Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-05-07
An Interesting Pow-Wow.

SOME PLAIN TALK ABOUT CLAY, WEBSTER, &c
Don Piatt, of the Cincinnati Comm er-
rial, dined with General Warren, San uel
I}owles, and one or two other gentlemen.
he other day, and he reports the follow
ng interesting conversation.
The talk turned on the past, for Gcner-
| Al Warren, a good talkcr, always ready
to lead, is full OF incident and auecdot,
concerning men and matters Of the age
that was going out when the general
came in.
"lIave you seen Curtis life of Web
ster?' he asked, dropping his soup its
enough to make old Daniels bones rat
tle."
"Why sop
"Because he hated Curtis. 1t is said
that on one occasion, when Curtis seat
word to the great orator that he was
about TO visit him, Dauiel swOre that be
shouldn't enter the house and nothing
but the entreaties of the family kept the
visitor from seeking accommodation at
the tavern"
"The book is well done, all the same -
said one: "the last days and death are es-
pecially good"
"DOu'l it strike YOU, however, that
there is something stilted and artificial
about the scene, as if the great expouud
er were folding his cloak about him tor
the benefit of postcrity.
Like Squibo0, for example, who, after
being laid out in death, was found sitting
up, snd, being demonstrated with, said
that he had forgotten his last words"
"Webster's last words after all, and
those only we remember, were unpremed-
itated. When the doubt arose as to
whether he had really departed without
any more orations, like Squibob, he
solved the doubt by saying, Il yet live" '"
"With all his brain power the old fel-
low was tremendous swell. He used
to read up-cram, as it were, on cheap
encyclopedias, then first published-for
dinner parties, so as to astonish his sim
pie admirers with his learning"
"Jove, think Of a man nowadays
boring dinner parties with the contents
of encyclopedias"
"That sort of thing went out with
song and tosts. Is was common in my
younger days. / have known Henry
Clay to deliver lecture of over an houl
to dinner party on some scientific sub
ject on which he IVES as ignorant as 9
horse and CONSERVATION used TO seizl
the company when John c. Calhoun
would open on Capitalization of power
and the constitutional compacts."
81 wonder how those old pumps would
be received nowadays"
"With awe at first, then disgust and
eventually ridcule. The nature of to
day is a lack of reverence. We laugl
down pretention. We would not stand
old Harry's tyrrannical dictation, moi
| Webster's solemn utterances two days
"What tremendous old ovebearlng
r dictatorial tyrant old Harry was" sal,
) Mr.. speaker Blaine. 81 knew him at hi
home in Kentucky. The first speech
/ ever reported was one he made on th'
close of the Mexican war. No teuda
l baron in the dark ages lived among hi
: relainors with more naughty sense o
] superiority than he. 1t must have beer
G very tatiguing to 90 stalking about il
| the manner he did all the time. | believ
: he slept in pose, with an eye out to tn
:, effect it would have on the Wing party
J. and his prospects for the Presidency"
al remember story told me by Tor
r Corwin illustrative of Clay's domineerin
r disposition and manner. 1t occurre
y during the discussion Of the omnibus bill
t Corwin grew tired of the trucking t
:, the South, aud determined to haul of
:, After indicating this he he was seated i
e his room one Sunday morning in his shir
e sleeves, when Clay entered. He wake
e up to the table in solemn silence, 81
i down in his chair, and then, alters paus
t he brought his fist down on the tab
!. with bang that made all rattle, and e!
e claimed: by -, sir, what does th
e mean?' Corwin, perfectly furiou
o brought his fist down and roared: Is
2, =, sir, if you break my table I'll figh'
is The affair WAS too ludicrous for eve
is Clay's dignity. and he incontinentiy sol
is ened and tried persuasion"