Part 17 (1/2)
To which the Judge replied: ”Oh, Mr Turney, Mr Green understands the whole matter as well as if I had preached to hi this day four weeks You understand it that way, Mr Green, don't you?”
”Yes,” said the prisoner, upon which the Judge again expressing the hope that he and all his friends down on Indian Creek would understand that it was the act of the jury and of the law, _and not of the Judge,_ ordered the prisoner to be remanded to jail, and the court adjourned for the term
For soe Reynolds retired from the bench at the end of his four years' term In ”Breese,” the first volue Reynolds which has been the subject of a sundry reasons why there was error in the judght to be_ reversed; but inasmuch as the court is equally divided in opinion, it is therefore _affirmed”_
He then resumed the practice of the law, and as he says, ”was faot acquainted with everybody, and became somewhat popular I had no settled object in view other than to reeable manner” In view of the aversion already shown to office-holding, the following disclaie seems wholly superfluous: ”I had no political aratifying to know that at this time his domestic affairs were in a satisfactory condition: ”Plain and unpretending; never kept any liquor in the house--treated my friends to every civility except liquor; used an econo on parsimony”
Under the favorable conditions e was enabled to overco office, and becaislature immediately upon his retirement froher plane than that of ordinary legislators will clearly appear froislature without any ulterior views, and with an eye single to advance the best interests of the State, and particularly the welfare of old St Clair County My only ambition was to acquit myself properly, and to advance the best interests of the country”
Two years later, the aversion of the Old Ranger for office was again overcoislature, as I had the last, without any pledge or restraints whatever; I then was, and am yet, only an humble ain on the war-path and the shadow of the chief executive office of the State was now beginning to fall across his pathway He says:
”It would require voluislatures, and of my humble labors in them; but it was my course of conduct in these two sessions of the General assembly that induced my friends, _without any solicitation on ed not by politicians, but by reasonable and reflecting men, more to advance the interest of the State than my own”
If we did not, froe loathed ”the arts of politicians,” wethat he was one of them:
”I traversed every section of the State, and kneell the people
My friends had the utested any policy to be observed, this suggestion was consequently carried out as I requested--thus placing all under one leader”
This, it will be remembered, was in 1830, and neither Reynolds nor Kinney, his competitor, had received a party no Jackson e only a ”plain, hu the caer of this candidate of the ”reflectinginto the ways and wiles of politicians ”I often addressed the people in churches, in courthouses, and in the open air, e tree; _at tirocery”_
The fiery and abusive hand-bills against his competitor he did not atte, ”as they had a right to exercise their own judgment”; but he declares he did not circulate one himself He moreover felicitates hiained hihteensparsely populated, he enjoyed the personal acquaintance of almost every voter The fact, as he further states, that his opponent was a clergyreat drawback to him, and almost all the Christian sects, except his own--the anti-missionary Baptists-- opposed hie adious people was not so ainst him”_
No national issues were discussed, but one point urged by Kinney against the proposed Michigan canal was, ”that it would flood the country with Yankees” It would be a great mistake to suppose that Reynolds himself wholly escaped vituperation On the contrary, he clai ”the best abused man in the State”
He relates that one of the stories told on hiy of a man in a corn-field, just at dusk, and that I said, 'How are you, my friend? Won't you take soht is shed on the politics of the good old days of our fathers by the following: ”The party rancor in the cahborhoods fell out with one another, and the angry and bitter feelings entered into the common transactions of life”
If the contest had lasted a year or two longer it is not ih ”reflecting”
state to the low level of artful politician ”It was the universal custom of the times to treat with liquor We both did it; but he was condeious co a preacher of the Gospel”_
Some atonement, however, is made for the bad whiskey our model candidate dispensed by the noble sentiment hich he closes this chapter of his contest: ”I was, and am yet, one of the people, and every pulsation of our hearts beats in unison”
Having been elected by a considerable majority as heof a philosophical train of thought, and horror of politicians and their wiles and ways again possessed him He says:
”It may be considered vanity and frailty in me, but when I was elected Governor of the State on fair, honorable principles by the ement of party or corrupt politicians, I deemed it the decided approbation of reat honor”
The adeneration upon the subject of office-seeking, is worthy of profound consideration:
”But were I to live over again another life, I think I would have thefor any office within the gift of the people By no means do I believe a person should be sordid and selfish in all his actions, yet cannot a person be more useful to the public if he possesses talents in other situations than in office?”
Soratitude of republics evidently entered like iron into his very soul when his memoirs ritten: