Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-03-31
John Calhoun's Dream.

A correspondent Of the Mississippi
Wig has cut from an anonymous pam
phlet an account Of the dream Of John
G. Calhoun, about the time of the stor
my sectional agitation which preceded
the adoption Of the Compromise meas
ures Of 1920. .
Mr.. Calhoun it seems, was drawing
up plan for the dissolution Of the I'm
ion, when late at night, being very
much exhausted, he fell asleep, and had
the following dream as related by him
self:
cat late hour Of the night as was
sitting in my room writing, [ was sur
prised at the very unceremonious en-
trance of a visitor who came in and
took a seat opposite me.
II was more annoyed, as | had Civ
en- strict orders to the servants that |
should on no account be disturbed.
'sThc manner in which he entered
perfectly sef-possessed-taking q seat
opposite me-without word-no saln-
tation--no apology--as though my room
and all within it belonged to him--cx-
cited in me as much surprise as indigna-
ton. As I raised my head to look at
him over the top Of my shaded lamp, I
discovered that he was wrapped III a
thin cloak which completely hid his
features from my view; and rs raised
my head he spoke.
'sfWhat are you writing, Senator
from South Carolina % I did not
think Of his impertinence at first, but
answered him involuntarily IL am
drawing up plan for the dissolution
of the American Union!'' To this the
intruder replied in the coldest manner
possible:
"Senator from South Carolina, will
you allow me to look at your right
hand ?"
He arose, and as he did 50 the cloak
fell, and behold--great God, gentlemen!
I BEHELD THE FORM OF GEoGE WASH
INGToN!
CAS- though I had no power to resist,
[ extended my right hand. [ felt
strange chill prevade me at his touch
he grasped it and held it near the
light, thus affording me full time to ex-
anime every feature Of his, and partic-
ularIy Of his person. It was the face
Of " ashington, and he was dressed in
the uniform Of the Revolution. After
holding my hand for Q moment, look
ing steadily at me, he said iii quiet
way:
''And with this hand, Senator from
South Carolina, you would sign your
name to a paper declaring the Union
dissolved 20
"Ies," said I, ''if certain contin-
gency arises, I will
Just at this moment black blotch
appeared on the back Of my hand =
] seem to see it even now.
"What is that?'' cried I i'll alarm,
why is this black spot on my hand %
''That," said he, dropping my hand,
''is the mark by which Benedict Arnold
is known in the next world %
Gle said no more, but drew from
beneath his cloak an object which he
placed upon the table, on the very pa
per on which I was writing. The OBJ
,ject, gentlemen, was skeleton
"There," said he, with emphasis,
E<there are the bones Of Isaac Hayne,
who was hung by the British in Char
lesion. L0 gaze has life to establish
tie Union. And when you sign your
name to u declaration Of dissolution,
you may as we'll have the bones Of
Isaac Hayno before you. He was a
South Carolinian, and so are you: 6au
no b50tcb IS on his hand 20
"With these words he left the room
| started from the contact with the
dead mans bones and awoke! Over
worn by labor, I had fallen asleep and
been dreaming"
Many other instances might be reci-
ted to show that some Of the most in-
portant events to man that have occur
red since order was brought forth from
chaos, and the Almighty rolled the
planets from his palm and set the
spheres in motion, have been more or
less connected with dreams. May not
this dream of Calhoun's have a happy
influence on the perpetuity Of our gIo-
rious and happy Union