The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-02-16
a Dinner IN Warrington.


ministration. Ho had 4 dinner party
at his house, at which there were
some twenty loadars of the Demo
cratic party-he being Que st that
time, though getting ready to leave
his nplitinal associates, because OF tho
Kansas question. Dr. VIM. Elder, of
Philadelphia, an educated, genial
gentleman, but = dyedin.ths-wool
Abolitionist, happened IL, the eve
ming before, as guest, and-it could
not be helped-he sat down Mt that
dinner, too, being surrounded by q
!ntof dlstinguished men, with in.
tense SOuluDfn aotions- Rnt. let
Forney toll the rest, az found in his
Anecdotes Of Public Men ~ Il +.
%s When the restraint Of the first
course or two was thawed by = gen.
erous draught Of champagne, those
who sat at my board were quickly
attracted BY che agreeable mannsrs
and dassliDg wit Of my Abolition
friend. He gradually .monopolissd
their whole attention By his cona-
ments on books and men, and his full
knowledge Of the resources Of their
own action. al ~ fs 49, ~
y, At last one of them said: pray,
Doctor Elder, how Is il that one Of
your tastes and learning should be
opposed TO Southern rights aud in.
stitutions? p That opened the bali,
and, nothing 10th, 10 answered with
> story ] can never forgst;a story
which I believe has never been for
gotten by any one who heard IT,
"Whsn 4 lived in Pittsburg, gentle-
men, said the Doctor, sswhers I had
the honor TO vote for James g. Bir-l
ney for President in 1874, being one
of very, very small party,
which Will soon control Pennsyl.
vania BY IN Andrsw jackson ma
jority, we had . strange character
among us who occasionally made
speeches against slavery, and whose
psoaliaritiss ware that when hs be-
came excited he gave way to uncen-
trolAbls tears and oAths. I always
went TO hear him, for there was an
odd fascination about him. One
night hs was advertised TO spesk
agsinst the fugitive slave law--aI
measure which reused him almost
70 madness--And l was among the
audienos. He closed his harrangne
with . passage something like this
"Lst us apply this law to ourselves,
brsthersn and sisters. Hive about Q |
mile out Of town, and rarely get
back to my quiet home until even
ing; and the first to welcome me at |
the garden gate are my little girl
Mary and my bright eyed son Willie
--ths joy Of my heart. the stars OF |
my life. suppose, when l get
home tomorrow, / meet my
wife, instead Of my children, at the |
door, and on asking for my dArlings,
she tells me that man called John I
G. Calhonn, Of South Carolina, and |.
another msn oalled Henry Clay, of
Kentucky, had come, in my absence,
and carried them down South into
slavery? How would you feel in
such . case? How do you think I
would feel ? What would 1 doY you |.
ask. Well, | will tell you. l would |
fellow tho aforesaid John G. Calhoun I
and Henry Clay; follow them to the
south; follow them to the gates Of
death and hell; yes, into hell, and
there cram the red-hot Goals down
their damned internal thr0atsV"
"And this outburst," added DR..
Elder, twas punctuated with alter.
late sobs and swearing. I have
given you one of tho many causes,
that have confirmed me
10 my abolitianism."
1t 10 impossible to convey an idea
If the manner in which Dr.. Elder
told this incident, or the effect pro- |
2ucsd upon tho Southern men around
him. They listened with profound
md breathless interest, and more.
han one with . pale cheek and moist.
,ned eye; and though they did not
say they sgresd with the eloquent
Doctor, / saw that they respected |
him for the candor and warmth |
with which he had replied to their |
equally candid question.