Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-01-18
THE NAPOLEON AND THE CHEVA-
LIER BAYARD OF THE PRESS.

We transfer to our columns from one of our
exchanges the following complimentary notices
of two distinguished editors, who so long
adorned the press of the country Thomas
Richie and John Hampden Peasants, In
politics they were opposites. Their lot was
for many years cast in the same city--each
was the leader of party. One has been
called the Napoleon, the other may be called
the Chevalier Bayard of the press. One has
been gathered to his fathers, the other still re-
mains, and we hope will long remain among
US. He has the affection of many, the conf
dence and respect Of all:
In the course Of Mr.. Grigsby's discourse,
delivered on the 10th ultimo, at the Athengum
in Richmond, before the Virginia Historical
Society, he touched incidentally upon the in
iuence of the press on the convention question
in 1929, and drew the following picture of Mr..
Richie and Mr.. Peasants, as they appeared at
the clerks table of the convention:
Sand this leads me to say that there were
sitting at the clerks table, busily engaged in
taking notes of the proceedings two men, not
members Of the body, filling no civil office, who
then welded greater influence over the peo-
pie than any other two men in the State, and
had long favored, though with very different
Interior views, change in the fundamental
law. The elder of these, for quarter of
century, had edited a journal, which was the
leading organ of the dominant party in the
State, with zeal and ability hitherto unknown
in our annals, and with corresponding success.
He had taught the people to think his own
thoughts, to speak his own words, to weep
when he wept, to wreathe their faces with his
smiles, aDd, over and above all, to vote as he
voted.
sovereignty so complete over the pub.
lie mind was not likely to pass uncontested.
Boys, who had just laid aside their satchel;
statesmen who had lost Office, or sought it
under new SYSTEM writer's of every degree,
dipping their pens in ink not unmiXed with
gall, sought to impair it, and sought in vain.
Popularity, running through long lapse Of
years, and questioned at every step of its pro.
gress, is rarely an accident; and tits certain
there was An abiding conviction that such in
fuence was welded by its possesser in good
cause, and that he was as honest as he was
able. In person he was tall and lean his pro-
file SO distinctly marked as not, if once seen,
to be easily forgotten; quick in all his move.
ments and in his gait, he leaned slightly for
ward. Nor did he spurn the duties of the
of the professional devil about him. In the
relations Of life he was eminently courteous
and social, and withal was the most laborious
man of his age. The editor of a daily com
mercial paper and semi-weekly political one
must be busy man. For many years he drew
largely on the small hours of the morning. /
have spoken OF his tact as party manager.
de never lost his temper. He may have acted
unwisely, but never rashly or fooishly. If he
was sometimes seen to trip or fall, il was only
to rise again, like Antaeus, with redoubled
strength. All parties have their family trou-
bles 1t would happen at times that a poll.
tician, who was persuaded by his friends that
he did not enjoy that consideration in the party
to which he was entitled, would run FESTIVE;
and it was amusing to see the skill with which
our editor would reeve cord through his nose
and lead him costly about But it was mainly
when politician abjured his allegiance and
joined the opposite party that his full force was
felt. The abuse of his quondam Palnurus
was the burden of the rebels song, and If the
abuse of enemies constituted moral wealth in
the eyes of friends, he would have been the
richest man in the country. Nor did this abuse
affect his equanimity; for in his busy life it be.
came matter of course, and he may be said
never to have been at peace but in state Of
III.
as Thomas Richie still lives, it is beyond our
present purpose to say farther than that all the
influence OF such a character was thrown ON
the convention question into the scale of the
west. .t - =.
The other person then sitting near him was
much younger in years, small in stature care
less IN his apparel, his face bearing weight of
premature care--a prophetic face, which was
redeemed by a brilliant eye. His intellectual
endowments were Of high order In wit,
sarcasm, scorn-in ready command of the
choicest words and phrases-in a knowledge
of men and things passing before him, and in
those qualifications which make up a dashing
editorial, he had no superior-hardly an equal.
His writings made q new era in our newspaper
literature Some Of his finer touches were be.
yond the reach Of Fonbanque He made enc.
mics, as all men who, in exciting times, bring
positive qualities to bear on exciting topics. are
prone to make; yet there were few Of his DO.
litical opponents who did not occasionally relish
his raillery even when it played upon their own
party. He sometimes fell into amusing mis-
takes; for he had read history rather by
snatches than on system, and he was apt, in
the hurry Of the moment to gather his know
ledge at second hand and the lightning Of
his genius often scorched too severely the oh.
jects on which they fell. Nor did he possess
perhaps he scorned 1.-THE exquisite tact
which is required in a public leader in coun-
try like ours. and which was the prominent
characteristic Of his great opponent; for, with
the single exception Of the convention question,
Thomas Richie and John Hampton Peasants
held no political topic in unison; but, on that
common ground, they piled their constant task.
..g ---------->>~S~---
oid Coins.-The New Haven Register says
that in pulling down very old house in North
Haven, belonging 10 Harvey Stiles, coins were
found IN the crannies, one Of which, little larger
than silver dollar, is Of mixture OF metals but
looks hike iron-having lion (rampart) for de-
! vice, and bearing date l047. small gold coin