Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-01
BUCHANANs LrFE.soRRow
Why the Fifteenth President of the Uni
ted States Never Married.

ted states Never Married.
| Inc long promised biography of James
| Buchanan has Just been published. Mr.
| George Ticknor Curtis is the editor n
throws some light on Mr.. Buchanan's life.
| sorrow. At the beginning of Mr.. Bn.
chahan career he became engaged to be
married 10 a young lady of Lancaster.
| Pa, who is described as POSSESSING Creai
beauty, and being OF singularlv attrac.
tive and gentle disposition. The engage
ment was approved by the parents OF
both the lovers; but, after it had existed
Tor some time, she suddenly wrote a note
to him requesting him to release her
from the engagement. He could
only reply that if she wished it he
would comply. A short time after this.
december, 1919, the young lady died sud-
denly While on a visit to friends in PbiIa-
delphla. She was buried in Lancaster.
and Mr.. Buchanan, although one of her
slncerest mournerS, was not allowed TO
Sit WIN the family at her funeral. Among
MS papers was package of letters which
ne mad said would explain the cause of
lhls PAINFUL estrangement, but when Mr..
curtis went to open them he found writ
ten ON them, in Mr.. Buchanan's own
hand, an Injunction to destroy them
which he did, and the world viii never
Know the true story of the bachelorhood
and lifelong sorrow of the fifteenth Presi
dent of the United states.
1t happened, however, that the original
of the letter addressed by Mr.. Buchanan
to the young lady's father before her fu-
neral was not contained in this package.
1t was found in his private depOsitOries
at Wheatland, and it came there in cOnse-
quence OF the fact that it was returned by
the father unread and unopened.
A little obituary notice, which was pub
Hshed IN Lancaster paper on the 11th of
December, and which the diary states was
written by Mr.. Buchanan, is given as fol-
lows:
departed this life. on Thursday MORN
ing last, in the 23d year of her age, while
on visit to her friends in the city of
Philadelphia, Miss Anne c. Coleman
daughter of Robert Coleman, ESQ. of this
city. 1t rarely fallsto our lot to shed a
tear over the mOrtSl remains of one so
much and so deseJyedly beloved as was
the deceased. Ste was everything which
the fOndest pTent or fondest friend
could have wished her to be. Altbouoh
she was young and beautiful and accom-
pllshed, and ne smiles of fortune shone
upon her, ya her native mOdestv and
worth mad her unconscious of her own
attractions Her heart was the seat of
all the sofer virtues which ennobIe and
dignity tie character of woman. She has
now gOre to world where in the bosom
of her fod she will be happy with con.
genia' spirits May the memory of her
Writes be ever green in the hearts of her
surviving friends. May her mild spirit
wbGSn non on earth still breathes peace and
goa VIII, be their guardian angel to nra-
srVe them from the faults to which she
fas ever stranger
Z The SPIDERS most attenuated thread
Is cora, Is cable, to mans tender tIe
IN ,, ca my piss-It breaks at every breeze"
Inc following letter, written bv Mr.. Ru.
cnahan TO the father of the Young lady nc
ABOVE stated, is all that remains of writ
zen evidence to attest the depth of his at
tachment to her: AZ
LANCASTER, December 10. 1919 NV
DEAR SIR: You have lost a child. a doar
lear enid. have lost the only earthly |
)bIect OF my affections, without whom Iifa |
loW presents to me a dreary blank. NV
prospects are all cut off. and I feel that
ny happiness will be buried with her in
ne grave. 1t is now no time for expIana-
ION, put the time will come when Won
VIII dlscOVer that she, as well as I have
yeen Se hucn abused. God forgive the au-
hors OF 1t. My feeling of resentment
against them, whoever they NAV he are
'urled IN the dust. l have now one re-
luest 10 make, and for the love of God and
i your GEAR, departed daughter. whom I
OVed INFINITELY more then any other hu-
nan being could love, deny me NOT. Al.
ORD me the melancholy pleasure of SEQ
ng ner body before its interment. wonId
ot ~ lor t1e world be denied this request
representations which must have been
lade to you, L am almost AFRAID. i would
Ike to follow her remains to the grave as
mOurner. | would like to convince the
5orld-and | hope yet to convince you
hat she was infinitely dearer to me than
fe. may sustain the shock of her death,
ut feel that happiness has fed from me
brewer. The prayer which / make to God
Without ceasing is that / yet NAV be able
0 show my veneratiOn for the memory of |
f my dear departed saint by my respect
nd attachment for her surviving friends.
MAY heaven bless you and enable you
0 bear the shock with the fOrtitude of
,hristian.
81 am forever your sincere and grateful
rlend, JAMES BUCHANAN"
Mr.. Curtis, referring to the above cpl
ode, says:
''lt is now known that the separation of
he lovers originated in a misunderstand-
ng, on the part of the lady, of very
mall matter, exaggerated by giddy and
ndiscreet tongues, working on a peculi-
rly sensitive nature. Such a separation,
he commOnest of occurrences, would
ave ended, in the ordinary course, in re-
when the parties met, if
eath had not suddenly snatched away
me of the sufferers and left the other to a
lifelong grief. But, under the crcum-
tances, / feel bound to be governed by
he spirit of Mr.. Buchanan's written in
tructiOns to his executors and not to go
nto the details of story which show
hat the whole occurrence was charge
lble on the folly of others, and not on
either of the two whose interests were IN
Iolved. Among the few survivors of the
circle to which this young lady belonged,
he remembrance of her sudden death
S still fresh in aged hearts. The estrange-
nent of the lovers was but one of those
common occurrences that are perpetually |
the saying, hackneyed by ever /
asting repetition, that the course of true |
HVe never did run smooth But it |
ran, in this case, pure and unbroken in |
the heart of the survivor, through a long |
and varied life. 1t became a grief that |
could not be spoken of; to which only the |
most distant allusiOn could be made: a |
sacred, unceasing sorrow, buried deep in |
the breast of a man who was formed for |
domestic joys; hidden beneath manners |
that were most engaging, beneath strong |
social tendencies and a chivalrOus old |
fashioned Difference to women of all ages |
and all climes.
Years after the death of this young lady |
Mr.. Buchanan said to his friend. Mr.. S. l.. |
NJ. Barlow, in the course of an intimate |
that he never intended to |
engage in politics, but meant to follow his |
profession strictly, but that his prospects |
and plans were all changed by a sad event |
which happened at Lancaster when he |
was young man. Gas a distraction /
from my great grief" he added, sand be- |
cause / saw that through political fol-
lowing / could secure the friends | needed, |
accepted nomination."
Riddled With Bullets by Cowboys.
GRAND FORKS, DAKOTA, July 1.-
George lnkster, widely known farmer |
Of this county, was hprdinO his cattIa /