The Washington critic., 1885-09-24
WASHINGTON CRITIC THURSDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 1895

secret, or with the knowledge of a
limited few, which plans have not yet
been sufficiently mGturcd to be made
public. The influence of Miss Glove
lands example isapparcnt in the direc-
tion which these literary ventures arc
tnking. One lady, hitherto II butter.
fly of fashion. presents to the world
her views on the Lack Of Dramatic
Force in George Elliots Writings.
Another has got beyond her title page
which reads, Flowers and Thorns in
Our Garden; A Social Satire on Wash
ington and New York" There IL Il
suggestion of some revelations both
timely and taking in "Thc Seryility Of
Some Office Seekers" "iftcr- Dinner
Speeches ~ is anything but compila.
lion i affords "A cover simply for men
and things
a#s
Ono Of The great events Of the coming
year at Washington will be the memo.
rial services which Congress will hold
in honor Of General Grant, aud if, as
has been suggested, Roscoe Conkling
should be chosen to pronounce the
eulogy, his speech will probably go
down to postcrty as one of The great
specimens of American cloquonce.
Carp of the LGadcr talked with ex.
Postmaster. General Cresswell about
Conkling at Mount lIacGrcgor while
Grant was lying in his coffin not a
stones throw away from where they
were speaking, Said he: 81 consider
Roscoe Conliling the greatest debuter
on earth. His command of language
surpasses that of any public man
know. lie uses many uncommon words,
and in such a way that his shade Of
meaning is expressed in the shortest
and most forciblc manner. His speech
nominating Grant at Chicago was one
of the greatest Orations of our history.
Do you remember the verse with which
he began it2" Eyes" said l., at was
something like this"
"If you ask me whence my candidate,
My sole reply shall be,
lie comes from AppomattoX
And its famous apple tree
"Wcll," continued the General, Il can
tell you where Conkling got that verse.
IT was not original with him, but was
the work of friend Some time before
the convention he and this friend were
out riding together and the friend read
TO Mr.. Conkling poem which he had
been writing about Grant. The above
was one of the verses Of the poem
When it was read Conkling said:
"That is a good thing, and may have
occasion to use it," He then made the
poet read ii over several times until he
had ii thoroughly committed to memory.
The steady applause of full fifteen min
utes which followed it when he uttered
it at Chicago showed that he was not
mistaken in its value "Doyou think
Conkling has any political futurc?"
| asked. "lIe may have" "
was the reply, "but it seems
to me only in one emergency If
Il mighty issue should come before the
country and the people should become
involved in it to such an extent that
the issue overshadowed the men who
represented it, Conkling might come to
the front rs one of the great orators of
party and as such regain his old foot
hold. At such times leaders become
heroes in the peoples eyes, and such an
occasion may yet remuke Roscoe Conk-
ling. The great mistake of Conkling' $
life was in his attempt to go back to the
Senate. He made the attempt against
his better judgment, and / don't be
licye he intended TO make it when he
rendered his resignation"