Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13

cial gifts for President Buchanan, and they
keenly observed how things were done In the
Capital of the great country of the Occident
It is related that they were astounded at the
way President Buchanan shook hands with the
common folk for their Emperor would never
have done such a thing.
During the hot weather Buchanan had q cot
tage near the Soldiers Retreat, but even there
he was troubled by Office seekers.
Those were stirring times in the internal lie
of the Nation. While observers said that Miss
Lane had the faculty Of making visitors feel
at home Buchanan was bitterly criticized by
his enemies for his social activities, and some
of them went so far as to contend that his
functions were more like republican court
than the affairs of a democracy
The fifteenth President of the United States,
as Buchanan was occupied the White House
at a highly important juncture OF the Nations
affairs. The famous bred Scott case, In which
the right of slavery was upheld was HANDED
down in those days John Brown conducted
his great raid on Harpers Ferry: agitation was
rife and already there were the rumblings Of
secession His enemies upbraided him for his
weakness and indecision and shouted that the
country was drifting into open revolt.
This man Buchanan, who sits in bronze IN
Meridian Hill Park now, possessed an m
teresting background. Born April g. 1871, in
Cove Cap near Mercersburg, Franklin County
Pa, Buchanan was graduated from Dickinson
College in 1909. The law appealed to him and
he was admitted to the bar in 1912.
Serving under Judge Shipper in the defense
Of Baltimore, Buchanan was one OF the nrSt
volunteers in the War Of 1872. Soon he was
chosen a member of the House Of Representa-
tives from his native State and he served as
Federalist in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth,
Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-hrst Con-
gresses-from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1881.
From June 1882, to August, 1884, he was Min
lister to Russia and has been credited with
negotiating the first commercial t--"tv with
that country for the United States
AS Democrat, Buchanan was chosen to
sit in the United States Senate and served
in that body from December 6, 1884, to March
S, 1845, when he resigned
In the cabinet of President Polk he served
as Secretary Of State from March g. 1S45. to
March Z, 1849, but the presidency Of Gen. Tay-
lor retired him to private life. He was sum-
moned again to public service, however, by
President Pierce, the erstwhile general, who
appointed Buchanan to represent the Republic
at London.
Following his own service In the White
House. he retired to his beloved Wheatland,
near Lancaster, Pa, to spend his last days in
quiet. One Of his last official public acts was
to accompany the Great Emancipator, his sue
cessor in the presidential chair to the Capitol.
On that eventful March 4, 1861, Buchanan
went up to the Capitol to sign last-minute
legislation, just as the Presidents of today do.
Lincoln and Buchanan entered the Capitol arm
in arm and Chief Justice fancy administered
the oath of ONCE.
Then Buchanan retired from Washington
life and wrote for the world account Of
his administration which has been bombarded
by the critics without mercy. During his lat
ter days Buchanan did some newspaper work,
as contributing editor, but he did not re-
turn to the bright lights Of active politics He
died June 1, 1868, and was buried in Wood
ward Hill Cemetery, near Lancaster, Pa, which
honored his memory the day of the unvetl-
Ing Of his memorial here, in fitting fashion
The Buchanan family traced its antecedentS