The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-26
uem,ni.eences or John Q. Calhoun.


" Recoections Of Mirabeau, by Dumont, his private
secretary. In speaking Of that distinguished
Frenchman and the book, one day, Mr.. Calhoun OBJ.
served "That is the proper method to give an idea
of great man. His humble friend and secretary
writes what he remembers about the great dead, and
gives what he did and said as he happens to re-
member it, without any ornaments Of bis own. Such
work is valuable, for it gives real insight into
great character"
Those words made an impression upon me, and
since his DEATH when / have had occasion 70 Wri1e
about Mr.. Calhoun, it has been in this styie-mo-
desty attempting to give what he said ana did as
briefly as possible, and just as happened 70 recall
this or that circumstance connected with MIN 10 my
mind, as il were narrating them to either OF MS
beloved daughters, whose love for the memory OF
their great father would prompt them TO listen
eagerly 70 what came from one who was near their
father the last months of his life, and could tell them
a thousand things about him they did not know be.
fore. They would not care much about the manner
of the telling; they would only think Of the things told
by one who knew them.
had blank book at Fort Hill in which used
frequently to make notes of conversations with Mr..
Calhoun, and he would read them, and not unfre-
auently correct them. On one OCCASION speaking Of
Mr.. Van Buren,, he said, +" He taught the mass of
the people to hunt for Office they would for game,
and the system has turned on himself and political
Iy killed him. Without the prospect of plunder,
a convention TO nominate President would have no
more weight than il SO many fiddlers 10
BILE at Baltimore to play Aud Lang Syne"
The absurdity Of the mode Of getting up the CEN
sus used to call forth some very sarcastic remarks.
"They will be obliged to act for the whole ten years.
The law was intended to get the amount of popula-
ton by taking census but it has been extended so
as to embrace almost everything and yet there Is !,
one very important omission among the valuables."
"What is that?'' asked.
Fences" was his reply.
laughed, and who would not; but soon stop
ped, when he added, The fences are more valua.
bic than all the cities added together Think OF it,"
bave since thought of it, and never saw fence
yet but what / thought of Mr.. Calhoun. doubt
very much whether the valuation could ever be &C
cuiately ascertain ed, but it would amount to some
hundreds Of millions OF dollars.
Mr.. Benton had made several speeches attacking
Mr. Calhoun early in ls49, and soon after my arrival
the latter commenced to dictate to me reply, not
to Benton, but in an address to the People or the
Southern States" One copy of that address waa
given to the Per dleton Ga-ette, and the other was
sent to you. When had written-"Wiih the 0rdi-
nance Of Timeo Deanas, Ell dond ferentes," he added
"This is the first time have ever used quotation
from the classics but it is very applicable in this
case" When he came to-"JOb exclaimed: ooh,
that mine enemy would write book" hesuggested
that l bad better examine and find whether he had
quoted correct went to the house and got Bible,
and after little search found that adversary
was used instead OF enemy ANY word might
have been originally used, for the whole BOB OF
Job'-a most wonderful book-was never properly
translated. 1t has no connection whatever with the
rest of the Bibleno. the slightest reference to the
Jews, their peculiar institutions, or anything of the
kind. 1t bears no evidence Of Hebrew origin or
connection and was written long before these people
were known. Mahomets Koran would be as suit
ably located in Hebrew Bible as the Book Of job,
except is as evidently antecedent to the times OF
hp fovy fhnuoQ nd WOO no 70 ia suh-
sequentn And then he proceeded to dictate.
About this time the ne vs. Of the death and funeral
Of James X. Polk reached Fort Hill. read to him
account Of the funeral sOemnities 1t stated that
after Folks body was placed in the coffin q copy Of
the United States constitution placed under his
feet. Some wag must have done that, although 1t
was extremely proper, for Polk had trampled upon
the constitution of the United States during his
ife."
Il was known at Fort Hill that in the village
Episcopal church the rite Of confirmation was TO
were to be confirmed, and Mrs Calhoun WAS urgcn
that he himself should 60, if for no other reason
than out Of respect to Bishop Gadsden. The family
carriage was loaded and the horses, driven by old
Tom, left the mansion for the village. rode in the
buggy with Mr.. Calhoun, who alo we'd me to drive,
and gave me some lessons about reversing the usual
order Of things, viz. Allowing the horse to 60 as
fast IS ne pleased up DILL and ws Keep MN a. Close
the church services had commenced Mr. Calhoun
sat in his seat with his eyes fixed upon the Bishop
and looking precisely as though he was not at home.
There was a prayer read by the Bishop. which had
been composed by him expressly in reference to the
recent prevailing cholera, Os490 Mr.. Calhoun sat
up perfectly erect when he heard the word nation
used in IL; and. by the way the Bishop in his ser
over and he had shaken hands with all Of his neigh
bors, we got into the buggy and started for home.
"Nation " " nation!" nation ~ he repeated, as
who ought to know better, would use eucn a word.
There is no truth, no real meaning in it. All such
things tend to consolidate the government, and pro-
duce q wrong impression. Gadsden knows better.
was not used Gen. Washington never used i-nor did
the other founders. They SPEAK Of the general gov
ernment,i the government OF the federal Union
but struck out nation in all places and the preamble
United States We are not nation, and the word
never heard of until recent years. Union should
be the word; but there is q word wanting. People
speak of q national song. Union song w)uld be one
mode Of expressing it. Denmark, Sweden, &c, are
nations. Russia is not q naton-it is an empire.
American will re the word in time"
"TheSoutb has right to secede whenever 1t chooses.
The general government have nothing to do with it.
Those who in it not liable for treason to the
United States. The general government cannot
prevent it. Had General Jackson gone on in 1888 he
would have had to act as If the Union was social
compact, which it is not and never was 1t is q
federal uDion-a union Of States, and not compact
Of individuals as nation. Had not have been for
Tennessee in 1882 never would have compromised.
WOulQ nave QlCtateu teIHs, Uut saw bHhS peIeEdl
Jacksons popularity in Tennessee such that the
people would have fought for him account Of hts
person. The result Of it would have been war be-
tween Southern and Southern STATE. The South
better Off without the Union Their only tie to 1t
is that ancestors who fought the common battles OF
the Revolution The South no gamers, but q eat
losers by the connection. They entirely inde
pendent section. They are the only conservative
portion Of the Union. In case of q secession, the
general government and the Supreme Court cannot
decide upon it. 1t i question between he seeding
States and the others who have broken tie contrac5
or violated IT,"
Prohibiting slavery by the North. on the part OF
che Territories, is degrading the South and violating
the constitution 1t is loss to the south; but that
is not the high cause. If you spit in mans face it
don't iDjure him. but il the man don't recent it then
bis face is slapped-then he is kicked His moral
power il gone. The South lose caste. Congress
cannot make laws for the TER tories IL they affect the
rights OF the States The contribution gives power in