Gazette and sentinel., 1860-09-08
MR.. BREcKINRIDGE's BIOGRAPHY CONTINUED. |

e~quivocation or disguise in all his act
was his master-kcy to the popula
heart for, while the people will forgiv,
the errors of a bold and open nature
his sins are past forgiveness who de
llberately deceives them. Hence, Mr.
Clay, though often defeated in his
measures Of policy, always secured the
respect of his opponents without losing
the confidence Of his friends. He never
paItercd i'll a double sense. The coun
try never was in doubt as to his opin,
Ions or his purposes. In all the con.
tests Of his time, his position on great
questions was as clear as the sun in a
cloudlcSs sky.
"Slr, standing by the grave of this
great man, anu considering these things,
how contemplate does appear the mere
I~cSerdemain of politics ! What a re-
proach is his life on that false policy
which would trife with a great and
upright people ! If | were to write
his cpitaph, | would inscribe as the
highest cuIogy, on the stone which
shall mark his last resting place Here
hes a man who was in public service
fifty years, and never attempted to de-
celve his countryrDen.'"
1t may be remembered that tie rela.
tions between Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Breck-
lnridge were of the most cordial and
friendly character. We have already
mentioned the support given him by
that statesman upon his election to the
kentucky Legislature !; and we may
add, that Mr.. Breckenridge was much
with him in the latter years and closing
scenes of his life, and always cherished
Il sincere admiration for his talents and
vcncration for his virtues.
During the second term for which
Mr.. breckenridge was elected to Con
gress, he was nominated by President
Fierce, and confirmed by the Senate, as
Minister to Spain but he declined the
honor, prefcrring to comply with his
representative pledge to the people who
had elected him.
After four years of continuous service
i'll Congress, where he demonstrated his
high qualities as a statesman, and his
power as a brilliant orator, he retired
again from public life and resumed the
practice of the law.
In the language Of a speech made by
him in 1915, he said
During the past four years, in which
he was wholly devoted to public life,
his private affairs and the health of his
family had so suffered as t . have left
him without q choice, but compelled
him, by the highest obligations he could
recognize, to retire from a position in
which he must neglect the care he owed
to one whom it was his first duty to
cherish"
To show how he was esteemed, even
by his political opponents, we give the
following extract from the Louisville
Journal, edited by the talented Prem
tice:
1--WE believe him to be a conscien-
tious and honorable, as well as a most
able man We have been half afraid,
during the canvass, to express our Opln-
ion OF him, lest our Wing friends in his
district, and elsewhere, might deem it
untrue to the interests of our party.
Mr.. Breckenridge is a pure
and noble-hearted man, and a liberal
minded politician ; he has earned and
won at home, and at Washington, as
high q reputation for talents as belongs
TO any man of his age in the United
Sto+oS X X x Vbo H. IL. ~
Breckenridge, in a letter to his constit-
uents, declines a reelection to Con-
grcss. He will be much missed in that
body. His great urbanity, his perfect
fairness, and his powerful talents, made
him one of the very foremost Of its
master-spirits. He has a national re-
putation, and nobly has he won it."
Mr.. Breckenridge was chosen one of
the delegates from Kentucky to the
Cincinnati Convention. The circum-
stances under which he was nominated
by that Convention for Vice-President
of the United States, we give from
John Savage's book, styled "Our Liv-
ing Representative Men" After the
nomination of Buchanan for the Presi-
dency, several names were offered for
the second oflice-among others, that
of John C. Breckenridge, proposed by
the Louisiana delegation, through Gen.
j. l.. Lewis. Acknowledging the fiat
tering manifestation of good will, Mr..
Breckenridge begged that his name
would be withdrawn. On the first bal
lot, however, the Vermont delegation,
through Mr.. Smalley, believing that no
Democrat had a right to refuse his SER
vices when his country calls, cast its
five votes for Breckenridge. MANY