Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-10-22

Powell ClaytOn's Career.

TIM GOVERNOR OF ARKhNsAs AND MS SOUTHERN
EXpERIENcE-How HE CAME 70 MS PRESENT
POSITION.
Most OF our readers know that Powell CLAYTON,
recently Governor of Arkansas and now one of
the United States Senator from that State, is Il
native of the adjoining county of Delaware, in
Pennsylvania, the son OF plain, quiet farmer,
OF Quaker descent. The correspondent of the
New York Times, writing from the Chattanoopa
Convention, has this to say of lin =
u frankly confess that Senator CLAYTON, re-
Gently Governor Of Arkansas, from private con-
Nersatous had with him. seemed to me- the
most OF all entitled to sympathy and regard I
Will own was prejudGed against Clayton, In
common with every one else acquainted with
the outlines Of hs history, / considered him n
pontcal advehturer of indispensable shrewa-
ness, PUCK, and unhcrupuOusness. | am still
convinced that lie is all that, but have now dis
covered that only by strong proyocaton was he
induced TO enter upon that political career which
has made him notorious, or as some would saw
Infamous. lie told me his stery as Illustrating
general truth he wished to impress upon me,
and not with the view Of awakening interest in
his individual fortunes. Therefore. he was
frank, truthful in his talk, aud his career an
peared in an entirely new light.
At the close OF the war, he said, he was COM
mandlng the post of Pine Bluir, Arkansas. BY
his conc.llatory policy, he was 80 unfortunate as
to win the esteem of the people within his iuris-
Mctlon. When the time came to withdraw the
United States troops, and for CLAYTON to retire
meeting of citizens was called At this meet.
ing these citizens passed resolutions in fulsome
praise OF Clayton, and ended them with all car
nest request that lie should settle among them.
He was foolish enough to take them at their
word. Returning to the Nor.l, and settling his
affairs there, he went back to Arkansas with no
other ambition than to become n cotton planter
and without the slightest intention of meddling
wi JTa Mum nunl
which he paid $50, 600 and went to work to make
living. He desired nothing more than all CD.
portunity 10 do this asked for nothing more
But he speedily found that the very men who
had invited him to settle among them we're de.
termined to drive him out He was Hcussed
Yankee" a ''carpet-basger y threats were con-
stantly made against his person and property
Travellers on the steamboats, passing his place
had 1t pointed out to them az the Yankee Clay
ton, and they wondered why the Southeners had
not driven him out long ago. For months he
was obliged to keep an armed guard around his
clubhouse to keep it from being burned, and
every morning when he arose he looked first to
that Clubhouse to see whether it had been ruined
in night by the unressoning and unreasonable
hate OF his Southern neighbors.
At last his position became so unbearabl, that
but one alternative WAS presented to him. He
must either sacrifice all he had in the STATE and
fly from it, or he must rule it and help TO hiring
about better public sentiment. He chose the
later alternative, and was driven into politics.
He organized the State, and made it Republican,
He became its Governor, and cites all ITS history
with entire confidence to show Arkansas nevar
enjoyed greater prosperity than during his in.
He then became Senator of tho
United States. which position he still holds He
does not deny that in his political career he las
resorted to desperate remedies, but he claims
that q desperate disease required them attar
his frank confession Of his past, it was imnossi.
BILE to resist the conclusion that saint in CIsr-
toni. place would have done very nearly as he
has done. 40 "'