The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-06-18
JOHN S. c. ABBOTT.


Abbott, the historian, is an
nounced to-day. He breathed his last
at 1880 yesterday morning at
his home in Fair Haven, Connecticut.
after an illness extending over long
period oil time. The, venerable historian
was over seventy-one years old at the
time of his death. During the eight
months that he mas been confined to his
by correspondents, to whom he always
talked freely, and was always cheerful
and bright. One of these talks was given
to the world week ago, which is now
of especial interest. During this inter-
view Mr.. Abbott said:
"a number of my friends have been. .anxious
that l should prepare memorial Volume be-
fore leave them, and have suggested that
| should collect number of my sermons for
| that purpose, but dou't believe much in SER
| mons. some Of my children, however. are get
! ting up such volume, ana there Will be
| sketch of my life lu 1T, and Il number of
sketches that have written of recollections of
my childhood. There will be some of my rem
| lniscences Of some of my college mates at
| Bowdoln IN 1t also MY class was
| y
| ". Longfeliow was one, of us and
| George Cneever was another, and Nathaniel
| HawJnorue and Jonathan Cilley. Franklin
| Pierce and Pitt Fessenden were in College at
| the same time. They were not IN the same
class, however. but IN the one before us. Pierce
| and Hawthol ne were especially intimate. L
| have often seen them walking across the col
lege-g together, Deardless boys OF nIne-
| teen. How lutte any of us thought then that
| one of them would be the President of the
| United states and would give the y her one the
| Consuishlp at Liverpool, then one OF the most
lucrative positions i'll the gift of the President! |!
| Then there will be III the book a feW-pcrhaps
| u dozen-Of the least stupid of my sermons"
"HOw many books have you written IN allr'
asked the caller.
"More than sixty that have been printed in
| book FORM many of them being large octave
| volumes, but the sketches ana short ar uces L
have contributed tU the magazines and papers
have been almost inuunGraDie. lhaVe always
been at work, and even now came help work
ing"
| "That is so," said Mrs. Abbott ''He WORKS
Il great deal more than want MIN 10, for the
doctors have fOrUIduen hm W Wrlte at al huG
| when he gets thinking Of anything, his mind is
50 active that 1t hurts nm less 10 write 1t down
| than to keep IL pent up"
Mrs. Abbott helps me great deal" said
her husband. "She has often said, jOkingiy,
| that she has written more than half my DUOAs
l-she has done 50 much for me i'll getting them
in shape. People have often supposed tnat
what | wrote flowed easily and rapidly from
my pen, but II Is not So l have never Deen an
\ advocate OF the plan Of writing, rapidly and
flashing off copy without WORKING over ".
My Lie OF Napoleon l. was nearly all written
three tlmGs."
.sM hen began writing" he said, in reply to
another question, II was ii young man. 1 was
settled in W WUrccster, Mass, where | had my
hrsC pastOrate. There was Maternal society
tIoI {, anu WIVLu humber ot articles for them
which my friends were anxious for me TO col
ect IN book form. l uiu 50. LrOckeT Brew
ster published 1t, and the result surprised Them
as much as 1t uld me. l woke up and found
myself famous. The book was repubhsned III
Calcutta Tor the use of the mlsslonarle, out
there. Then it was published in Athens,
Greece in Constanttnople, and was Translated
and published in almost every European Ian
| guage. IL stIll sells We'll, although that was
| fully forVy years ago"
| "iou must have realized considerable sums
| from your writings then, for some Of youI
other works have had immense sales, have
| they notP ,
| doubtedly the most successful OF them all,
| reached a very large ClrcuHatlon 1t was first
| prntel in Harper's Magazine aud old MI.
| Harper once said TO me: Y gu are max ing ezF
rich; we are getting quantities oI letters eV-
| erv uay from people who Wllteto subscribe for
| thc magazine, ana who wish their subscription
| to begin with the hrst number OF the Life OF
| SauoleOn.n' And the verdict oil the people
| was always in favor oI the DOCK and Ill oppo-
| sltlon to the critics, who attacked me IN every
possible way, auu uenOuncud NE Iurlously for
| uphoIding man who was murderer and an
aduteler and a thief ant all such things
such attacks from Alr. Greeley used to make
me feel very badly"
| ain all my hfe,m continued Mi Abbott after
a pause, ~ have been fortunate in one thing.
have been able to keep up my work without
| needing to take physical exercise. l don't
| Know why it should DC 50, but have been able
| TO spend my whole time III my sIudy-nOt even
waking out TO the -Otlice-for days to-
| gcther, without teellng any Ill enect lrJm the
| /, h.lti avn Ifti. -,
and nave been acquainted with many cclc-
| Drated people. l was ultimately acquainted
with Nap polcon Ill, who was Il warm friend
Of NINE, and grew to know and love hun very
mucn In my opinion ne Is u man VINO
mas been entirely ms judged by his cOntcmpo-
rarIes, and justice VII be done hlm, believe,
On y by posIerlty. was very intimate with
hlni while he was Emperor OF France, and
mauy time as | have saU with him by his own
hrcsiue has he expressed to me his earnest de-
sire for the welfare OF France III manner that
did not allow me 70 doubt his perfect sincerity.
William Ill. Seward SAID that he went u
France at one LIme and found republic IN
existence which The people called an empire,
| and another time he went there ana found an
empire which they called republic. That
| was perfectly just criticism. The empire
under LOUIS Napoleon was compromise De-
tween the Commune and the Legitimacy"
| MI. Abbott then reviewed the main points OF
the system Of government under Napoleon's
reign, eulogzlug 1t highly, and pronounclng II
|
| Government. He also propnesied that in less
| than dozen years the people OF France would
discard the present form oil government, which
ne thought 1t was absurd To call Republican,
| since the managers dared not submit IL to the
people. aud that the empire would ultimately
| be restored Louis Napoleon mad SAID 10 him:
| II shall soon die, and am anxious to leave be-
hind me institutions that Will survive all
changes"
there was no sign OF fatigue in the invalid's
| voice or manner. but his VISITOR feared to tire
MIN, and rose TO go. Again the old man pressed
ms hand warmly. and with great earnestness
expressed the nope that lie might have toI
him as peaceful and happy close as he was
witnessing. ''lhe DOCTORS tell me-" said the
patriarcnal author, as he sank back on his pill
low, "that the reason don't die is because
am so happy, and suppose 1t is true, Ior am
Perfectly content"
| SINGULAR ACCIDENTAL few days
| since serious accident occurred to Miss
Jennie Harris, aged seventeen years.
and living with MI. Andrew QAler, on
the road leading, from LibeEtbwn tc
Unionyllle, Md. While ringing the din.
ner bell, which was elevated some fifteen
or twenty feet on fork near the house
as is common with farmers, from some
cause the bell worked from its fasten
ings and fell " the ground, striking
| NIuc II4rril IN the head and knocking