The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-03-24
@RucHANAN's LOST LOVE.
Sad Romance In the Life OF Our
Bachelor President.


Pittsburg Dispatch.
Washington March l6.-A few
months ago one of the many storage
houses of this city had a sale of arti-
cles which had been left with it long
beyond the legal time, and which no one
appeared to claim. y gentleman who is
not usually inclined to buy a pig in a
poke. was prompted for some reason
that he could lot explain to purchase
| a box filed with papers and packages.
He did not suppose they We're of any
special value, but, having become the
owner was curious enough to examine
them. and was astonished and delight
ed to find among them a large package
of letters OF James Buchanan, adj
dressed to various notabilities of the
time. and also many responses from
those who We're addressed.
Some of the letters We're upon topicS
then being asitated. but none of them
We're of any special value historically.
They are especially priced by the lucky
purchaser as autographs. If lie had
attempted to Necure them singly, and as
a collector. they would have cost him d
large sum. AS it was. he bought them
for a song.
Some of he letters. however, referred
TO a passage .n the life of the last pres
ident of the United States preceding
the war about which little is known and
less written. and yet which had the
most vital influence on the whole subse-
quent career of the man. Had it not
been for that occurrence buchanan
would never have entered the field of
political exploit, and never would have
been president of the United States.
1t was James B~uchanan's one ~
nance. but 1T was SO tra2ical that it
reversed the current of his life, prevent
ed him ever after from entertaining a
thought of marriage, and divorced him
at once and for all time from he posi-
bilitN of enjoyment of domestic happi-
ness. which. to a man of his character.
would have been grateful in the eX-
treme.
Reference in the letters so cheaply
bought to this incident in the life of the
famous man are vague and throw no
light upon the inner facts of the ro-
nance. Placed With other vague re-
cords and "reminiscences, they undoubt-
edly afford q clearer view than has
been had heretofore of an occurrence
that was of such profound import to
Buchanan himself.
Some time previous to his death Blu
chanan made the late Hon. William b
Reed, of Philadelphia, his literary exc.
cutor, and placed all of his Important
papers and correspondence in his keep
, ing. The two men We're close friends
t Reed had been appointed minister t.
China by Buchanan. An unfortunate
mistake after Reeds service abroad
~r.,l..j hic lifa 81 nd ,rha,, ha rarajN-af
the important personal commission t'
prepare a biography and arrange thu
correspondence of Buchanan his phys
5 ical condition soon came't a stage o
collapse, which prevented him from full
: filling his obligation. Relatives of Blu
chanan delegated the late George Tick
/, nor Curtis to complete the wor
: interrupted by Reeds disabil
5 ity and death. Curtis ha
. not known Buchanan, and con
: fessed that he undertook the task wit
reluctance. His biography of Buchana
proved a failure. 1t gave every ev.
q dence of carelessness and haste. and
: not used even as a book of reference.
In that work of Curtis's is the onl
mention in any publication of the L,
nance in the early life of buchanan
" That mention is very brief. and as tt
e book has not been read the matter ma
d be said TO be almost wholly new.
= The Coleman family of Lancaster. w
=, one of the most pronninent in the Penn
sNlvania of that day, and many notab
d descendants of it are Vet living. one
.e them, Very aged, residing in this cit
is at the present time. They We're artist,
cratic in both breeding and wealth, an
were one of the most influential in II
,.c-.,t. ;p ,n,lli, o,l ennfa1 a ff,i,-
:. that time Buchanan was quite a your
man. entering upon the profession
u, law. but hardly of the same social $
as the Colemans. This did not Diet
him, however. from paying court to OF
p OF the beautiful daughters of the Col
q man family. Miss Annie G. Coleman. Al
q his attentions We're welcomed II
Young people We're betrothed, ard DO
looked forward TO a speedy union al
happy life forever after.
At suddenly the course of this eminent
% true love Was interrupted. A mystel
\ Gus SANDER, the details of which seem
have been buried with a Very few WI
" We're the immediate actors of the ira
- edN. reached the knowledge of Il
- young lady in regard 10 her lover. TIL
~ the gossip involved very damagil
ar charges is evident from the prompt a
nj tion of Miss Coleman. She wrote a bri
AZ note to young buchanan. demandil
~ that she be released from the.l maria!
IL engagement. Buchanan pleaded for %
!. portunity to explain. but the Colem.
family. proud and itigh-strune reject
ID every tempt of the sultor 70 compo
k matters, and the separation was co.
~ plete.
ne An old man. once a friend IF b lc.ia
an, but Who. like almost all Others, W
ever in the dark in regard to The re
cause of the separation, speaking Of t
n matter the other day to the writ
quoted the words from 'Christahel''
best descriptive of the tragedy OF love
And never either found anotror
;. 10 free the hollow heart from pafring.
." They stood a,oof, the sears rtlna,i.itg
Like cliffs that nave been rent as md.
And neither frost nor hal! not thunder
Shall ever do away Ween
The marks of that which once hath bee
~