Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-28
Letters from "Spivins." No 8.
More About PhfIadelphia-NIat
c ters and Things i'm New York
"A Huge Mistal<e-NIatters and
Things Political. etc etc.

| -, New York, Nov. 25th.
forgot In my last letter, to speak of our
visit to the Union League Club Rooms, on
Broad street, Philadelphia. The Republi-
can party of Philadelphia have there erect
ed magnificent monument out of their
stealings from the Government for the past
Iseven years, at a cost of $350,0OO. The
building is of pressed brick, four stories
high, containing lunch room, banquet
rooms, billiard room, wine cellars, reading
and meeting rooms, all finished in most
splendid style, surprising most of the pri-
vate residences of the city. The walls are
decorated with costly oil paintings of our
former and present Generals. In the YES
tibule stands a marble statue of Liberty
weeping over her fallen braves. AS gazed
upon the beautiful figure and the costly
magnificence around me, could but won-
der how many drops of blood were shed,
that might have been spared, that this
building should be erected. How many
shoddy overcoats does all this represent,
how many pairs of half-made shoes, how
many boxes of impure hard-tack? How
many of our brave boys IN blue went to
sleep supperless that these men might live
on the fat of the land? Oh, Liberty oh,
Patriotism! how many crimes are perpe-
trated in thy names ,rz
Well, 1 told you in my last letter of our
arrival in New York, but I did not tell
you of huge old mistake we made on ar
irving. We left our car in Jersey City
and started for the ferry boat to go to the
city. From the same ferry landing boats
start for three different points. We should
have taken the lower boat which would
have taken us to the foot of Courtlandt
street, instead of which, we landed at a
slip away d at the north end of the town,
and away after dark, too. Oh, but it was
ing under weary load" of baggage hunt
ing for home. We brought up finally a.
the Astor House, where we are at present
handsomely provided for.
AS we are talking about the Astor House.
must be pardoned right here for sspuff >
or two. The gentlemen deserve all that
can say in their commendation. First and
foremost let me introduce to our readers,
Cornelius Bsnta, ESQ., chief clerk, and
Messrs. John T. Dodge and Hawley Jones,
clerks at the Astor. They are three of the
most accomplished gentlemen in New York.
and we bar none. They seem to appreci-
ate and provide for their guests wants in
tuitively, and leave nothing undone which
can in any way minister to their comfort
Mr.. Banta especially we would commend
to any OF our people who may visit New
York. as being one of the most genial GEN
tlemen it has been our good fortune to meet
since we left home. Mr.. j. Seaman, also,
who has charge of the ordinary, is anothsr
of natures gentlemen. For their kind
care of us during our stay we return them
our hearty thanks.
Things political here are in a state of
mix. The city is hot over the contest for
the MaYoralty. The Democrats, who, as
you know, are largely in the majority,
have three candidates i'm the field, viz :
John T. Hoffman, Tammany; Fernando
Wood, Mozart, t, and John Fl. Anthon, DEM
ocratic Union. The Republican candidate
is William A. Darling. The real conte st
is between Hoffman and Wood. and is be-
ing waged with considerable bitterness
The Herald supports Mr.. Anthon with great
vigor, but advises Mr.. Darling to with
draw, that the Republicans may unite on
Anthon, and thus defeat both Tammany
and Mozart. But this is all bosh. AS the
thing looks to me, from what 1 can gather
from leading politicians here, of both DEM
otratic schools, Hoffman's chances are
much the best, at present. a7s
l paid visit yesterday to Greenwood
Cemetery, the city of the dead. Here sleep
the great, the brave, the noble. Here
moulder those whose minds moved the
world, whose ambition reached as high as
Heaven,and whose daring would snatch the
divine flame from its affairs. Oh, what a
lesson for our puny ambitions is
here! What lesson for the naughty, what
q sermon for the poor. This is the end of
all. ITO this favor must we come at last"
"An angels arm can't save US from the
grave" but, oh, the consolation it is to feel
that legions of angels can't 'tconfine us there.
Around US everywhere is written the truth
that the only certain thing in lite is death.
..fs odg Stone spells to stone;
Its weary tale,
How hearts grew cold.
So. iz.7 How cheeks waxed pale.
piIi'aa 1t seems to me,
The shipless sea
| -- 1u- Has beauty more
-.ii-i.''i Thal this waste scene,
| Where what has been
| In the hearts bower beloved of yore.
| So fresh and green,
| Fades evermore.
| Here is the grave of Mcdonald Clark,
the MAD Poet" as he was called-he who
penned that beautiful thought:
| Mature lowered Nights curtain down
| And pinned it with star"
Poor and penniless, with mind capable O
producing the sweetest music, he lived s
neglected, soured, careless man. Many
times pinched for bread during life, now
sleeps he here with the richest of them
Yea, he is in lordlv company. Standing BY
his grave you can see a mausoleum costing
half million erected over young lady
whose only recommendation to immorta
ity is-she was the daughter of a wealthy
house. Here are magnificent temples bull
as receptacles of the dead, in marble o
granite, costing thousands. Are the!
erected to perpetuate the virtues or wealth
/. of the deceased? Who knows? Look a
, this one. Gothic chapel, costing ten T.
twenty thousand dollars. We read: ''Sa
) cred to the memory of -" Is tn
memory of the inmate held in fond regar
by all who knew him? Did the prayers G
the fatherless and of the widow, the bless
t ings of the poor, the tears of the friendles;
! helped and aided by him, gili his pathwa
to the tomb and make the dark vale
smile and blossom as a garden? Or di
the groans wrung by his extortion, tn
s lasad hu his urant of