The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-07-11


memnon, the king of men. befor
the walls of Troy.
AT times during the campaign
Mr.. Corwin seemed almost inspired
and as he Numbered his denuncia
tions of the Democratic party, o
predicted the triumph of the com
ing deliYerance of the nation,
scarcely needed a strong imagina
ton to hear Miriam, with her tim
breIs, shouting in matchless song
the hosannas of redeemed anC
ransomed people. And these
speeches were great in argument
rich in illustration, fortified by facts
and porfound in their power tC
move the consciences and control
the minds of men,. If the love Of
thronging multitudes, or the ap.
plause of men could satisfy any hu-
man heart, Mr.. CorWin must have
been content indeed.
AT one time, while depicting the
universal corruption under Van
Buren,, and the fact that the officers
of the government were then know
ing to the frauds practiced upon the
| people, some Democrat in his audi
ence cried out: "If the officers
know of al This corruption and
fraud upon the people, why do they
not expose it, and how comes it
| that we learn it first from you 20
Mr.. & irwin paused and looked sig
nificantly at the speaker, then STEP
ping forward with a confidential
air and manner he replied,in the Ian
| guage of Job: "Doth the wild ass
hr.o " hn IL /
the OK over his fodder" The effect
was irresistible.
IN 1880 he was first elected to
Congress and was reelected for
each successive term until 1910.
when he was nominated for Gov
ernor of Ohio. 1t was during his
last term that Mr.. Isaac E. Crary, a
member of the House from Mich
igan, went oat of his way to make
coarse and violent attack upon the
military career of Gen. Harrison,
criticising it with great unfairness
and partisan Vigor. During most
of the time while he was speaking,
Mr.. Corwin was engaged in writing
letters, but as the speaker OCCASION
ally bore harshly upon Gen. Harri-
son, Mr.. Corwin would look at him
with his peculiar smile, shake his
head, and resume his work. Mr..
John w. Allen, then representing
Cleveland in Congress, sat next to
him, and Mr.. Corwin privately
spoke to him and said, Somebody
must answer that fellow. We can
not permit this thing to go so.'
Mr.. Aliens reply was, "There is
nobody to do it but yourself. You
are the man."
AT the close of the speech no one
arose. dead silence prevailed.
Through the hall all eyes were fix
ed upon Corwin. He slowly rose
to-his feet, and, obteining the recog-
nation OF the speaker, was given the
floor. AT this moment, it being
late in the afternoon, some one NOV
ed an adjournment, which was car
ried, and Mr.. Corwin resumed the
floor the next day. This was all the
time he had for preparing one of the
most famous and really wonderful
and learned speeches ever delivered
in the House of Representatives.
For vigorous argument, pure irony,
splendid reasoning, and genuine
wit, it has rarely been equaled.
The defense of Harrison was over
whelming, and the humiliation of
Crary complete. The House was
convulsed with laughter at the rich
ness and originality of the humor,
and at times almost awed by the
great dignity and profound argu-
ments of the orator. The pages of
history were ransacked for iIlustra-
tons to sustain the speaker, and all
were poured in rapid profusion
upon the head of poor Crazy, who
sat amazed and stupefied al the
storm he had provoked AS Cor
win proceeded, the members left
their seats and clustered thickly
about him, the reporters laid down
their pens, the presiding officer his
gavel, and everybody gave them
selves up to the enjoyment of the
hour. AS Mr.. Corwin painted in
mock heroic style the knowledge of
military affairs which the lawyer
member from Michigan had acquir-
ed from reading "Tidd's Practice
and Espinasses Nisi Prius," studies
so happily adapted to the art of war,
the House fairly roared with de-
light.
He drew u mirth provoking pic
ture of Crazy, in his capacity of
militia brigadier at the head of
his legions on parade day, with
his "crop-eared, bushy tailed mare
and sickle hams-the steed that
laughs at the shaking of the spear,
and whose neck was clothed with
thunder" comparing him with
Alexander the Great, and his war
horse Bucephalus, at the head of
his Macedonian phalanx, and
finally, after reciting his deeds of
valor and labor during the day,
left him and his exhausted troop
at corner grocery, assuaging the
fires of their souls with copious
draughts of whisky, drank from
the shells OF slaughtered water
melons. When Mr.. Corwin came
to give the history of Gen. Harri-
son, and defend his military re-
cord, he rose to the height of pure
eloquence, and spoke with con-
vineing force and unanswerable
logic. The fate of Crazy was
sealed. Probably no such per-
sonal discontinue was ever known
from the effect of single speech.
He never recovered from the blow,
and was known at home and
abroad as the late Gen. Crary.
Even at home the farmers and the
boys, in watermelon season would
always offer him the fruit with
sly jests and jeers, and q joke at
his military career; but his pub
lie life and usefulness were at an
end.
Mr.. Corwin's great popularity
continued unbroken until after his
election to the Senate of the
United States, but his opposition
to the Mexican war, though per-
haps the noblest act of his public
life, brought him into painfully
embarrassing relations with his
constituents, and almost the unit.
ed opposition Of all parties in
Ohio.
But the speech itself was a
model for a senator and states
man. In February, 1S47, the bill
making appropriations for the
further prosecution of the war
with Mexico being under consid-
Grafton, Mr.. Corwin arose to OPP
pose it. 1t required no ordinary
amount of moral courage to take
that position, but Mr.. Corwln was
Q man of deep convictions and un-
faltering purpose, when he felt
himself right, and he boldly an
nounced himself as utterly oppos-
ed to the war, and the acquisition
of further territory for the spread
| of human Slavaru To thir nnnonh