The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-11-25

q would be gratified-that we should neve
have quarreled. What passed at that in
|, terview is too sacred to disclose. / wa
' deeply affected, and Governor McRae wept
like child The greatest orator of his age
lay slowly, gasping his life away, perfectly
conscious, and motionless as the efigy on a
, tomb. He had no vulgar fear of death.
; de viewed 1t as sacrament and a blessing
| a transition to higher and nobler sphere o.
. existence, and instead of surrounding him
sell with the dismal draPeries of the tomb,
! in his last moments, like the great Mira
beau, he called for music, flowers and per-
| fumes.
Fl The life of this extraordinary man is vet
to be written. The biography written by his
brother, is full of error of fact and is a
mere traversty of his character and career,
personal and political. 1t represents him as
a semi-saint and somewhat of puritan TO
please, L suppose, New England tastes when
all know he was the farthest possible remove
from saintliuess and puritansm. There was
none of the odor of the Mayfower about
him, and he more nearly resembled a devil
-me-care, dashing, reckless, brilliant,
chivalric cavalier of the times of Charles l.
No man living knew SIS. Prentiss better than
l did; he crossed my path, and 1 crossed
| his, in the last blow given to his fortunes.
We were early friends; bitter enemies; re-
conciled on the death bed. | have an eG-
allied conception of his genius, have outlined
! his life, and | think [ will write it, and I
can do it better than it has been done, with
! out calling on an any one for assistance.
Another singular incident happened to
me in connection with these Choctaw
Claims. Among the many whose enmity
incurred, was Col Charles Fisher, of Sails
bury, n. c., an ex member of Congress, an
| accomplished gentleman, holding large in
terest in the concern. He had vowed ven
geance, but had not challenged me, and we
had not met. One day-some two years
thereafter-I was sitting in my room in
New Orleans, half asleep, when hearing a
footstep, L looked up, and there stood Col.
Fisher! If had had pistol, | would have
shot him without word.
As it was, expected to be assassinated in
my chair.
He stood, speechless with establishment,
for full five minutes, and then, taking off his |
hat, he said; 'Sir, owe you an apology, |
| am here by mistake" and turned to 60 |
| rose and said, "Col. Fisher, you and | |
were once friends. We are too old to cher |
ish resentment" And | offered my hand. |
He took it cordially, and accepted a chair.
He then explained to me how he had got in
my room. He had friend, next door, in /
the same row, and supposed he was entering |
his apartment.
Thus ended the most serious, difficulty / !
ever had in my life. [ have lived to make
friends with all of the parties, and for many /
years have been at peace with all mankind.
| asked if the rencontre with Col. Fisher
did not admonish him to carry arms for
self protection.
"No, sir; such a case would probably
never again occur, and my temper was too
impetuous to trust myself with arms. Be-
Sides the laws forbid it, and [ have tried to
conform with the laws | confess, when |
was in the habit of travelling on the western
nj
were the rule, / used to carry cord, a tick
Ter of brandy, and bowie knife. The cord
was to enable me to make fioat-the bran
dy to sustain me in the water-and the
bowie knife to protect myself and craft
against some stronger man who might at
tempt to take it from me- I never carried {
arms ON any other occasion"
"You say" l remarked to Col. Claiborne, |
'that Mr.. Prentiss and yourself were both !
wrecked in fortune when you removed to
New Orleans. Men holding your social po-
sitions could easily have borrowed from the |
banks" t
81 do not know" was the answer "what /
Mr.. Prentss did, or intended to do. If he t
lad health, his profession was good for v
$4,000 year. l had to make my bread by t
journalism my wife inherited some proper C
~ my old friend, President Pierce, with 0
The delegations from Mississippi and c
Louisiana, arranged position for me, and b
got on my legs again. l had opposed the .
Banking system and its corruptions too b
ong ana persistentiy to seek favors of them
have never borrowed and never had law
uit, and no man holds paper with my
lame at the foot of it.
What position did you receive from Presi-
lent RierceY u
"Weil, l was longing to get on the sea- o
oast of Mississippi and in the pine woods e
uh6ro ''f'F' lorc | T
ny medical adviser, DIR. Austin, said must 0
% there. So [ proposed that 4 labama, Mis- l
issippi and Louisiana should be combined o
n one district and that the supervision Of. [
he public timber should be confided to me,
With an appropriate salary and a suitable g
llowance for outfit and transportation. a
he Senators and Representatives from the l
equest was complied with. The Govern t.
lent since the war has employed swarms of o
gents who fear assasslnations, and 60 c.
bout with military guards, and have caus- d
all sort of trouble to our people. [ was t.
be sole agent for three States. l travelled b
lone, often with large sum of money on a
ly person. l frequently made seizures, L
nd the rudest and most desperate men 81
ielded to the supremacy of law, and in no C:
lstance resisted my authority. l never W
ad to make an arrest or institute a prose- A
1tion. Parties promptly compromised,
nd no act of mine, and no account render Fl
by me, was disapproved, disputed or re- NJ
cted by the authorities at Washington. h,
We were then divided into Wings and os
and party spirit ran high. 1 G
Iade it a rule if caught Democrat tres
lssing, to make him pays little more than
had charged WING, to keep down even
lie suspicion of partisan action on my A
art.
| was, of course, re-appointed by Presi-
ent Buchanan, whom | had known init T,
ately from my first entrance into public
fe and held the position until l was
fcially notified that the three States had sa
ceded, and the United States could give bl
} protection. re
Zone more question" said l Colonel II
laiborne. "What do you think of our po- Y,
teal condition p I!
Simply was the answer chat we are in a -
ate of transition, and no man can predict u
e result. The Government of our fathers Ell
e noblest structure of human wisdom ry
'rished in the war. 1t will never, and sc
n never be restored. We have indeed the ia
epublic-the grandest that ever existed he
1t it Is sectional, not constitutional. -
reat Britain has no written constitution, u
1t under the customs, maxims and tradi- LIT
1ns of thousand years there are sufficient VI
Ilwarks against usurpation and oppression, he
ID it is the safest government on earth To-
nave no TRADITIONS, no common law, m
d are controlled by universal suffrage and
pular majorities, and subjected to the rule ..r
the ignorant and alien. :
There Is no permanent security for us SIC
t In strong national government to pre- tie
we the peace, repress disorders, and de- at
lop the great resources of the country. SD
general attempt to revive our old doc ar
ne of Estate rights will end in the loss of o.
3 remnant that has survived the war;" 81
Col Claiborne was born in 1909 and is On
preserved, for a man of his en-
ars. He is straight as an Indian, walks fol-
pidly and firmly, attends to all the de- tn
Is of large cotton plantation, near hu
Itchez, the hereditary estate of his wife, Sh
4 In arita Of all Il. .n..on 1r,I -