Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-06-10

retired to Wheatland, nevertheless taking
occasion, as opportunity offered, to. express
his opinions upon the political questions of
the day, especially the slavery agitation,
and he wrote letter endorsing the com
promise measures which were adopted by
the joint efforts of Senators Cass, Clay, and
Webster, in 1850. Mr.. Pierce became
President in 1858. and one of his first ap-
pointments was that of James Buchanan
as Minister at the Court Of ST. James The
Central American question engaged his
earliest attention, and subsequently our re-
lations with Spain led to President Pcsce's
proposal to settle all difficulties by offering
to purchase Cuba. This negotiation was
confided to Mr.. Soule, then Minister to
Madrid, aud it was deemed advisable that
the ministers at the Courts of France and
England should assist In the conference
Ostend (Which named the conference) was
selected, but AK aChapelle was the place
of meeting The result of this conference,
which excited great attention at the time,
was not "protocol," as the minutes were
callnd, nor even proposition to SPAN for
the purchase of the Island of Cuba, but the
papers set forth the importance of the ac-
QUESTION to this country, the advantage to
Spain in selling it at fair price, and the
sympathy of the people of the United
States with the inhabitants Of the island
In case Cuba should become Africanized
and threaten to be second St. Domingo,
the effect of the example of the slave pop
ulaton of our own Southern States would
impel an armed Intervention, and would
justify the forci6le seizure of Cuba All
this was talked nothing was done but
doing all that was talked about could
scarcely have created more excitement in
this country and abroad. Mr.. Buchanan
came home in April, 1856. He was hos
pitably received by the Common Council
of this city, and his journey homeward to
Lancaster was a succession of ovatons.-
The Democratic Convention assembling at
Cincinnati in June nominated him for the
Presidency, ard in November he was elect
ed, receiving ia electoral votes in nlne-
teen States. Mr., Buchanan announced at
the outset that the object of his admins
tration would be TO suppress sectionalism
at the North and at the South, and to re-
store a national and fraternal feeling be
tween the States. Ip his inaugural, March
4, 1857, he stated his views on the slavery
question aud the settlement of difficulties
in Kansas. 1t is unnecessary TO revive the
history of the Kansas squabble for politi-
cal power and spoils. Mr.. Buchanan sent
a special message to Congress on the sub
jpct, February 2, 1858, and he gave his
Signature to the Compromise Kansas bill,
winch finally passed both Houses. Very
soon after this occasion Mr.. Buchanan
communicated to Congress the gratifying
intelligence that the rebellion in Utah had
come 10 an end by the peaceful submission
of the Mormons We do not propose to
closely review Mr.. Buchanan's administra
tion-especially the last four months of
the same. which he has given with his own
pen to history as vindication supported
by documentary evidence. 1t is charged
that reasonable vigor and CELEBRITY on his
part would have suppressed the rebellion.
But the peace correspondence with John |
Tyler, the South Carolina Commissioners,
and the letters between President Buchan- |
an and General Scott, have failed to con-
vince the public to this day that the mat
ter OF peace or war between the North and |
the South lay exclusively in Mr.. Buchan-
ans hands. He began to write a
review, which was at once history and !
defence of his administration, as soon as
he reached Whearland, in March, 1861
In December of the same year an at.
tempt was made to censure him in the |
United States Senate, but the resolution
was promptly tabled by vote of 81 to 3.
His vindication, which had been prepared
more than year, was not published till
November, 1865, and then it excited far
less attention than was anticipated. To
partisan press the author served however,
as scapegoat for many of the mishaps
and blunders of the war, radicalism find
ing relief in falling back upon Mr..
Buchanan as the "main cause " of a pa-
tional disaster, for which he was no more
Immediately responsible than he was for
the latest volcanic eruption in Hawaii
During his retirement at Wheatland Mr..
Buchanan has sedulously refrained from
receiving public attentions that have been
rendered to him by his personal and po-
I,ical friends and his fellow townsn en-
A year ago last April he declined in
handsome letter of acknowledgment a
public dinner at Philadelphia, He seems.
to have been content with the full measure
of honors his town, his State, and his coun-
try have heaped upon him, and to have
rested his reputation upon the acknowl.
edged and marked ability with which he
has filled the many positions of trust and
honor to which he has been advanced
When he went from Washington to
Wheatland, to the assembled crowd of
neighbors and friends gathered to greet
him, aud welcome him to his home, he
said these words. "AIl my political as
pirations have departed, all have done
during somewhat protracted life has pass
ed into history. If have done aught to of
fend a single citizen, | now sincerely ask
his pardon. God grant that the Consti-
tuition of the Union shall be perpetual
and continne q shield and protection to
ourselves and children forever Words
like these are pertinent lesson TO the
living and fit epitaph for the dead