Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-07-16
From Mss Martinedu's Retrospect Of IFe.tcrn
Tratrf.


AMOS KENDALL.
| was fortunate enough once to catch glimpse o
the invisible Amos Kendall at Washington, one Of the
| most remark able men in America He is supposed
10 be the moving spring Of the whole administration
| the thinker, panDer aud door; but IT is all in the
| dark, Documents are ISSUED q. an excellence which
prevents their being attributed 10 persons who take the
responsibility Of them; rcspondence IS kept up all
| over the country ior which no one seems 10 be an
secrabe work is done, OF goblin extent and with
! goblin speed. which makes men look about them
with n superstifious wonder; aud the invisible Amos
| Kendall has the credit Of il all.
President Jacks Letters TO his Cabinet are said
to be kend,lls. The letters from Washington which
appear in remote country newspapers. whence they
collected aud published in the Globe demon
STATIONS OF public opinion, are pronounced tobe
written by Kendall. Every mysterious paragraph in
opposition newspapers relates To kendall-apd IT is
some relief 10 the md that his having the Office
of Postmaster General affords opportunity for o.
pen attacks upon this twilight personage--who is
proved, by the faults in he pos, Office administration,
not TO be able to do quite every thing well. But he
Is undoubtedly great genius lie unltcs with his
" great talent Tor silence splendid audacity.
II Is clear that lie could not do the work he does,
llncrt dIble In amount any "ay) II lie went into
cety like other men. lie did, however, one even
ing, think ii was nj the Attorney Generals. The
moment ] went IN. iniimations reached me from all
quarters, amid mods and winks, " Kendall is here"
" That is he" saw at once that his plea FOR exclu
SION toau ncalli) Is no idlsc one ne extreme
saowncss Of his compl exon. and lI,ir Of such per
feet wheness rs Is rarely seen IN man OF middle age,
testified Ia disease. lis countenance does not help
the supcrslious TO throw OH their dread OF him lie
probably does not desire this superstition TO melt
way Tor there is no calculating how much inilu
ence gwen to Jackson's administration by the be-
let, that there concealed eye and hand behind
the machinery of government by which every thing
could be toreseen, aud the hardest deeds done-A
member of Congress told me this night that he had
watched through four sessions for sight at Ken
dali, and had never obtained it I'LL now. Kendall
was leaning on a char, with head bent down, and
eyes glancIng up member of Congress. with
whom he was IN earnest conversation, and IN few
minutes he was gone.
Neither Mr.. Clay any Of his family ever spoke
word to mo Of Kendall except in his public capa-
city bat heard elsewhere, and repeatedly the well
known story Of the connection OF the men early
in kondall's life. Tldngs reached Mr. aud Ms. |
Clay one evening, many years ago. al then house
in the neghborhood oi Lexington. kentucky, that
young man, solitary and poo Ia, III Of a fever in
the noisy hotel in the town. Mrs Clay went down
in the carriage without deay, and brought the suffer
~ home To her house. where she nursed him with
her own hands TIL he recovered. Mr.. Clay was
struck with the talents and know ledge of the young
man, (kendall) and retained linn tutor TO his sons
heapng benefits upon him with characteristic boun
~ Thus iar is notorious fact, As 10 the causes
OF their separation aud cnmity ! have not heard
hendalls side OF The question, aud therefore say
nothing but 90 Oh 10 the other notorious facts that
Amos Kendall left Mr.. Clay, political party some
time after Adams had been, BY Mr.. Claws influence,
seated in the presidential chair, and wen, over TO
ckson; since winch time he has never ceased his
prosecutions OF Nh Clay through the newspapers.