24: 1-17, 19-34 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
Wisdom is her own recommendation, and exults in the midst of her people. She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, and in the presence of His might she utters her boast: "I issued from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist. I lived on the heights, and my throne was on the pillar of cloud. I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and I walked in the depths of the abyss. I owned the waves of the sea and the whole earth and every people and nation. Among all these I sought a resting-place; in whose possession should I lodge?
Then the Creator of all gave me His command; and He who created me made my tent rest, and said 'Pitch your tent in Jacob, and find your inheritance in Israel.' He created me from the beginning, before the world, and I shall never cease. I ministered before Him in Zion. He made me rest likewise in the beloved city, and I had authority over Jerusalem. I took root in the glorified people, in the portion of the Lord, and of His inheritance. I was exalted like a cedar in the Lebanon, or a cypress in the mountains of Hermon; I was exalted like a palm tree in Engadi/En Geddi, or like the rose bushes in Jericho; like a fine olive tree in the field; I was exalted like a plane tree. I gave forth a perfume like cinnamon and camel's thorn, and I spread fragrance like choice myrrh; like galbanum, onycha, and stacte, and like the smoke of frankincense in the tent. I stretched out my branches like a terebinth, my branches were glorious, graceful branches. I made grace grow like a vine, and my blossoms produced fame and wealth.
Come to me, you who desire me, and fill yourselves with my produce. For the memory of me is sweeter than honey, and the possession of me, than the honeycomb. Those who eat me will still be hungry, and those who drink me will still be thirsty. He who obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will commit no sin/never fail."
All this is the book of the agreement of the Most High God, the Law which Moses ordained for us as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob; which fills humans with wisdom like the Pishon, and like the Tigris in the days of the new wheat; which overflows with understanding like the Euphrates, and like the Jordan in harvest time; which makes instruction shine forth like light, like the Gihon in the days of the vintage. Just as the first man (ADAM) did not know her perfectly, the last one will not track her out. For her thinking is fuller than the sea, and her counsel than the great deep. I came out like a canal from the river, and like a watercourse in a garden. I said, "I will water my garden, and drench my flower bed." And behold, my canal became a river, and my river became a sea. I will again make instruction dawn like the daybreak, and make it shine forth afar. I will pour out teaching again like prophecy, and leave it behind for endless generations. Observe that I have not labored for myself only, but for all who seek her out.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Ben Sira - Chapter 23
23: 1-4, 6-27 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
O Lord, Father and Master of my life, do not abandon me to their designs; do not let me fall because of them. Who will set scourges over my mind, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, so that they may not spare me for my errors of ignorance, and it may not pass over my sins, so that my acts of ignorance may not become numerous, and my sins multiply, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me? O Lord, Father and God of my life, do not give me roving eyes, and avert evil desire from me; let not sensual appetite and intercourse master me, and do not give me up to a shameless mind.
Listen my children, to the discipline of the mouth, for those who observe it will not be taken captive. It is through the lips that the sinner is caught, and the abusive and the proud are tripped up by them. Do not accustom your mouth to an oath, and do not form the habit of uttering/swearing the name of the Holy One; for just as a servant who is constantly being questioned does not lack the marks of a blow, so the one who constantly swears and utters the Name cannot be absolved from sin. A man who swears a great deal will be filled with iniquity, and the scourge will never leave his house. If he offends, his sin rests upon him, and if he disregards it, he sins doubly; and if he has sworn needlessly, he is not justified, for his house will be filled with misery.
There is a way of speaking that may be compared with death; it must not be found in the inheritance of Jacob. For all this will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in sin. Do not accustom your mouth to foul rudeness/coarse talk, for that is sinful speech. Remember your father and mother, when you sit in council with the great, or you may forget yourself in their presence, and seem like a fool through the habit you have formed, so that you will wish you had never been born, and curse the day of your birth. A man who forms the habit of abusive speech will never be educated as long as he lives. There are two kinds of men that multiply sins, and a third that incurs wrath: a spirit hot as a burning fire; it cannot be quenched until it is consumed; one who is a fornicator in his physicial body; he will not stop until the fire burns him up; to the fornicator all bread is sweet; he will not tire until he dies; a man who goes astray from his own bed, and says to himself, "Who can see me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me; so no one can see me; what risk do I run? The Most High will not remember my sins." The eyes of men are his only fear, and he does not know that the eyes of the Lord survey all the ways of men, and observe the secret places. All things were known to him before they were created, so was it also after they were completed. Such a man will be punished in the streets of the city, and caught where he least suspects it. It is so also with a wife who leaves her husband, and provides an heir by a stranger. For, first, she disobeys the law of the Most high, and second, she wrongs her husband, and third, she commits adultery through her fornication, and provides children by a stranger. She will be brought before the assembly, and her sin will be visited upon her children. Her children will not take root, and her branches will not bear fruit. She will leave her memory for a curse, and her reproach will not be blotted out, and those who are left behind / dwell on earth will know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing more pleasant than observing the Lord's commandments.
