The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-10-29

you that half of its muscles are entirely cut and
| have never been reunited. Others have been
granted as much pension. Hundreds are receiving,
under the name of " retired" very much larger
support for their disabilities and their honorable
wounds. First Lieutenants and Second iieutenants
and all of them vastly exceed me in the amount
| which they receive.
! | am glad that such of them "a have been wrecked
torn i'll battles able to receive the benefcence
! of the Government.
! casually mention this fact by way of illustra-
ton, in regard to the filsity of the charges that
! mine is the only instance Of the kind. More than
! that. have never received the of pension
given to private soldiers and commissioned soldiers
/ alike by the general acts These sums have reached
IN many instances to thousands of doilars-Sl0Oe0
being unusual sum to be paid out. l rejoice in
! the payment of every dollar paid to any one of
| these recipients. Many private soldier, many q
non-eomInissioned officer aud line officer now
in receipt of 81 per month for disabilities and this
given TO hin, by the general law. am glad of it ,
| / am glad of it! Nothing can ever compensate
them for the loss of the senses incurred in the
service of the country.
But | go talking and talking. You have
opened the gates 10 my "reminiscences and memory,
and for half AN hour lave dwell in the shady past
whose Sentinei5 are mef1bered-pains and stead
fast friendships l write you as have recoIectcd
and in the mllnesS of my heart.
remain, very truly, yosrs. JOHN C. BLACK
Upon returning to civil life Gen. Black be-
! came identified with the Democratic party in
! a State and Congressional district which were
! alike strongly Republican. Twice since then
he has been selected by his party as its candi
! date for Congress- and once by the Democracy
of the State cansiidata for Lieutenant Gov
ernor. While unsuccessful in these contests,
! yet ia them all Gen. Black has run largely
ahead of his ticket, reducing the majority in
his district when candidate for Congress, and
running many thousands ahead of his ticket
when a candidate for Northumberland
Finally, Gen. Black received the entire Demo-
cratic vote for the Office of United States Sens-
tor in 1873, when Gen. Logan was elected to
that office.
He is the senior partner in the prosperous
and successful law firm of Black & Blackburn.
lie is enjoying large practice i'll the State aud
Federal Courts, and is paying earnest attention
| to his business affairs.
AS AN ORATOR.
A gentleman well known as one of Gen
Blacks stanchest friends, in conversation with
| the writer said Il first met Gen. Black in
Monticello, H., while on visit to some friends
The soldiers were holding Reunion, the prin-
cipal feature of which was the Decoration Day
exercises. Gen. Black was the orator. and his
| effort on that day was masterpiece of oratOry.
| A tremendous concourse of people had gathered
| the majority being ex-Union soldiers Gen.
| Black, who at the time had just recovered from
a serious sickness produced by blood poisoning
stood up before that vast multitude and de-
! livercd an Grafton the beauty and force of
which has rarely if ever. been equaled upon
similar occasion. The spot where this Reunion
took place was a cemetery, filled with the re-
mains of both
| UNION AND CONFEDERATE DEAD,
and it was here that he. a gallant soldier and
merciful foe uttered the most beautiful and
| tender words that ever emanated from his heart
and mind.
The scurrilous attacks made upon Gen.
| Black by certain newspapers are condemned by
| the Generals friends in the severest language.
| 1t is contemplate in any journal to attack the
| ot "A Hack
who was brave and gallant soldier, and has
always been a reputable citizen.
! Seven or eight years ago Gen. Black suffered
| from a violent attack Of blood poisoning in
consequence of his wounds. and was compelled
| to undergo several dangerous and very pain
full operations. On various occasions, despite
the skill of his physicians, his life was de-
! SPARED Of and his friends were summoned to
what they believed to be his deathbed. For
weeks he lay upon his back with his arms
packed in ice and his sufferings at that time
were most distressing to witness. After long
| and painful period of sickness and suffering he
was restored to his friends and family and, it
might be added, to the country. The price of
his loyalty to the Union is found in the loss
practically, of
THE USE OF BOTH HIS ARMS
One of his most beautiful traits is his home
| life and personal character. He is a man who
is a stranger to political trickery, and the same
courage, honesty and infexblity which char
| acteriZed his life. both in private and on the
field of battle have been shown in his politi
cal career.
Gen. Black is a thorengh Democrat possess
ing the unquenchsbie and never-to- be eradi-
Gated principles of Jefferson aud Jackson, and
these are topped off with the progressive ideas
of the present or new Democracy. At the
cent Democratic National Convention Gen.
Black was membef aud WAS there i'll the in
terest of ex Senator Mcdonald, of Indiana.
Rather unexpectedly he was not put in nomi-
nation 81 q
FOR THE vIcnPREsIDENCY,
and after the tun,ult which greeted the pre-
sentation of his name had subsidized he arose
and said: " am here id the interest of Sem