The daily gazette., 1875-04-17
THEN AND NOW.
The TTidt- Trip of the Harriet
Lane.
A GOVERNMENT FRoLIc OF LONG AGO
FOR WHICH THE PEOPLE DID NOT PAY
E-How GOOD "cAME IT OVER THE OLD
SQUIRE.

Correspondence Of Jths Philadelphia Times.
WASHINGTON, April 14.-The kitchen
organ of the White House contained
the following editorial paragraph this
morning;
There was vessle Of the United States
Navy at one time known as the Harriet
Lane. She was named in honor Of the
niece of James Buchanan, who was then
Democratic President of the United
States. She was used as pleasure yacht
by members Of Mr.. Buchanan's admins
tration /; but, strange to say, her use in
that way did not suggest the Democratic
editors of the day that military and ma
val power threatened the country with
unexampled tyranny. 1t Ia within the
memory of many OF our readers tAat the
Government was called upon to pay all
expenses incident to her pleasure trips
including campagne lunches but that
WINS before the Detective press came in
to existence.
There is bare modicum of truth in
the foregoing statements In regard to
the revenue cutter Harriet Lane. 1t is
true that thero was such vessel, and
that she was named In honor of the
neice of James Buchanan. 1t Is also
true that she was on one memorable
occasion used by certain members of
Mr. Buchanaa's administration as a
pleasure yacht. But 1t Is not true that
she was "a vessel of the United States
Navy" or that the Government was
ever called upon to pay all or any part
of the expenses incidentto her pleasure
trips. The Harriet LIZ le was revenue
cutter, and was built, as all vessels of
the revenue marine are, under the d.
rection of the Secretary of the Treasu.
ry. She was upon the occasion of her
trial trip used by certain members of
the Buchanan administration TO con.
vey pleasure party down tho Poto.
mac river, and have no doubt there
were several campagne lunches con-
sumcd during that voyage. The cir.
cumstances attending that pleasure
party" were such as to render 1t a
memorable occasion, and l take great
pleasure In relating them now, because
1t enables me to contrast the conduct
of Mr.. Buchanan in dealing with a
question of official ethics with that of
General Grant and his Secretary of the
Navy. The trial trip of the Harriet
Lane occurred during the summer sea.
son when the President and his Cabi.
net were of course suffering from the
effects of the oppressive heat of this
latitude, ard sail on the Potoms c
river would afford brief but pleasant
interlude in their daily routine of off,
cial life. For it must be remembered
that during Mr.. Buchanan's admins
tration neither he nor any one of his
Cabinet Ministers Yves absent from his
post Of duty single day on pleasure
excursion. There was no sea side cap
ital then, and no annual hegira of the
President and his Cabinet on the ap.
proacA of the heated term from WASH
ington to Cottages by the sea-" When
the weather became very oppressive
Mr.. Buchanan was in the habit of pas
sing portion of the day and night at
the Soldiers Home, but never-even
during the hottest days-failed to
drive Into the city and spend several
hours at hard work In his Office at the
Executive Mansion. Some of his Cab
met Ministers also had country palaces,
but none of them avoided the discom-
forts Of Office. work by even a days
relaxation under the shade Of their own
vine and fg.tree."
Howell Cobb, then Secretary of the
Treasury, without consultation with
the President or any of his colleagues,
concluded that the occasion of the
trial trip of the Harriet Lane would be
a fine opportunity to invite has friends
of the Cabinet, of the foreign legations
and his acquaintances generally to en-
Joy with him short sail down Poto.
mac. The preparations were made ac-
cordingly and the invitations issued,
and all arrangements completed with
out the knowledge of the President.
When Mr.. Buchanan learned of this
damned frolic," as he cha ecterized
it, he was very wroth and sent for his
Attorney General. That officer found
him fuming and swearing, and the first
greeting he received was double-bar-
relied interrogatory. care you," said
the President, ''going on this damned
frolic? What do you think of such a
conversion of public property to pri-
vate use?" AS soon as the Attorney
General could get his breath, he repli.
ed that he was not going on the Har-
riot M opd f,rt 7, o,. n, at IN h 10 n falt