O Lord, Father and Master of my life, do not abandon me to their designs; do not let me fall because of them. Who will set scourges over my mind, and the discipline of wisdom over my heart, so that they may not spare me for my errors of ignorance, and it may not pass over my sins, so that my acts of ignorance may not become numerous, and my sins multiply, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over me? O Lord, Father and God of my life, do not give me roving eyes, and avert evil desire from me; let not sensual appetite and intercourse master me, and do not give me up to a shameless mind.
Listen my children, to the discipline of the mouth, for those who observe it will not be taken captive. It is through the lips that the sinner is caught, and the abusive and the proud are tripped up by them. Do not accustom your mouth to an oath, and do not form the habit of uttering/swearing the name of the Holy One; for just as a servant who is constantly being questioned does not lack the marks of a blow, so the one who constantly swears and utters the Name cannot be absolved from sin. A man who swears a great deal will be filled with iniquity, and the scourge will never leave his house. If he offends, his sin rests upon him, and if he disregards it, he sins doubly; and if he has sworn needlessly, he is not justified, for his house will be filled with misery.
There is a way of speaking that may be compared with death; it must not be found in the inheritance of Jacob. For all this will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in sin. Do not accustom your mouth to foul rudeness/coarse talk, for that is sinful speech. Remember your father and mother, when you sit in council with the great, or you may forget yourself in their presence, and seem like a fool through the habit you have formed, so that you will wish you had never been born, and curse the day of your birth. A man who forms the habit of abusive speech will never be educated as long as he lives. There are two kinds of men that multiply sins, and a third that incurs wrath: a spirit hot as a burning fire; it cannot be quenched until it is consumed; one who is a fornicator in his physicial body; he will not stop until the fire burns him up; to the fornicator all bread is sweet; he will not tire until he dies; a man who goes astray from his own bed, and says to himself, "Who can see me? Darkness is around me, and the walls hide me; so no one can see me; what risk do I run? The Most High will not remember my sins." The eyes of men are his only fear, and he does not know that the eyes of the Lord survey all the ways of men, and observe the secret places. All things were known to him before they were created, so was it also after they were completed. Such a man will be punished in the streets of the city, and caught where he least suspects it. It is so also with a wife who leaves her husband, and provides an heir by a stranger. For, first, she disobeys the law of the Most high, and second, she wrongs her husband, and third, she commits adultery through her fornication, and provides children by a stranger. She will be brought before the assembly, and her sin will be visited upon her children. Her children will not take root, and her branches will not bear fruit. She will leave her memory for a curse, and her reproach will not be blotted out, and those who are left behind / dwell on earth will know that there is nothing better than the fear of the Lord, and nothing more pleasant than observing the Lord's commandments.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Ben Sira - Chapter 22
22: 1-8, 11-27 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
A slothful man is like a filthy stone, and everybody hisses at his disgrace. A slothful man is like the filth of a dunghill; anyone who picks it up shakes out his hand. It is a disgrace to be the father of an ignorant son, and to have a daughter is a disadvantage. A sensible daughter will get a husband of her own, but one who brings disgrace is a grief to her father. She who is bold disgraces her father and her husband, and will be despised by both. Unseasonable talk is music in a time of mourning; but blows and discipline are always in order. The man who teaches a fool is gluing a potsherd together or rousing a sleeper out of a deep sleep. The man who lectures to a fool lectures to one who is dozing, and at the conclusion he will say, "What was it?"
