National Republican., 1883-05-30
SOME FAMOUS AMERICANS.
Col. Jacob Thompson Tells what He
Known About Them.

Known About Them.
Col Jacob Thompson has been furnishing
MeriWether's Weekly with some recollections Of
famous men, and though his views are some
what tainted, they are readable, and given
for what they are worth Calhoun, he said,
always dressed neatly, neither too much nor
too little. Webster wore a great coat with
long tails, and invariably decorated with
large metal buttons. Clay generally appeared
a little ncgligc, his cravat always tied loosely
aud flowing. Clay always considered an
overrated man. lie was hail-fellow-well ell-mct,
full of magnetism, splendid speaker for
tho masses, but far from tho philosopher and
profound statesman that Calhoun was AS
an orator ho excellod all his oppOnonts
Silas Wright, of Now York, was also great
speaker. He always took deep drink just
before beginning q speech, after which ho
would start off with stream of cold polished
eoquencc. The fiery orators were all from
the south. Foote, of Mississippi, was a regular
skirmisher, and made great deal of noise in
tho senate. lie took all sides Of all questions,
and never really had much weight His
learning, however, was wonderful, and no
man of that day was more apt or accurate in
q classical quotation. | remember his ,cele1
brated debate with Benton, in which the lat
ter was completely scathed. The current
has very incorrect report of that same
scene. Foote was pouring forth torrent of
biting invectivc, so scathing that Benton
fairly writhed. At last he sprang up and ad7
vanced as if to attack Footc. Foote small,
slim, and wiry, was not so large as Benton,
but stood his ground, wheroupon Benton
turned and left the senate. II was ut that
moment that Foote pointing his long finger
at the retrcnting figure of the senator, re-
pcated that famous line from Cicero against
Catalinc, which translated means:
g. lie turns, he turns, he llies'
Benton was very concoited man. He
possessed considerable learning and a talent
for what might be called compilations II
is rather difficult TO properly estimate his
standing. He had bulldog pertinacity, which
always goes q long way. Benton was n large
man, something like Stanton. Stanton, Lin
coins secretary of war, was burly, stout, fat
and thick set. He was u very good lawyer,
but not to be compared with any of the giants
who preceded him The last thing Stanton
said to me after the secession Of South Caro-
lima was, Thompson, you are going away
neither of usknows when this thing is going
to end, but | want you to promise mo one
thing
"'What Isl itT asked.
"' If ever you are in a position where l can
help you, | want you to call on me-
/ promised, and we separated. Notwith-
standing this voluntary assurance OF good
will, there was no man in the north more
vindictive against mo than that very Stanton
He had every reason to be friendly toward
me. We had served together in the cabinet,
and it was l who first lifted him up. When
/ was secretary of the interior under Bu'
chanan l controlled tho judicial fund, and
appointed Stanton to defend the interests o
the United States in the Almeden Qucksilvei
mine case in California. The fee Stanton go
was $4,000, and lifted him from absolute
poverty to position and final wealth. IL,
forgot all that, though, and was violently on
posed to me all through the war. Seward
was gentleman in bearing very dignifed
and in conversation, utelligent-somethinI
of tho professors face, tall, lean man
large features, heavy eyebrows, never me
Lincoln after '6l, but knew him well b .fort
that date. He and l served in the same con
gress. Lincoln was always q great bufioon
He made congress laugh and that was all. l.
anybody had pointed him out, when he wa
n member of the house in lSl5, as futur
president, the joke would have been consid
cred worse than an April fool affair Ont
of the speeches that Lincoln made durin
the Mexican war was quite humorous
He was opposed to the war and wen
into curious speculation us TO tht
length of the line of wagons that would b
required to hold the money spent on the wal
He estimated that SO many dollars could b
gotten into wagon, that it would require $
much TO carry on the war, and finally, be
lieve, calculated that the line of wagon
would be three miles long,
"Now you may raise the money to carr,
on that war he said, but, gentlemen, wher
can we raise money to buy so man.
wagonsp" .''