The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-02
"REMINISCENCES OF PRESIDENT HAIR.
RISON.
The PrcsidentiaI Campaign Of 1S4O.


from one OF the lowest positions, subordinate
Office, bestowed upon him by vote of the Judges
OF the Court of Common Pleas of the county in
which he resided, and by the almost united
voice OF the nation placed in the highest posi-
Ion in the gift of the people, even the leading
men OF his own party were half inclined to be-
lieve the stories set ailOlt by his opponents de-
tracting from the merits OF the old soldier, and
charging upon him a want of intellectual ca
pacty. If there ever existed public man who
was essentially man of the people, who knew
thclr virtues. was thoroughly acquainted with
their wants, and truly sympathized with them
that man was William Henry Harrison, the ninth
President of the United States.
During the spring of 1889. preceding the
meeting of the convention at Harrisburg which
nominated General Harrison for the Presidency.
the friends of that candidate in Pennsylvania,
apprChCnsivc that the advocates OF Mr. Clay for
the same position would steal a march upon
them, pack the convention, and nominate their
tavOrite by a regular coup de main, had cOun-
scllcd together and determined to bolt, after the
manner OF portion of the Charleston Conyen-
tiOn in 1850, and nominate independently. The
question which most puzzled these professional
politicians was whether Old Tip would stand il.
Accordingly leader of this faction, j. Wash
ngton Tyson, prominent Philadelphia Wing
politician of the OldCn time of that party. was
despatched to visit the old hero at his home
sound him on the subject, and see how the land
laid.
Arriving at Cincinnati, this political Minis
ter PeuipOtentary and Envoy Extraordinary
lost no time in calling upon Colonel George W.
Bradbury editor and publisher of the Cncin-
natl Daily Republican, ut that time the accrcdi-
ted home organ of the General, laying the OBJ
jCCt Of his mission before him. and requesting
that he would accompany him on his visit TO
North Bend Taking buggy the same after
noon, they arrived in the evening at the hOspit-
able mansion of the old hero, situated on the
banks of the Ohio fifteen miles below Cincin
natl, where the river makes a beautiful curve
from which the place derives its name. During
one of the long and cool evenings OF the spring
i'm that climate, the three sat by cheerful
fire, chatting, smoking, and occasionally moist
ening their clay with a genuine article which
the host always kept on hand. AtyariOus times,
when opportunity offered, Tyson would urge
his companion, from whom we have this aC-
count, to broach the important matter in hand
to the old gentleman, which proposition he in
yarably declincd-not caring to take the risk.
THE parties ut length retired for the night,
and at daybrcak in the morning our informant
stated that he was awakened by a noise under
his window. Upon looking out he declared that
he saw one of the most touching pictures that he
| ever witnessed. 1t was the old farmer of North
| Bend, in his shirt-sleeyes. with a pan of corn
meal dough, calling up and feeding his chickens,
! some of which perched themselves upon his
| shoulders and others upon his lap. the cluclling
and growing of the entire flock forming a musi-
| cal entertainment the like of which was not
! heard at the Boston Jubilee. After breakfast,
while the parties were sitting in the sunshine
| beneath the magnificent row of loc.5t trees in
| front of the house. which, in their early bloom,
| filed the air with perfume, the Pennsylvania
politician, having screwed his courage up to the
| sticking place, opened up the object of his visit
| to the host of the occasion. Our informant
stated that as the former untolded his tavorite
| scheme cOncOcted by himself and friends he
| narrowly watched the countenance of the Gene
raj, during all which time the piercing eagle eye,
which was the most striking and remarkable
| feature of the veteran soldiers countenance,
! flashed forth stream of fire.
Az yVn tn hn
such matters, we give the conversation in the
exact language detailed to u.s. Tyson opened
the ball with:-
"'General to be frank, it is well understood
among your best friends and most ardent sup
porteTs, / believe, that you cannot receive the
nomination for the Presidency
such seems indeed to be the prevailing
opinion was the sententiOus reply,
You are fully aware then of course, tha
the friends of Mr.. Clay have so managed mat
tiers as to give you no sort OF chance in the con
ventionY
g Yes, I can only say that I think my chance
rather SLIM
"'Now, in plain terms, General let me tel
you what your friends in our State have deter
mined to do. The Harrison delegation will gt
to the convention. If admitted, all very well
but if the convention determine to receive thu
Clay delegation from Pennsylvania, then WI
. propose to withdraw and form another Rationa
Convention, in the confident expectation tina
we shall be Joined by the delegations from Ohio
and then we will make q separate, distinct, san(
independent nomination. Now, sir, the question
is this:-Shoud we make nomination unde
such circumstances, would you allow yourself Il
be run an independent candidate?
"At the close of this harangue the veteran
lay back in his chair, and, after apparentl.
musing moment, burst into hearty, good
natured laugh, at the close Ofwhich he replied
"'Mr. Tyson, let me relate to you little bi
of story, which you will find, if l mistake not
in "Plutarch's Lives" / may not be able to Civ
you the exact words, but very nearly. On on
q occasion Pompey the Great visited Mark Anton
;, at Nisanum, and after settling some busines
: sftairs, they mutually invited each other TO SUP
per; but it fell to the lot of the former to Civ
: the first entertainment, when Antony aske
where should they sup? There said Pompey
pointing to his siX-oared galley, "that is all tn
l patrimonial home that is left to POmpey.' How
6 ever after conducting his guests over the bridg
=, to the promOntOry where the vessel lay at al
> chor, he entertained them in elegant style. Du
ing the entertainment, at which the wine toWe
. freely, and the raillery upon Antony and Clet
II patTa ran high, Manas came to POmpey and sal
IS to him, secretly, that if he would permit him
d cut the cable, he would not only make him ma
3r ter of Sicily and Sardinia, but of the who
Il Roman Empire After a moments deliberato
- Pompey answered:-"Fool! why didn't you {
=, the deed first, and afterwards come and consu
Is me ?''
te "After bidding their hospitable entertain
'r good-by, the two visitors departed on their +
1t turn. dead silence was maintained for abo
N half the distance to Cincinnati, which was
" length broken by Tyson, with, Bradbury, d
y General is id funny old cock, isn't he?a
- Subsequent events proved that the fears OF t
10 Harrison men of Pennsylvania were groun
z, less. This delegation was admitted at Harr
a, burg-their candidate was nominated, electe
S. and inauguratGd
n Political.
y Governor Hayes will open the canvass
l. linz.