The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-05-04
JAMES BUCHANAN,S GREAT GRIEF.
The Sorrow That Came to Him Through
An Anonymous Letter.

JAMES BUCHANANS GREAT GRIEF.
The Sorrow That Came to Him Through
An Anonymous Letter.
A correspondent of the Chicago Eren-
ing Journal having given reasons why
ex-President Buchanan never married,
another gentleman from Upper San
dusky has written what he knows about
the reasons of Mr.. Buchanan's celibacy.
The writer say: The amount of fact in
proportion to fiction in the above little
romance is very small indeed-the sole
romance attached to the lady mention
ed is in being the niece of Miss Ann
Soleman, of Lancaster, Pa, who was
the first and only fancee of the late
President Buchanan, newspaper reports
to the contrary Notwithstanding. The
incidents connected with that sad affair,
although occurring when the writer of
this was youth of seventeen or eight
cen years of age, have haunted his
memory up to the presentation he
has passed the allotted three-score and
ten. | shall briefly state the circum-
stances as | remember them. Mr. Bu-
cha-.N.n, then somewhere in the neigh
borhood of thirty years of age, had been
elected in the fall of 1920 as a Member
of Congress for the Lancaster District
The long session extended, think, into
the month of July. 1t was hot, dusty
summer, and the stage coach then the
only approved means of travel. The
Baltimore coach did not reach the CITY
until after nine o'clock in the evening.
There were several printer boys waiting
the arrival of the stage, who congratu-
lated Mr.. Buchanan on his arrival
home, and unanimously pronounced
him the best busted man they had
ever met. At that time the
Court t-hOuSe stood at the intersection of
the four main streets of the city, and
Mr.. Buchanan'S Office and chambers
were in the southwestern angle. Soon
after alighting and chatting few mo-
ments with acquaintances who happen
cd to be in the vicinity, he went to his
chambers to undergo much needed
purgation. This accomplished, sOme-
where about 10 o'clock he stepped out
in morning-gown and slippers and with
out hat, and promenaded back and forth
the angle to catch what little breeze
was stirring. Miss Grace Hubley, sister
in-law to William jerks, who resided
on the corner of South Queen Street,
the terminus of the southwestern angle,
happening to be sitting in the parlor
with all the windows open on account
of the heat, noticing that Mr.. Buchanan
had returned, went to the door, and,
passing the compliments of the even
ING, invited him in, with which he COM
piled, and they seated themselves by a
large open window and engaged in con-
versation. Not more than twenty min
utes thereafter an anonymous note was
handed in to Miss Coleman, stating that
Mr.. Buchanan was too tired TO call on
his aAianced, but that he could call on
and sit and chat with Miss Hublev. To
understand what follows | must here
state that Robert Coleman, the father,
was a purse-prOud, imperious mar,
who, having acquired great wealth at a
time when millionaires did not grow on
every bush, and possessing but little
educational advantage, was very
Jealous of those whose cultivation and
SOCid1 DOSlllOl NClC III slNlN lilNC VI Ills
own, scrupulously stood sentinel over
his own dignity, and was ever ready to
resent any fancied infringement of it.
On the night in question there happen
ed to be several callers at the Coleman
mansion who were sitting in the parlOr
in conversation when the note was
handed by the servant to Miss Ann.
On perusing it the lady was naturally
somewhat disturbed, which was evi-
denced in her face, and Immediately
attracted the attention of the Jealous
and imperious old man, who, notwith-
standing her remOnstrance, snatched
and read it. His offended dignity was
at once in arms, and within the hour
his daughter was placed in the family
carriage and on the way to Philadelphia
to visit her sister, Mrs. Judge Hemhill.
Knowing the unrelenting nature of her
father, and probably feeling hurt at the
inusndO thus anonymously conveyed to
her, although an intelligent and accom-
plished young lady and very much at
tached to her betrothed lover, she be-
came Respondent, and in her despair
took laudanum and was a corpse on the
ayfollOwing herreaching Philadelphia.
Mr.. Buchanan requested permission to
attend the funeral as chief mourner, but
was rudely refused. Being a man of
ardent affections and entirely devoted
to his betrothed, Mr.. Buchanan's mind
was nearly unhinged by the sudden
calamity which had befallen him so
much so, indeed, that his friends became
uneasy, and Judge Franklin persuaded
him to remain in his family few days.
While there, and wishing to write the
obituary notice himself, he requested
Mr.. Dickson to delay the publication of
the IntelLigencer as long as he could,
which was done, but as the mail was only
posted once week to certain points OF
the county we were compelled to close
the paper that evening, and was sent
around to the Judges to see if the Obitu-
ary was ready. | was informed that
Mr.. Buchanan's mind was so disturbed
by grief that he was unable to write the
notice, but the Judge suggested that |
should go into the parlor, where Mr..
Buchanan was alone in his sorrow, and
inform him that he must close the pa
per that evening, thinking it might spur
him up to the necessary exertiOn. [
have witnessed many sad scenes in the
course of a somewhat heightened life,
but none that made so indelible an i'm
preston on my mind as the grief-strick-
en- appearance of Mr.. Buchanan on that
occasion. To see a man in almost per-
feet physical and mental structure bow
ed to the earth by irretrievable grief is
one of the most painful sights that a
person of average feeling can witness.
L would here state that l have heard
with pain blame attributed to Miss Hub
ley in this connection of which she is
wholly guiltless-the anonymous note
having been written by an envious lady
who passed while Mr.. Buchanan and
Miss Grace were conversing together.