The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-06-30
John c. Breckinridge.
REMINIsCENcE or HIS CeNGREssltKAI
CAMPAIGN.

kEMlNlSCENCE OF HIS CONGRESSIONAL
CAMPAIGN.
The first time ever saw Genera
Breckenridge was somewhere about
the years 1851, so or '53. 1t is besr
not to be too particular about these
remote periods of time. He was run
ming for Congress in the Ashland
District against Governor Letcher.--
In Kentucky the competitors FOR pub
lie honors travelled about the conn.
try, making speeches at the same
huskings. These two gentlemen
thus met at the Court House in Yer
sailles, Woodford County. It was
County Court-day," when every
body and their friends came together
to try law Suits, swop horses, white
shingles and drive sharp bargains
Your humble servant having SOME
curiosity to attend a primitive polit
ical meeting, assembled in force up.
on the occasion. There was a mot
ley crowd of long-haired, unkempt
rustics, and rough as they seemed
yet the affectionate admiration they
all manifested for "John"- al
ways called him BY HIS Nrst name
was really touching. The conf.
dence, too, they had in his prowess,
his ability to discomfit any body OF
any thing, was perfect. Says one
sitting on dry goods box, with q
long pair of dangling legs, u SLOUGH
hat smashed Upon one sids of bis
head, shaving a smooth pine stick,
II tell you, boys, John Breckenridge
is gwine to give old Bob Letcher par.
ticular -." / forget what it was
but it wasn't fits, nor do l think i,
was anything desirable. The Ken
tucksans of that day had also the
perculisrity of pronouncing his last
name as though the first 'e' in il
was an "a.n
went into the Court House wheY
the speaking began. It was a sweet
gathering. They sat on the floor, OF
the backs of the benches; they were
the b'hcys of the dark and blood,
ground; they smoked and swore
they chewed tobacco and espectota
ted to that fearful extent that trying
to step across the floor dry-s was
taking arms against sea Of troubles
Rreckinridge and Letcher took turns
in speaking.
Having been brought up in the
pufe, inc0ntaminated faith Of the
Wing party, my sympathiss Were
not at all doubtful. High protective
tariff, American industry, internal
improvements and United States
banks were the watch-words of my
existence. The teachings of my
childhood were impressive in the
fact that the than Who would moi
protect home manufacture was 3
traitor to his country. To be sure
my ideas were somewhat vague, and
it was not definitely settled in my
own mind whether this protection
was to be accomplished by tie yeo.
men all turning out with bayDhets
or whether we were to take this
american industry and lock it ur
somewhere for excepting; but
knew that the British, with thei,
cheap goods, were at the bottom Of i,
someh6#z, and every body knew ina,
the British were dastards. Then ii
to the currency question, I was sim
ply ready to die on banks--I was 81
we'll satisfied Of it, whatever it was
I therefore listened to Governor
fletcher with eminent complacency
He made the same arguments til,
Wings always Made; aid which wer'
to me nnanswerable. Then Breckin
ridge r5se to s'giye old Bob Letthe
particular y whatever it was
And he did it. The style, the man
ner Of imparting this gift, was inim
liable. Breckenridge was young
s y
probably not thirty years Of age
He was very handsome and graceful
ness itself. His pleasant Smile, III
winning ways, the insinuating meth
cd Of his approach, by which h
stole the sensss captive, is beyon'
power of description. He was a flu
ent speaker, his ideas were clear an
forcibly put; and the wayne slaugh'
cred all my previous notions Of Viii
doctrine utterly astounded, confound
ed and put me to fight, One Z
Letcher's weak points was his uncor
trdab1e temper. He soon got MAJ
and Breckinridge played with lin
while the crowd laughed and shou