The Portland daily press., 1869-10-15

CORTLAND
Eid'y Morning, 0ctabr 10, 1869.
Amos Kendall Dying,

Another man of large fortune IS probably
closing his eyes in death while | write: Amos
Kendall the Postmaster General Of Andrew
Jackson This old man has been f. ature of
Washington society for these many years, bis
tall. erect, spare figure, perfectly white hair,
and cold di gnified bearing, making Tue s,ran-
ger turn upon the pavement 10 "SN, % uat
honors has be held?' From the days OF tbe
old Federal party-from the ,rnr,hiUl
Henry Clay and the ardor of Cav $ worship
peTs, Amos Kendall has lived under lne SuS
ma of certain portion of our history ~ y
charged that, after b'ing bef1iended ny Cl'S,'
he sold out his patron to obtain position auu
recognition from Andrew jackson, and accept
ed seat in the Cabinet of mau VINO nSu
overthrown his old employer and trlend' = pe
alleged geniality and generosity OF MT. CldJ
has not teen Inherited by his admirers, lot
there is no faction in this country SO VlhdIctNe
and so inconsistent as what are cal ed 'Oid
Henry Clay Wings" These nave even
charged that Mr.. Kendall obtained the start iu
his fortunes from office, and the library Of re-
ter Force is full OF pamphlets adverse 10 heh-
dalIs character, written by Clay pdttlSduT.;
In politics there so many intrigups ana
treacheries that one must be positive before ne
declares judgment, and as a genera uIe ~
may be argued that in these polltcal ochei
ings no one man is wholly upright, nor MS op-
pouent necessarily base. Who was 10 ertor
in the quarrel between Clay aud hendai IS
still in doubt, although Mr.. Kendall had an
explanation OF the whole dlthculty WnIch was
public official Mr.. Kendall was one OF the ots
in our Service, and he may truthiully be called
the great Postmaster General. He went into
his office poor and he left it very door. Every
cent that he has made was acquired suoSe-
quent to his resignation and it was gained al
most entirely by his business assoc alton with
Mr. Morse the inventor. When Kendall took
the Post-Uffice in charge he turned out eVrry
clerk and for week had the books of The de-
partment overhauled. Those clerks whose
accounts were straight were re-appoInted and
the aereict dismissed. He was so poor that
a tempter appeared to him in the person of
subordinate and clerk, who pertly SAID:
Mr.. Kendall am aware that you nave no
money. have an account III the bank, and
will lend sou some when you are In need ol
"Thank you," said Kendall, coldly, II don't
know that L have need to borrow any money,
but when L bave, | certainly shall not borrow
it from subordinate"
This clerk wanted some favors in The way OF
pickings. Next morning he was turned out OF
the post office. .
Morse, Tue inventor, lacking business quail
ficatious entirely had made up his mind 10 se-
cure Amos Kendall to popularize his telegraph
apparatus. Keodall set to work with rigid
method, and, proceeding to organize compan-
les, arranged that Morse should have so much
stock in each company, according TO its capital,
and that be (Kendal) should have a certain
portion of Morse's revenue. In this way both
OF them grew speedily to riches, but Kendall
DaQ business tnflIC ana VlgHduCe, anu db tulo
time be is probably richer than MOrse-uOless
he be dead Kendall has been in two lhings
cor sstent all his latter days-he has been a
Jacksonian Democrat and rigid member OF
the Baptist Church.
trial, and interrogated him as to Johnson's
crimlnaty.
II have little sympathy with politics these
days" he said; "neither with Mr. johnson nor
his opponents. 1 never admired him..
Last New Years Day the old man stood
among his married daughters, receiving vsl-
tors, the haudsomest seDtuagenlarlan IN WASH
lngtop. His residence, until OF late, bas been
in grove, called Kendall Green, on the bor-
ders of the city, aud he is rich in real estate
all round about here. The Baptist Chuich,
with the iron spre, at the col ner OF L ghih
and Ninth streets, has cost him probaolS Sl5O,-
000 Kendall was n orr bern man who beSaa
lite q school teacher in x. ntucBy, and be n'v-
er lost sight of the New England economical
virtues, while he was conservative in politics.
l asked him last New Years Day, what he
thought, after this long interval, OF the char
acter of Andrew jackson.
"He grows larger as he recedes,' slid Ken
dali; he was the greatest Americ IN ever
| ooked uDon, and second only 10 him 10 whom
all greaness is subordinate, the first Presi-
dent"
The later life of Mr. Kendall has been troub
led by out one considerable loss, that OF his
son, who was shot dead in a st eet collision
with the son-in.law of his old friend, John U.
Rives. He made no upbraidal nor muuny,
but laid away vindictiveness with the bones OF
| the lad, who was at fault.
Kendall is not man that the patton will
weep over. He was too strict, too well-bal-
enced, too much guided by pure. cold human
Judgment to wiring from men aft 'ctionate re-
orets that he never desired Sufficient unto
himself, within his own resources architect OF
tine wealth he evolved, his own life has heen so
complete and fortunate that there IS no urn
upon his tomb for tears Heaven makes some
men exceptionally perfect in lie, that, dyiog,
it may show how poor they we're lack ing
weakness.-G. A. r. letter to the Chicago Tribune