Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-22
More "NTentaI ObIiauity."


soon iemove old Mr.. ThurlOw Weeds ink bot
tie beyond his reach, the poor gentleman will
shortly have to be fshed out Of its depths with
corkscrew. Ever since he began embalming
himself in The Galaxy (ruling passion strong
never did anything without an Sax" in it), he
has been in trouble. tbegan when he under
took 10 show that he had given Mr. Gideon
Welles, secretary of the navy in 1861 q great
deal of valuable information about the state of
things in Norfolk, 10 which that functionary
paid no heed, consequently Norfolk was lost to
the Union. Mr.. Gideon Welles keeps diary.
An examination of it disclosed the fact that all
the time Mr.. Weed was bobbing around the de-
partments, thinking he had important news,
and the heads of the departments were humor-
ing the old mans fancy by pretending to hear
all with surprise, the information he was chuck
ling over had been several days in their possess
sion, and had been acted on long before it came
to his knowledge. The venerable Welles de-
scended on the venerable Weed with his diary.
The figures and dates were conclusive. 1t was
as plain as pikestaff that Mr.. Gideon Weles,
whose smile was childlike and bland, had played
the Heather Chinese on the distinguished Weed,
while that gentleman "freqent remarked to Bill
Nye" that the navy department was a game the
secretary "did not understand" 1t is but fair
to say that, Gin the scene which ensued," Mr..
Weed "did not take hand"
A little later the autobographerdescrib avisit
he made TO the Notifications around Washing
ton, and described it well. Few could have done
it better. Unfortunately he dated the visit
Some tedious person, with taste for dates,
pounced upon him within twenty-iour hours,
with the statement that at the time he visited
the Notifications around Washington, there
happened to be no Notifications around Wash
ington. Which was very mean thing for the
tedious person to do. What was still meaner,
the tedious person proved it.
Nothing daunted, however, the hero of his
own story kept on. The next thing he did was
to give a detailed account of an interview with
President Lincoln, before the latter'S first naug-
uration, in which he says he recommended him
TO appoint William Cost johnson to his cabi-
net No one has Yentured to deny this Mr..
Lincoln is dead and it is possible that Mr.. Weed
did recommend the appointment of VIM. Cost
johnson. Still, some impairment creature, who
possibly may have labored under the deluson
that it was in point, was stupid nough to dir
up the damp, mouldy and unpleasant fact that
VIM. Cost johnson had been dead some mon tbs
at the time the wide-awake Weed was urging
his appointment. 1t has always been supposed
that the man who asked delegate to the Bell
Everett convention, in 1860, "Why they didn't
nominate Chohtcp and upon being answered,
"Why, Choate's deai''-said: "Yes-but he
hasn't been dead but a little while, "-meant it
as a Joke. We hegin to see clearer. The man
must have been Thurow Weed, and he was in
earnest about it That was his year for running
dead men for office.
And now having become somewhat familiar
Will IDt blglG vi MI 1HuIlOW w tcO5 we kdh6 up
the back numbers of the Galaxy and re-peruse
the autobiography with added interest. In the
December number of that magazine he gossps
about the presidential election OF 1910, his visit
to Europe, and various other matters in very
interesting and entertaining manner, and among
other things tells "Why did not dine with the
Duke OF Wellington" He begins by saying,
eve reached London on Saturday afternoon,
November - 1852, and took lodgings at Chris
ties hotel, in Regent street." Then he tells how
many brrels of apples and prairie chickens, and
canvas back ducks he took with him, and how
he distributed them to his friends The next
day "Aon. Abbot Lawrence, our minister to
England" invited him 10 dinner, and he accept
ed the invitation. On his wav to Mr.. Law
rences be fell in with ga distinguished barris-
ter of London" and was "beEuied" to take din
ner with him. After dinner they sent out for
Robert J Walker, and discussed the tariff
question somewhat warmly unit nearly twelve
O'Clock" He says he should have had a
very pleasant time "if ne could have Invested
himself Of the sense of the improperly he had
committed We quote:
"Etrly the following day, embarrassed and
mortified, called on Mr.. Lawrence to make the
best apology in my power for that indecorum.
Mr.. Lawrence heard me in his usual bland man
ner, and then in IA pleasant way remarked that
imprlprieties Of this nature, like all Others,
brought their own punishment, as it had in this
case, for he had invited his neignbor, the duke
Il
had lost three hours of familiar conversation
with the conqueror of Napoleon, / felt and ac-
knowledged that my disregard of dinner obi
CATION had been severely but justly punished"
And this concludes the photographers story
of the reason "Why he did not dine with the
duke of Wellington 1t is one of the most in
teresting paragraphs in the whole work; gossip
Ply, chatty, personal, and so life-ke in the mar
ration. Nothing could better illustrate Mr.
Weeds peculiar powers; Any one else under
taking to tell "Why did not dine with the duke
of Wellington" in November, 1852, would have
been simple enough to have given as the very
first reason that the duke died in September,
1851. Of course there would be no chance after
that to tell about the "grouse" and the "apples'
and the canvass back ducks" and the "dis-
tinguished barrister," and the result would be
loss to the reader of the whole paragraph. All,
what genius for romancing this old gentleman
hasl
And now very likely some friend of the late
Abbott Lawrence will get up and say that he
was no such man as to invite ThuTlow Weed to
meet at dinner man who had been dead four
teen months. Well, that is a question which can
be discussed in the columns of the Banner of
Light. We have only to suggest that il is not
at all improbable that Mr.. Weeds narrow
escape from meeting the duke OF Wellington at
a dinner party, fourteen months after his DEATH
may account for his perSisting in urging Mr..
Lincoln TO appoint man to his cabinet who
had been dead less than a year.
Just here we copy with appreciation the fol-
lowing trl ute to this great and good historian,
this Truthful James" of Albany:
mo one who is disposed to be just can doubt
that Mr.. Weed is most truthful man--that has
been one of his great characteristics all his lfe
and he is probably too old to change his nature
now. 1t is his good faith and straightforward
ness which have made for him so many attached
friends in all parts of the state. Very few men
who deal with facts stretching over large num-
Der of wears fail to make some Mistakes let
anybody point out the historian who is an ex-
ception to that rule. Mr.. Weeds "reminiscences
are corroborated in all vital points by hundreds
OF his contemporaries, and it is only to be hoped
that his health will permit him to go on with the
work of which he has thus far presented mere
scattered fragments. '-Hartf0rd Post.
ExnnaIn.