The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-29

pOllIlCSs
''And the Graves Open and the Dead
Come FOrth.o
Two hundred and eight resurrectionists have
Joined together to pursue their nefarious call
ing, and have dragged from its rural tomb
body which has been dead and buried for over
six years. Yes it is six years since all that
remained of the "0ld Public Functionary'
was hidden from the public gaze, and, with
the exception of posthumous work written
about the time of the United States Bank de-
bate, we have heard nothing of Mr.. James
Buchanan since 1861. The gentlemen who
would thus bring back to the land of the living
Lazarus so long deceased, assume heavy
responsibility, and should be careful lest the
Shakespearian malediction on him who med
dies with his bones be heaped upon them. Of
the two hundred and eight, however, exactly
one hundred and ninety nine are "to fortune
and to fame unknown" and we suppose they
ollowed blindly the lead the remaining nine.
Of these, however, we know most of them by
reason of their wishing to be what they never
were. Thus, there is man who would have
llh6u 10 nave D66u OON6IuOI1 bWO unOh WOulu
have liked to have been Congressman, two
would have taken the Surveyorship of
the Port etc. When we add to these three
editors of our Democratic contemporary, we get
about all those whom the people have ever
heard of. Yet these nine have taken the re-
sponsibility and invited the resurrected to come
and join them at dinner.
"Our father, speak to us words of COM
fort" said the Indians to the prophet brother
of Tecumseh. The Prophet promised them
glorious victory, and he did so the day
before the battle of Tippecanoe. So do the
two hundred and eight Democrats call on 81.
B." for ''words of counsel, of consolation, and
if possible, of hope ~ and the invoked replies
with the original advice, to ''never despair
for the time will surely come when they shall
triumph and control the administration of the
Government" Yet it takes great faith for
them to look forward with confidence to the
approaching political Tippecanoes. In calling
forth this venerable father of the Democratic
Israel, and asking him for advice, we think
his admirers have been rash. They have
dragged forth the body, and with it the corrup-
| tiOn which had been sealed in the Pandora
box of official diseases. They have recalled
the days of "Webster, Clay, Benton, and Cal
houn, and appealed to the 'last of the Ameri-
can statesmen OF the olden times" Do they
desire us to go back with them to the days
when James Buchanan was in the United
States Congress If so, we would recall his
attempt to bribe Henry Clay with a Cabinet
Office, which despicable offer constitutes
the only link between his name and that of the
illustrious commoner We think that it
would be we'll to let them rest in the dead
past. From the events of the days of the
Senatorial giants, we do not think that we can
deduce any good reason why the opinion of
James Buchanan should have any weight with
any body of sane men. And coming down to
later days, do we find in his actions while
in the Presidential chair any argument in
favor OF his possessing influence? True it is
that the 2O8 "honestly think that no respon-
sibility for the years of blood and sorrow we
have endured rests ON you, who
tried in moment of terrible exigency
to do your duty under the Constitution,
ana from the conviction that this sentiment
proceeds ''from large number of my fellow
citizens, equal in intelligence, character, and
patriotism to any similar number of gentlemen
in the State" the ex-President asks himself,
''May not, with much confidence, indulge
the hope that you but anticipate the general
sentiment of future times % Who are these
patriotic citizens whose opinions foreshadow
the views of posterity There is one who was
Minister at Hong Kong (whose grandfather
was the incorruptible Cd patriot of the RevO-
lution), whose presence in our city was barely
tolerated. Another wished that the "bones of
the Northern Hessians would go to enrich the
sacred soil, and was offered free pass to
Dixie by the late District Attorney Coffee.
Another was kicked out of a social Club for
treason. Another was hooted out OF the city
| by his indignant neighbors.
Four or five thought it advisable to
reside in the country during the war. Several
had their houses mobbed by outraged
loyalists, and the rest were only preserved
from disgrace by their utter insignifcance
And from the opinions of such men -. b.
derives comfort Be not deceived. 1t is Oh
the head of the old man at Wheatland thai
the great mass of the American people heal
the curse of mourners for their murdered
relatives. 1t is he they hold responsible, ant
it is well to paint delusive pictures of future
change of sentiment. We see no good grounC
to suppose that the future will ever cease K