Weep for one who is dead, for light has failed him; and weep over a fool, for understanding has failed him. Weep less bitterly over the dead, for they have gone to rest; for the fool's life is worse than death. The mourning for the dead lasts seven days, but that for a fool or an ungodly person lasts all the days of his life. Do not talk much with a senseless man, or go to see a man of no understanding; beware of him, or you may have trouble, and do not be dirtied when he shakes himself. Avoid him, and you will find rest, and you will not be wearied by his senselessness. What is heavier than lead? What can you call it but Fool? Sand and salt and a lump of iron are easier to bear than a man without understanding. A wooden girder fastened in a building is not loosened by an earthquake; so a mind established on well-considered thought will not be afraid in an emergency. A mind fixed on understanding thought is like a plaster ornament on a smooth wall. Fences set up in the air will not stand against the wind; so a cowardly heart with foolish toughts will not stand against any fear. The man who pricks the eye makes tears fall; and the man who pricks the heart makes it show feeling. The man who throws a stone at the birds scares them away, and the man who abuses a friend destroys a friendship. Even if you draw the sword against your friend, do not despair, for there is a way to repent, if you open your mouth against your friend, do not be afraid, for there is such a thing as reconciliation; but when it comes to abuse and arrogance and telling a secret and a treacherous blow -- at such treatment any friend will take to flight. Win your neighbor's confidence when he is poor, so that when he prospers you may be filled likewise. Stand by him in time of trouble, so that you may share his inheritance with him. The vapor and smoke from the furnace precede the fire; so abuse precedes bloodshed. I will not shrink from giving shelter to a friend, and I will not hide myself from him, and if misfortune overtakes me on his account everyone who hears of it will beware of him.
Who will set a guard over my mouth and put a skillful seal upon my lips, so that I may not fall because of them, and my tongue may not destroy me?
A slothful man is like a filthy stone, and everybody hisses at his disgrace. A slothful man is like the filth of a dunghill; anyone who picks it up shakes out his hand. It is a disgrace to be the father of an ignorant son, and to have a daughter is a disadvantage. A sensible daughter will get a husband of her own, but one who brings disgrace is a grief to her father. She who is bold disgraces her father and her husband, and will be despised by both. Unseasonable talk is music in a time of mourning; but blows and discipline are always in order. The man who teaches a fool is gluing a potsherd together or rousing a sleeper out of a deep sleep. The man who lectures to a fool lectures to one who is dozing, and at the conclusion he will say, "What was it?"
Weep for one who is dead, for light has failed him; and weep over a fool, for understanding has failed him. Weep less bitterly over the dead, for they have gone to rest; for the fool's life is worse than death. The mourning for the dead lasts seven days, but that for a fool or an ungodly person lasts all the days of his life. Do not talk much with a senseless man, or go to see a man of no understanding; beware of him, or you may have trouble, and do not be dirtied when he shakes himself. Avoid him, and you will find rest, and you will not be wearied by his senselessness. What is heavier than lead? What can you call it but Fool? Sand and salt and a lump of iron are easier to bear than a man without understanding. A wooden girder fastened in a building is not loosened by an earthquake; so a mind established on well-considered thought will not be afraid in an emergency. A mind fixed on understanding thought is like a plaster ornament on a smooth wall. Fences set up in the air will not stand against the wind; so a cowardly heart with foolish toughts will not stand against any fear. The man who pricks the eye makes tears fall; and the man who pricks the heart makes it show feeling. The man who throws a stone at the birds scares them away, and the man who abuses a friend destroys a friendship. Even if you draw the sword against your friend, do not despair, for there is a way to repent, if you open your mouth against your friend, do not be afraid, for there is such a thing as reconciliation; but when it comes to abuse and arrogance and telling a secret and a treacherous blow -- at such treatment any friend will take to flight. Win your neighbor's confidence when he is poor, so that when he prospers you may be filled likewise. Stand by him in time of trouble, so that you may share his inheritance with him. The vapor and smoke from the furnace precede the fire; so abuse precedes bloodshed. I will not shrink from giving shelter to a friend, and I will not hide myself from him, and if misfortune overtakes me on his account everyone who hears of it will beware of him.
Who will set a guard over my mouth and put a skillful seal upon my lips, so that I may not fall because of them, and my tongue may not destroy me?
