Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-08-28
Sf(isttllantolls.
A RemiMiscencc OF The Golden
GATE.


The New York correspondent of the
Philadelphia Inquirer relates the follow
ing: ...
1t was some years ago, when the writer
of this was one of n party of invited
guests to accompany the vessel on her
trial trip. The late bishop Wainwright,
Gcclge Law, Colonel May, and several
members Of Congress, were on board
We brought up at Annapolis, and the
fame of the vessel having reached Wash.
ington, Prest. Fillmore and his Cabnent
signied to Captain Patterson and Mr..
Aspinwall their intention of paying them
flying visit"
Straightway magnificent banquet
was prepared, the decks were illuminated
with verigated lights, and the saloons he
low were "cleared for action" The
Presidential party spent all night on
board, and returned to Washington the
next morning at daybreak.
About al hour after these distinguish
ell guests had taken farewell of us, a small
boat put off from the shore towards the
ship, containing one passenger, The
oarsman urged the boat through the wa
tors as easily as possible, fer the passen
ger was sick, almost to death. lie was
covered with heavy blanket to shield
him from the crisp air of the early morn,
On reaching the gangway of the steamer
the boatman took him up tenderly, and
bore him up to the deck, where he was re-
ceived by Capt. Patterson, and at his re-
quest, led to the quarter deck, to behold
L a few minutes, the sun, just then gil
ding with rosy effulgence the bright, dan
cling waters of the Chesapeake. All the
guests, wearied with the night festivities
had letirel to rest, and after few words
from Capt. Patterson, the invalid was
left alone with only little Sirl-the
Captains daughter-as his companion.
With his little prattler he kept up ia k
forhalf an hour or so and then imprinting
kiss on her check, with the assistance of
Mr.. Aspinwall and her father, he retired
to his state room.
That invalid was Daniel Webster, then
laboring under the indispo>itior which,
II few weeks afterwards, proved fatal.
Next morning when the Golden Gate
was bounding through the Narrows on her
return to the city, at a parting collation.,
Rev. DR.. Wainwright paid a feeling lrib-
ute to the genius of the great man, who
was unable to he with them Just then
Hardly had the words fallen from his lips
when the Great Defender" himself slow
ly walked into the saloon, and the whole
company rising to receive him, took a
seat near the table.
After pause of few moments the
great man, leaning on his cane rose to his
feet, and, after returning his acknowl-
edgements to the company, proceeded to
electrily all who were within range Of
his voice with only such thrilling speech
as Webster on such occasions could make.
Taking the noble vessel as a fitting type
of our glorious Union, he went on to con-
trast the complex machinery which pro-
PEELED h l. threw the stormy seas, with
the complex machinery of our republican
form of Government. AS we moved
on without jarring, in the fcrcest of tenn
pests, so would the other, he trusted, till
the end Of time
Every spar in the Golden Gate was
sound, and so, he believed, was every
State in the Union. Here there would
be found, perhaps, cross grained beam,
or a rotten plank, but it did not impair
the efficient or harmonious working Of the
whole. There were cross grained beams
and rotten planks in our system of Gov
ernment, too, but the Government never
theless, with Gods blessing, would move
steadily, safely. triumphantly on to the
glorious destiny in store for it under the
same Stars and Stripes which were then
floating over their heads.
think that was the last speech ever
delivered by the "Great Defender" in
public.
Alas that the gallant ship. which he
had chosen to typiiy our republic, should
have met with so disatrous fate. God
gran: that, in her destruction, our own is
not prefgured.