my health is excellent, considering my age. If you could know how glad I should be to see you & to talk over with you past & present events, you would never fail to come this way on your route to New Jersey & New York.

I regret very much the fate of your able, honest, & timehonored Court. I feel a warm personal regard for C. J. Dunlap. Such acts of wanton tyranny will surely return to plague the inventors. There will be a "tit for tat." Why could not the Judge Advocate General, with the rank, pay, & emoluments of a Colonel of Cavalry, have saved his brother-in-law?

I perceive by the Intelligencer that Judge Black has gained his great Quicksilver mine cause. This alone ought to make him rich. It is long since I have heard from him; but he will drop in some day.

Please to present me most kindly.

1

TO DR. BLAKE."

WHEATLAND, near LANCASTER,

10 April 1863.

MY DEAR SIR/

I ought ere this to have acknowledged your very welcome letters of the 21st & 26th ultimo. Your letters are always gratifying to me, & I regret that I can give you so little in return. To attempt to furnish you political news would be truly sending coals to Newcastle.

I do not think it necessary at present to republish your letter in refutation of Mr. Fessenden's statement. Thanks to your kindness, it is now of record in the Globe, & I presume it has been of course transferred to the Congressional Globe. You might look.

My defence has been greatly enlarged, & will be published in due time. I do not think this is the proper moment.

to General Scott, I need not now be in so great a hurry.

1The remaining sheet of this letter is now missing.

Thanks

* Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Partly printed

in Curtis's Buchanan, II. 606.

I am truly rejoiced to learn that our good & large-hearted friend Sullivan has recovered his health. May blessings rest upon his "frosty pow"!

I am sorry to learn that Dr. Jones has had a severe attack of gout. This is the effect of high living, in which I used to participate with him in ancient times. He is one of my most esteemed friends, & is a faithful & true man. May he live & prosper for many years!

Miss Lane had an idea of visiting Mrs. Berghmans, but not since the death of her brother. She is still in Philadelphia, but I expect her home in a week or ten days. The loss of her brother has made a deep impression upon her. She, although the youngest, is now the last of her father's children.

Our friend Carlisle sent me the brief of his argument in the case of the Brilliante. I perused it at the time with great care & great satisfaction. His points are presented in lucid & convincing order; & in my humble judgment he ought to have gained the cause. I know not why I did not acknowledge the brief at the time it was received. This I ought to have done. Judge Black, who was here yesterday, spoke of his argument in the highest terms. By the bye, the Judge really seems to be embarrassed with his money. He is at a loss to know what to do with it. I gave him advice on this subject; but whether he will follow it, I know not.

I am truly sorry that Mr. Carlisle has felt it to be his duty to refuse to take the oath prescribed by the New Court. I do not know what it contains. If he cannot conscientiously take it, there is an end of the question. If he has refused simply because the Court had no right to require it, I think he has not acted prudently. He is an able & honorable man & a discriminating & powerful lawyer, & I fear he may suffer in a pecuniary view. Please to remember me to him in the most friendly terms.

You may

Poor Mary Wall! If she has determined to return to England, I shall cheerfully contribute to pay her expenses. set me down for $20.

Could not you pay me a visit & bring Mr. Carlisle with you, when the spring fairly opens?

From your friend as ever

DR. JOHN B. BLAKE.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

P. S. Miss Hetty, of whom you kindly inquire, has entirely recovered her health, & is now larger than I ever saw her. I cannot keep her in the house, or prevent her from working in the garden or about the lawn.

TO MR. CAPEN.'

WHEATLAND, May 8, 1863.

MY DEAR SIR:

I owe you many thanks for President Lord's picture of Abolitionism. It is clearly and forcibly written, and proceeding from a New England clergyman, it is almost miraculous.

I fear you are too sanguine in predicting that in another year there will be great changes in favor of Democracy in the New England States. The clergy have taught the people there that slavery is a mortal sin demanding extirpation.

The mass of the Democracy in this State is as true to the Constitution and the Union as the needle to the pole. With the exception of a few fanatics, they are not extreme. They will obey the laws, and await the process of the ballot-box for redress. Unless something unexpected should occur, they will elect their governor in October by a large majority.

From the current of events, it is to be apprehended that it will be long before the Democracy can obtain a majority in the Senate. The people already begin to speculate upon this subject. They say it would be unjust that the six New England States with a population scarcely greater than that of New York, should have a representation in the Senate equal to that of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri combined, not to speak of Western Virginia, and the thinly peopled Territories soon to be admitted as States. For my own part, I am willing to follow where the Constitution leads, trusting to Providence for the final result. Still, I should be rejoiced if even a single Senator could be elected from New England.

'Curtis's Buchanan, II. 607.

Miss Lane came home for a few days a brief time ago; but returned to her uncle's to be confirmed and admitted as a member of the Episcopal Church. When she next returns, I have no doubt she will be too happy to write to you.

From your friend, very respectfully,

NAHUM CAPEN, ESQ.

JAMES BUCHANAN.

MY DEAR SIR:

TO MR. CAPEN.'

WHEATLAND, May 18, 1863.

In answer to your request of the 11th instant:-I regret that I have not a single copy of the Documents to which you refer, except those forming a part of the entire set of Documents for 1860-61. It is but a few weeks since I gave the last copy to a friend. I have received Judge Parker's Letters and Address, for which please to accept my thanks. You inform me, in your note of the 14th, that you enclose me a slip containing facts upon a subject alluded to in our conversation when you were at Wheatland. This I have not received.

Miss Lane has not yet returned, and my evenings are rather solitary. Still, I resign myself in a philosophic and, I trust, Christian spirit to the privations inseparable from old age. I wish, with all my heart, that I had a few neighbors like yourself.

I try to think as little of public affairs as possible; but they will ever intrude. If I could be of any service, I should sacrifice all to restore the Union; but as I can contribute nothing towards the accomplishment of this most desirable object, I relieve my mind from the subject as much as possible.

From your friend, very respectfully,

JAMES BUCHANAN.

NAHUM CAPEN, ESQ.

1

Curtis's Buchanan, II. 608.

VOL. XI-22

TO MISS LANE.1

MY DEAR MISS LANE/

WHEATLAND 26 June 1863.

I enclose you a letter from James S. Lane, which under your general license so far as your Uncle John's estate is concerned, I took the liberty of opening.

Lancaster is in a state of agitation & alarm. They have determined on motion of Mr. Hager to defend the city to the last extremity. I do not consider the danger great so far as we are concerned. It may be otherwise at Harrisburg. You had better now remain at your Uncle Edward's; because if you were to return home, if there were any danger I should send you back. I suppose you are aware that Doctor Nevin has sent Alice & Blanche to New York. I do not think we are in any serious danger in Lancaster; but if we were you could not by possibility remain.

Mr. Swarr is here & I want to send this to Town by him. In haste

Yours affectionately,

JAMES BUCHANAN.

MISS LANE.

TO MR. CAPEN.2

WHEATLAND, July 8, 1863.

MY DEAR SIR:

I have received your note of the 5th instant, with the article enclosed. This I have read with much satisfaction. It is the philosophy of politics applied to our present unfortunate condition.

It is probable the rebels might have paid a flying visit to Lancaster had not the bridge across the Susquehanna at Wrightsville been burnt down. I remained quietly at home, and would

1 Buchanan Papers, private collection; Curtis's Buchanan, II. 609.