The news & observer., 1905-09-17
JAMES BUCHANAN
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BY SAVOYARD---Washingto Post.


Delaware. Alfred Cuthbert was from
Georgia, Benjamin Hardin was from
Kentucky, Churchill c. Camberling,
John w. Taylor, and Albert II. Tracy
We're from New York George McDuf-
fie was a colleague of LowndeS from
South Carolina.
These were some of the men with
whom James Buchanan was associated
in the national councils in 1921, and
for the next forty years Mr.. Buchanan
was one OF the leading pubic men
of America. He was for many years
in one or the other House of Con-
gress, and in debate the greatest. even
Webster and Clay found him a foe
man worthy their steel.
General Jackson appointed John
Randolph Minister to Russia, and the
Wings in the Senate, or National Re-
publicanS, as they then called them
selves, fell over one another i'm their
haste to confirm the nomination. so
anxious Were they to get him out of
the country. Randolph went to Rus
sia, stayed a few days, and then took
post in England, leaving the legation
in charge of gentleman of the name
of Clay, curiously enough. The cli-
mate of st. Petersburg in winter
would have made finish of Randolph,
and SO the President appointed Mr..
Buchanan as his successor. Accord
ingly he went to Russia, where he
remained several years. and was for
tunate enough to negotiate several
treaties that Russia entered into with
great reluctance. He was a born di-
plomat and only needed a field to
have accomplished great things in that
line.
Upon his return from Russia Mr..
Buchanan took his seat in the Senate
and remained in that body until he
entered the Cabinet in 1S45. 1t was
during Jackson's second administra-
ton that Buchanan became Senator
and party spirit was full of rancor.
1t was after Jackson had clustered
around in the notification business
and was content to sign the bill that
was a. compromise of the governments
dignity instead of hanging Calhoun
for a traitor. The bank was now the
issue, and Jackson was assailed by
Clay. Webster, Clayton, Ewing, Ere
| linghuysen, and Southard in the Sem
ate Benton. Wright and King were
his leading defenders, and Buchanan
was welcome reinforcement. Cal
houn was sort of free lance and
stood aloof.
In addition to the vetoes of Jack
son, the Senate debated the "expung-
ing resolution, the tariff, French
spolation, public lands, public i'm
provements. and many other things
Buchanan was leader in all these
debates and no man can say he is
familiar with$the political history of
that epoch who has not read the
speeches in the Senate of James Buch-
anan during the eleven years he was
q member of that body.
He was a Democrat, a strict con-
I 1t f.,1l Il1tx
of the citizen, whatever his station.
in public office or private life. was to
be true to obligations, faithful to
pledges. and he tauTht that it was as
much the duty of the government, so
to speak. to be faithful to the ConSti-
tuition as it was the duty of the in
dividual man to pay his debts. He be-
lieVed that it was as demoraliZing
politically for the government to vio-
late the Constitution as it is socially
sinful for a wife to falsify her mar
riage VOW. That was James Buchan-
ans political faith. 1t was the only
political principle he had. 1t is prin-
ciple enough for any man-just so he
is faithful to it. You can't make trea-
son out of that sort of stuff. The
raw material for treason is not there
The gambler plays with marked cards
is not square; the statesman who dal-
lies with the Constitution is not true
and not safe. He has debauched his
country and is himself debauthed.
What this country needs above all
| other things is that the government
be faithful to Constitutional obliga-
tions and that the people be true
to personal and social obligations.
| know that we have fallen on times
when that is old-fa shioned and out
of fashion-Nhen the question is.
"Will it pay?" not, us it right?" and
the craftsmanship of our day pro-
nounces anything constitutional that
] is. in the opinion of the majority. de-
sirable.
| In 1845 Mr.. Buchanan entered
| President Polk's Cabinet as Secretary
of State. and continued in that office
| the entire four years. 1t was the
| administration that settled the Oregon
boundary and fought the Mexican war.
1t was pretty well understood that
| Buchanan was to have a seat on the
i Supreme Court Bench, but the Presi-
dent gave it to another because the
Oregon question was not yet settled.
| 1t was a disappointment to Mr.. Buch-
anan. who, successful as he had been
| in politics. greatly preferred the
| bench or the bar to any political sta
| ton.
| When his term as Secretary of
! State expired, Buchanan retired to
"Wheatland," and was in private life
until 1853, when he was appointed
Minister to England. He had receiv-
ed q flattering support for the nomi-
| nation for President in 1852, as he
had in 1S4S. but it was supposed that
| the mission to England was his fare
we'll to politics. 1t was while he was
in this position that the "Ostend
manifesto was produced and promul-
gated. 1t was a great shock to GER
| tain of the elect, and was bombarded
| by the truly good. Their abuse made
Buchanan President. They called
| the ideas set forth in the manifesto
barbarous. Little did they think that
| in less than fifty years the principle
of the Ostend manifesto would be the
avowed policy of an administration
of the party of great moral ideas"
and generally accepted by the states
men of the G. O. p.
Once there was a lawyer and a
farmer who discussed the case of a
bull that had gored an OK. That dis