New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.


7O7. Harper Brothers.
Stranger problems are not found in the history
Of Adv nation than appear in the history OF the
limited States from 1856 to 1862. How did IL
come to pass that nearly half the territory wItnih
the States was held by hostile force before tne
Nation had even lifted finger to Eaintain lts au-
khorityf The Nation was not weak. Withn
slightly days from May 4, lSol' IL raised anu
armed over 900 fighting men. tenth OF that
force. raised in time and rightly used, would have
made the Rebellion impossible. Almost any
weaker nation would have stamped out the very
beo,nuing of nsurrection. Yet Abraham Lincoln
had at hand for the defence OF Washington only
600 men when he took the oath OF ONCE ne h"a
reached that city by ahurried and nrousn
Baltimore where a Massachusetts, regmeht nau W
fight it's way month later. in order TO reacu .n0
capital. Commissioners from States In reDeion
insulted him before he~had fairly graspeu 'ns
reins, and he saw National fort bomparuou "nu
captured without power to Aid. BY what piuhaer.
Ing OF treacherv could the Goverhin'h' VI
nation have been SO paralyzedi
The collapse OF the Democratic party was
bar iIv less strange than the genesis OF the hepe
lion. great and powerful party, whicn iao iuieu
the country for forty years excepting two 'no.
fnteryals had destroyed the Nationsl nanA' oo'
lived the disasters of 1887, conquered MoAco snu
added Texas. New Mexico and California 10 sn0
territory of the United States-an area aoo"' NV
ttmss that of France-and had elected rres'uen'
IN 1855 by plurality of 100000 votes .no iaisoss
aver given at that time TO any cand'da'e woo
nevertheless utterly broken up and rnined IN lour
YEAR. By what blunder of leadership couio suon
q wreck have been brought abouti -.
rhsse questions invest the Presidential term Oh
James Buchanan with mysterious 'ano ptoiounu
ioterest. Disasters did not como upon inc cou".,'
~ vb,cb he was the Chief Executive, or upon the
marty of which he was the Official head because u
snv mex perisnce or indifference on his part ne
wa. the most experienced statesman ever eiecVcu W
the Presidency. His public life had begun III
,e,h and in forty-two years of almost
nr,nterrupted service he had discharged win
credit auties in the Legislature, In the lower
bonsn Of Congress, In the Senate, az oecie-
tarv Of State Mihister to Russia and Minister 10
England. He had been trained by politlcai hle W
saut,on BY diplomacy to TACT and pS many yo"i'
of debate to knowledge of public affairs ana n.sr
ests Not even his worst enemy would nave uohie"
that Mr. Buchanan was sincerely ana proA"unu'S
anxious for the peace and prosperity OF inc country
and the success of his party. And yot III "As IL
the hands of this experienced statesman tna' 'ho
Government became completely paralyzed ny
g,uant,c Rebellion IT was under his experienced
and previously successful leadership that his party
WAS wrecked. These strange facts must ever give
secuar interest to the study OF the lie ana CHAR
acter of James Buchanan.
Fer tbi. study Mr.. George Ticknor Curtis has
enjoyed extraordinary opportunities 10 nun was
frtrusted by the executors under the VIII Oh MI
buchanan, such MACS of letters and documents
flea diaries and memoranda, as perhaps was ntVer
collected to shed light on the story OF any otner
man For Mr. Buchanan himself, IL seems hsu
been an indefatieabls autobiographer. He haq
ar.markable fondness for writing letters. and
passion for preserving what ne had written. lie
had preserved q vast correspondence, pubic ana
private social and domestic; he had cuiti'a'ou
rho habit of recording conversations ana events III
memoranda made while his memory was 1resh no
had collected and saved documents ana papers ny
the cart load he had prepared biography OF ms
early life and after his Presidential term eApnou
he devoted five years of leisure to the collection OF
.,,d.ncs in defence of his course. With this re-
markable collection Of material Mr.. Curtis also hsd
valuable personal resources; long acquaintance
18th npbhc men ana events, scholarly attainments'
training not only as q lawyer and writer put' III
his preparation of the Life of Webster, as dog
rapher and certain representative POSITION win
all friends of Mr. Buchanan, having been selecteu
In c,mplete the biography for which the eAr losi-
dent had gathered such store OF materials. Inc
two solid volumes of over 800 pages. which nave
now been published by Harper d Brothers' pear
witness not only to the industry of the author and
tssg. but to his keen appreciation OF the relative
value of materials at his command. They snow
trained reasoning power applied with much care 10
the ao vetailing of evidence, and a very warm ana
high appreciation Of the character and lie that ne
WAS called upon to portray. The Work Will COUNT
less give great satisfaction to the friends OF ME-
Bnchanan and it is undeniably valuable contrl-
button to the material available Tor the history OIL
the country.
NJ "a
nrivata character Is extremely interesting we
s,roet the "a Old Public Functionary" and all his
,hortcou,ncs as we read bis afectionate letters
observe his tender and wise guidance of bis niece,
note hi, generosity to friends and relatives, ana
SEQ frequent proofs of his rigid integrity ana
high sense of no nor business AFFAIRS Ihere
was much to admire in the man, under the
crust of official habits and political chicanery
much to arouse genuine sympathy IN inc long
and lonely life ever Swallowed 10y tue memory "i
one loved and lost in youth. 1t was to escape the
.nu,rins of a bereavement to which he hardly ever
referred and the sadness OF a life without VIE OF
chilli that Mr. Buchanan gave himself 80 unreserV-
edly to political contests and bis private letters
which sts often charming III feeling and express
non. show that he would have been very different
man had the affections been satisfied by a nappy
home hfe His bearing to all. even 10 his antago'
mist. vas poshed aud courteous; possibly, to this
ago its tone may seem shade insincerc, as OF one
never quite enough in earnest to be hnrt by antag-
onism IN belief or purpose 1t does not clearly ap
psar how Mr.. Buchanan accumulated the consider
aLIc fortune which be had before the collapse Of
Southern State bonds In 1861. curious state
ment given by Mr.. Curtis shows that his income as
aiawyer, from 1918 to 1929 inclusive never eI-
ceeded S7,9l5 the amount of his cash receipts III
1918 and dropped off to 81, 00s in 1928, averaging
about "a 600 q year during fifteen years of active
hand lNrh laan
source of much gain but bis savings seem to have
49,. iua.n,nn.r inNealad His indefatiQAble atten-