Daily national Democrat., 1861-10-25
Daily Natlonall
Sketches of Great Men.

Vanity Fair says that the notices which APP
peared in various papers, of the life and
character of jeff Davis, upon the false report
of his death, have suggested to it the pro-
priety of furnishing ante mortem sketches of
other distinguished individuals The Mean-
choly Intelligence and Deaths editor" ac-
cordingly furnishes the following among
others:
Ben WOOD has drawn his last prize. This
sstimable man was born, at an early date, of
"poor but honest parents and belonged to
the class commonly known as Fellow Citizens.
d. W. was widely known as man not
wholly unconnected with the Lottery inter-
est, and who never particularly identified
himself with Sunday Schools and Ultra
Sanctity. About year since he entered the
political arena through the gate of the Third
Congressional District and for how he did 1T,
see the papers of that date. This sudden ir-
ruption into public notice is said to have
completely foored his modest brother, f. w.,
who naivey remarked on hearing it, that,
1--WE had no idea that Benjamin had the
confidence necessary to the success OF poll
tician or something to that effect-an OBJ
servation that certainly seems applicable to
the entire Wood family. whose ditdence is
rroverbial. That refined and high-toned
journal, the Daily News, was owned by the
humble Ben, and served his limited interests
pretty well.
Upon the breaking out of the rebellion he
became known as one of the few "No War
riors," white-feathered and whitelivered
faction that did after two days exposure to
the light of public sentiment.
There may be mourning among creditors
and chivalrous Southerners at the demise of
one SO great, SO good so what-dye-call-it?
but the "greasy mechanics and mudsills of
the stultited North are delighted at the pros
pect of his having gone to that
Bern (or bourne) from whence no traveller
returns"
II. G.. is abolished from the face of the
earth. The Tribune weeps, the Anti Slavery
STANDARD mourns Fred Douglas wears Grape,
and William Ill. Fry is composing requiem.
ii. G. was, as usual born of somewhat poor
but honest parents, a good while ago, In
early manhood he adopted the African race
and took to wearing series of milkwhite
hats-two dollar hats, with a privilege of
exchanging them annually and having them
ironed monthly.
He was first old man" on the Trihune for
quite a spell, and helped to move Mcdowell
Coward to Richmond" as far as Bull Run
and back
For every virtue, and there were many, he
had a corresponding fault, His love for
Seward-sweet William H.--knew no bounds,
as the flies will show. He meant well often
times, bat seldom did So and always re-
quired looking after. His attempts to blow
out the sparks of rebellion and civil war,
served only to fan them into wide-spreading
flames, much to his apparent dismay Physi
cilly he had lame trouser just above his left
boot leg-and this and that put together
made it, on the whole, as the gallery often
remarks of the actor who does too much for
twenty-five cents-"A pity about him"
J. e. B.-1he proprietor Of these initials
and the New York Herald has called for his
coffin and stepped out. The world of jour
nalism feels relieved, the community says ha!
ha! As a scurrillist, perhaps J. &. B was un
equalled; as brazen Image, he was fine.
His career enriched his pocket at the expense
OF his character and that of the profession
he followed only to degrade. A fitting obit-
nary can only be furnished on the Day of
judgment, SO until then we beg to drop the
unwholesome subject of this memoir