad serylle natures Of such men as Toucey and
D!ack, Mr. Buchanan finds and has ever found
bis readiest Instruments. AS for Thompson, he
spsculases in Indian lands. and neither knows
enough nor cares enough to giye him much
trouble,
The President does not believe him sufficient
II smart to be irtrosted with The execution Of
any serious sillany; nor is it likely that Thomn
son would obsy him, shuu.d any such Jobs be
offered Us seem tie peculiar p.r1u1si.e cf
Attorney General Black. hut ii is due the
PRESIDENT to say That be himself has never been
suspected o. posKetlng any portion OF the vast
aanouuss "urca r ne nus ass'stea 1Hnels ~ OBTAIN
~ pa5 5men. .os 'neir ala !o n1s Lecon'pton ann
ts;a usns1 tcns.nes. ne g!a1nes nas nance %hile
III. .a,,a ,la = ssann LUZ naueus "nlca re
rolls under MS tongue rs 20 many ss"eetHorsais
supply to h'n taat 1exa.d aud pleasure which
us sno9rdin4'es receive IRON heavy percentag
es on s%indlng contracts, and heavy fees for
'the'r tn lobby influence 10 regard to particular
US. Hr'snt ana early each morning DF. b".
chanan is up aud ut york, retiring each night
to bed by about half attsr o'clock. Br=ak.
1asslog at A. ~, our bsiosea aud illntrons en-
ters ny 6iuee oy Said oihse beng large
second no9T rton'. to me leit Of +, the
ifes'den'lal mansion Us you enter. Ihe'e
Is 4arg7 waiting room outside OF thlt,
o., ~! lew are the men WHO wan tlere now.
ms "an'ag-roo1n has WORT aua hot pa9tlch'
laris clean carpet; old mahogany tuFn ture,