The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-06-03
From the Cincinnati GaEstts.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.
ByA. D. CoOmbs.
CINCINNATI

RlblB3 10 view the manners OF the
town, peruse the traders and gaze up
on the buildings" I stepped foot in
the mud of this metropolis the first
time on the 9th of December, in the
| year 1920. The little fatboat in
which my father and his family float
ed down from Wheeling, was rounded
to and tied up to the muddy bank of
the landing on that day. then had
a view of more mud than l had seen
in fourteen years--that is, in all the
time that l had lived. Before we
had time to disembark a goodly num-
Der of people came down to US with
salutations. Most of them were i'm
migrants from New England States.
Some Of them I had seen in the towns
Of Brunswick and Topsham, on the
Androscoggin river, in the State of
Maine. Yankees were more numer-
GUS then, in proportion to the popula-
ton, than they are now. 1 remember
boasting my ability to point out any
one of them newly arrived in any
Company of fifty or hundred people.
They were distinguished by smooth
faces and clear compilations, but these
peeuliarities disappeared gradually
duriag the process of acclimation.
In the year 1926, think it was, an
association called the Franklin Soeie-
ty was established, for the purpose of
improving its members intellectually
by exercises in debate, composition
and criticism. During all the time it
was in operation, about five years,
its membership must have numbered
considerably more than a hundred
people. Most of them have departed
on that journey from which there is
no return. Milo G. Williams, a vet
eran teacher of natural science, a citi-
zen of Urbana; Wm. NJ. Cory, still
living in Cincinnati, editor Of the Com
moner; Father Wood, as he is called
affectionately, Catholic Bishop, re-
siding in Philadelphia; Charles D..
Drake, Senator in Congress, from
Missouri, and VIM. D. Gallagher, the
poet, editor and horticulturist. These,
with Judge E. Woodruff and your
humble servant, are the only survivors
of that association, so far as 1 know.
1t might be interesting to follow
the fortunes of a number of those who
are dead, but my purpose is to speak
of only one of them-Abram Buxton.
He was a member during all the time
the society had an existence, and was
equal in mental calibre to the average.
1 once heard him deliver an interest
ing lecture on the subject of temper
ance in the Presbyterian Church on
Fourth street. At one time he was
editor and proprietor of a weekly pa
per (the Cincinnati Chronicle). He it
was who originated the idea Of estab-
fishing the Louisville Journal. The
brilliant writings ofGeorge D. Prem
tice induced him to invite that gen
tleman to cooperate with him, to take
charge of the editorial department.
The prospectus of that paper was
prepared in Lexington, and had prob
ably been submitted to the inspection,
if not the approval, of Henry Clay
1t contained a declaration that no
State has a right to nullify law of
Congress any more than a county has
to nullify an act of the Legislature
1t would be a satisfaction 10 know
with certainty that Mr.. Clay held
this sentiment. He was not in Con-
gress when the doctrine of State SOW
ereignty had its great airing in 1880.
l do not know that he ever sought an
opportunity to present his views on
the subject at length. He once said,
in response to the threat of a nulIifer,
that he was ready to try the strength
of the Federal Government. On an,
other occasion, he spoke Of that Gov
ernment as being in the nature of a
partnership between the States. The
equivocal condition of Kentucky dur
ing the rebellion was owing in some
measure, no doubt, to her geographic
al position. May it not also be as
cribed in part to Mr.. Clay's imperfect
teaching?
Mr.. Prentice was obliged to fight
for his position in Louisville. Shad-
raeh Penn, Democratic editor there,
turned his quilts against the intruder
like porcupine. A prolonged con-
test ensued between these men, which
attracted notice not only in Kentucky,
but in other States. 1t became per-
sonal, severe, unsparing. At length
the Democratic editor was driven from
the field, and Prentice was acknowl-
edged to be victorious. But his con
tests were not all Of an intellectual
character. A rufian who had killed
his man, and was counted a good shot
with the pistol, challenged him to
mortal combat He accepted the
challenge, and proposed to try con-
.cIusions with the rifle. This choice
Of weapons probably was not agreea-
Bile to the challenger. He was fruit
full of suggestions about conditions of
the fight, made objection to his ad
versary's choice Of his own second,
and finally withdrew the challenge
The correspondence between them,
when published, covered one of the
four sides of the Journal. Not liking
the idea of seeing it in print, the chsl-
lenger warned Prentice not to publish
it, saying if he did he would shoot
him in the, streets. He even attempt
ed to execute this threat The crisis
came on in front of the Post Office,
where a large number of people had
come together. Prentice approached
the crowd, and had passed beyond it
when the homicide aimed a pistol at
his back and fired, the bullet grazing
his side. He turned upon bis assail-
ant, bore him to the pavement and
held a dagger over him, but fOrbore
to strike, while a multitude of voices
we're ringing in his ears, crying, "kill
him, kill him."
His force as a writer, and his cour
age as a man, caused Mr.. Prentice to
be esteemed in Kentucky. Mr.. Jo-
geph Benham, who had been a promi-
nent lawyer in Cincinnati, declared
that he would rather have his reputa-
ton than that of any other man in
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