The Placer herald., 1857-09-26
The Patch on Mr.. Maroy's Breeches

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Harper's Weekly relates the following an
ecdotes of Mr. Marcy:
While he was Governor of this State. he
was visiting Newburgh on some public oc-
cason, and with party of gentlemen, wings
and Democrats, was at the Orange Hotel
Good humor was prevailing and ono story
suggested another. The Governor always
enjoyed story, and could tell one with ex-
cellent effect A whig lawyer was present,
and the Governor, recognizing him said:
"Ah, yes I'll tell you q good story of
Spooner. The other day he came up to Al
bany, on his way to a whig convention at
Utica, and so he took it in his way to call
on me and get pardon for convict at Sing
Sing. | heard the case, examined the docu-
ments and being satisfied that all was right
agreed to grant the request spooner hand
ed me the paper TO endorse, and wrote;
Let pardon be granted. WI. Marcy
when Spooner cried out, Hold, hold, Cover.
norl that's the wrong paper" And sure
enough it was achig speech that he vaS
going to make at Utica, abusing me in the
worst possible way. But had granted par
don in advance, and suppose he committed
the offence afterwards"
The story was received with great applause
and Spooner, being looked to for a response,
instantly went on with the following, which,
for an eXtempore story, is capital
"Yes, gentlemen-yes | did. And when
the convention was over we went to Niagara
Falls, and as we were dragging along by
stage over miserable corduroy roads, bang
ing our heads against the top of the coach, and
| then coming down as if we were going through
the bottom, the stage came to a dead halt;
the driver dismounted, opened the door, and
requested us all to descend We did so,
supposing that some accident had occurred.
When We all got out, standing upon the ends
OF the logs Of which the road was made,
the driver took off his hat and said: Gen
tlemen, we always stop here out of respect
for the Governor; tbs is the identical spot
aohere Mercy tore his pantaiooas"
The story was heard with great iolifcation,
which no one enjoyed more heartily than
the Governor himself
That pantaloon incident deserves to be re.
corded in every history of this great man.
He was sent out to hold special sessions of
court to try the anli.masonic parties charged
with murder. lie WAS to receive salary
and his expenses. With that nice regard
ion details tAat belonged to his sterling char
acter be kept minute account Of all his eX-
penditures and handed in the list on his re-
turn, without thinking it necessary or proper
to revise and strike out those items of pri-
vate nature which other men, less scrupulous
in regard to matters, might have carefully
suppressed. There stood the tailor's charge
for mendmg The political foes Of the Judge,
when he came to be a candidate for Cover
nor, found it and paraded it before the world
in the newspapers, and making an efligy of
Mr.. Marcy, suspended it in the streets Of Al
bany, with great patch on bis pantaoons,
and the tailor's charge on the top Of that
But an observant people saw through the
patch and the charge into the heart of an
honest man, and in that very deep heart Of
his Trey recognized frankness and trans
parency Of character that commended him
to their warm appreciation. 1t is not pro-
babIe that the pantaloon charge lost for him
a single vote, while it is doubtless true that
it made for him mulitude9 of friends. He
was never ashamed OF it and never lad rea.
son to be.