Part 3 (2/2)
”His iht of the shadowy past He lingered spell-bound a the scenes of mediaeval chivalry His spirit had dwelt until almost naturalized in the hts Templars; with Monmouth and Percy, with Bois-Guilbert and Ivanhoe and the bold McGregor; with the Cavaliers of Rupert, and the iron enthusiasts of Fairfax”
He was the inveterate hater of shams of all kinds, and of mere pretenders of every description He ever avoided the short cuts, and kept steadily along in the old way His heroes, like those of dickens, were taken from the cos, at whose firesides he had passed many hours Whatever concerned them, whatever involved in any manner their welfare, was of deep interest to hiht have read:
”In common ways, with common men, I served my race and time”
He was both an artist and a poet He loved flowers, and there was to his ears no hter of children
And, whether in private life, or in his great executive office as ”the arbiter of human fate,” the tale of woe never failed to touch a sympathetic cord He had in very deed,
”A tear for pity, and a hand open as day tocharity”
He elcome at every hearthstone, as one ”who cometh unto you with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner”
Soon after his admission to the bar, Mr Knott removed to Missouri, where he was almost immediately elected to the responsible position of Attorney-General of the State In due time he returned to his native State, and was for six terress
Yet later, and as the shadoere beginning to fall to the eastward, he was, almost by common acclaim, called to the chief executive office of the commonwealth It may truly be said of him that ”with clear head, and with clean hands, he faithfully discharged every public trust”
Mr Knott entered Congress just at the close of the great Civil War It was a period of excite to the section he represented In the debates of that stormy period he bore no mean part He was counted a foeman worthy the steel of the ablest who entered the lists
A thorough student frona Charta, the Bill of Rights, and the Federal Constitution, he was equipped as few men have been, for forensic contests that have left their deep impress upon history The evidence of his ability as a lawyer is to be found in the satisfactory ed the duties of the trying position of Chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives
The ablest lawyers of both political parties constituted this great co only mediocre talents or attainments, would have been sadly out of place
But with his heavy ar ress have been so generally read, or so thoroughly imbedded into current literature, as one he delivered soon after his first ad after its delivery to find itself famous As, ”the zenith city of the unsalted seas,” it has been known and read of all es to corant to a proposed railroad, of which Duluth was to be the terminus His mirthful prediction, however, as to its marvellous future has been fulfilled
How true it is that ”jesters do oft prove prophets!” Bearing in reat city of to-day then had no place even upon the map, the words quoted from the speech will be appreciated:
”Duluth, Duluth! The word fell upon entleforth in the el's whisper in the bright joyous drea innocence Duluth!
'T was the name for which my soul had panted for years, as the hart panteth for the water brooks I was convinced that the greatest calahted nations of the ancient world was their having passed aithout a knowledge of the actual existence of Duluth; that their fabled Atlantis, never seen save by the hallowed vision of inspired poesy, was in fact but another naolden orchard of the Hesperides was but a poetical synonyardens in the vicinity of Duluth As that nalory opened before ine burst upon the enraptured visions of the wandering Peri through the opening gates of Paradise”
Mr Knott was often the sad and silent ers he was reserved But to those who came within the circle of his personal friendshi+p he was one of the iven less to a parade either of his friendshi+ps or of his anie if, passing through the eventful scenes he did, he had had none--knew just where to find him He was, in very truth,
”Lofty and sour to theht him, sweet as summer”
The cause often ofjoyous hiree of the gift of humor, the sure indication of the humane and sympathetic in our nature; that ”which blends the pathetic with the ludicrous, and by the sahter and to tears” As Eenius itself” The line of separation betit and humor is shadowy, not easily defined Thereof the two As has been said: ”While wit is a purely intellectual thing, into every act of the humorous s up exuberantly, as froaood-nature at every object in existence, and dismiss it with a benison” While wit, the purely intellectual quality, sparkles and stings, huently scan thy brotherever that
”What's done we partly may coe, then, that he who in large degree possesses or is possessed by this subtle quality should be subject to moods, it may be melancholy--”the effect of that humor that sometime hath his hour with every man” That Governor Knott was deeply endoith humor in its best sense, no one who knew hi incidents that convulsed his listeners, he gave no sign; his own features re the obsequies of his dearest friend There is soestive in the lines of Tho attuned to mirth But has its chord in melancholy”
While Governor of Kentucky, he sent to the Hon Stoddart Johnson a certificate, officially signed and bearing the i him as ”Mister,” a distinctive and honorable title that no Kentuckian had previously borne This recalls the witty reersoll appears to hold in common with his countryo McCullough, the tragedian, was giving his splendid impersonations of the two masterpieces of Shakespeare at the national Capital Thealong the avenue on our way to the House, were stopped by an exceedingly sole the forment as to which is the best play, _Ha earnestly at his inquisitor, and in a tone at once deprecatory and inimitable, Knott replied: ”My friend, don't ask me that question I aress; my district is about equally divided; Hamlet has his friends down there, and Macbeth his, and I a _to take any part between them!”_
When in joint canvass with his competitor for the Governorshi+p of the State, Mr Knott, having, by appointment, at one of the county seats in ”the Purchase,”speech, was seated near by to listen to that of the opposing candidate The latter, a gentle that would have done no discredit to an assely annoyed by Knott's speech, which had in very truth kept the audience in an uproar during its entire delivery Beginning his reply, he said:
”Fellow-citizens, I will endeavor to indicate to you the kind of a rand old commonwealth In the first place, that exalted position would never be filled by one who, for lack of serious argument, constantly appeals to the risibilities of his audience; never by a wit, a mere joker, a story-teller; in other words--if you will pardon me, my fellow-citizens--by a mere buffoon
On the contrary, the incurand old coentleman of character, of ability, the worthy successor of Shelby, of Morehead, of Crittenden; he should be a gentle, well versed in classic lore and a thorough student of the higher order of state-craft In a word, fellow-citizens, you should elect as your Governor a gentle dignity, of exalted states, said, in manner and tone the exact counterpart of that of the speaker, ”Pardon er to the beautiful and truthful description _you have just given of me!”_
Whereupon, amidst the wildest applause, he retired fro for the day, and the joint discussion for the can, were closed