Part 20 (2/2)

”No, ress when Washi+ngton was President; that was a little before my day

But is it possible that you are a sister-in-law of Governor Giles?”

”Yes, sir,” she answered, ”he married my eldest sister and I was in hope that you knew him”

I assured her that I had never known hi of his history: that he was a soldier of the Revolution; that he began his public career with the passing of the old Confederation and the establishment of the National Union; that as Representative or Senator he was in Congress alton to that of Jackson I then repeated to her the words Mr Benton, his long-time associate in the Senate, had spoken of her brother-in-law: ”Macon ise, Randolph brilliant, Gallatin and Madison able in argument, but Giles was the ready champion, always ripe for the combat” And I told her that John Randolph, for ue, had said: ”Giles was to our House of Representatives what Charles James Fox was to the British House of Commons--the ht have said to Miss Graham, but did not, that her brother-in-law, then a ainst the farewell address of that body to President Washi+ngton upon his retiree indeed to our ears sound the words that even mildly reflect upon the Father of his Country Of this, however, we e of our history is but a drea,”--the era that has not been

”Past and to co Mr Giles too severely the words of Edmund Burke may well be recalled: ”Party divisions, whether upon the whole operating for the best, are things inseparable from free Government”

Party divisions ca alarments

In this connection it will be remembered that this country has known no period ofthe adton, the period which witnessed the downfall of the Federal party, and the rise of the party of Jefferson It was after the election but before the inauguration of John Ada words were spoken of President Washi+ngton by the brother-in-law of the little old lady to whom I have referred:

”I must object to those parts of the address which speak of the wisdoular in my ideas, but I believe his ade that I am one of those who do not think so much of the President as some others do I wish that this was the moment of his retireo on without him What calamities would attend the United States, and how short the duration of its independence, if but one man could be found fitted to conduct its administration! Much had been said and by many people about the President's intended retirement For my own part, I feel no uncomfortable sensations about it”

As I thus recalled the ton, his kinswo bond of connection between the present and the long past, that past which had witnessed the Declaration of Independence, the War of the Revolution, and the establisher, by hter of the Hon Tho the third decade of the century, later the Governor of Virginia, and at the time of his death the Secretary of the Navy The ic event that cast a pall over the nation and shroudedlater years, the horrors of an internecine struggle that knows no parallel, the assassination of three Presidents of the United States, and the thousand casualties that have crowded in rapid succession, have almost wiped from memory the incident now to be mentioned

The pride of the American Navy, the man-of-war _Princeton,_ Co in the Poto of February 28, 1843 The day was beautiful, and the distinguished coallant service, had invited uests to accompany hi the guests were President Tyler and two members of his Cabinet; Mr Upshur, Secretary of State, and Mr Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy; theof Ex-President Madison; Mr Gardner, a prohter; Commodore Kennan; and a number of Senators and Representatives Couests witness the working of the un, his especial pride

Mr Gardner and his daughter were guests at the Executive Mansion; and to the latter, the President--then for many years a er --was especially attentive Officers and guests were all in the best of sprits, and nothing see to make the occasion one of unalloyed pleasure Upon the return, and when almost directly opposite Mount Vernon, the company were summoned by the Coun Preceded by an officer, the guests were soon asseun

A place at the front was reserved for the President, but just as he was advancing, his attention was directed by his fair guest to soress, and prevented his instant death, for at this criticalthe immediate death of more than twenty persons, and serious injuries tothe injured were Senator Benton and Commodore Stockton The list of the dead included Secretary of State Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Gilmer, Commodore Kennan--one of the heroes of the second ith Great Britain,--and Mr Gardner, the father of the lady whose timely interposition had caused the moment's delay which had saved the President from the terrible fate of his associates Upon the return of the _Princeton_ to Washi+ngton the dead were removed to the Executive Mansion, and the day, so auspicious in the beginning, ended in gloo in the way of romance is the sequel to that sad event

A few uest of the President upon the ill-fated _Princeton,_ beca the remainder of his term of office did the honors of the Executive Mansion

The thousands of visitors who have, during the past sixty years, passed through the spacious rooth portrait of one of the most beautiful of woazed upon her lovely features was lessened when told that the portrait was that of the wife of President Tyler, the once char and accomplished Miss Gardner, whose nao chapter of sorrow and of ro to the doested by the sad accident upon the _Princeton_ But for the trifling incident which detained President Tyler from the side of his Cabinet officers at the awful moment, the administration of the Government would have passed to other hands As the law then stood, the Speaker of the House of Representatives would have succeeded to the Presidency; and how this ed the current of our political history is athat--

”Two stars keep not Their ht not the re party? What rand Internal I project of Henry Clay?

what upon the deteron Boundary Question--whether by diploht the destiny of the ”Lone Star,”

the Republic of Texas, have been changed? What ht have been the effect upon the political fortunes of Tyler's great antagonist, around whoressive forces of the party he had founded were even then gathering for a life-and-death struggle against a con of 1844?

Trifles light as air are soe momentous events The ill-timed publication of a personal letter defeated Cass in 1848; and within our day the utterance of a single word, unheard by the candidate to whom it was addressed, lost the Presidency to Blaine

The antagonism of Tyler and his adherents eliminated, it is within the bounds of probability that Henry Clay would have triule for the Presidency If so, what change ht in the trend of history? Under the splendid leadershi+p of the ”great pacificator,” what ht have been the ter their dark shadows upon our national pathway?

With Clay at the helm, himself the incarnation of the spirit of compromise, possibly--who can tell?--the evil days so soon to follow enerations