Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-14

| "REMINISCENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE NEW ALABAMA SENATOR.
The Washington correspondent of the Chicago
| Tribune writes:
| "Goldthwaite is a native of Massachusetts.
| He came of an excellent family there, and was
| a schoolmate of Charles Sumner, George S.
| Hillard Theodore Parker, Robert c Winthrop,
and many other men now distinguished. He
was nominated to West Point and was a class
mate there of Joseph Johnston, and many
other men of note in subsequent affairs. While
| in his third year, Goldthwaite proved insubor-
| dinate, and thought it best to leave the acad-
| envy.
"Several members of his family have proved
eminent as jurists, and he went to Alabama
| about the year 1926, at the age of 1S, where he
| speedily acquired reputation for bearing man.
illness, and capacity. John Archibald Campbell,
whose grandfather had been aid-de-camp to
General Greene, and who was justice of the
supreme court, and afterwards assistant secre-
tary of war in the rebellion, married Gold
thwaite's sister,
"Goldthwaite had brother who was a south
ern chief justice and he himself has been, for
more than twenty years, justice and supreme
justice of Alabama. He had two hundred and
fifty negroes in his possession when the war
broke out, and lost them, but he bears and re-
tains not particle Of bitterness on that ac-
count. He told me that he was IN favor of the
education of black men all over the south. His
disabilities, believe, have been removed.
"Goldthwaite is a strange instance of how the
physiognomy, habits, and general life of a man
born in the north change under semi-trOpical
| influence. He has not only the skin and dialect,
| the air and modes of gulf state man, but the
structural part of his face and body seem also
to be altered; the lower part of his face, about
the chin, exhibits that mixture of power and
retrocession which distinguish the southerner.
His eyes have lost the New England gray, and
appear to have felt the torrid suns of the SOUTH
In fact, there is no perceptible difference be-
tween an original scion Of the gulf and this
| transplanted Boston boy.
"Goldthwaite is said 10 be one of the most I'M
| methodical, forgetful men in the country. He
has been known to stand on the railway plat
form talking TO a friend and let the train go on
whereupon he had secured his ticket. AT times
he does not recognize his friends and even his
own family on the street, being absorbed in
turning over law questions in his mind. AS
speaker he is said to have so much judicial grav-
ity that the pleasant ardor and earnestness of
his private conversation is lost He then lapses
into the mere juriSt.
"He is one of the best informed men | have
ever met from the south; a reader of everything,
new and Old; good critic, and he said to me
the other day that the south had no authors
worth reading; that Miss Evans, who wrote
book called Beulah,' was to him a very fiat,
commonplace writer, and he took no pride in
that sort of authorship.
'Goldthwaite gave funny account of his
election to the senate. 1t appears that in Ala
bama Senator Warner received the caucus nomi-
nation, and his party was in the majority some
| ten or fifteen votes. His colleague, Senator
| Spencer, was not on good terms with Warner.
and several republicans set upa third candidate.
The third candidate received about ten votes,
but this still left Goldthwaite in the minority.
until two Or three republicans deliberately bolt
ed from the party man.
81 did not believe said Goldthwaite, that it
was possible to elect me, but, as my friends of
the south had put me under somewhat gorgeous
hospitality, was sitting alone, during the meet.
ing Of the legislature, in my room, somewhat
swollen about the head. All at once heard a
curious cry 1t sounded to me like hallelu-
Jah. The next time heard it my heart leaped
up. l felt like an Indian who recognizes the
battle-cry Of his tribe. knew that was elect
ed, but could not tell how it happened, and,
upon my word, do not know yet. / only
know that am here with the certificate, and if
they do not want to admit me to this senate
can go home and be perfectly serene"