Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-08-06
The Patch on Mr.. Marcy'y
Breeches.

Harper;s Weekly relates the following
anecdote of Mr. Marcy:
While he was Governor of this State. he
was visiting Newburgh on some public occa.
sion, and with party of gentlemen, Whigs
and Democrats, was at the Orange Hotel.
Good humor was prevailing, and one story
suggested another. The Governor ALWAYS
enjoyed story, and could tell one with ex-
cellent effect. A Wing lawyer was present,
and the Governor, recogn ized him, said:
'Ah, yes; I'll tell you good story OF
Spooner. The other day lie came up to
Albany Jon his way to the Wing convention
at Utica. and SO he took il in his way &c call
on me to 6 a pardon tor convict at Sing
Sing. | heard the case, examined the Gocu-
meuts land being satisfied that al! was right,
agreed to grant the request Spooner handed
me the papersto inders and wrote: Let
pardon be granted. w. L. Marcy when
Spooner cried out, Hold, hold. Governor.
that's the wrong paper!' And sure enough,
it was Wing speech that he ,oaS going to
make at Utica abusing me the worst possible
way. But | had granted the pardon in ad-
vance, and suppose lie committed the oi
iense.atterward.'
The story was received with great ap-
piause and SPooner; being looked to for d
response instantly went on with the follow
ing, which, for an eXtempore story certainly
is capital
'fes, gentlemen-yes, did. And when
the Convention was over We went TO Mag
ara Falls, ard as we were dragging on by
the stage over miserable corduroy roads,
banging our heads against the top of the
coach, and then coming down as it we were
to 60 through the bottom, the stage came to
a dead HAT; the driver dismounted, opened
the door, and requested US all to descend.
We did SO, supposing that some accident
had occurred. When we were ell out stand
ing on the ends of the logs cf which the
road was made, the driver took off his hat
and suid 'Gentemen,we always stop here
out OF respect for the Governor, this is tie
identical spot achsre Marcy tore his pap!gL
oonS!'
The story was heard with great iolifca-
ton, (which no one joined more heartily than
the Governor himself.
That pantaloon incident deserves TO be
recorded in every history OF this great man.
He was sent GU. to hold special sessions Of
court to.try the anti Masonic parties charged
with murder. He was TO receive a salary
and his expenses. With that nice regard
for details that belonged 10 his sterling
character, he kept minute accrunt of all
his eX, X,,enditures, and handed in the list On
his return, without thinking it Lesessar or
proper 10 revise and strike out those items
of a private nature, which other men less
scrupuious in great matters, might have
cdreIuiIy suPDresseu. mere stood the tail
or's charge for mending. The political foes
of the Judge, when he came to be candi-
date for Governor, found it, and paraded it
before the wori1 in the newspapers; and
making au efiigy of Mr. Marcy, suspended
it in the streets of Albany, with a great
patch on the paniaIoons, and the tailor's
charge on the top OF tha:.
But al observant people saw through the
patch and the charge into the heart of an
honest man, and in that very deed of his,
they recognized a frankEess and transpar-
eDcy of character that commended him to
their warm appreciation. 1t is not probable
that the pantaloon charge lost for him
single vote, while it is doubtless true that
it made him multitudes of friends He was
never ashamed OF 1t, and never had reason !
to be.