The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-08


was such stupid old fellow. when | was
chosen to be the head of the State Depart
ment under the great General of the war. In
"reminiscences, political, legal and other,
wise, ! was driven almost to High Bridge.
| returned TO my house III time TO dino At
room, found her in an excited condition.
She said: Here is dispatch announcing
that you have been nominated aud con-
iirmed Secretary Of State at Washington
She was about coming down stairs at hear
ing me enter. We went back into her
room and talked the matter over there
and we both agreed that under no circum-
stances was the place to be accepted. |
was then sixty years OF age and had re-
ceived far more than my share of public
offices. The fires OF ambition. if they ever
burned high III me, were dissipated. Not
even the feeling of duty called on me to
accept this place. My wife said, There
are half dozen telegraphic dispatches
down stairs for you. went down stairs,
and found that General Grant had tee-
graphed me, Don't say TO anybody that
you declined the office. Await a private
letter, which | will send you by messenger.
\ dispatch of the same purport came from
Washburn. said then, will wait until
Grant gets my letter and knows my feel
ings and views, aud until he does SO will
not open my mouth about tins office
THE CALL OF DUTY
Mr.. Fish related this in a quiet. genial
way, and after 4 pause resumed.
The world he said. "worships a
rising star. think had more friends
tina, night than have ever had since. The
news was in the evening papers, and my
door-bell began to ring before ! o'clock;
and we had these rooms pretty well filled
with callers. heard all their congratula
tions. laughingly or gravely, and said
nothing one way or the other about taking
the Office
q The next day General Babcock arrived
here with a letter from the President.
opened the letter in this room in Babcock's
presence and read it through and said To
him: General, this is out of the question
and have made up my mind upon ii
Babcock began an argument, and finally
said to me: Mr. Fish, the President has
empowered me 10 give you private reason
why lie wants you To take that office and
greatly relieve him Babcock then told
me something which is still private mat;
ter. What ii WAS. at any rate, made me
serious and awakened the instinct of duty,
up to that time latent. | said to him:
viii consult one before whom always Law
all things of Importance before acting-my
wife. ! went upstairs and asked NTs.
Fish to &c down with me. She sal where
You are sitting how, aud | in my place and
General Babcock over her, on the other
side Of the fire. asked Mrs Fish to give
General Ba5cock here views in her own
way. She said that we could not accep;
the place. We could not live in Washing
ton City. That she and mad talked it
over fully and were voluntarily Of the same
opinion. ] then told General Babcock Ia
repeat 10 Mrs. Fish Tie private argument
which lie had given me, arousng my ideas
of duty. and | then left the case To INV
wife; she said to me: You must take it,
Gong to Washington was breaking up my
plans and routine AMI firmly determined
to stay there but a few weeks and relieve
Grant, and help Ia straighten his affairs,
and then 10 go horne. | had 10 house il
Washington, bat in \ little while thought !
would give the APPEARANCE of stability To
my tenure by taking one. | took Governor
Morgans house, and thought to myself:
My successor will take it from NE any
way and relieve me oil the rent told
General Grant that AT the latest | would
on.5 stay with him until the Autumn. But
IN little while the resignation and re-
morais from that Cabinet were numer-
Gus that said to myself: 1t would not DC
honorable for me to run away from Grant
too. This Administration presents to
spectators, perhaps, failure ON the thresh
old. There have been two Secretaries of
State, two Secretaries of the Navy, two OF
the Treasury; seven or eight designations
within quarter. Ii this state of things
goes On the Government " i'll give and get 4
panic then resolved 10 stay with Grant
at least until things were moving on with
confidence. And there | stayed eight
years, wishing to go home all the time
FILLMORE.
Mr.. Fish, were you Silver Gray, or
Woolly Head, as the Wings were divided,
about tbs time of your GUveruoIshipa"
a. never was Silver Gray" said Mr.
Fish, .'nor did belong to the Sewardiies:
WAS against them; and was good while
friend of Fillmore. lie was in my Cabi-
net. As we may call it. That is, he was
my State Controller, and kept that place
for several months, until he took big seat
As Vice President. When wrote my first
message. before had been inaugurated as
Governor, called the State officers. Treas.
urer, Attorney General, Controller etc.
and read the message to them. In it
took the position that all territory We had
acquired which had previously inhibited
slavery was on no consideration to be sub
Ject TO occupation by slave property. Mr..
Fillmore remarked when read this: You
ought tn make that stronger. This is III.
leading point aud don't think you have
stated it emphatica!ly enough | replied
to this that As it was State document, |
did not think it advisable to do more than
rnuuciate the view of the majority OF the
people of New York. Fillmore said again
that lac Thought it ought to he stronger
The others agreed with me, aud it was
not qualified. fet within Two years
Mr.. Fillmore was turning the batteries Of
his Administration on me, and Strengthening
my friends, because | would not applaud
and iudorse the Fugitive Slave law
MARCY AND wILNor.
The conversation turning upon affairs in
New York State many years ago, Mr.. Fish
remarked that Silas Wright was the ablest
man whom he had known in New York,
hur h., ",