The Portland daily press., 1872-08-12
From Senate to Gutter.

On Wednesday evening a ragged, filthy, ut
terly abandoned looking-yagrant, a man ap-
parenty between 80 and so years of age, while
intoxicated fell down cellar, and sustained
such severe injuries as compelled his removal
to Bellevue Hospital. He gave his name as
Luke F. Cozzens.
This man was born, some say in Ireland,
some say up the Hudson. At any rate he
married the daughter of a wealthy citizen of
Albany. She was afterwards obliged to leave
him on account of his habit of drinking.
Cozzens studied law in this city and soon
made name for himself. In 1852, he was
prominent member of the Young Mems
Democratic Club, of (which the Hon. Daniel
b. Taylor was president. After its re-organ-
ization, he was chosen its presiding officer, a
position which he held during three or four
years. This was a very influential organiza-
ton in those times. 1t died out at the time
of the second election Of Lincoln
Cozzens was a power i'll the Seventeenth
Ward. His appearance was handsome and
winning, his manner genial and free-hearted.
His talents were of the most brilliant charac-
ter. He was highly educated, exceptionally
intelligent, and possessed rare gift of elo-
quence, which took the hearts of his auditors
by storm. He was accounted one of the best
orators in the local Democratic party.
In 1864 his constituents substantially testi-
fled their confidence in his merits by electing
Fifth District, by large majority. That was
the only Office he ever held. He had always
been a drinking man, but about that time
rum became his master. He never was the
man to save his money, and never was rich.
| What little he had was soon wasted in the
! corner liquor stores. Seifrespect, every
| thing followed. His friends, unable to con-
| troll his appetite and disgusted with his con-
| duct, abandoned him one by one until he be-
I Of n blOpt-
ed vagrant-a lodger in friendly statiOn-houses
not so often as in the gutter.
| For a long time he has been constantly
| dragged up in one Police Court or another
morning after morning, for intoxication, and
as often let off on account of what was.
( He is utterly past reformation, and the
most charitable thing that can be done with
him is to put him somewhere where he can
not obtain the only thing his Soul Graves
rum. His case, on account of the eXtraor-
binary brilliancy of his prospects such a short
time ago and his unparalleled degradation
now, offers an unusually impressive warning
to the thousands who are following in his
! footsteps. York Sun.
Kate Field writes sharply in the American
| Register of Paris concerning Americans
| abroad. She says: When l see men and
women who never had any grandtathers
at least none worth speaking Of-who rose
rom nothing, and whose elevation is due to
] the INSTITUTIONS OF our cUuuUr y---lsvssy-Is 80
| reat, See such people going about Europe,
abusing the generous hand THAI has upltted
them, declaring that there is too much liberty
| in America, that the people (pray who are
they but the people?) should be taught their
place, that we need strong government like
| Napoleon's), and that America will not be a
residence for ladies and gentlemen until we
have it, / think of the serpents warmed into
! life only to sting their benefactors. Treach-
! cry more foul Is not conceivable; yet there
are qnite number of such traitors so many
that they have often been quoted by for
eigners as proof of the rottenness of a DEM
ocracy '"rhese European Americans are
bad lot" exclaimed an Oxford professor not
long since. "They do neither you nor me
credit" 'sWhen an American comes to us
from the United States," said Cambridge
man shortly after, ''he is likely to be good
fellow and clever, but when he comes from
| Europe he is poor creature and generally
snob. He tries to pass for an Englishman,
and one man was awfully cut up the other
day, when told him that knew him to be
| an American by his accent. He was trying
to talk CockneyP'