The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-02
GEreIateLL19enGen:
TUESDAY saonNINo. IUNE =.
nnn,h or Ex.rreslaenI Buennnan.

nRn1h OF ENsfFtNAuGhA nuCHAAsA-@s
The lecease of this venerable states
man is announced in our dispatches
this morning. He was born on the 22d
Of April, 1871, aud consequently WAS In
his 7ssh year, not in his 18th. rs re
corded in the dispatch. He was ma
tive of franklin county, Pennsylvania,
and came of humble Irish parentage
ON his faiher'a side, HIS mother being
tue daughter of Franklin county
farmer. In the year 1909, ut the nge of
10. sir. buchanan graduated with
honor RL Dickinson College, Pennsyl-
vanIn. aud IN 1919 was admitted TO the
bar, having meantime settled at Inn
cnster, Pennsylvania, near which he
has resided, at WheHtlHnd, the greater
part OF hIs life. So successful was
las IN tho prnUtice of the law that
he WAS enabled to retire
from 1t Mt the age of forty, aud devote
himself TO political studies and associa-
tIons. lie started out in politics as n
FedernIist, but heartily supported the
war of 1872, and at one time marched
ns "a soldier In the ranks to defend Bal
rimorc. In 1890 he entered Con2ress.
and at once took lending position on
nil public measures, ranking as the
peer Of Clay and the prominent men of
TINT day. II wasin the election of John
quincy Albums, in 1924, by the House
of Representatives, that Mr.. Buchanan
gained certain unpOpulRriiy with the
friends OF Mr.. Clay. that attached TO
him through life. Falsely, or other
wise, nc wasHccused Of having been in
strumental in arOusiug suspicion and
rumor of bargain and sale arrange
ment between Mr.. Adams and Clay,
by which tho latter became Secretary
of State under the former.
A feature in Mr.. Buchnnan's early
Congressional career was his position
in regard to q South American and
Vest india Island policy for our gov
ornment. That policy eliminated Mt n
later day, while he was minister to
England, In what is known as the o.
tend manifesto, document issued by
himself and Messrs. Mason and Soule,
ministers to France and Spain, in
which strong grounds were taken for
the purchase or procurement some day
or other OF Cuba.
MIR. Buchanan WIS in public position
the greater portion OF his life. He
served IN both Houses OF Congress;
was minister to st. Petersburg under
Gen. Jackson; Secretary OF State un-
der Mr.. Polk, and minister to England
under Mr.. Pierce. His opportunities
hs man of tho world were great
aud his naturally good abilities
enabled him to become ripe i'll all the
experiences Of politics. 1t can hardly
be said, however, that he wasanyth thing
moro than politician. Now that he
il dead, we doubt even it the party
With which he WAS so long connected
regard him other than as highly hon.
ored recipient of MANY Iavors at its
hands. From first to last he dexter
ously manipulated his own advance
ment, and throughout his long career
we can recall little that is calculated to
call forth manifestations of public feel.
ing. In common with the Democratic
party, he held to the fatal doctrines that
our Union was a mere dissoluble bond;
that States had sovereign rights as op-
posed TO the Federal Government; that
nm Insignificant community like South
Carolina could, for imaginary-wrong,
break up the compact and remit the
so.cRlled nation back to its original
units. Holding such doctrines 1t is
NOT strange that grown gray and helD-
less in the service OF their arrogant ad-
vocates, he should at last have found
himself so fatally within their meshes
as to be unable to strike blow either
forthe salvation of his country or the
rescue of his own reputation.