Monday, August 9, 2010
Ben Sira - chapter 21
21: 1 - 28 (Translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
My child, if you have sinned, do not do it again, and pray over your former sins. Flee from sin as from the face of a snake; for if you approach it, it will bite you. Its teeth are lion's teeth, and destroy the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword; a blow from it cannot be healed. Terror and violence lay waste riches; so the house of the proud will be laid waste. The prayer from a poor man's mouth reaches to the ears of God, and His judgment comes speedily. The one who hates reproof is walking in the sinner's steps but those who fear the Lord will turn to Him in their heart. The mighty in speech are known afar off, but the thoughtful know when they slip. Whoever builds a house with other men's money is like one who gathers stones for winter. An assembly of wicked is like tow wrapped together; for their end is a blazing fire. The way of sinners is made smooth with stones, but at the end of it is the pit of Hades.
Whoever keeps the Law controls his thoughts, and wisdom is the consummation of the fear of the Lord. The one who is not shrewd will not be instructed, but there is a shrewdness that spreads bitterness. The knowledge of the wise abounds like a flood, and their counsel is like a living spring. The heart of a fool is like a broken dish; it will hold no knowledge. If a person of understanding hears a wise saying, he commends it and adds to it; if the self-indulgent hear it and it displeases them, they throw it behind their back. The discourse of a fool is like a burden on a journey; but enjoyment is found on the lips of a person of understanding. The utterance of a sensible person will be asked for in an assembly, and what he says they will think over in their minds. To a fool wisdom is like a ruined house, and the knowledge of a man without understanding is talk that will not bear investigation. To the foolish, instruction is fetters on their feet; and handcuffs on their right hand. Fools raise their voice when they laugh but a shrewd man will hardly even smile quietly. To the sensible person instruction/education is like a gold ornament, and like a bracelet on his right arm. The foot of a fool is quick to enter a house, but an experienced man waits respectfully before it. A senseless person peeps into a house through the door, but a cultivated man stands outside. It is stupidity to eavesdrop at a door; but a person of sensibility would be overwhelmed with disgrace. The lips of strangers will talk of these things, but the words of the prudent are weighed on the scales. The minds of fools are in their mouths, but the mouth of the wise is their mind. When an ungodly person curses an adversary, he curses his own soul. A whisperer pollutes his own soul, and will be hated in the neighborhood.
My child, if you have sinned, do not do it again, and pray over your former sins. Flee from sin as from the face of a snake; for if you approach it, it will bite you. Its teeth are lion's teeth, and destroy the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword; a blow from it cannot be healed. Terror and violence lay waste riches; so the house of the proud will be laid waste. The prayer from a poor man's mouth reaches to the ears of God, and His judgment comes speedily. The one who hates reproof is walking in the sinner's steps but those who fear the Lord will turn to Him in their heart. The mighty in speech are known afar off, but the thoughtful know when they slip. Whoever builds a house with other men's money is like one who gathers stones for winter. An assembly of wicked is like tow wrapped together; for their end is a blazing fire. The way of sinners is made smooth with stones, but at the end of it is the pit of Hades.
Whoever keeps the Law controls his thoughts, and wisdom is the consummation of the fear of the Lord. The one who is not shrewd will not be instructed, but there is a shrewdness that spreads bitterness. The knowledge of the wise abounds like a flood, and their counsel is like a living spring. The heart of a fool is like a broken dish; it will hold no knowledge. If a person of understanding hears a wise saying, he commends it and adds to it; if the self-indulgent hear it and it displeases them, they throw it behind their back. The discourse of a fool is like a burden on a journey; but enjoyment is found on the lips of a person of understanding. The utterance of a sensible person will be asked for in an assembly, and what he says they will think over in their minds. To a fool wisdom is like a ruined house, and the knowledge of a man without understanding is talk that will not bear investigation. To the foolish, instruction is fetters on their feet; and handcuffs on their right hand. Fools raise their voice when they laugh but a shrewd man will hardly even smile quietly. To the sensible person instruction/education is like a gold ornament, and like a bracelet on his right arm. The foot of a fool is quick to enter a house, but an experienced man waits respectfully before it. A senseless person peeps into a house through the door, but a cultivated man stands outside. It is stupidity to eavesdrop at a door; but a person of sensibility would be overwhelmed with disgrace. The lips of strangers will talk of these things, but the words of the prudent are weighed on the scales. The minds of fools are in their mouths, but the mouth of the wise is their mind. When an ungodly person curses an adversary, he curses his own soul. A whisperer pollutes his own soul, and will be hated in the neighborhood.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Ben Sira - chapter 20
20: 1 - 31 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
There is a rebuke that is uncalled for, and a time when the one who keeps silent is wise. How much better it is to rebuke someone than to get angry, for the one who makes full confession will be kept from failure. Like a eunuch's craving to ravish a maid is the man who would do right by violence. One person keeps silence and is considered wise while another is hated for being talkative. One keeps silence because he has nothing to say; and another keeps silence because he knows it is the time for it. A wise one will keep silence till the right moment, but a boaster and a fool miss the fitting time. The one who talks excessively is detested, and the one who takes it on himself to speak is hated.
