The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-08
rom MARSHALL, OF KENTUCKY.

II "Tom COrwin, of Ohio" ever had a rival
his peculiar vein of oratory, It was "Tom
Marshall, ofKentuoky." They were very un-
like In person-Corwin was bulky and pom
derous, Marshall tall, thin, and wiry (and, to
run the contrast into the ground, Corwin was
in complexion naturally very dark not to say
black and Marshall was unnaturally red in the
face); but mentally they were exact counter
parts. Neither were hard students nor deep
thinkers, both were superficial readers, but of
ouick perception and retentive memory;
neither were close reasoners, but arrived at
conclusions intuitively, as women are saids to
do. but not with that almost infallible correct
ness with which women decide; both were
strongly predisposed to be satirical, and were
full of fine, pleasant humor; and, sad to say,
neither having any definite, fixed purpose in
life accomplished no great work, and so
finally both came to be called partisans, not
neutrality-suspicious., not orators, and
TO have their stories preserved by tradition,
not history.
Marshall had one defect which Corwin had
not. His satire had a sting in it, and there
was more of malice in his wit than in Corwin's
fun. Both were quick and hard hitters in
debate, but Corwin invariably fought with the
gloves on, while Marshall had no objection TO
dropping them occasionally; and one only
"dOubled up'' his opponent where the other
insisted on knocking him down. Corwinnever
sacrificed his good-humor to his wit, nor let
temptation lead him to indulge in asperities;
Marshall displayed his wit, no matter who was
hurt. The merry twinkle of Corwin's eye was
too often a fierce glare in Marshal's, and Cor
win whispered his "good things" to the col
leagues Immediately surrounding him, while
Marshall hissed his till the galleries heard.
There was a cause, and in a slight measure
an apology for this bitterness in Marshall's
nature-Corwin not having the fault, did not
need the apology. Marshall was early in life
disappointed in his ambition, while Corwin
was uniformly successful, as far, at least, as
it was natural for indecsion to be successful.
disappointment in his dream-you can hardly
call it his purpose in life-changed and embit-
tered Marshalls disposition, and made him
somewhat malicious. The story Of his disap-
pointment in life is a singular one.
Henry Clay, it will be remembered, died in
Washington City in 1852. His remains were
taken to Kentucky for interment, more than
the usual honors being paid the body in the
various cities through which it passed. At
Louisville, Kentucky, it lay in state in the
depot of the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad,
and the citizens in great numbers took their
last look at "Kentuckys greatest son." l had
seen the body, and had then retired to the
opposite side of the street from the depot to
watch as many others were doing, the crowd
filing in and out of the building. While thus
engaged Tom Marshall, much the worse for
liquor, reeled towards group of young men
who were standing near me, and said, in, a very
loud tone -
"Well, boys, have you had your last look
at the old scoundrel? l hope I've seen the
last of him 'The Sage of Ashlandp Bah
How / hated the old rascal but''-suddenly
changing his voice, and with shrug of his
shoulders-"but didn't fear him thought ~
Several years after this became quite init
mately acquainted with Marshall, and in
March or April of 1858, meeting him in Gin
cinnati, learned why he hated Clay so in
tensely. had been sitting for some time in
the rotunda of the Burnet House, when Mar
shall came in wearing one of his long faces
he always looked solemn when sober-and
spoke to me. He had just returned, he said,
from Newport, Kentucky Opposite Cincin-
nati), where he had been delivering lecture.
''On what subject ?'' l asked.
''The dryest in the world-Temperance.
had known him to frequently reform, stop
drinking for time, and lecture on temper
ance, and then just as frequently "fall from
grace" as soon as the course was finished.
'"The fact is, he added, Temperance don't
pay in Kentucky.'
4AV NVA'VAP"VAVn bnub DeSdu l0u, SOuleuOW,
away from temperance to politics, and at last
found an opportunity to ask him the cause of
his enmity to Clay. l shall never be able to
give his words, so tell, in my own, as nearly
as l can remember, the facts as he stated them.
Marshall was very successful in early life as
lawyer--a success due in some measure to
family influence and the aid of Henry CLAY.
In 1S40 he was elected to Congress from the
Tenth Congressional District of Kentucky by a
very large majority; and when he took his seat
in the Twenty Congress on March 4,
104l, his prospects were very tlattering: he was
hugely popular with his constituency, was po-
htical prOt6g6 of Clay, then the great leader of
the Wing party, and with a fine voice figure,
manner, and delivery, and fame as a speaker
which had already reached the capital, he
only wanted and waited, as he thought. an
opportunity to make his mark in the House
OF Representatives, though one may readily
imagine there wasn't much room for a voung
aspirant OF Marshall's calibre in the House in
which John Quincy Adams was the leader.
Shortly after the session began Mr.. Adams
gave notice of his intention to move TO rescind
the list rule of the House. This rule had
been adopted during the session of 1898. when
the "LocOtocos" were in the majority. and i'm
effect it prohibited the introduction Of anv ra-
solutions or petitions on the subject of slavery
IN the District of Columbia. The pronosifion 9f
ADAMS was looked upon by all the Democrats
ana Dy most OF the Southern Wings as the vir-
tual teopenlhg OF the abolition question, the
agitation OF which they were anxious to keen
OuI Oh congress; and vigorous opposition was
organized 10 defeat Adams and secure the re-
tention OF the rule of the House. CLAY. then in
oTTrro ,Ns,sIA L -.