The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-07-03
BUCHANAN.

Col. A. h. Mcclure, than whom there
is no more devoted and thorough Radi-
cal in Pennsylvania, writes the notice of
James Buchanan for the Franklin Re
posttOTy. II is analytic in its character,
and the review of his public acts, char
acteristics and abilities is by one who
was thoroughly conversant with them,
and one withal who is competent 10
speak Hc goes beyond the partizan
opinions of to-day and trenches on
ground by others untrodden, to view
the record of long and busy life. We
believe it the most impartial, candid,
and just Of the many the decease of the
Fifteenth President has elected We
have space for but brief extracts.
The death Of james Buchanan sewers the
last links that connected the present genera
tion of statesmen with the age of Clay, Web
ster Calhoun, Cass and their contemporaries.
Theirs was the era of craftsmanship In the his
tory of our government. We have minds no
less brilliant profound, but statemanship
has been iwarfed by the general demoraliza-
tiOn of the age, and the pen of the future
historian viii yield less of reverence for the
conspicuous names OF the present than for
those Of the past
James Buchanan was unlike all the other
leading statesmen Of his day. he WAS more
profound than Clay, more stable than Benton
more consistent than CaSs, more timid than,
Calhoun, and more calculating than Webster.
lie was too much Of n statesman TO be n good
politician, and too much of apolitician TO
be good statesman. lie was ever student
OF eXpeCllents, and never a leader As fell
lower, when bolder men had cleared the way
n u
originated public measure until he became
President, aud even Ia the Presidency, he ac-
ceptel rather than conceived the fatal policy
of his administration.
A. a man Mr Buchanan was honest, as the
world goes, hesitatIng and selfish a states
man he was clear, logical and profound, but
without The Inspiration OF that genius that
draws upon the elf=c5ioas to give lustre TO its
JTiuInphs.
Thus lar Sir. Buchanan has been Judged
solely ty the prejudiecs en-cnderpd by inten-
sIicd divisions ia the house o. bis political
friends, aud by the remorseless passions of
CIVIL strife. They are harsh tribunals by
which to be tried, but he could not escape
their consuming judgements Under the
blight Of this oblOquy he has lived for eight
years. and under it he died But impartial
history viii measurably dispel the clouds
which blacGcned his tame. It viii not be
the work of year or Perhaps of q decade,
but he will hereafter be esteemed better man
than now. James Buchanan was not y traitor,
nor yet disuniOnist. 1 believe that he sin
cerely desired to save the country from dis
membersaent and from war. That he lost his
opportunity, Is not to be denied, but it was
his Characteristic weakness, temporiziBS and
hesitating, and not because he was in sympa-
thy with those who desired to destroy the
Government.
He could have been the her. Of n country
redeemed, but he was too long the follower
of wTong-he was To feeble to act-toO old
10 learn. Thus, with an honest purpose to
avert warand dizuniCn, he crowned his adj
ministTatiOn with the unspealSable calami-
ties recorded Ia our thrilling history of the
lasteight years.
Such is the end, such the reward, of one
great life. Time viii never pronounce 1t
worthy of imitation, none will be so rash as
10 point to it as a success; but the future
will remove the starless gloom that now en-
velopes it, and the judgement of impartial
history will be that James Buchanan was one
of the most able, most sincere, but most IA
tally misguided of our eminent rulers.