Life of James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States. v. 1 (of 2)

Birth and Parentage—Early Education and College Life—Study 1 of the Law—Admission to the Bar—Settles in Lancaster—A Volunteer in the War of 1812—Enters the Legislature of Pennsy...

Great Increase of General Jackson’s 70 Popularity—“Retrenchment” made a Political Cry—Debate on the Tariff—Buchanan on Internal Improvements—The Interests of Navigation—The Cumb...

The first Election of General Jackson—Buchanan again elected 94 to the House of Representatives—He becomes Chairman of the Judiciary Committee—Impeachment of Judge Peck—Buchanan...

John Randolph of Roanoke made Minister to Russia—Failure of 128 Mr. Randolph’s Health—The Mission offered to Mr. Buchanan—His Mother’s Opposition to his Acceptance—Embarks at Ne...

Negotiation of Treaties—Count Nesselrode—His characteristic 161 Management of opposing Colleagues—The Emperor Nicholas—His sudden Announcement of his Consent to a Commercial Tre...

General Jackson’s second Election—Grave public Events at 183 Home reflected in Mr. Buchanan’s Letters from his Friends—Feelings of General Jackson towards the “Nullifiers”—Movem...

Departure from St. Petersburg—Journey to Paris—Princess 217 Lieven—Pozzo di Borgo—Duc de Broglie—General Lafayette—Louis Philippe—Arrival in London—Dinners at Prince Lieven’s an...

Mr. Buchanan returns Home—Greeting from General 227 Jackson—Elected to the Senate of the United States—State of Parties—The great Whig Leaders in the Senate—Peril of a War with...

First Introduction of the Subject of Slavery in the Senate, 315 during the Administration of Jackson—Petitions for its Abolition in the District of Columbia—The Right of Petitio...

Bill to prevent the Interference of Federal Officers with 378 Elections—Devotion of the Followers of Jackson—The Whig Party less compact in consequence of the Rivalry between Mr...

Mr. Van Buren’s Presidency—The Financial Troubles 418 accumulating—Remedy of the Independent Treasury—Buchanan on the Causes of Specie Suspension, and the Pennsylvania Bank of t...

Death of President Harrison—Breach between President Tyler 458 and the Whigs—Tyler’s Vetoes—Buchanan’s Reply to Clay on the Veto Power—His Opposition to the Bankrupt Act of 1841

Buchanan elected to the Senate for a Third Term—Efforts of 515 his Pennsylvania Friends to have him nominated for the Presidency—Motives of his Withdrawal from the Canvass—The B...

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE—EARLY EDUCATION AND COLLEGE LIFE—STUDY OF THE LAW—ADMISSION TO THE BAR—SETTLES IN LANCASTER—A VOLUNTEER IN THE WAR OF 1812—ENTERS THE LEGISLATURE OF PENNSYLV...

In the autumn of 1820, Mr. Buchanan was elected a Representative in Congress for a district composed of the counties of Lancaster, York, and Dauphin. He was nominated and electe...

I now approach one of those periods of intense political excitement which it becomes every one who has to write of them to treat in an entirely impartial and judicial spirit. Th...

The circumstances attending the election of Mr. Adams led to the formation of a most powerful opposition to his administration, as soon as he was inaugurated. The friends of Gen...

GREAT INCREASE OF GENERAL JACKSON’S POPULARITY—“RETRENCHMENT” MADE A POLITICAL CRY—DEBATE ON THE TARIFF—BUCHANAN ON INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS—THE INTERESTS OF NAVIGATION—THE CUMBERL...

THE FIRST ELECTION OF GENERAL JACKSON—BUCHANAN AGAIN ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES—HE BECOMES CHAIRMAN OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE—IMPEACHMENT OF JUDGE PECK—BUCHANAN DE...

Mr. Buchanan’s proposal was not adopted, and on the 2d of March, 1829, the President, Mr. Adams, approved “An act for the continuation of the Cumberland Road.” Mr. Buchanan vote...

JOHN RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE MADE MINISTER TO RUSSIA—FAILURE OF MR. RANDOLPH’S HEALTH—THE MISSION OFFERED TO MR. BUCHANAN—HIS MOTHER’S OPPOSITION TO HIS ACCEPTANCE—EMBARKS AT NEW YO...

NEGOTIATION OF TREATIES—COUNT NESSELRODE—HIS CHARACTERISTIC MANAGEMENT OF OPPOSING COLLEAGUES—THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS—HIS SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS CONSENT TO A COMMERCIAL TREATY—...

GENERAL JACKSON’S SECOND ELECTION—GRAVE PUBLIC EVENTS AT HOME REFLECTED IN MR. BUCHANAN’S LETTERS FROM HIS FRIENDS—FEELINGS OF GENERAL JACKSON TOWARDS THE “NULLIFIERS”—MOVEMENTS...

DEPARTURE FROM ST. PETERSBURG—JOURNEY TO PARIS—PRINCESS LIEVEN—POZZO DI BORGO—DUC DE BROGLIE—GENERAL LAFAYETTE—LOUIS PHILIPPE—ARRIVAL IN LONDON—DINNER AT PRINCE LIEVEN’S AND LOR...

MR. BUCHANAN RETURNS HOME—GREETING FROM GENERAL JACKSON—ELECTED TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—STATE OF PARTIES—THE GREAT WHIG LEADERS IN THE SENATE—PERIL OF A WAR WITH FRANCE.

Among the exciting topics of this period, there was no ground on which the Whigs attacked the administration of General Jackson with greater severity than that which related to...

FIRST INTRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY IN THE SENATE, DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JACKSON—PETITIONS FOR ITS ABOLITION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA—THE RIGHT OF PETITION VI...

BILL TO PREVENT THE INTERFERENCE OF FEDERAL OFFICERS WITH ELECTIONS—DEVOTION OF THE FOLLOWERS OF JACKSON—THE WHIG PARTY LESS COMPACT IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE RIVALRY BETWEEN MR. CL...

MR. VAN BUREN’S PRESIDENCY—THE FINANCIAL TROUBLES ACCUMULATING—REMEDY OF THE INDEPENDENT TREASURY—BUCHANAN ON THE CAUSES OF SPECIE SUSPENSION, AND THE PENNSYLVANIA BANK OF THE U...

Rarely has a party in a constitutional government come into power with apparently a better prospect of doing good to their country, and retaining their hold upon it, than did th...

BUCHANAN ELECTED TO THE SENATE FOR A THIRD TERM—EFFORTS OF HIS PENNSYLVANIA FRIENDS TO HAVE HIM NOMINATED FOR THE PRESIDENCY—MOTIVES OF HIS WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CANVASS—THE BALTI...

From all “the heady currents of a fight” of politics, from the toils of statesmanship and the objects of ambition, the reader can now turn to the sweet charities of domestic and...

In the Presidential election of 1844, there was a third party in the field. By this time, the anti-slavery sentiment in some of the Northern States had taken the form of a polit...

Among the subjects involved in the foreign relations of the country, when Mr. Buchanan became Secretary of State, and which demanded his immediate attention, one of the most imp...

The administration of President Polk inherited the Texas question from the preceding administration of President Tyler. The mode in which it was finally proposed to bring the re...

To give an account of every public transaction with which Mr. Buchanan was connected as Secretary of State, would be impracticable within the limits of these volumes. But there...