New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-19
BENTON,s TABLE TALK.
Some Racy Specimens.

Some Racy Specimens.
TYLER was a tfifling man, and to this char
acteristic he owed his preservation at the
bursting of the big gun on board the Prince
ton Word had been given that a song was
to be sung in the cabin, and he rushed down
to hear it. was also saved by my charac-
teristic habit of inquiry and investigation.
had been going around all day locking into
everything and as a compliment TO the in
terest took in the working OF the snip
was invited to witness the firing. and had
Just before been requested to change my
position that the smoke might not prevent
my observation, by which | was removed
from the point of danger. Tyler was a man
of great good luck. 1t was common say
ing in Virginia, that whatever stood in his
way would die, and so they predicted the
early death of Harrison.
Speaking of Mr.. Clay, he says: 'Hc onac
retorted terribly Oh a South Carolina man.
Mr.. Clay had censured severely some dis
union sentiments recently expressed by a
person from that State, when this man rose
and stated that the author of the remark
was relative of his. Mr.. Clay Strengthened
himself to his full height his eyes flashed
fire, and in voice OF thunder he cried ont.
- care not whose relation he is; he is IL
traitor who utters such sentiments Good
God it sunk him to the earth, sir; he was
never heard from afterward."
Mr.. Cass is very timid, poor man afraid
to take decided stand. Mr. Wright ire
ferring to Silas Wright) truly said OF him;
''He is an amiable man, but afraid OF his
own shadow" Though very peaceful in his
private relations, never quarrelllng with any
one, in the Senate he is always for a war
with England. He uttered SO often in his
speeches, "War is inevitable" that it be-
came "a by-word. l once turned it on him,
very much to the amusement of the Senate.
After one of his war speeches rose, and.
speaking of the little danger OF war. ended
with his words changed: peace is inev-
TABLE"
braska bill by Atchison and others, the
fre-eaters of the South They threatened
to drop him if he would not yield to all
their demands.
To advocate disunion is to gain the favor
of this administration THAT of Mr.. PIERCE.
The last foreign appointment was au editor
from Mobile to Mexico, whose last editorial
was in favor OF disunOn. Those disunion
dogs, vulgar fellows, get the appointments
One wrote that nasty, sinking letter from
Turin. As soon it was known there
they dropped him, sir; would not notice him
as man at all in that refined circle; paid
I him only the attention due representative
J from the United States; made distinction
between the man and the representative:
you understand, sir.
Iu Missouri last summer, when | was
stumping the State, two anti-BentOn men
wished to get look at me for the first time,
but would not come into the room, and so
peeped in at the door, | was standing up,
engaged in an animated conversation with
come friend, and suppose l looked more
vigorous than usual. and one turned to the
other and said: "Good God we shall have
to fight him these twenty years" keep
my health by horseback riding. | might
be taken by foreigner for General PeliS-
sier, on my black horse. But few ride
well as Iride. was once, when riding Oh
my black horse, with my little grandson on
his white pony, taken for a riding master.
Few public men have kept horses TO ride.
Mr.. Randolph, who rode much on horse
back, was an exception.
Contrary to the general opinion. Mr.. Ran
ndOlph. was a very industrious man, ana
labOred much in the committee room My
seal was given me by him. after his duel
with Clay. You will see all about it in my
Thirty Years View" He ordered it for
me III London, searching out the cOat-ot-
arms of the Benton family He said the
I motto should be Facts ct verbs, instead OF
Facts non verbs.
John Quincy Adams was the most indus
trious man ever knew. have often been
compared with him in this respect, though l
cannot compliment myself so highly. am
now engaged on my "Abridgement of the
Debates of Congress- in about sixteen vol
umes which will occupy me two years. |
hope to live till 1860, and the remaining two
years / intend to devote to history Of
Pierce's administration.
have no favors, however, to ask of this
administration; none, sir. Mr.. Pierce had
the high honor to come in almost unani-
mously, and he will go out with as great
unanimity. At the Cincinnati convention
he did not know that Douglas had with
drawn, and was presented in the pitiable
E condition OF holding on to the last for a
nomination, after his chances had become
hopeless.
I am much younger than Cass, Van
Buren, and the other statesmen OF my own
age, much more vigorous than Buchanan.
Last summer, in my electiOneerlng cam
paign in Missouri, made forty addresses
of two or three hours each, to acres OF peo-
pie, under a sOlStitial sun, successive days.
and travelled twelve hundred miles over
rough roads, much unlike yours in New
England. l have ever been temperate and
careful of my health.
Silas Wright and Mr.. Webster were very
unlike. Mr.. Webster was more labored and
rhetorical. The arguments of Mr.. Wright
always seemed to be evolved naturally
from the subject. He was very simple in
his manner and habits, and a most amiable
man.
remember reading IN letter of Timothy
chickering's, where he spoke of his fondness
for baked apples, the apples taken from trees
planted by himself" l knew he must be
man Of simple tastes, for no one who has
pampered his stomach by rich food could
relish SO plain diet as baked apples.
If had always consulted others, should
never have done anything. There are ever
tilnid to hold one back,
My feelings in 1880 were all Southern,
and | did not believe Southerners enter
tanned disuniOn sentiments. / supposed
they merely meant notification in the Eir-
ginia sense, which was simply remonstrance.
do not think Hayne was a disunionst at
that time, though he became so a few years
after; but Calhoun was Webster saw
through their disunion schemes before l |
did.
Douglas is now further from the Presi- |
'dency than ever. The South will ruin him. |
The abolition of the Missouri compro-
mise killed poor old Cass.
MIR. Clayton was a very indolent man.
He was accustomed to take off his clothes |
and go to bed at two o'clock in the after
noon. His soft-lOoking flesh indicated his |
habits.
The Springfield, Massachusetts, RepubH
can says:
General Grant amid the cares of State,
retains all his old fnuduasS for bor.a- apd