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

"reminiscences Of Over Forty Years.
The home of Hamilton Fish is at the
corner of Seventeenth street and Second
avenue, fronting Siuyvesaut square. IL is
one Of the few private dwellings in middle
New York surrounded with an extensive
garden and fountains, and indicating some.
thing of the life the old Dutch gentry lived
on that side of the city in their fruiry. bow.
cries 1t was here that the ex Secretary
of State, 4 few days ago. cnnvcrsed with a
representative of The 7riLHne on public
men and measures familiar to him during
long public career.
This is quiet. but tue young portion
of the city, Mr.. Fish. suppose you re.
member to have seen most Of these houses
going up in this section?' said his visitor
Yes. II is almost all the growth of re-
cent years. This used To b. The suburban
part OF the town. and therefore. in the DAYS
OF my youth, was the only Democratic dis,
trict. am living now on grouad for which
! have no deed. IL has been in the posses.
sion Of my family for $50 years. Originally
1t was Governor Stuyvesaut's bowery or
ftrm. acquired it through P-trus Stu,
vesant the second. by my uncle
Mr.. Fish took down i steel engraving of
Nandy ke's weil-kno~n portrait of old Coy
ernor S,uyvesani, where he is represented
i,,a
are within a few rods, Mr.. FISH, OF the
,cmbs of your predecessors at It. Marks -
Yes, what is left Of them lies there
My father. Colonel Nicholas Fish. is also
buried in ST. Marks. He died in 1852 =
Your name, Mr. FISH, is not Dutch -
No. My name is German. Ii was
originally spelled in England .Fysche
Who or what that man was have no, the
aud the name wore down in time To b,
spelled Fish lie ~ his descendant moved
from England to Cape Cod. bu, remained
there only little while. The cmi.rant
removed to Newiown on Long island. NJ,
grandfather and my father were both born
III Liberty street, AT the point where Maiden
iaUc iuters-cts IL down toward Wall street
ferry. There are several portraits of my
father said Mr.. Fish, " but don't think
that any Of them does Justice 10 his really
handsome face. lie had genera! rcputa
tion FOR manly beauty in his day was
man before he died, aud remember him
a..
with John Morinc Scott. 1T lie break ing
nnt nf TIE Revolutionary War, my father
and Alexander Ham ilton and Robert Troup
with Others, held debates as young men in
Columbia College on the state of the Colo
MES. Mr.. Scott raised a regiment, or be.
came a colonel of State militia, early in the
Revolution. and Nicholas Fish was made
brigade major; ne came oui of the war
colonel"
/" Were you named from Alexander liam
ilton? -
yes Wy father had the very highest
admiration for Hamilton: second only TO
his reverence for Washington. 1t is my
impression that this picture of Petrus Stuy
vssant was painted when Governor Stuy-
vesaut went te Holland. while Governor If
Curacoa, to have his leg ampuied for the
second time. Ii had been cut off once after
his assault on a Portuguese fort, bnt being
badly done he went to Holland and sub
mitted 10 a second amputation, and think
the picture may have been painted then
MIR. FISH IN CONGRESS.
g Was it not III this district that you
made your first run for Congress against
John Mckeeu?''
" This was the district. Prior to that
time there had been -four Congressman from
New York City, elected At large. Til.
Wings were able TO carry the three lower
districts, but always considered this upper
one forlorn hope. was nominated here
in 1871 for Congress: having been Wing
since my manhood they gave me the nomi
nation as a sort Of gift of martyrdom. Mr..
McKcon was my personal friend. | had
always voted for him whsnsver he ran for
the Legislature, or Alderman, or Congress.
though he was a Democrat. We found
ourselves pitted against each other, not
withdrawing. There was majority of
900 against the Wings. if remember well,
which was large in the small vote of those
times. think received 100 majority"
MONROE AND JOHN TYLER
Are you old enough to remember ?resi
dent Monroe, when he came to New York
City to spend the closing years Of his life? -
Yes. You must remember that ! am
Just 4 septuagenariau. ! was born in 1905
My father introduced President Monroe Ia
his wife, Mrs Gouserneur, of New York. 3"
You were not Tyler man IN any re-
spect ~
= Not at all. But formed Tyler's ac.
uuaiutance through my friendship for his
sou Roberts life who was lady Of this
city. and a very excellent one. Mrs. Rob
ert Tyser was the mistress of the White
House during the wii"wh"od of the Presi-
dent. My acquaintance with her took me
there
WAS he not 4 man of msdiocrity, oil
below it,
=" 10 no; think SO. lie was persua-
sivc, effective public speaker like most OF
the Virginia public mep Of that day. lie
was 4 gentleman, too. i'll behavior, aud had
4 very respectable mind
IL GRANTS CABINET.
II was speaking only to-day, sir, " it'll