Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-17
CORRESPONDENCE,

Especial Correspondence of the Commercial.

| Especial Correspondence of the COMMERCIAL
| WASHINGTON. Nov. 18th. 1865.
The announcement of the death of Mr. Preston
| King most startling to us all. We had seen
| him only short time ago. apparently tho cmbodi-
ment of health vigor and cheerfulneSS-his portJy
| frame moving through the Departments with an
alertness and tactivity seldom witnessed in stout
gentlemen. his shrewd and good -naurcd coun-
tenance beaming with peace and good will to all
| parties. but yet having the mmiStakeabc cy-
preston of business to be done Immediately
| Probably there is no public man whose departure
| from among would have been more unexpected
lie was so hale. hearty, so gcnial-there
| seemed to be so much of vitality about the man
his temperament appeared to be so joyous that it
was almost out of the question to associate any idea of
sorrow or dependency with such healthfu and
kindly spirit. 1t was therefore. with scarcely less
amazement than grief that the sad tidings smote the
car OF this metro polls l am sure there are many
who will acknowledge that do not exageratc when
add that it unlocked in the bosomS of hundreds of
our best men and women the sources of affectionae
regrets and of deep and enduring emotions The
pleasure and the honor of knowing him intimately
and well was mine and believe that a more gener-
Gus heart never beat within a human bosom. Faith
1ul 10 MS friends, whom he chose with unerring dis
cfimlnauon, he was surpassed by no man in tolera-
ton Tor differences of judgment and sentiment or in
nagnanlmlty, torbearance and indulgence toward
served for meanness dissmulation and fraud; and
In scarcely less degree, for that very foolish class of
men whom the world calls rise in their generationl
In thls national bereavement the President mourns
the loss OF staunch and devoted personal friend
VINO attested MS answering affection and sympathy
under the most trying circumstances when the "haf
faced Fellowship OF base partisans, and the namby-
pamby sentimentalsm ofhoday rhetoricians and the
bizarre fussness ofsome weak heads suddenly seized
nf al
astil more preposterous forgetfulnes of almost daily
scenes on the floor of the Senate combined to get up
and circulate, far and wide, atrociou libel upon
the President.
The personal grief of the Chief Magistrate was very
manifest to-day. His manner, always tranquil SEEM
ed subdued by great heart rt-sorrew-whch yet
with his characteristic manfulness he strove to throw
oil at the general reception. There was very large
attendance, as usual on days when Cabinet meetings
not held.
Is there way of dJating this abuse of the pryi-
lege of accession to the President? Ycs;-there is
way. 1t is by every influential journal. throughout
the length and breadth of the land calling upon their
readers to abstain from this deleterious practice
themselves and to discourage and if need be- to re-
buke it in others.
The fate of Preston King gives an emphasis to this
suggestion. which, I hope will not be unheedcd
Melancholy as it is to reflect upon and distressing as
it is to wide circle flowing friends the sad ter:ni-
nation of the career of this ble-hearted and
lab0riOus public servant will not be without its
uSo If it should suggest to the herds of pri-
vatc petitioners. who daily and hourly beset the
President some idea Of the actual cruelty of their
procedure. The Chief Magistrate. man, cmphat-
lcally, of the people. Sympathizng with all the
Thoughts the feelings the wants, the necessities the
doprvations and the aspirations OF the humblost of
his fellow Citizens and taught by experience to re-
azc to his own Imagination the particular case Of
every tale of the suffering produced by the ,c0l Of
rebets against the supremacy of the government finds
II hard to deny himself to anybody. So much the
moro ought persons who imbued with the gen
uino spirit of gentlemen and ladies' to refrain from
intruding upon him. when their business may Just as
well be attended to in the Departments. There is
such thing ovcrtasking the most accommodating
disposition, and overworking the healthiest brain
Unless | am misinformed, Preston King has fallen a
victim to the pressure Of business growing out OF per-
sonal claims and political complications connected
with the Coeotorship of the port of New York If he
overworked, and succumbed to the tolls the ex-
cements the troubles and the prosecutions incident
to his place. it may easily be imagined that President
johnson is infinitely more overtasked. leave this
hint to your readers, with the hope that they will
oppose, far as in them lies, pctinzing our public
men, ny putting their ban upon the who are
eternally running here to the White House, with no
other view beyond miserable personal or party
object.
whether high low in Fictitious social scale have
right to treat the President of the United States
as they do Let there be loud and general voice
of condemnation heard against them, and the nui-
will be abaed and forever hereafter estopped
d. NJ. l..