Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-03
DEATH OF EXPREsHDENT BIZ
CHANAN,

them saVOfy.
DEATH OF EX-PREsHDENT b.
CHARAN.
James buchanan, fifteenth President
of the United States, died at Wheatland,
his residence, near Lancaster, Pa, on
Monday morning, in the 18th year of his
age. The public have been advised for
several months, that the heath of this
venerable statesman was rapidly declin-
ing, and his demise was not unexpected.
Tho announcement, however, causes the
mind to recur to a long career of distine
guished public service, extending through
period of nearly half a century, in
which the eminent deceased filled the
most exalted stations under the govern
ment, and bore part which will connect
bis name with the most important events
ia American history.
Mr. Buchanan was Of Irish extraction,
and was born at Stony Batter, Pa, April
22nd, 1871. He enjoyed the advantages
of thorough education, and graduated
at Dickinson College, Pa, in his eigh-
teenth year Three years later, he came
to the bar, and in few years, eyinced
capacity that gave him rank with the first
lawyers in that State. In 1914, he en-
tered the Legislature as a Federalist
in political theory, but a firm sup
porter Of the war then raging;
and in an emergency for troops
then occurring, he volunteered as pri-
vate soldier for the defense of Baltimore.
la 1920 he was elected to Congress, where
he remained until 1881. During this
period, his talents for business and de-
bate earned him distinction in rivalry
with the first statesmen Of the time He
was Chairman of the Judiciary Commit
tee, and chief manager of the impeaeh-
ment Of Judge Peck, of Missouri He
was an opponent of the Adams adminis~
tration, aud in 1881 was appointed by
Gen jackson Minister to Russia In this
capacity he concluded the first commero
cial treaty with that government, secu-
ring important privileges in the Baltic
and Black seas. Upon his return in
1888 he was elected to the United States
Senate, in which he served uutil 1915,
when he became Secretary Of State
under President Polk. At the close of
that administration, he retired to private
life, and Sc remained until 1858, when be
was commissioned by President Pierce
Minister to England lie returned in
1856 and in that year was elected Presi-
dent Of the United States Since 1861
he has lived in the retirement of the
home at which he died.
As Congressman, Senator, Foreign
Minister, Secretary of State, and Presi-
dent, Mr. Buchanan exhibited abilities
Of d very high order Lacking the lofty
spiritual qualities which shone in some
of the great contemporaries with whom
he commenced public life, and Of those
of a younger generation also, with whom
he was associated, he yet, in the field of
debate, was no mean antagonist with the
first Frigid and unsympathetic in his
nature, though the recipient of continued
high honors, he never elected great de-
gree Of warm personal attachment or pop
ularity among the people. His suecesswas
due to the assiduOus employment Of a vigr
orOus and variously accomplished intel
lsct, which qualified him to Gil with dis
tinction the posts to which be was called
His career is not marked by boldness or
brilliancy, either in speech or action, yet
for twenty years he was the chief coun-
sellor of the Democratic party, and per-
haps its ablest and most consistent sup
porter His manners were suave aud
elegant rather than cordial and he was
never married though he was always a
figure in Washington society. He was
much involved in the fierce party conflicts
of his time, but maintained, with a single
exception of the emcute between Clay
and jackson in 1928, an unsullied repu-
tation for honor and integrity. His cons
nection with that affair provoked censure
whether Justly or not lie came TO the
Presidency at an inopportune time for a
statesman Of his facile temper. The
hell-broth &C the nations troubles was
even then bubbling to the brim, and he
was not the fttest man to allay the fer
ment and avert the calamity, though we
believe history will record that he made
an honest and patriotic effort to do so.
From the inception Of the slavery agita-
ton in 1895, Mr. buchanan had treated
il in iudicious and conservative style
He sought to restrain the extremism of
his section, and did indorse the opposite
extreme to which the majority of his
party tended IL was in this spirit, that
be conducted the administration of the
Kansas questionable immediate pesti-
lent source from which sprung our
present unnumbered woes. He failed 10
calm the angry tumult of the winter of
lS60, and at a jucture when vigor and
decision in the executive arm descreetly
used, might have stayed hands uplilted
in civil strife, he did not display it
The terrible consequences which have
since ensGed, have placed his fame
rs statesman and patriot under
cloud but in that dispassionate scrutiny
20 which the muse Of history will subs
ject this portion Of his public conduct,
the insurmOuntablc perplexites Of his
situation viii 90 far Ia eondone the errar