Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-07-22
Ouiae q Romance

Our cd friend, Tom Plscide, SO kindly re-
membered by many of our people as the found
er and originator Of the Varieties Theatre, has
astonshed his numerous friends by appearing
in an entirely new and serious character, that
of Benedict No event, no metamorphoSls
could be more unexpected to all who are tamil
] lar with our old frieLd's peculiarlties. EccCn,
/ trio as be always has teen, the matrimonial
venture is about the last be could ever be su5-
pected of. 1t is still more remarkable that
this momentous step on Placide's part should
be marked by circumstances OF peculiarly ro-
| mantle character.
Forty,two years ago. when Placlde was a
gay and handsome young actor, he had love
affair with o very agreeable young woman.
Cruel poverty prevented the realization OF the
hopes of the loving couple, and compelled
! separation, which has continued for over forty
years. Meantime the lady married very res
! pectably, and Tom, true to his first love, be-
| came confirmed bachelor, and almost a w0-
man hater. His habits and tastes had entire
| ly estranged him from all sympathy and inter
| course with the fair sex. Fishing, hunting and
| a great appetite for old books and antique no
| tons suppanted all romance and sentlmcntall-
t7 in his nature and character. Though
| great humorist and most popular comedian, his
profession has always been distastetul to him.
| Nothing but absolute necessity could ever
| draw him upon the stage. OF late this repug-
nance to his profession has greatly increased,
| in consequence Of which Toms resources ran
| down very low, though his many kind and
| warm friends were always ready to assist him.
| his old love became widow, and after a reason
able period of mourning, hearing of the lonely
| and narrow circumstances OF Ptaclde, she sent
| for him and offered him as gift and mementO
| Of their former relation q, halt of her fortune,
| which was q very handsome one. 10th offer
| he with much gratitude demurred, and after
some discussion and reflection solved the diff
| Guilty by proposing to marry her on the spot.
| The ceremony was accordingly performed, aud
| the happy couple have retired to pleasant
country seat to spend their honeymoon. l'rcvl,
| our to this, however, the punctious Old fell.
low enjoyed the Ito him. exquisite happiness
! of going around to see all his friends and crcdi
| tors, and OF rcpaying the various loans, iayors
and kindGcsscs he had received from them in
| his days?of poverty and distress. And now our
good, old friend may pass the remainder OF his
| days IN peace and quletncss, INDUCING to the
| full his passionate devotion to the pursuits OF
| old Isaack Walton. May no cloud ever again
| obscure bis horizon, or misfortune Interrupt
the current OF his happiness. .-.s.'.
SPEECH OF Mr. HENDRICKS. y yesterday in
| the Senate, when the resolution fiZing day
| for adjournment was under consideration, Dir.
| Howard and several Other Senators expressed
! the hope that 10 day would be designated u Il
| I'll after the bill for the reduction OF the mil
| tary peace establishment shall have become
! law. They would not consent to place 1t III
| the power Of the President to retain 1t IN his
| possession and not return it to Congress- The
| constitutional limit Of ten days could not apply
| in case there should be so early an adjourn
ment
Mr. Hendricks, in reply to the remarks
which had been made, said be considered this
most dangerous bin, because it proposed to
arm one political party against the other. 1t
placed the control OF the arms to be distributed
with The Governors OF the States designated,
aud this, too, Immediately before the PrcSl-
dcntia! election. In reading the Iat0 OF dis
lribul0n he asked what Maine wanted with
seven thousand rfed muskcts, Massachusetts |
with twelve thousand, and Indiana with thlr |
teen thousand; and in order to illustrate his |
argument be referred to the fact that the Gov |
error Of Indiana, being candidate Tor reelec |
ton, these arms placed at his disposal could be
used according to his design and pleasure,
And 50 with the other States lie commented
upon the action OF the Senate last night in re-
iecting Mr.. Fickcrs' amendment, providing
| that the distribution Of arms, &c, shall not
take place prior to the first of January next |
unless the President shall deem it necessary |
for the prevention of disturbance in the South |
crn States. This fact, he remarked, was slgn- |
licant of the design OF the bill. Arms were to
be distributed to all the States with the cxcep-
ton Of Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas and
these States were omitted because there we're |
to be no elections there. Therefore he argued |
that the only purpose Of this distribution OF
arms before the election was to make a mill !
tary force out Of one party to oyeraWe the |
other and thus control the election. All he |
asked was a fair election, and that the people |!
may vote without hinderance, governed by |
their own Judgment General Grant had said, |
in the last sentence OF his letter accepting the
nomination for the Presidency: 1--WE want |
peace let US have peace" All parties should |
desire this, and quiet in the country. Alter !
this expression of the desire for peace 0n the |
part OF the candidate Of the Republican party, |
we found here firebrand-a measure calcula- |
ted to excite passion and produce strife, and |
perhaps bloodshed. With a measure 50 threat
cnng and dangerous in its character, the peo- |
pie would be slow to believe that that party |
desired peace. He hoped the President would |
exercise the power he possessed to prevent |
this bill from becoming law. The President |
owed this not on y to his constitutional duty, |
but to the peace and quiet OF the country. lie |
should defeat measure so full Of peril to the |
country, and which invited conflict between |
the whites and blacks.
BALTIMORE AND Potomac RALRoAD.-TheI
National Intelligencer says: