The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-05-07
SELECT LITERATURE.
"REMINISCENCES OF WASHINGTON
The Fillmore Administration from 1850 TO
1858.
CONCLUDED

Among other occasional correspondents
was Aaron \. Sargent, afterwards Scna
tor from California, who was 4 compost
tor in the printing office where the de
bates of Congress were published. lie
was on intimate terms with the anti
slavery Representatives. and accidentally
learned that one of them, Mr.. Singer
land, of Albany, had got a correspond
ent named Stevens to write letter on
political matters, which be had signed,
and sent home for publication as his own.
An allusion in the cpistle to the Rev. Mr..
Slicer. ranting pro-slavery Methodist,
who was then chaplain of the Senate,
elected IL bitter reply from that gentle
man, which appeared in Tile iHion news
paper Mr.. Stevens, who was man of
ability, wrote on answer for SingerlaId
to sign and publish, but it was so cred
hot" to use phrase of that time, that
the Congressman was afraid to assume
the responsibility of it. While he was
endeavoring to have it toned down, Mr..
Sargent got hold of Stevens draught,
signed Singcrland' name to it, and for
warded it to New York for publication,
The second morning afterwards, Stevens
went into Singerland's room, and found
him in great distress over copy of the
New York Tribune containing the letter
over his signature. He upbraided Ste
| Int at In CT 1,,h
protestations of innocence that he had
not sent it. and concluded that it was
Sargent. Fearing an assault from Par
son Slicer, Singerland went that day to
the Capitol by a circuitous route, and
was relieved from his fright only when
Giddings and other Radicals compliment
ed him OIL his manly letter
President Fillmore receptions were
always well attended, and they were the
only large social gatherings then held at
Washington, with the exception Of occa-
sional entertainments given by Mr.. Cram
ton, who so ably represented Queen Vic
tora-a noble specimen of the fine old
English gentleman, whose hair was pre-
maturcly silvered by time. At these re-
ceptions one could see near together gal
| liant officers of the army and 'coloncls -
of the "lobby engineer corps diplo-
mates whose breasts blazed with decora.
| tions and 'chevaliers d 'industrie y with
out regulations: exquisitcS in full evening
attire and frontiersmen in buckskin hunt
ing suits; Quakers with their hats on
| their heads and ladies' with their dresses
off their shoulders-old and young. the
good and the great, all contributing to
make up Kaleidoscope whirl of silks
and broadcloths, epaulets and diamonds,
| that circlcd round the East Room to the
music of the marine band
There were chops at the hotels, din
ner parties given by lobbyists at Boulan-
| GERS restaurant, and many small social
entertainments, to which only those who
were politically i'll sympathy with the
host were invited. As the time for hold
ing the nominating conventions approach
ed, many of the delegates visited Wash
ington, where they received marked hos
pitality from the candidates who were
there, and from the friends of all. The
supporters of Judge Douglas were espe-
cally demonstrative, and their head
quarters was famed for its abundant
supply Of whisky and cigars, and as Il
mint where there was I daily coinage of
epigrams, witticisns, and quaint sayings
which were circulated every where in
| Washington. Their merciless attacks Oh
"ten-ccnu jimmy Buchanan, and on
Cass, whose reputation was beyond the
G, proved fatal to the hopes of those vet
eran members of the party who deserved
more considerate treatment. The friends
| of these "old fogies determined in turn
that Douglas should be slaughtered also,
and great excitement prevailed at Wash
| ington for some weeks before the Ma
| tional Democratic Convention assembled
at Baltimore.
The sessions of the convention were
long and stormy and it was on the thir-
| ty-fifth ballot that the name of General
Franklin Pierce was brought forward,
| for the first time, by the Virginia dcicga-
ton. Some other States voted for the
| New Hampshire brigadier, but it did not
seem possible that he could be nominated,
and the next day, on the forty eighth
ballot, Virginia gave her vote for Daniel
S. Dickinson, of New York. 1t was re-
ceived with great applause, but Mr.. Dick
inson, who was delegate pledged to the
support of Cass. was too honorable man
to accept what he thought belonged to
his friend. Receiving permission to ad-
dress the convention. he eloqucntly with
drew his own name, and pleaded so earn
estly for the nomination of General Cass
that he awakened the enthusiasm of the
audience, and received a shower of bou-
quets from the ladies in the galleries, to
which he gracefully alluded ''as a rose
bud in the wreath of his political des-
tiny"
The convention at last, on the forty
ninth ballot. nominated General Pierce
Purse. his friends called him,-a gen
tleman of courteous temper, highly agree
able manners, and convivial nature. He
had served in the recent war with Mexico:
he had never given 4 vote or written a
sentence that the straightest Southern
Democrat could wish to blot; and he was
identified with the slave power, having
denounced its enemies as the enemies of
the Constitution. William II. King. at
that time President pro tem. of the Sen
ate, was nominated for Vice Prcsident.
receiving every vote except the eleven
given by the delegation from Illinois,
which were for Jefferson Davis.
Cass and Douglas were at first much
provoked by the action of the conven-
ton, but Buchanan gracefully accepted
the situation. "You judge me rightly,
he wrote to Southern political friend,
- in believing that | have borne defeat
with philosophy: it has not cost me Il sin
ole pang. The support | received from
the Old Dominion and her noble sisters
of the South will be a source of satisfac-
ton to me SO long as | shall live. Still,
when | see such man as IIallett, of
Boston, elevated to the rank of high
priest in the Democratic church, | can
not avoid modification. | have long Oh