Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-06-09
ORIGINAL.
MATTERS AND THINGS AT HOME
AND ABROAD.

Miss Martineau has touched off some of our
public men to the life, in her Retrospect Of
Western Travel" Here is Mr.. Van Buren,
who would be recognised even were his name
not mentioned ..
"Mr. Van Buren and his son." she says,
"bappened to be in Albany, and called on me
this afternoon. There is nothing remarkable
in the appearance of this gentleman, whom |
afterwards saw frequently at Washington. He
is small In person, with light hair and blue eyes.
I was often asked whether did not think his
manners gentlemanly. There is much friend
| illness in his manners, for he is kind hearted
man; he is also rich in information, and lets it
come out on subjects in which he cannot con-
trive to see any danger in speaking. But his
manners want the trankness and confidence
which are essential to good breeding. He
questions closely, without giving any thing in
return. Moreover, he t1atters to degree
which so cautious man should long ago have
found out to be disagreeable; and his flattery
is not merely praise of the person he is speak
ing to, but a worse kind still-a scepticism and
rdcule of objects and persons supposed to be
distasteful to the one he is conversing with. l
| fully believe he is an amiable and indulgent do
nestle man, and reasonable political master;
good scholar and shrewd nun of business;
but he has the scepticism which marks the low
er order of politicians. Hispublic career ex-
hibits no one exercise of that faith in men, and
preference of principle to petty expediency, by
which statesman shows himself to be great.
The consequence is, that with all his opportu-
mites, no great deed has been put to his &c
count, and his shrewdness has been at fault in
some of the most trying crises of his career.
The man who SO little trusts others, and so
intensely guards SELF, as to make it the study
of his life not to commit himself, is liable to a
more than ordinary danger of judging wrong
when compelled, by the pressure of circum-
stences, to act a decided part. 1t has already
been so with Mr.. Van Buren, more than once;
and now that he is placed in a,postion where
he must visibly lead, and cannot always fol-
low, it will be seen whether due reverence of
men and a forgetfulness. of self would not
have furnished him with more practicable wis
dom than all his sounding on his perilous
way"
The following graphic sketch Of Amos
Kendall, will be read with interest:
aIwas fortunate enough once to catch a
glimpse at the invisible Amos Kendall, one Of
the most remarkable men in America, He is
supposed to be the moving spring Of the whole
administration; the thinker, planner, and doer;
but it is all in the dark. Documents are is-
sued of an excellence which prevents their
being attributed to persons who take the re-
sponsibility of them; correspondence is
kept up all over the country, for which no one
seems responsible work is done Of goblin ex-
tent, and goblin, speed, which makes men look
about them with superstitous wonder, and
the invisible Amos Kendall has the credit of
it all. President Jackson's letters to his cabi-
net are said to be Kendalps;; the Report on
the Sunday Mail, is attributed to Kendall; the
letters sent from Washington to appear in re-
mote country newspapers, whence they are
collected and publishedin the Globe, as dem
onstrations of public opinion, are pronounced
to be. written by Kendall: every mysterious
paragraph, in opposition. papers relates to Ken
dali and Il il some relief TO the timid that his
having now, the Office Of, Postmaster General,
. aifords opportunity for open attacks upon this
twilight parsonage" ..s.s....,,. g., &
None will dispute, for moment, but that gil
the above traits Of character are attributed to
Mr.. Kendall; but is it the real character, ofths
mani Mr.. Kendall is undoubtedly man o.
talents--talents Of the first order; but his en-.
emies have given him character he does moi
possess. They regard him with, a. kind Of su'
! perstitious awe: for--as Mrs. Martineau say'