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Read (THOMAS BUCHANAN an American)

THOMAS BUCHANAN, an American portrait-painter and poet; born in Chester co., Pa., March 12, 1822.

His most important works are: "Poems" (1847); "Lays and Ballads" (1848) "The Wagoner of the Alleghanies" (1862); and "Poetical Works" (1867). His best known poems are "Sheridan's Ride" and "Drifting." He also published: "Female Poets of America" (1848); "The Pilgrims of the Great St. Bernard," a romance; "The New Pastoral" (1854), his most ambitious poem; "Sylvia; or, The Samaritans" (1867). He died in New York, May 11, 1872. and attorney-general of Pennsylvania, Lost Shepherd" (1857); and "The Good a and solicitor-general of the United States in 1860-1874. He was long a Democrat, and was prominent prom in the fo founding of the Free-soil branch of that party. He affiliated with the Republican party when it was formed, and in the presidential campaign of 1856 made an address on the "Power of Congress over Slavery in the Territories," which had much influence throughout the country. In 1858, on the first victory of the Republican party in Pennsylvania, he was elected judge of the Supreme Court, by a majority of 30,000. In 1860 he was mentioned as candidate for the presidential nomination with Abraham Lincoln for Vice-President, but early in that year Simon Cameron defeated the movement in the Pennsylvania Republican Convention. Several votes, however, were cast for him in the Chicago Convention, though he exerted all his influence in favor of Lincoln. He was the author of "Views on the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus" which became the basis of the law of March 3, 1863, authorizing the President to suspend the habeas corpus act. His opinions are found in 41 volumes of reports. The best known of his numerous published addresses include "Plan for the Administration of the Girard Trust" (1833); "The Law of Evidence" (1864); "Jefferson Davis and His Complicity in the Vol. VII-Cyc CHARLES READE