The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-07-04
John 9. Breckinridge.
A "REMINISCENCES OF HIS CoNGREssIoNAL
CAMPAIGN.
ID. Thew Wright in washington Capital ]

CAMHAISN.
ID. Thew Wright in Washington Capital
The first time ever saw General Breck-
| iDridge was somewhere about the years
1851, '52, or '53. 1t is best not to be too
particular about these remote periods of
time. He was running for Congress in the
Ashland District against Gov. Letcber. In
Kentucky the competitors for public honors
travelled about the country, making speech
es at tie same huskings. These two gen.
temen thus met at the Court-t ouse in Yer
sailles, Woodford County. 1t was "County
Court day." when everybody and their
friends came together to try law suits,
swap horses, wbittle shingles, and drive
sharp bargains. Your humble servant hav-
ing some curiosity to attend q primitive
political meeting, assembled in force upon
the occasion. There was q motley crowd
of long haired, unkempt rustics, and rough
as they seemed, yet the affectioDate admi-
ration they all manifested for "John"-
they always called him by his first name
was -eally touching. The confidence, too,
they had in his proves, his ability to dis
comfit any body or any thing, was perfect.
long pair of dangling legs, slouch hat
smashed upon one side of his head, shaving
smooth pine stick, IL tell you, boys, John
Brackinridge is gwine to give ole Bob Let.
cher particular" I forgot what it was,
but it wasn't fits, nor do think it was any
ueBlTdOlo. 1uo hoDCuCR1aDS OF CD8t
day had also the peculiarity of pronouncing
his name as though the first "e" was an ga"
went into the Court house when the
speaking began. 1t was a sweet gathering.
They sat on the floor, on the backs of the
benches they were the b'hoys of the dark
and bloody ground they smoked and
swore they chewed tobacco and expecto-
rated to that fearful extent that trying to
step across the floor dry shod was taking
arms against sea of troubles. Breckinridge
and Letcher took turns in speaking.
Having been brought up in the pure,
uncontannated faith of the Wing party,
my sympathies were not at ell doubtful.
High protective tariff American Industry,
internal improvements, and the United
States banks were the watch words of nv
existence. The teachings of my childhood
were Impressive in the fact that the man
who could not protect home manufacture
was traitor to his Country. To be sure,
my ideas were s0me~ hat vague, and it was
not definitely settled in my. own mind
whether this protection was to be accom-
p!ished by the yeomen all turning out with
bayonets, or whether we were to take this
American industry" and lock it up some
where for safe keeping but I knew that
the British, with their cheap goods, were
at the bottom of it somehow, and every
body knew that the British were dastards
Then as to the currency question, / was
simply ready to die on banks-I was 80
we'll satisfied of it, whatever it was.
l therefore listened to Governor Letcher
with eminent cOmplacency. He made the
same arguments the Wings always made,
and which were to me upanswerable. Then
Breckinridge rose to "give old Bob Let
cher particnar--" whatever it was. And
he did it. The style, the manner of impart-
ing this gift, was inimitable. Breckinridge
was young, probably not thirty, years Of
age. He was very handsome, and graceful
ness ITSELF His pleasant smile, his win
ming ways, the insinuating method of his
approach, by which he stole the senses cap
tive, is beyond power of description. He
was fluent speaker, his ideas were clear
and forciby put, and the way he slaughter
ed all my previous notions of Whig doctrine
utterly astounded, confounded, and put me
to flight. One of Letcher's weak points was
his uncomfortable temper. He soon got
mad, and BIeckinridge played with him,
while the crowd laughed and shouted. It
was game of fence between an accom-
plished and elegant swordsman and a
heavy, blundering dragoon, with saber
like weaver's beam. Letcher would rain
down his blows fierce and heavy, in not the
choicest language of debate. ,Breckinridge
would reply, always calm, always imper-
turbable, but he would find weak spot in
the joints of his enemy's harness, and his
long, keen blade glided home SO easily, and
with such perfect precision, that it went
through and through.
Breckinridge had the floor in closing. By
this time Letcher had been so completely |
worsted he was fairly foamiug at the mouth.
He was quite an old man, and to be thus
foiled and handled and harried by a mere
boy, boy, too, who was so perfectly cool
and self-possessed, made him furious. He |
kept interrupting Breckinridge, popping
up and down like pea in a hot skillet.
Every time he tried it the keen rapier flash
ed through the air, and with the came quiet.
gentle, yet lightning like action, it parried
and returned deeper thrust than before.
Upon one occasion Letcher accused his
adversary of having INDUCED in denuncia
tion of the Whig party. Breckihridge re-
piled, refuting the charge, and in closing
said: 81 submit to this audience of my
fellow citizens, my neighbors and friends,
if in the course of my remarks to day l
have made use of any language not perfect
ly parliamentary" Letcher hoped up,
danced about the floor IN a storm OF anger,
and roared out, 40, confound your parlia-
nentary language, Major Breckinridge, and