New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-16

stood at his side the gangway Of the California
steamer was John B. Hsskn. then . rudy faced
young lawyer, vhose name was occasionally men
toned in the newspapers as member OF Demo-
cratic Ward Committees. In his veins ran the
blood Of Dutchmsn who had lived for 900 years
by the aide Of the Harlem River. But more pleas
ing than tending sheep on his fathersacres was the
noise and excitement Of Eew-York politics. This
man rose rapidly until he represented the home OF
BIS ancestors in Congress. Broderck was energy
IiaSkin audacity. Broderck had immense respect
for organizations Ha,kin loved to break "rngs'
and smash States" If there had been no sin in
Air. Buchansn's course, the tendency of Haskin's
nature would have sent him into opposition be-
fore the end Of bis first term. From the moment
he joined the alliance, there was no rest Others
might hesitate. He went forward like busy, rest
less spirit, hunting up recruits, stimulating the
weak, denouncing the treacherous going with the
Republicans in organizing the House. John W.
Forney. Mr.. Buchanans lifelong friend, and man
of resolute earnest nature, keen Judge Of the
motives of human action, an agreeable speaker,
and superb politician, joined the alliance, as well
as John Hickman Of Pennsylvania, an orator and
thinker, an earnest, thoughtful man, who never
rose in his seat but with his haggard, grizzly face,
his ncisive, deliberate dssecting sentences, COM
manded the attention Of the House. lie went with
Forney to the Republican party without We think,
taking part in the intermediate comedy Of "sup-
porting Douglas"
The anti-Lecompton alliance gave TO the Repub'
lcan party the strength Of victory. 1t broke the
Democratic organization, united the North and
showed the South the hopelessness of eternizing
Slavery by legislation. Anti-Lecompton was the
first aggressive blow. John Brown struck the
second Lincoln's election, the natural fruit, was
the third. Anti-Lecompton aimed at the life of
Democracy. John Brown at the life Of Slavery.
The Democracy killed Douglas; Slavery killed
Brown. The spirit Of the men lived after them.
We have fingered upon this ant-Lecompton cpl
sode because its effect as of the Of the
Rebellion, was decisive. As we Just remarked, il
the first effective step Of national resistance
to Slavery. Mr.. Buchansn's defense Of Lecomp-
ton is the weakest part Of his book. lie tells how
sadly he felt over the trouble occasoned by the
Lecompton Constitution, and repeats one Of his
many lectures upon the necessity of obeyiDg the
law. When Lecompton had run lis course, his
soul turned for consolation TO the Dred Scott
decision, which involved all "the contested
questions in regard to Slavery" and "pre-
senied 10 him cheerful but delusiye pros
pect." He confidently expected that " the decis-
ion Of the Court would settle all the questions and
eventually restore harmony among the States.
This bred Scott business was remarkably charac-
teristic Of those crafty old politicians, Buchanan and
fancy. The President, in his inaugural, enjoined
obedience TO the prospective decision. Two days a
ter the inaugural fancy rendered ii The points Of
that infamous decree all men know. Howitsaddened
the National heart by showing that Slavery had at
last risen to the fountain-head Of ali Law and justice
and that nothing remained to freedom but battle
for it's existence fancy Was Democratic poll
tcian Of the cast Of nelec, fitting him for prose-
cutting attorney, who had been made Chisf-Just
for obcying unjust decree Of the impcrous Jack
son, and who never during his many long years
upon the Supreme Bench, forgot that he owed his
ermne to the Democratic party. The most eIa!tcd
citizen of America, be was slavery's most suppliant
tool. Mr.. Buchanan Ia surprised that the Infamous
decree Of q small, nauov-mindcd politician,
vas not accepted by the Republican party
In vain. II wa, not written in the book of
fate that one weak, old, partisan Judge should
revise the DEGREES Of God. Mr.. Buchanans
" confident hope" speedily became Exclusive"
Lot US take warning" he says that the late dis
astrous civil war, unjustifable as it was, would
most probably never have existed had not the
American people dsobeyed and resisted the Consti-
tuition Of their country, as expounded BY the tribu-
nal which they themselves had created for this
express purpose" In other words Mr.. Buchanan
would have us know that the war would never have
occurred If We had quietly bent down beneath the
yoke of the Shareholders accepted Slavery as new
Gospel, Slide 10 our political Messiah, Davis a.
President, fancy as an apostle, and the Montgomery
Constitution az our moralaw. You werenot alone
in that thought, MIR. Buchanan in 1861.
We cannot dwell with Mr.. Buchanan upon the
Helper Book, the s,rfes Of Conventions, the Demo
cratic rupture at Charleston its final dissolution at
Baltimore, tho rival nominations Of Mr.. Breckin-
ridge and Mr. Douglas, and all the petty stries OF
the canvass. Events rushing, and at this
time there suddenly appeared one of those phe-
nomena that come in the ages-something more
than human-who are cast like sunlight across
the centuries, who become apostles, and Bible
makers, and tho preachers Of sermons upon the
Mount. Moses, Confucius, Plato, Shakespeare,
Toussant, John Brown, are vorld-men, neil
Their Chinese, Greek nor Italian, nor negro, nor
philosophers, nor poets, nor warriors-but phenom-
ena, the moral growth Of ages, and, as Mont Blanc
dwarfs the Pyramids, outlivesnd diminish all world
| ly fame What are Nspoleons, and Frederics, and
Marlboroughs, 10 these They are mere soldiers,
who fire guns and build roads, and call themselves
kings, and ruin millions that they may have pal
aces, and velvet coaks, and diamond-studded ,ccp-