Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-25
"REMINISCENCES OF GREAT MEN

Matt Carpenters Death-Last Days of
John Randolph, jackson and Jetfer-
son.
AprOpos Of Chief Justice Waite's sick
ness, writes a Washington correspondent
10 the Cleveland Leader, Judge Ranney,
of Cleveland, tells the following story Of
mis- great predecessor, Chief Justice
fancy. Says he: Judge fancy lived to
the age Of s., and he seemed all his life to
be hanging on the verge eff the grave. For
a long time before Andrew Jackson ap-
pointed him Secretary OF the Treasury
and got him to remove the deposits from
the United States Bank fancy was one of
the leading lawyers OF Maryland. Luth-
er Martin and William Pinkney were for
a time his chief competitors, but they
died, leaving him at the head of the bar.
At this time man who had a chancery
suit which had been a long time in the
courts and babe fair to become a second
Jarndyce VS.. Jarndyee was looking for
new lawer to take up his case. He had
employed both Martin and Pinkney, and
one after the other they had died on his
hands, leaving his case still unsettled. He
was recommended to engage fancy, and
with this view he called upon him. He
entered the Office took a look at the
emaciated form and graveyard air of the
great lawer, and then with a grunt of dis
gust he turned upon his heel and went
out Of the door without saying q word.
Give that man my casep he said to the
first friend he met. Il would as soon
give it TO a corpse. He will die inside of
two months But fancy did not die, and
he doubtless survived the above prophet
by fun generation"
1t is by no means the well men who live
the longest. John Randolph of Roanoke
never had a well day in his life, and he
did a great LIES work. Alexander
stephens lived % a ripe old age, and from
bOyhOod to death had hardly a moment
free from pain. Oliver Z. Morton worked
and thought years after the doctors had
decided that he was ready for the grave,
and SamuelJ. Tilden, the living dead man
Ct Gramercy Park, may yet write an
epitaph foT Grover CleVeland's tombstone.
Judge Waite's sickness Is caused by
OverwOrk. He has always been noted for
being one Of the hardest and
most continuous workers in public
life. In his law practice at
Toledo he burned gallons Of midnight
oil, and the excess Of unsettled cases be.
fore the Supreme Curt mas worried him
here at Washington. His constitution,
originally strong, has been long in break
such that he must take rest. His case
is only one OF a thousand all over the
country. 1t was carelessness and over
work which killed Matt Carpenter, the
greatest lawyer the Northwest has ever
known, and one that made as much at the
practice as Roscoe COnkling does to-day.
Senator Carpenter had a strong cOnsti-
tuition TO begin WITH said his law part
ner. not long ago. "but it broke down en-
IL 1a-~ F.afo Hr,
died his physician told him he could not
live over that time. Senator Carpenter
accepted this conclusion as final, but he
said nothing to his family. He went
about his business as usual, and all
through that year in which he was waiting
for death he put his affairs in the most
careful order. He studied his case as
carefully as the most practiced physician,
but could find nothing to assure him Of
any hope, and each day he would say,
pointing 70 the calendar as he did so, i
see | have Just SO many more days to
lIye.' He was at his office several DAYS
before be died, and he was perfectly we'll
aware that his end would come in a few
days. He then told his family his real con-
ditiOn. and at the time he expected to die
ne quietly passed away"
1t was night work and the disregard of
the laws Of health which killed Matt Car
penter. 1t was his custom, it is SAID, to
do all of his study at night. At IL O'Clock
he would begin with a strong cigar and
bottle of wine, and would work on by the
aid of these stImulants until l. At this
time he would change from wine to
brandy, and would keep his intellect up
10 it's full working power by taking sips of
old H5nnessy up until O'Clock.
AS the summer sun began TO peep into
the windows of his study he would drop
work and go of to bed. He would then
sleep about five hours, when he would
arise as fresh as his fellows who had put
in the whole night. For twenty years of
active life his constitution stood this
strain without failing. 1t then began to
drcop, and at last it fell TO pieces all at
once, like the old mans shay.
The last days of John Randolph of
Roanoke are full of pathOs. He thought
he was dying for years before he did so,
and when he was asked how he was he
would reply: "Dyingl dying! dying"
Once when be was at Washington he was
very low, and his friends in Congress
thought he could not live but few hours.
AtOpe time they left him for q while
when he seemed little better than usual,
and went to the capitol. They had been
there but short time when Randolph
burst into the Senate and made fiery
speech, which he supposed would be his
last. At another time he came out OF his
sick chamber into the Senate TO hear Clay
sneak, and shook hands with him ar the
close, testifying his friendship for him,
Notwithstanding the duel which they mad
formerly fought. Randolph was insane
during part Of his life, and an opium
eater during his last days. He was ty-
Fannical and dictatOrial until the last,
and he fought with his doctor on his
deathbed over the pronunciation of GER
lie a in
Philadelphia hotel. A few minutes before
he died the doctor wanted to leave him,
but Randolph objected, and his slave took
the KEY, locked the door, and put the key
in his pocket. With his last words Ran
dOlph declared that he wanted his slave
set free, and he kept the doctor there as
witness of his dying declaration. a skep-
tic through life, he appreciated his condi-
ton on his deathbed, and among his last
words were ''remOrse." He was laying
perfectly quiet, with his eyes closed,
when he suddenly reused up, and scream
ed out in an agitated voice, "Remorse!
remorsev' He then cried out, ''Iset me
see the word. Get dictionary? Let me
see the wordp
There was no dictionary. at hand, and
he was told so. He exclaimed: ''Write
it then! Let me see the world" The
doctor picked up one of his cards labeled
ssRandOIph of Roanoke" ''Shall write il
on thisio Eyes; nothing more proper"
was RandOlph's reply. The word remorse
was written on it in pencil and handed to
him. He looked at it a moment with
great intensity. write 1t on the back, >"
he exclaimed. IL was done and handed
him sagaIn. He looked at 1t with his
blazing eyes. ''Remorsel" he said, ''yeu
can have no idea Of 1t whatever; it has
brought me TO my present situation-but
have looked TO Jesus Christ and hope to
obtain pardon. He then asked the doctor
10 draw a line under the word and told
him TO keep the card. A short time after
this his keen eye began 10 dull, his pow
erfuEmind gave way, and WitAin two
hours he died. His body was taken to
Virginia and buried on his estate at Roa-
nOke.
In a late letter told you something Of
the last days of the Presidents, but omit
ted to say much as TO their deaths. We
have preserved the last words Of SEINE Of
G1em. JOAN Adams and Thomas Jeffer-
son both died on the same day, and that
July 4, 1875. They were friends during
the latter years, and Adams last words
we're: THOMAS Jefferson still lives" but
4istOry shows that he was mistaken. JEFF
KrsOn died an hour before, exclaiming:
"LOrd, now lettest tAOu thy servant de-
eaFt In peace" and 81 resign my soul TO
GOd-and my daughter to my country,
John Quincy Adams gave his last breath
in the capitol at Washington, saving:
This is the end Of earth, l am content"
and Gen. Harrison, who died in the
White House, said: ''Sir, / wish you to
understand the principles Of government
l wish them carried out. l ask nothing