The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-05-18
"The Blair Family
From the Omaha Herald.

When the Constitution and the Union
We're in peril, the Republican party were
anxious to avail themselves of the civil
and military services Of the Blairs. Mont
gomery entered the Cabinet Frank en-
tered the army and Congress, doing gal
liant duty in the former, risking his life
on score of bloody fields, and coming
| back to Washington occasionally, at the
call of Lincoln, to help that ambitious
man to kill his great rival, Mr.. Chief
Justice Chase. But when the Bairs re-
fused to follow military usurpers, and
the oppressors of the South, they were
stigmatized in derison as ''the Blair fam
ily"
1t may be of interest to know something
about the way in which the Blair family
came into political existence, simulta-
neously with the Globe, through Francis
Z. Blair, Sr., forty years ago, Col Ben
ton, in his "Thirty Years View" and
Parton, in his Life of Jackon," tells the
story:
Gen. Duff Green was the editor of the
United States Telegraph at that time
published in Washington. He was the
trusted friend Of jackson, and the accept
ed organ of his first Administration. Mr..
Calhoun was Vice President, when the
split arose between himself and jackson
over the Seminole war business. This
was in 1880 1t was in that year that
notification was first limited at An arti-
Gle in the Telegraph leaning to the Cal
Kendall and Major Lewis, Jackson's most
vigorous and unselfish supporters at
Washington, who called General jack
,,f, at+ ~, 81 ,I ll,n +n1
lishment of new organ. They insisted
upon it, and began to cast about for the
right man to edit it. Mr.. Gooch Of the
Richmond Enquirer, was written to by
Major Lewis, but declined Col. Benton
says:
In the summer Of 1880, gentleman
in one of the public offices showed the
President q paper, the Frankfort (ky.)
Argus, containing powerful and spirit
ed review Of a certain notification speech
in Congress. He inquired for the author
isccrtained him to be Francis 7. Blair
not the editor, but an occasional contrib
ntor to the Argus-and had him written
to on the subject of u paper in Washing
ton. The application took Mr. Blair by
surprise. He was not thinking of chang |
ing his residence and pursuits. He was
well occupied where he was-clcrk of |
the lucrative Office Of the State Circuit |
Court, at the Capital Of the State; salar !
led President of the Commonwealth Bank |
(by the election of the Legislature), and |
proprietor of Il farm and slaves in that |
rich State.'
Mr. Parton says that Col Benton's rosy
view of Mr.. Blair's pecuniary circumstan |
ces was terribly out Of Joint. lie de- |
scribcs the then obscure kentuckian as
''broken in fortune, $4,000 in debt, liv-
ing upon the slender emolumcnts of his |
two ollices.n
Mr. Blair received and obeyed the
Jlcksonian summons. He reached Wash |
ington in n ''sorrv plight says our his
torian; almost penniiess, with single |
presentable coat. and that 4 frock-coat
with a great cash in the side Of his head
from an overset near Washington. When
he entered the Presidents office, Major
Lewis could hardly conceal his disap-
pointment For weeks Mr. Blair had
been the coming man to all the habitues
of that department. Whenever General
Duff Green had venturcd to come out a
little bolder than usual against the Ad-
ministration, or its friends, they had said
to one another, in effect, s'Nevcr mind.
Wait till Blair comes. He will talk to
him" And this was he-thiS little man
attirei in trock-coat ana court-plaster.
Slid Major Lewis (Jackson's bosom
friend and counscllor), with sly glance
ut the black patch, ''AIr Blair we want
stout hearts and sound heads here"
Mr.. Blair was soon with Jackson, who
invited him to dinner. We will let Mr.,
Parton describe the scene:
''When the hour came the editor was
horried TO find 4 great company OF Am
bassadors and other high personages as
scmbled in the East-room, all in costume.
The tails Of his uncomfortable trock-coat
hung heavily upon the soul Of the strang-
Ell, who Shrunk into II corner abash
ed and miserable The President rs
soon as he entered the room, sought him
out, placed him at the table in the seat Of
honor at his own right hand, and COM
plctel the conquest of his heart. In
Francis p. Blair, Gen. Jackson gained
lover as well rs a champion
This is the "Old Man Blair chief and
progentor of the ''Blair family whose
ablest living representative, Frank Z.
Blair, is now vindicating the rights and
liberties of the people in the United States
Senate. At eighty years Of age,
this champion of Jackson and the Union
is still living at Washington We saw
his slender form in the New York Nation
al Convention in 1868, the observed of
all Observers