Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-24
CHAT.

There is a striking difference between
the language of General Drum and that
of Judge Thayer, of Philadelphia. Drum,
the euphemistic, calls the sweet but rudely
culled flower of chivalry, Major A. II.
Nickerson, to answer charges "unbecoming'
an officer (frst) and a gentleman Qast), as
if the two characters might be adjustable
with the distinction and exaltation ahead
for the officer.
On the other hand, il the plebeian ranks
this cold-blooded brutal Judge with ruth
less literalness fixes the Nickerson business
in this unfeeling fashion:
The whole proceeding, so far as the ibellant
was concerned, was from beginning to end
fraudulent. The charge against his wife was
wholly false, the pretended domicile of the
hbellant was false and the testimony that his
wife had LETT him without his consent was false.
1t was fraud upon his wife, upon the court,
and doubt not unon the respectable counsel
who represented him. There never was any
just cause for the divorce. So far as the injur
ed wife was concerned, she was innocent of the
pretended charge brought against her and in alb
solute Ignorance of the whole proceeding until
informed by her mothers telegram that the
wrongful and oppressive purpose which 1t was
intended to accomplish had been cOusummated.
great wrong has thus been perpetrated under
the forms of law which the oTrt must make
haste to redress without delay. 1t is a reproach
to justice and to the state of Pennsylvania that
her laws upon such subject should be in con
dition which renders the commission of such d
1agrant and nefari0Us fraud possible.
"Flagrant and nefarious fraud" says
Judge Thayer il his demurrer.
conduct unbecoming an officer (frst)
and gentleman CAST says General
Drum.
Altogether conduct too base for the av-
erage common man, and generally outside
the sphere of his possibility in refined in
iquity.
The reading of these army things i:
downright fun in such cases.
It's like having preaching from Chester
field or D'Orsay, where the bastinado should
be the text.
There is q good deal of grave nonsense
tolerated because it is military nonsense.
There is a curious concession of its RICH
Of way on all occasions and for socialIarro
gsnce the spectacle isn't at all elevatine
when you muse on its foundation the gift O.
the people to be chiefly used t.
conquer them, the donors, with a semb
lance of aristocracy savoriug of that ripe
caste in excuses of the Nickerson- How
gate and Morrow sort.
Col. Morrow is financial rake, and thi:
little item is commemorative of his recen
unbecoming mess:
Relative to Col. Morrow, all sorts of report
are adOat; one report Is that he sold duplicated
pay accounts to meet obligations incurred il
speculations in oil. Another is that he los
money heavily in poker club, which is Located
in an elegant mansion on Massachusetts avenue
and which has among its members men o
national reputation. 1t is alleged that one man
holding high position, has lost $50, 900 in thi
club within the last year.
To be sure all these misdemeanors ar,
emphasized to Us because the actors ar
such superlatiye order of beings tina
their lndlscretions are outlined with tn
utmost refinement of accusation.
Erskine desert bed the devil as a grea
celestial states mau out of place, and We
he didn't belong to the army. 1 meal
Erskine didn't. although he is quite equa
to Drum in polite ound-about-ism.
Some time ago 1 saw photograph O
Heine and the long, smooth, refined fac
was a fascinating visage to study, but
knew If brought it home to hang up tina
L couldn't see it without recalling the rev
Citations just given to the world and EN-
bodied in the following excerpt:
Alexander WE'LL, for whose Pictures of Al
satan Life and Manners Heine wrote prefac
in l647, and who enjoyed the poets confidenc
to an unusual degree, has just published i
Paris a volume entitled souvenirs intime
d'Henri Heine.'' Some hitherto unpublishe
facts regarding Heine's wife, whose death oc
; CURED only short time ago, are given, whic
throw a curious light upon the relations of thi
queer couple. Disputes ending with blows wer
not wanting. every once in a while,'' We'll
says, 'Heine would say to me: MY wife vii
have to have another beating The day chosel
for the execution of the irate husbands threa
was generally Monday. As a preliminary h
would draw down the shades of the window ant
then begin with his helpless fists to pummeI tn
! fair shoulders Of Mathilde: Take this for tbi
and that word, and this for some other fault.
Mathilde, much stronger than her husband. al
lowed herself TO be beaten and would only repl7
whiningy: Was ever such man seen tina
beats his COR wife! Well, why don't you com,
and help He:' Heine would only laugh an(
continue to beat her. All Of q sudden, with ;
dragging her husband with her, and the tw,
would scream and roll over and over on tn,
carpet: Once or twice l could not help sayins
to the TWO: 'Are you not ashamed to quarre
and fight in this manner like two dogs?' anC
then [ would go away. When they had Tough
enough reconciliation generally followed, tn
price Of which was always either bonnet,
shawl or a cloak
Notwithstanding this ''unbeeomingness'
one could think pityingly of Helne
stretched for eight agonizing years on hi
''mattress-grave," dying slowly of soften
ing of the spinal marrow, until at last hi
body was almost wholly paralyzed. Thu
sight of one eye was gone, and he coult
only use the other as he lifted the paralyzeG
lid with his fingers.
The last walk of Heine was in the Boule
wards, May, 1S48, and the populace wa:
astir with revolutionary impulse. The
surging crowd was too much for the dis
abled semi-blind poet, stumbling along
with his stick, and he sought refuge in the
the Louvre. He found the palace deserted
and going into the room on the ground
floor whore stand the ancient gods and
goddesses, he came to the pedestal of the