Part 35 (2/2)

None of us had ever before seen or heard a man who had actually, with his own eyes, beheld these wonders of the ages Near the close of his lecture, and just after he had suggested the probability of Abraha trip, some one in the audience inquired;

”Who built the Pyramids?”

”Oh, damn it,” quickly replied the orator, ”I don't knoho built theypt and none of them knew!”_

For lesby I ahbor and friend, Hon Joseph W Fifer--than whom the country has had no braver soldier and the State no abler Chief Executive

xxxVIII THE ONE ENEMY

CALEB CUshi+NG'S POLITICAL CAREER--HIS GREAT AMBITION A SEAT UPON THE SUPREME BENCH--HIS APPOINTMENT THERETO--HIS ONE ENEMY DEFEATS HIS CONFIRMATION

_”He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere”_

The truth of the above couplet has rarely had more forcible illustration than in the case of the late Caleb Cushi+ng of Massachusetts In politics he was successively Whig, De his first political affiliation, he was a Representative in Congress; in the second a member of Pierce's Cabinet; and in the third a Minister abroad He was an eed the duties of Attorney-General of the United States His one ambition was a seat upon the Supreratified by his appointment as Chief Justice of the Great Court Unfortunately he had, years before, given ent, then recently admitted to the bar The latter soon after moved to California, and became in time a Senator fro came before the Senate for confir since forgotten the young lawyer he had once treated so rudely, but he had not been forgotten The hour of revenge had now coent, of the sa, succeeded in defeating the confirle vote The political sensation of the hour was the Senator's proe to his defeated enes even; And if we do but watch the hour, There never yet was huiven, The patient search and vigil long, Of hi”

xxxIX CONTRASTS OF TIMES

TRAVELLING IN 1845 COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE PRESENT DAY

While I was assistant Postmaster-General, Senator Whittihorne, of Tennessee, called at the Department to seethe Capitol, he remarked that the chords of memory were touched as he entered the rooe, he occupied for a time a desk as a clerk just where he was seated

He then told me that at the time of the Presidential election in 1844 he was a law student in the office of Mr Polk, and by his invitation caton The journey of the President-elect, froton, was in February, 1845, just prior to his inauguration He was accompanied by the members of his immediate family, his law student Mr Whittihorne, and the Hon Cave Johnson, as soon to hold a position in his Cabinet The journey to Washi+ngton, as Senator Whittihorne told me, was of teeks' duration: first, by stea; thence by stage coach to the national Capitol

At the time mentioned, railroads scarcely had an existence south of the Ohio and west of the Alleghanies; and save the single wire froraph line had been constructed

How striking the commentary, alike upon human accomplishment, and upon opportunity under our free institutions, is here presented!

The wearisoe coach had been succeeded by one in palace car of a day and a night of comparative ease and safety, and the clerk had risen from a humble place in the Departreat States in the Union

XL ENDORSING THE ADMINISTRATION

DIFFICULTY EXPERIENCED BY DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS IN PROCURING APPOINTMENTS FOR THEIR CONStitUENTS--A NEW MEMBER THREATENS TO FRAME RESOLUTIONS OF CONDEMNATION--HE DOES THE VERY OPPOSITE--AN EXPLANATORY ANECDOTE

The Deress who yet survive will probably recall so for aspiring constituents prompt appointments to positions of honor, trust, and profit, under the then lately inaugurated administration An earnest desire was felt, and vehe excluded fro changes all along the line

A newthat his grievances were far too heavy to be meekly borne, reat confidence and with the free use of words nowhere to be found in ”Little Helps to Youthful Beginners,” that at the approaching Democratic convention of his State, resolutions of condemnation of no uncertain sound would be adopted Some conciliatory observations, which I ventured to offer, were treated with scorn, and the irate s, hastily turned his footsteps horeeably surprised to find in _The Post_ a telegra of the convention afore pronition from the chair, had, under a suspension of the rules, secured the unanimous adoption of a resolution enthusiastically and unconditionally endorsing every act, past, present, and to come, of the national Democratic administration

Upon the return of the ton, I expressed to him my surprise at a conversion which, in suddenness and power, had possibly but one parallel in either sacred or profane history Closing his near eye, he said:

”Look here! I can illustratea little incident I witnessed near the close of the war

Just as I was leaving an old ferry-boat in which I had crossed the Tennessee River, my attention was attracted to a canoe near by in which were seated two fisherroes, one a very old man and the other a small boy Suddenly the canoe capsized and they were both dumped in the deep water The boy was an expert swier Not so with the old man; he sank i days were over The boy, however, with a pluck and skill that did hireat credit, instantly dived to the bottoreat difficulty andthe old man upon the shore