President James Buchanan: A Biography by Philip S. Klein (review)

a•vmws 53 page64 the exacttitle of "The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Saskatchewan Section of theNewDemocratic Party"is improperly rendered, and on page 165 the DeputyMinisterof Trade and Commerce is transferred to Finance. On page261 the Hon.AlvinHamilton, afterfourimpeccable appearances , suddenly becomes Douglas Hamilton, andassuch isse aratel indexed P Y . Someof theseimperfections wouldnotmatteranywhere elsethanin a work of reference; but eventhe producers of thisvolumewouldhaveto admitthat thereis something .absurd abouthaving to turnawayfroma reference bookto checksuchpointsasthe foregoing The Review's eneralexcellence andread- . g ability,however, leadoneto hopethatits occasional flaws,andits occasional imbalance (which,for example, allowseightpagesfor education in Quebec, andelevenfor the othernineprovinces andthe Dominion together),are but healthy signs of growing painsin a mostwelcome andalready indispensable enterprise. Noa• Wa}tD University of Saskatchewan American President James Buchanan: A Biographyß By Pamn,S. KLEIN.University Park, Penn.:Pennsylvania StateUniversity Press. 1962.Pp.xviii,506. $7.50. IAMES BUCI-IAlklAN'S LONG ANDVAIllED CAREER in UnitedStates politics spanned overfour decades in the nineteenth centmy.Electedin 1814, at the ageof twenty-three, tothePennsylvania Assembly, heserved inthatbodythrough 1816; from 1821to 1831he wasa member of the nationalHouseof Representatives, then Ministerto Russiain 1832-3, Senatorfrom Pennsylvania from 1834 to 1845, Secretary of Statein the Polkadministration from 1845to 1849,Minister to Great Britain from 1853 to 1856, and Presidentof the United Statesfrom 1857 to1861. Asthislisting suggests, Buchanan's lifecentred around politics, andhe wasa loaves-and-fishes politician, to a considerable extent, engaged muchof the timein efforts toput together coalitions of individuals andofinteress in a party organization whichcouldwinelections, distribute patronage, andexercise power. A modern biography of Buchanan haslongbeenneeded, andProfessor Klein hasmettheneedwitha volume based on/nassive research andincorporating a wealth of detail. The politicalideology of the Buchanan who emerges fromProfessor Klein's agesem hasized the desirability of maintaining stability in societyIndividuals P P , . . ß and rou s, in Buchanan s view,wereinclinedto prefertheir nvateadvantage g to their •Pdty, and thus they became involved constantly in riva•ies .and conflicts. Socialstabili couldbe reserved onl b restraint, compromise, "mutualfor- ,,,,, ty•• P..... Y,?7 ............ Pearance, mutual accommoaatton, anct me avolaance or extremes. ..s eclany S ' . . (a . P•; mut everyone abideb what wasle al, constitutional, and ractmable,even ß . . Y. .......... P . ifthey did not consider ]tright: W•at •s right .and what •s praeucable are two different things," rana characteristic Buchanan statement, or"Youearmot legislate morality." . With suchan outlook, Buchanan naturallybecamea proponent of middleground compromise ontariff,banking, landpolie, andothermajorpublicquesY ticnsof the 1820'sand 18aO's. In the sectional disputes concerning slavery in TtIE CANADIAN I-IISTOHICAL HEVIE%• theterritories andotherissues fromthe 1840'sonward, Buchanan favoured proposals whichwerenot put into effect-theextension of the line of 36ø 30' to thePacific coast(1847), theadmission of Kansas asa statewiththepro-slavery Leeompton constitution (1858), and the callingof a nationalconvention to initiate aconstitutional amendment protecting,the rights ofslaveholders (December 1860). The closing months of Buchanan s presidency_ weremarked by the secession of seven Southern states and the formation of the Gonfederate States of America; whenarmedhostilities commenced in April 1861,somesixweeks afterheleftoffice, manysupporters oftheUnionheldBuchanan at least partially responsible for the success of the secession movement andfor the outbreak of war.Vindication of hisrecord against thiscriticism became virtuallyBuehanan's principal occupation in the seven yearsremaining in hislife afterhe left the presidency. In a broad sense,"vindication" summarizes the crucial issuesconcerning Buchanan's career:Is it likelythat thepolicies he advocated from 1847would have reducedbetterresults(howeverdefined)thanthe measures whichwere P adopted? Werehisactions in thesecession crisis wiseandeffective? Foranswerin thesequestions, Professor Klein resents Buchanan's position full , andit is y valuable to have this presentation •Por comparison with existin corn assionate g P studies of therolesof such olitical rivalsofhisasStephen A Douglas, orAbrap ß hamLincoh,or Jefferson Davis.Mostreaders of President James Buchanan can robabl aee in considerinits authorfair-minded, eventhougha numberof p y gr g readers may closethe bookwith an evaluation of Buchanan lesssympathetic thanthatofhisbiographer. THOMAS j. PRESSLY University of Washington Commanders of theArmyof the Potomac. By W•mm• W. HASS•.v.R, JR.Baton Rouge: Lonisiana StateUniversity Press [Toronto: Bums & MacEachern Ltd.]. 1962.Pp.xxii,281.$7.50. ßm• AR•YOF• •'OTOMA½, themajorUnionarmyin theeastern theatre during theAmerican Civil War, hadthe misfortune to be commanded by menwho,in mostinstances, wereno matchfor RobertE. Lee.With superiority in numbers andmat•rielof war,theArmyof thePotomac should haveaccomplished more thanit didinitsfouryears ofexistence andwhatsuccess it didenjoy...