There are advantages that come to a person in adversity, and there are gains that result in loss. There are gifts that will do you no good, and there are gifts that are returned double. There are humiliations for the sake of gaining glory, and there are some who have risen from low conditions. One buys much for little, and yet pays for it seven times over. One who speaks wisely makes himself beloved; but the pleasant speeches of fools are thrown away. A present from a fool will do you no good, for the fool's eyes are not one but many. That one gives little but finds a great deal of fault, and opens his mouth like a town-crier. The fool will lend today and ask it back tomorrow; such an individual is hateful. The fool says, "I have not got a friend; and I get no thanks for my good deeds." Those who eat his bread are evil-tongued; how many will laugh at him, and how often!
A slip on the ground is better than a slip of the tongue; so the fall of the wicked will come quickly. A disagreeable person and an unseasonable story -- they will both be constantly on the lips of the uneducated. A proverb on the lips of a fool will be refused, for he will not utter it at the proper time. One may be kept from sinning through poverty, so his conscience does not prick him when he goes to rest. Another loses his own life from sheer embarrassment, and destroys it by his senseless expression. Another out of embarrassmnet makes promises to his friend, and so make the friend his enemy for nothing. A lie is a bad blot on a person; it is continually found on the lips of the ignorant. A thief is better than a habitual liar, but they are both doomed to destruction. Dishonor is habitual with a liar, and his shame attends him continually.
PROVERBIAL SAYINGS [heading is in Greek text]: The wise person makes his way in the world, and a person of good sense pleases the great. Those who cultivate the soil make their heap high, and those who please the great atone for wrongdoing. Gifts and presents can blind the eyes of the wise, and avert reproofs like a muzzle on the mouth. Hiden wisdom and concealed treasure -- what is the use of either of them? Those who hide their folly are better than those who conceal their wisdom.
There is a rebuke that is uncalled for, and a time when the one who keeps silent is wise. How much better it is to rebuke someone than to get angry, for the one who makes full confession will be kept from failure. Like a eunuch's craving to ravish a maid is the man who would do right by violence. One person keeps silence and is considered wise while another is hated for being talkative. One keeps silence because he has nothing to say; and another keeps silence because he knows it is the time for it. A wise one will keep silence till the right moment, but a boaster and a fool miss the fitting time. The one who talks excessively is detested, and the one who takes it on himself to speak is hated.
There are advantages that come to a person in adversity, and there are gains that result in loss. There are gifts that will do you no good, and there are gifts that are returned double. There are humiliations for the sake of gaining glory, and there are some who have risen from low conditions. One buys much for little, and yet pays for it seven times over. One who speaks wisely makes himself beloved; but the pleasant speeches of fools are thrown away. A present from a fool will do you no good, for the fool's eyes are not one but many. That one gives little but finds a great deal of fault, and opens his mouth like a town-crier. The fool will lend today and ask it back tomorrow; such an individual is hateful. The fool says, "I have not got a friend; and I get no thanks for my good deeds." Those who eat his bread are evil-tongued; how many will laugh at him, and how often!
