Daily globe., 1883-10-04
VALLANDIGHAM,
characteristics of the Noted Leader
in His Early Manhood.
"Gath" in Cincinnati Enquirer.

"Gath" in Cincinnati Enquirer.
Vallandigham's habits were better than
those of preachers SONS in the average He
had pride of character, pride of appearance,
and was more ambitious than his rules would
seem to Indicate One of his schoolmateS de-
scribes him as slender, hawk-nosed and eagle
eyed, and very handsome. His morals were
SC pure in youth and his life so exemplary
that people wondered he was not a member
OF the church. At college labor and thought
were his amusements, and his only
relaxation was to take long walks,
thinking intensely. A good many southern
students came to the college provided with
spending money and with spreeing habits.
He would not go with them because he had
not the money to return their hospitality.
Strange that this man should become the
principal defender of the south in the northl
Some people thought that when he was
young he was eccentric, sef-willod, too
proud, too reckless Of opposition; but others
said that his passions were honorable and
warm. He was greatly devoted TO his
mother, was very careful about his expendi-
lures, was exacting in his love and in his
hate. His elements of character arose from
the constituents of his nervous system; he
"Val,n as he was called started to study
politics at the age of 16, and at 90 was red
hot Then he made his first political speech
before he was voter at Democratic meet
ing in Calcutta, in Columbiana county. He
spoke a whole hour and attracted great at
tention, so much SO that ne was carried Off
on the shoulders of the crowd. He soon be-
gan to debate on the stump with the Wings,
and being taken to task for his youth be re-
piled sharply and hotly, and they dropped
their personalities. His bearing on tho stump
was always courageous, self-reEant and fine.
In the village of New Lisbon Wing citizen
attacked him with stick, but was knocked
down with his own stick by the young man.
Although small mob was raised by this
act, it served Vallandigham for all the rest
of his life, as he was never again attacked
1t is said that his first client was Quaker
who had been cheated in horse trade, and
who employed Vallandigham before he was
a member of the bar. The case came on at
Salem in q carpenter shop. Vallandigham
denounced the horsetrader with such fury
that he got up and threatened to whip him
then and there, but was defied in kind.
1T the age of 90 he was admitted to the
supreme and other courts of the state at
Columbus, and went into business with his
elder brother at New Lisbon, who afterward
left the bar to become q preacher. The fine
speaking of VaIlandigham, coupled with his
fine appearance, his large mouth filed with
regular white teeth, and the energy and con-
centration he gave to every speech and act,
soon made their impression. He kept study
ing the law hard, though he did not like it as
much as politics, and looked forward TO day
when he could go to the senate and step
practice Among the rules lie wrote in 1873
were these: always prefer my country,
and the whole country, before any and all
considerations of party. To calm and
harmonic the conflicting interests and Sec
tional jealousies OF the north and south.
Always to support religion, morality and
education.n
At 25 he was sent to the state legislature as
a Democrat. 1t was not forty years ago.
He made another set Of rules to guide him in
the legislature, and indeed appears to have
been young man Of the hard, regular, cast
iron pattern, who advanced on everything as
if it was very important. He lacked many
of the elements Of nature, and constructed
himself into an artificial man, and seemed
constantly afraid that he would drop from
that height or be misinterpreted. Hence his
pride in the course of years threw him into
positions he probably never designed to oc-
cupy, and there were signs toward the end Of
his life that he would have taken different
path if he had known better. His tempera-
ment was too much his guide. His first
speech was in defense of the common schools
and the state institutions