The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-04-04

II was in this canvass that Mr.. Corwin ao
quired the great National reputation he
afterward enjoyed.
IL was during that ever memorable can
vass of 1910 the writer first heard him speak.
He held an audience of 10000 people spell
bound for three hours; language dropped
from his lips as beautiful and as brilliant as
rays of the mondays sun; be was at that
time in his zenith. with all the pride and
strength of manhood, his hair as black as
the ravens wing. his person about i've feet
ten inches in height, round, symmetrical
form, heavy, without being corpulent; such
was Governor Corwin when first knew him.
In 1919 be wss defeated for Governor. A
few years later he was elected to the United
States Senate, and while there he made
what was known as his Mexican War speech.
This speech rendered him unpopular at the
time ;many of his political friends thought it
impolitic, however much they approved his
doctrine. Mr.. Polk in his message to Con-
gress said that ''war existed by the acts OF
Mexico, that American blood had been shed
upon American soil" To this Mr.. Corwin
dissen;ed. which brought out his great
speech, which foresAadOwed what afterwArd
became q matter of history. In this
speech he used the language which the
advocates of the War used against him
he said: Were l a Mexican as. 1 am an
American, | would meet you with bloody
hands, ard welcome you to hOspitabe
graves" L do not think that this speech was
ever. published in full in al opposition
paper, but garbled extracts taken from 1t
and commented on; that speech TO day
stands recorded as one of the greatest ever
made in the United States Senate, and
ranl ed with Mr. Webster's reply to Hayne
on notification in 1882. His arguments were
considered unanswersbie at the time and yet
remain unanswered after lapse OF thirty
seven years. As mark of disapprobation
some of the citizens of slave holding States
burned Mr. Corwin in effigy. Ia February,
1S49 the writer wasintroduced to Mr.. COrwin
by Edward A. McGaughey, then member OF
Congress from the Greenczstle District. Mr..
McGaughey was a warm, personal, as well as
political, friend of the Governor. was in
troduced as an admirer of his Mexican war
speech. While yet holding my hand aud
with a twinkle of his eye he remarked TO
Mr.. McCIaughey: Then, This is not one OF
my friends who burned ms in ethgy." Ad-
dressing himself to me he said: Il have al
ways been thankful that the old clothes they
burned were stuffed with straw and other
rubbish instead of the body of Tom Cor
win"
When Mr. Fillmore was called TO the
Presidency b. the death of President Tay
lOr, Mr.. Corwin was made Secretary of the
Treasury. His selection as Secretary was
III consequence OF MS CONSERVATIVE course
on the question of slavery, although OPP
posed to the ms ;itution in the abstract, he
was opposed to any innovation upon the
rights OF the Southern States. He was no
favorite OF the political abOlitionists of his
day. He was appointed by Mr. Lincoln
Minister 70 Mexico which think was the
last Official position be held. After he re.
turned from Mexico be commenced the
practice of law in Washington CITY.
On the evening OF the 18th OF December,
1865, while in attendance at a banquet
given to some distinguished Ohioans in
Washington, and while entertaining some
of his friends with some OF his interesting
anecdotes, as was his wont, he was stricken
with aDOpiexy and in two hours was I'M
conscious aud iemaiued so until the 18th Of
the same month, when, as writer described
il at the time. "a soul with language more
eloquent than Patrick Henry, more
beautiful than Sheridan, more graceful
than Cicero, went back to the God VINO
made IT," / think the tiZens of the great
State of Ohio owe it to posterity, owe it to
the Nation, owe it to themselves to place a
fitting monument over the grave of one
who has shed so much luster upon her
name, as one of the great men of the Ma
ton, the associate and peer of Webster
Clay, Calhoun, Douglass, Cass, Benton, Sew
ard, and many other Senators who have
passed away and with whom be now sleeps.
J. II. b. NowLASD.
March u 1SS3