The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-23


Interesting Reminis ssncesS
Hon. d. S. Foorr, who as . s s
from Mississippi 10 1880 ORR DAFsss"as'
his colleague), IS publishing sonae lnscfest-
ing "reminiscences in the Washington cafo''s-
ese.l The following will be read Win pecu'
iiarEinteress In Virginia:
It WINS tn 1850 that afr.R itchie eaFae,eo'
rna che morning q few weeks afteF ylsy
had reached Washington, in company VIII
General Bayley, of Virginia, and urged that
we two should call upon Dir. Clay and AK
MN 10 offer a resolution. in the Senate .1or
the, raising Of a. committee OF thirteen,
through the. instruments litity OF Which ne
thought that the great and alarming ainer,
.erces then existing might be reconctien. anu
general national brotherhood be reesta olisr
ed. Mr. Richie went further 10 TINS con
ference, and declared the opinion, which ne
entertained, that no man in the hepuDlic
could as successfully take the lead IN the need
ed work of pacication as Mr.. Clay. Id tue
most touching and impressive manner ne
Eaaye sritterance to the regret which ne lel1
that facts connected with contests Tor party
sscendancy In former days should so FAR nave
|estranged Mr.. Clay and himself from eacn
other that he could not take the liberty OF
calling upon him in person and eoniefrlns
with him ia regard to the MEANS OF avert
ing the catastrophe obviously menaced. Mr..
Richie, in addition, authorized us to give, IN
his pane, to Mr.. Clay. most explicit pledge
that. should he conclude to adopt the course
thus indicated, he would support him to the
utmost in the widely-circulated newspaper ne
was then editing. General Bayley and myse!t
called that very evening upon MIR, Clay In ms
narlor at the National. Hotel. He met us 10
the most gracious and cordial manner, ana re-
ceiyed with evident pleasure the communica'
ton with which we bad been entrusted oy Mr.
Richie, He declared his warm approval OF
the plan of operation suggested by that gen
tltnian. but stated that for various reasons,
of a yery peculiar and delicate character, ne
would prefer that the resolution proposing
the committee of thirteen should be brought
forward in the Senate by some other lndl.
yidual. / afterward agreed to offer 1t, on
the express condition that should not be
made one of its members, and that Mr.. Clay
himself should consent to preside over It's
deliberations. No one will be surprised TO
learn that in day or two after, Mr.. Clay
and MIR. Ritchie met, became cordially re-
conciled to each other, and consulted together
often in the most fraternal manner ut every
stage of the great struggle which at lass
resulted in the adoption of the compromise
enactments of 1850. Before this consumma-
ton had crowned the efforts OF Mr.. Clay ana
his Union friends, on very warm day In
midsummer q very large party OF congress
sional gentlemen was convened at the hosplta-
BILE mansion of Mr.. Sullivan, Of this city,
man universally beloved and esteemed, for
the purpose of enjoying q dinner good
enough, indeed, to be set before princes and
mobiles. Mr. Clay was one OF the invited
guests, as was also Mr.. Ritcbie. They sat
upon opposite sides Of the table. Mr.. Clay
was in bis happiest conversational mood,
and poured forth many choice anecdote
concerning the scenes OF public life through
which he mad passed. 1t was but natural
that all present should wish to hear him say
something touching the compromise strug-
gle then going on, and the chances of ac-
compiishing the object which all Of us had
so much at heart, and an effort, therefore, was
made to call him out thereupon. he talked
upon this subject for some time, with even
more than his accustomed eloquence, when
suddenly his mercurial and impulsive friend
of q auld lang syne" rose from his seat and
exclaimed .'Look here, Mr.. Clay if you
will really save the Union we will all forgive
you for having had Adams elected IN 1879
by bargain, intrigue, and management !"
''Shut your mouth p exclaimed Mr.. Clay, in
response; Z" shut your mouth, Tom Richie;
YOU know perfectly well that there never
was a word of truth in that charge" Very
well, very WE'LL" smilingly responded Mr..
Richie. 81 say to you now, in hearing oil
this goodly company, that if you succeed in
rescuing the Republic from ruin, and L
should survive you, Tom Richie will plant
d sprig of laurel upon your grave"
Ishould not omit to mention here that
Dir. Clay, q few minutes after this pleasant
badinagea between himself and Mr.. Ritchie,
in i very solemn and formal manner adj
dressed the company ct the table Asubstan.
TALLY as follows: :" Gentlemen, I feel it to
be due to such an occasion as the present
one to make frank confession. Though !
have never doubted the propriety of.my
own conduct in voting for Mr.. Adams my
self in 1925, and advising my friends to vote
for him, yet, were to live this part OF my
public life over again I should not deem it
judicious to accept at his hands the Secre-
taryship OF State. BY doing so injured
both him and myself; placed myself in
false position before the country, and often
have I painfully felt that had seriously
impaired my own capacity for public useful.
nesS.N y. sstr E-~-'& 'ta. s.a-ash"
AT the time spoken of there were in the
Senate (Mr. FILLMORE presiding) Mr.. BEN
TON, Dir. Mason, MIR. HALE Mr.; HUNTER,
Judge BUTLER, Mr.. Gw1N, MIR. KING, SAM
!HoUsToN, FREMONT, General CAss, EVANS,
PRATT, PIERCE, SEWARD, CLAYTON, and we
know not how many other distinguished
men. WILSON and SUMNER, Of Massachu-
sets, had just entered the body, and were
without influence. SoULE, of Louisiana, had
a high reputation. ANDREW JOHNSON was an
unknown member of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, and boarded at q small boarding
house on E street ut q cost of some four dol
lars per week. General TAYLOR was Presi-
dent up to July.
Mr.. BENTON opposed the "omnibus BILL"
oc IL mo-, oallad uaand Eoorp ypere daadlv