The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-05-03
0LD.TIiIE POLITICS.
An Eccentric Law-Maker.-H How q
Member Knew How to Vote and
How He Was Caught Up.
To the Editor Of the Enquirer:

IN lne Senate. he was q member OF the
Convention that formed the present Con.
stitu,ion OF Ohio.
In 1St0, then . resident lawyer in
Woods6eld, Mr. Archbold took an active
part IN the "Tippecanoe and Tyler too"
campaign against Mr.. Van Buren,, the
Democratic nominee for President Be-
fore the campaign ended-when all the
clouds presaeing Democratic defeat
we're gathering fast over Democratic
prospects s--Mr. Archbold lett the Whig
party and arraged his fortunes with the
Democracy. In that ill.fated campaign
he was almost the only convert from the
Wing 10 the Democratic faith, and the
Democracy crowed Justify over 1t. 1t
Was all they had to crow over.
Mr.. Archbold had fair classical edu.
cation. was good lawyer, ana at times
an effective political speaker. Brt when
be commenced no one could more than
guess whether the speech would be o
good one or mott:
"Great wit to madness is so near allied
That their partitions do their bounds divide" J"
SO says the npoet, and so it was With
Archbold He was so erratic that many
doubted bis entire sanity. Like Hamlet,
none could tell when the insane fit was
on him, or when 1t was not. He had q
large, hut not lucrative, legal practice at
the bar, but the attorneys fees we're
email. - = ~
4: As writer he was voluminous. His
Legislative replies were all strong in
their argument and well written. His
letters. a. he was faithful correspond
ent, were always long, filing every inch
OF the paper on which he wrote. In these
be slways spoke Of himself as the "sub.
scriber," and was fond Of quoting from
q favorite English. author Macintost-
more thsn any other. A ruutual friend,
in Washington at the time, in speaking
OF these peculiarities Ut Archbold, said
that at the commencement Of the war
Of the rebellion, Mr.. Archbold wrote q
letter to his Representative In Congress,
Hon. James R. Morris, in favor Of 9
strong effort to put down secession. The
letter, filing four closely written pages
of foolscap, was read to my Informant
all but the last paragraph. He stopped
the reading by declaring that Archbold
never wrote that letter. "Why not ?"
because" was the reply, 'he never in
bis life wrote letter OF that length on
so grave . subject without quoting Mac
intosh, or some other English writer, and
never wrote one in his life without call
ing himself the subscriber" "Hold
on" was the reply, 'suntil finish It,"
The next words in the letter we're: "But
the subscriber is excited. He must be
more or less than man, says Sir James
Nacintssh, who in times of popular ex-
citement warns not in the common
blaze That established the authenticity
Of the letter beyond dispute.
Tue lrst session Mr. Archbold was a
member OF The House q Mr.. Bryson was
elected from the Legislative District OF
which Darke County was part. He
had been an Associate Judge of the
county, knew but littleyabout legislation,
and ashamed to acknowledge his igno.
rance Bryson got the idea that Arch.
bold Was the Democfstis leader in the
Heuse aend that he, ssra Wing, must
vote on every question the opposite Of
ArchbqA Reading the list in alpha.
betical frder, on q .csll%of the yeas and
nays, Archbold's name came first, that
OF Bryson second. Regularly at roll call
when Afchboid voted yea, Bryso voted
nay. This. did we'll enough on political
questions, but in general legislation it
didn't spewer, for, on several occasions,
Bryson voted in direct opposition to the
Wishes and interests Of his constituents.
because -ArchboId voted in their favor.
Joseph S. Hawkins, OF Preble, ,afterward,
the Whig Speaker OF the House, living
as lie did in an adjoining county, and
knowing most Of Bryson's constituents.
finally at The request ofthe Darke Coun-
ty. Wings, was constituted Bryson's
guardian, to tell him how to vote, and
Alter ,hst there WAS no further trouble.
except that poor Bryson lost confidence
in human nature when he found that,
sometimes, he had to vote as Archbold
voted.
T While member OF the House, for
something or for nothing. Mr.. Archbold
got mad at the "Ohio Statesman" then
edited by Colonel Medary, and in one
OF bis numerous speeches be attacked
the editor and'his newspaper. Colonel
Medary never was the man. to turn his
left cheek when smiten on his right, and
10 reply. he gave Archbold . terrible
raking. The ..Ohio Press" newsps.
per started by Judge Tappan, and edited
BY his son, to break the Ohio States.
man down. offered chance for Arch.
bold to reply. and, over bis own sigma
nature, he published q communication
occupying : whole page Of the Press,
which, for bitter, vindictive words and
slanderous charges was scarcely ever
eqnaled.. Yeats after, when Archbold,
Was in the Senate, General Goddard, ot
Muskinguun, in speech made an attsck
on Medary, then prolific source OF
Whig dislike, and ArchboId rose ia his
defense. While Archbold was speaking
General Goddard sent to the State Ii
hrary and got hound volume of the
Press with Archbold's article on Med
ary in it He read the choicest of the
charges, and asked Archbold If be re.
membered them. ."Yes,' was the reply,
II wrote them; but ! was mad at the
time" "Then YOU didn't believe them
to be true when You wrote them ?" II
did believe them when ! wrote them /;
but ] tell you / was mad; and when q
man is mad he believes every thing. no
matter how preposterous, that be either
writes or utters." There was 80 much
Of truth and Of human nature in this
reply that 1t deprived Goddard of bis
choicest weapons. and the friends OF
xrchbold clsimed for him the victory.
On the street, while walking alone,
Mr.. ArchboId's gestures we're such as to
give rise to the general belief that be
was concocting bis speeches. A swift
walk, at times almost amounting to q
run, would be when be poured forth a
food OF eIoquence; the clenched fist
struck foIcibly downward was when, 10
4 q L n. 4