The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-11-23
Misfellauenns.
TOM ooRw1N.

TOM 00RwM.
Mr.. Corwin . remarkable eloqucnce did
not require the stimulus OF excitement,
though something of il fro was paled on
ordinary occasions His language was al
ways elegan, and refined, full Of an image.
ry that largely par.ook Of the poetry Of the
East. Tie was aware Of this peculiarly Of
style and rather liked to have Il alluded to.
Some years ago he travelled from Wash.
ington to New York in company with one
of our Washington correspondents, and
during the then long ride from that city to
this tho conversation fell upon the subjects
Of our great orators A. the conclusion OF
a long crtique on the principal public
speakers of the day, In which Mr.. Corwin
gave utternnce to several original and inter.
esting opinions, our correspondent remark
ed,-"you may think ! am intruding on
the locality usually supposed to be in the
neighborlood of the "blarney stone;" hut
you must allow me 20 say, sir, that for ele
ganco, refinement. aud that beautiful illus.
trative Imagery of the Orient in which so
many indulge and 80 few know how to
speakers who peases me SO much as Tom
Corwin Of Ohio" Mr.. Corwin bowed In
acknowledgment Of the compliment, and
remarked that he thought he might honest
ly accept It rs such, as he claimed that II
was natural gift, descended to him from
his ancient ancestors "You will have no.
ticed," he said. "my very dark complex.
ion ?" Our correspondent could not but
admit will, smile that hc had noticed that.
"Well, | came by that complexion and my
Imagination in the same way, naturally md
from the same source-my ancestry. You
may remember that away back in l44o
there figured among the Hungarian rulers
a great champion Of the country, ono
Matthias Coryinus. or Coryin, who as hiso.
~ has il. made his country formidable to
her neighbors. Well mn descended from
that Magyar family of Corvinus. My father
was named Matthias Corwin, and from that
family ] derive my complexion and imag-
inaiion."
His very dark complexion was onen
made the subject Of jokes by Corwin and
his friends. Thomas F. Marshall, Of Ken
ucky, (who had very red complexion
himself, aud who used frequently to relate
a story connected therewitl,, which, like
many details Of the Strong divorce case,
will not bear pubicatIon.) once told an al.
venture which he had with Mr.. Corwin at
Lebanon, Ohio, Mr. Corwin's place of res
idencc. Marshall had stopped at Lebanon
over night, aud had registered himself at
the hotel rs MIR Marhall, Of Kentucky"
While sitting in the public room in the
evening he noticed neatly dressed colored
man enter the hall, aud approaching the
REGISTER, began to read It. When he had
reached Marslalls name he read il aloud,
and asked the clerk IL Mr.. Marshall was in
the holcl." The clerk replied by pointing
him to the gentleman in question. The
colored man approached Marshall, saluied
him very respectfully. and asked IL he he.
longed to the Lexington family Of Mar
shall 8. Marshall was, rs he expressed II
afterwards, "somewhat put out by the 70.
n,iliar manner of the 'culled geinnian,' I"
hut answered civilly that he was. The col
ored man was delighted to hear Il and to
meet him. I" had," he said, "the honor
and pleasure of serving with Mr.. Thomas
Marshall from 1881 to 1885.
Mr.. Marshall. thinking he had met one
OF the old family servants who had "rin
away" from Kentucky to freedom in Ohio
was about to ply him with questions, but
found no opportunity Of "getting word in
edgewuys." The colored man asked in
rapid succession after the various members
ofthe family, spoke feelingly and familiurly
Of old Humphrey Marshall, the head OF the
Kentucky Marshall family, and at last ask.
ed if the gentleman was acquainted with
Mr.. Henry Clay. On Marshall replying in
the affirmative, the colored gentleman be-
gan to tell. in a voice intended for the little
crowd Of listeners who had gathered
around, some "reminiscences Of Henry
Clay, one of which he began by the re.
mark
"yhcn I was in Congress with Mr..
Clay
"You in Congress with Mr. Clay ?" in.
terruptcd Marshall. "You IN Congress?"
eyes, sir; yes, sir. My name is Tom
Corwin."
"Tom Corwin !" exclaimed Marshall.
Excuse me, sir, hut certainly thought
you were free negro"
Only the lingering " last leaves" Of the
past generally will personally remember
Tom Corwin In his great character rs the
" Wagon Boy" The sobriguet was gnined
ruther curio,lsly. In the memorable pOlti-
cal campaign of lS4O, when Harrison
changed his "log cabin" for the "White
House." when the Wing hattie cry was
"Tippccunoe and Tyler too," Tom Cor.
win was the candidate for Governor Of
Ohio, AMI ran moro on the mcrk Of Hari.
son than his own. To elect Harrison was
to elect HIMSELF and Corwin turned out TO
stump the State Of the Wing Presidential
candidate. il was In this canvass that he
won not only the sobriquet Of the " Wagon
Hoy" hut his reputation as the most ias-
cinating stump speaker west Of the noun.
tains" The people 10 those days came to
hear him in crowds and he often spoke to
audiences which covered with their wag-
ons tents, log cabins, eic, several hundred
squsre acres. The farmers followed him
from county to county, holding their Pc
culiarly Western politician bariccucs in each
place At which he spoke, and living In the
meantime in their tents and log cabins. The
State was Carried In perfect blazo Of ex-
ciicment for Harrison, and the sWayon
Boy"-ih,n called In contrsdis,inction to
the log cabin candidate elected
Governor OF Ohio.
Though Mr. Corwin's reputation wns
chiefly due to his gin OF ors,ory and pow.
9" as special pleader, his force did not
consist 10 these alone. He was sdmirable
10 an argument, quick at reparsec. and par
iiculariy distinguished for his discrimina-
iion in the clinton Of authois;es, bait these
traits were but the reserve force OF bis
greater powers, and arc only remembered
- secondary 10 them. Tie hes been de-
scibed - ,lnu,afio speaker, poaeesing In
high degree The three Demostheneian
eosn,ish Of sn oestor-6nt, sction; sec