Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-06

Gomez hiug to comment upon The descrip
tion, in the New York Sun of the Gath
uit., OF the entertainment can deceive nc
one Who ia at ell familiar with that
species of hoax, and, though possessing
some merit al fiction, is lacking in
the essential features of romance in
tended to pass as reality. In the first
place, II is indefinite as to the time the
dinner came, of, beginning by saying
that it took place last week, instead Of
naming . specific day. In the next
place, assuming the role Of veritable
jenkins, in describing his dress the writer
says: The General was dressed in
evening costume, and wore diamond
studs" It would have aided the decep-
ton If be had said his cravat was a
black scarf, not tied. but crossed and
pointed in front with q simple gold pin.
Every one who knows him would have
recognized the style as peculiar to him
and never varied from. But to put
diamond studs on him ruins the whole
conception. Again the fancy sketch is
marred by q very serious departure
from fidelity in description. Com
menting on bis personal appear
ance, we are told that "his hair has
turned gray, and he has a gray nous
tache somewhat heavier than that worn
BY Fernando Wood" The fact is that
his moustache is dark auburn, and
forms markedcontrast With hishair, once
black, but in which gray now largely
predomiuates. No one who had seen
him at dinner or anywhere else would
ever have made such q mistake. The
comparison with Fernando Woods NOUS
tache is equally ridiculous. The latter is
q short, wax-end affair, while that of
Breckinridge's reaches the lappels of his
coat, and is almost long enough 10 tie
behind his ears.
The writer is ingenious enough, in
noting his response to a toast proposing
his health, to represent him as doing ex-
actly what those who knew him best
would have expected him to do under
the circumstances, by saying that "he
briefly returned bis thanks, and resumed
his seat without touching on political
topics;" and so, in his private conversa-
ton, he is reported as touching on those
subjects most likely to have been intro
duced. But be misses it sadly when he
makes him say that he had not seen Mr..
Mason for several months, as they have
been living in the same Canadian town
since the General return. In one parti-
cuIar, however, he challenges credulity
when, in response to the possible use of
his name in connection with political
preferment in Kentucky, he represents
him as protesting against such PROPOSE
tien, and saying that he has no desire
to enter public life. 1t is such
touches as these which have caused
many persons to believe that the
dinner actually took place, and have
led to general republication of the arti-
Gle. Had it detailed real rebel rousing
demonstration, it would have overdone
the matter, and have been received as
burlesque, bu. it is so moderate and so
probable to all except the strictly critical
as to be well calculated to deceive. We
might have hesitated to spoil good
thing by exposing the deception appar-
ent at FIRST glance, but the New York pa
pers have done it to defend themselves
from want of enterprise in not reporting
it, and there can be 40 harm in our point
ing out the internal evidence of its fic-
titious character. sJ e.