Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-29
"REMINISCENCES OF GEN. HAR-
RlSON.
The WING Convention of Is39-MOVe-
ments 20 Secure Ghe Nomination of
HarrIsOn-M Mission Of faPennsyIVanIa a
Politician.

A writer IN the ClnclnnaJl Com-
mercial of tho 26th inst. gives an
interesting chapter on ex-President
Harrison, from which we make the
following extracts:
During the spring of 1889, pre-
ceding the meeting of the conven-
tiOn at Harrisburg, which nomi-
mated Gen. Harrison for the Presi-
deney, the friends of that candidate
in Pennsylvania, apprehensive that
the advocates of Mr.. Clay for the
same position would steal a march
upon them, pack the convention and
nominate their favorite by q regu-
lar coapd de main, had eoanseled to-
gether and determined so bolt after
the manner Of a portion of the
Charleston convention in 1860, and
nominate Independently. The ques-
tion which most puzzled these pro-
fessional politicians was, whether
"Old Tip" would stand it. Accor-
dinghy a leader of the faction, j.
Washington Tyson, a prominent
Philadelphia Wing politician of the
olden time of that party, was dis
patched to visit the old hero at his
home, sound him on the subject and
see how the land lay.
Arriving at Cincinnati, this polit-
ical Minister Plenipotentiary and
Envoy Extraordinary, lost no time
in calling upon Col. George W.
Bradbury, editor and publisher Of
the Cincinnati Daily Republican, at
that time the accredited home organ
of the General, laying the object of
his mission before him, and re-
questing that he would accompany
him on his visit to North Bend.
Taking buggy the same afternoon,
they arrived in the evening at the
hospitable mansion of the old hero,
situated on the banks of the Ohio
fifteen miles below Cincinnati,
where the river makes beautiful
curve, from which the place de.
rives its name. During ono OF
the long and cool evenings of the
spring in that climate, the three sat
by a cheerful wood fire, chatting,
smoking and occasionally mOisten.
ing their clay with genuine article
which the host always kept on
hand. At various times, when op-
portunity offered, Tyson would
urge his companion, from whom
we have this account, to broach the
important matter in hand to the old
gentleman, which proposition he
invariably decllned-nOt caring to
take the risk.
The parties at length retired for
the night, and at daybreak 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-sleeves,
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 chuckling and
growing of the entire flock forming
a musical 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
locust trees in front of the house,
which, in their early bloom, hiled
the air with perfume, the Pennsyl-
yania politician having screwed his
courage up to the sticking place
opened up the subject of his visit tC
the host of the occasion. Our in
formant stated that as the former
unfoIded his favOrite scheme, con
cocted by himself and friends, h'
narrowly watched the countenanet
of the General, during all Of whlcl
time the piercing eagle eye, whlcl
was the most striking and remark
able feature of the veteran soldier
| countenance, flashed forth strean
of fire. :,
AS we prefer to be historical,
correct in such matters, we give tn
| conversation in the exact Language
detailed to US. Tyson opened tn
ball with:
| General, to be frank, it Is we
understood among your best friend
| and most ardent supporters, L be
lieve, that you cannot receive tn
nomination for the Presidency
"Such seems indeed to be til
prevailing opinion" was the ser
tentiOus reply.
"You are fully aware then,
course, that the friends of MIR. Cla
| have SO managed matters as to CIV
| YOU no sort of chance in the col
vention."
eyes, L can only say that thin
| nv chance rather SLIM
"Now, in plain terms, Genera
let me tell you what your friend
| in our State have determined 10 d.
The Harrison delegation will go
the convention. If admitted, o
very well; but if the conventIo
| determines to receive the Clay de
egation from Pennsylvania, the
we propose to withdraw, and for
another National Convention,
the confident expectation that v
we shall be joined by the delegat
from Ohio, Indiana, and all 9TH
States favorable to you, and th'
we shall make a separate, distln
and Independent nomination. NO
sir, the question is this: Should !
| make a nomination under such el
cumstances, would you allow you
| self to be run as an independe
I, candidatep =.
At the close of this language t
! veteran lay back in his chair, ar
after apparently musing a momeI
: burst into q hearty, good -natur
, laugh, at the close Of which ne
4 piled: ~
5 "Mr. Tyson, let me relate to y
, a little bit of a story, which J
: will find, if l mistake not, in T
!, tarch's Lives. Imay not be able
|, give you the exact words, but vt
! nearly. On one occasion PomI
- the Great visited Mark Antony