Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-06-09
EX-PRBsIDENT BUCHANAN.

JAMES BUCHANAN, ex-President, aud in
fact, the last President of the United States,
died at .his.home of Wheatland, near Lam,
CASTER. Pennsylvania, on Monday morning,
the first of June; at the advanced age OF seven
ty-seven years. &ItaBgoHANANHas the last.
of the old school, of statesmen, whose patriot
isrn. and ability conferred 80 many practical
benefits and so much renown upon the coun-
try.. He was Democrat from his earliest
years. and the principles of the older states
men, with whom he was contemporary, gov
erned his life from the time he first became
prominently connected with politics. His
exit from the Presidential chair was followed
bya total abandonment of those principles by
the succeeding administration of Mr., Lincoln,
and the bloody and useless war that succeeded
was the inevitable sequence of the triumph
of the fanatic school. Mr.. BUCHANAN la
bored to tho best of his ability to prevent that
collision between thesssctions which he had
beenotaught by, and knew in common with
his contemporaries oftho eeplier times, would
be the end ofithe.. Union as it was created
He lived to witness the melancholy: realiza-
ton Of their fears in the present dep!orable
and anarchicaL condition ofithe country: lie
took no other part in politics, after his relin-
auishment of the Presidential chair, than to
write the history of his administration, which
has been so virulently traduced and in his
beautiful and secluded home he often repeat
ed the words placed into the mouth of Card
inal Woolscy,
"An old man, broken with the storms of state.
Hath come to lay his weary bones among you,--
Give him little earth for charity"
The need he had right % ask, although re-
pudiatcd and scofcd by the fanatical parti-
sanism ofrthe. time, cannot be withheld from
him by any history pretending to be just,
Mr.. Buchanan was. born in Franklin
county, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of April,
1871. His father cmigratcd to this country
from Ireland and commenced life as hardy
pioneer, but managed to acquire competency
that enabled him to give his son classical
education. In 1909 Mr.. buchanan graduated
with high honor at Dickinson College. In
December of that year he commenced the
study of law He was admitted to the bar
November II, 1872, being then. little more
than "a years old. So successful was he as n
lawyer, that at tho age Of 10 he was enabled
to retire from the profession. AT the age of
% Mr.. Buchanan became e member of the
Pennsylvania Legislature. In 1920 Nj.
Buchanan entered Congress, and in 1881, at
the close of his eth term, was sent as Envoy.
Extraordinary to st. Petersburg. On his re-
turn 1888 he was elected to tho U, S. Senate,
and under the Administration of Mr.. Polk he
filled the Office of Secretary of State. One
of the first acts of President Pierce's admin
istration was to appoint Mr.. Buchanan Minis
ter to Englnad. lie returned to the U. S: in
1856, received. the nomination of the Demo
cratic Convention in June, and on the 4th OF
March, 1857, was inaugurated President of
the United States. At the close Of his term
of. Office in 1861, Mr.. buchanan retired to
his estate at WlroatIand, where he passed the
remainder Of his, life..