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

d. own adjoining plantations, and one has bee
y mistaken for the other"
N These good men were greatly relieved
Ill and before we parted for the night, the
of gave me their, special blessing.
o But now for the sequel Our next az
te pontment was for DeKAlb, kemper county
pi Parties there were pretty equally balanced
ne and proposed to secure as many votes q
l. possible from the opposition. l addresse'
myself particularly, several times and IN
d complimentary way, TO a certain ITCH
t sporting gentleman, who controlled tn
e. opposition. l made the desired impression
n as / thought, and directly after my speech
Is he took me by the arm, and led me out o
n ear-shot of the crowd. This alone, wa
IS good for fifty votes. He then said, "OlC
e fellow, [ saw your game, but 1t was no
r necessary; we are going for you, not fol
l. your id politics, but on account Of yonn
i horses l won a cool thousand on your Guy
d the last race, and hope to win i've thous-
: and next time"
| perceived the mistake, but deemed II
unnecessary to explain, and merely said
: Sol, if the religious folks hear this, they
: will go against me-"
Il know that" said he, eve all under
e stand it,. and will be mum until after the
election" Before | left Dekalb, he handed
me a list of turf men on my route of travel,
| who were in the secret, and | always found
them o. K"
'FYou have-asked me for my portrait. I
never had one taken, nor will there be
monument or marble over my remains.
will sleep better under the daisies and vio-
lets, and the only inscription will be FAITH
Great historical events are the proper sub
jects of commemoration. The Pyramids
and the Assyrian inscriptions, are the re-
cords of mighty nations. But any attempt
to perpetuate frail mortality, to reverse
the Supreme decree, dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return by gaudy
monuments and chiseled panegyrics, | con-
slider profane. For myself when l die, l
invoke the charity of silence"
Being pressed to have his photograph
taken, that it might accompany this sketch,
Col. Claiborne gave his reasons for declining.
He said that "many years ago, being in an
old mansion in Virginia, which had be-
longed to a family sprung from the proud
est Normans that followed the Conqueror
into England, he missed the portraits that
had once adorned the walls He was told
that they had been seized by the Sheriff for
| debt, and tossed about and ridicuied by the
| vulgar crowd, and he then resolved never
| to risk subjecting his portrait to similar
indignity. He said that in England, where
estates are entailed, and titles of honor
| respected, portraits might be proper enough
| but in this country, they are not secure
| for two generations"
| The writer said to Col. Claiborne: "You
have mingled much with the world. You
have moved in the highest circles Of fashion,
and lived on familiar terms with the great
| statesmen of your country, and you have |
| followed various pursuits, in what vocation, !
were you happiest?"
''When 1 was journalist" was the |
prompt reply. "The work was purely in |
tellectual. 1t gave employment to my |
brain, and scope to my imagination. 1t !
brought me into attrition with men of |
superior minds, and my ambition and en-
thusiasm were kept at the proper point.
l learned to form a higher estimate of |
others, as well as the necessity of effort and /
study on my own part, to reach higher
plane. 1t taught me to be Just, cautious
and impartial, and, in this respect, is far
b6tter teacher than the pulpit or the bar.
In my early editorial days, / used, foolish
ly, to engage in squabbles with other writers,
but during the last five years of my edito-
rial life, | never had a controversy. If
editors k1aeO each other, we should seldom
hear Of these improbable strivings.
While | was conducting the Courier in
New Orleans, Mr.. James Robb, President
of the New Orleans and Great Northern
R. R., wishing to obtain a modification of
the charter, employed me to go to Jackson,
giving me cd;-.tee blanche. as to expenses. |
engaged large room at the Mansion House,
in which were a bed and a lounge. One
night, after l had retired, the landlord
came in and said "The hotel is crowded,
| have a friend just arrived from Vicksburg,
and not even blanket to give him. VIII
you, sir, as great favor, permit him to oc-
cupy your lounge" Certainly" | an
swered, "bring him i'm He came, making
many apologies, and said he had not brought
light lest he should disturb me. We
fell into conversation, and seemed SO pleased
with each other, differing on some matters,
but agreeing on many, that we talked until
the clock struck three,
In the morning, / saw a handsome, intel
lectual, military looking man before me- | !
with countenance indicating the highest |
traits of manhood. When the cocktails
had ordered were brought in, said; ''Sir,
you interested me so much last night, l am +
anxious to make your acquaintance, and :
beg to know your name" -"Sir," said he | :
81 was just about to make the same request
of you. My name is McCardle." q
l started back in establishment. "What |" 3
said 1, mot Col. VIM. II. McCardle, of the t
Vicksburg Whig?" .
Eyes, sir" said he, looking quite sur
prised "may / ask your name p .
claiborne" said l. Y
'Good God not Col. J. F. H. Claiborne, !;
Of the Louisiana Courier ~ h
eyes, sir, the same" q
We stared at each other for five minutes, a
and then hearty laugh, and the clinking q
Of glasses, and two more cocktails followed ! !,
We had often exchanged paper bullets; we
lad each conceived the other to be a sort of T
editorial monster; the conversation in the n
darkness had attracted US to each other, | n
md from that moment, we have been close I
md cordial friends" II
1t was remarked to Col. Claiborne, that n
lie had lived many years in cities, environed
~ social temptations, and he was asked Il
bo baA aaanoH fhQu7 Ho soi1
lelicate health compelled me to be always Ii
IN my guard. ot
Secondly, in my leisure moments, pre- az
erred the society of women to that of the m
lubs and owe much to their refining and
conservative influence. q
Thirdly, made it rule in New Orleans /;
o go to bed at dark, and to be up with the
un." At
Col. Claiborne tells me that owing to n
elicate health he never became a Mason, n
odd Fellow or knight Templar, and never NJ
elonged to a social or political club. With e.
ne entree for many years, as editor, to r
very place of public amusement, he never hi
the theatre unless to hear some q
reat actor render the plays of Shakespeare. h,
In reply to my questions if he had not ii
cen frequently involved in personal con- b,
roversies having been prominent for so ar
lany years, in political excitements, he v
aid Ar
every rarely; many with whom 1 diff pc
red politically, were my best friends of
)uring all the excitement of the contested
lection, my relations with Mr.. Prentiss br
ere perfectly friendly. He visited me Sc
lille was sick in Washington. My &C. We
uaintance with him commenced when he A
as a stranger-young. poor and diffident- tr
saching school in the family of my relative, til
Irs. VIM. B. Shields, and afterwards here,
/ the family of my wife's mother. He W.
coupled this very Office. There stood his We
ed. This was the table on which he wrote. ra
[ere are the Greek and Latin authors that Ia
e read. Here is a leaf of Plato turned n,
nrrr, hv him Hara in this CrnaIr tranadr | nm