A slip on the ground is better than a slip of the tongue; so the fall of the wicked will come quickly. A disagreeable person and an unseasonable story -- they will both be constantly on the lips of the uneducated. A proverb on the lips of a fool will be refused, for he will not utter it at the proper time. One may be kept from sinning through poverty, so his conscience does not prick him when he goes to rest. Another loses his own life from sheer embarrassment, and destroys it by his senseless expression. Another out of embarrassmnet makes promises to his friend, and so make the friend his enemy for nothing. A lie is a bad blot on a person; it is continually found on the lips of the ignorant. A thief is better than a habitual liar, but they are both doomed to destruction. Dishonor is habitual with a liar, and his shame attends him continually.
PROVERBIAL SAYINGS [heading is in Greek text]: The wise person makes his way in the world, and a person of good sense pleases the great. Those who cultivate the soil make their heap high, and those who please the great atone for wrongdoing. Gifts and presents can blind the eyes of the wise, and avert reproofs like a muzzle on the mouth. Hiden wisdom and concealed treasure -- what is the use of either of them? Those who hide their folly are better than those who conceal their wisdom.
Bryan Jeffery Leech - composer / writer of "We Gather Here in Jesus' Name" (middle hymn chosen 8/8/10)
Here's the text of verses 1 & 2 --
We gather here in Jesus' name, His love is burning in our hearts like living flame; for through His loving Son, the Father makes us one; come, take the bread, come, share the Lord.
He joins us here, He breaks the bread, the Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead; the One we love the most is now our gracious host; come, drink the wine, come, share the Lord.
We gather here in Jesus' name, His love is burning in our hearts like living flame; for through His loving Son, the Father makes us one; come, take the bread, come, share the Lord.
He joins us here, He breaks the bread, the Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead; the One we love the most is now our gracious host; come, drink the wine, come, share the Lord.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Local connection for the 15th President's Presidential Coin (August 2010)
Nearby our home is the town of Buchanan, Michigan which will have its sesquicentennial this year. It is of course named after the 15th President who also served in the Polk Administration as Secretary of State. He was a Northern Democrat, succeeded by Abraham Lincoln who was sworn in March 1861 for the first of his two terms and the Civil War began with the battle of Ft. Sumter (Charleston, SC harbor island federal outpost).
The newest Presidential $1 Coin honoring James Buchanan will be available to the public on Thursday, August 19, 2010. Born on April 23, 1791, in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, James Buchanan was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857-1861).
James Buchanan had a long history of public service before being elected as President. After serving during the War of 1812 in the defense of Baltimore, Buchanan served 10 years as a U.S. representative, 10 years as a senator, held ambassadorships to both Russia and Great Britain, and served as James K. Polk's secretary of state.
Most historians agree that, as President, Buchanan was ineffective in addressing the growing antagonisms between the North and South. By the election of 1860, Buchanan had become tired of the presidency and did not seek re-election.
Interestingly, James Buchanan:
- Is the only President born in Pennsylvania
- Was the last American President born in the 18th century, and his term of office was the last before the Civil War
- Was the second of eleven children
- Was expelled from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, for poor behavior, pleaded for a second chance, and later graduated with honors
- Was the only President never to marry
- Declined an offer to serve as attorney general
- Declined an offer for an appointment to the Supreme Court
Make a note on your calendar--contact your financial institution this week about getting the new James Buchanan $1 Coins.
http://www.usmint.gov/
The newest Presidential $1 Coin honoring James Buchanan will be available to the public on Thursday, August 19, 2010. Born on April 23, 1791, in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, James Buchanan was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857-1861).
James Buchanan had a long history of public service before being elected as President. After serving during the War of 1812 in the defense of Baltimore, Buchanan served 10 years as a U.S. representative, 10 years as a senator, held ambassadorships to both Russia and Great Britain, and served as James K. Polk's secretary of state.
Most historians agree that, as President, Buchanan was ineffective in addressing the growing antagonisms between the North and South. By the election of 1860, Buchanan had become tired of the presidency and did not seek re-election.
Interestingly, James Buchanan:
- Is the only President born in Pennsylvania
- Was the last American President born in the 18th century, and his term of office was the last before the Civil War
- Was the second of eleven children
- Was expelled from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, for poor behavior, pleaded for a second chance, and later graduated with honors
- Was the only President never to marry
- Declined an offer to serve as attorney general
- Declined an offer for an appointment to the Supreme Court
Make a note on your calendar--contact your financial institution this week about getting the new James Buchanan $1 Coins.
http://www.usmint.gov/
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