Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-10-09
TWO STATESMEN.
A Treasury Clerks Recollections
Of Webster and Calhoun.
The Observations of Fifty Years service In
the state Department at Washing
tOn-The GOdlike Daniel and
His PeculIarities.
Washington Post.l

Washington Post.l
81 entTrAd thu State Department as a
messenger in 1885 when Andrew Jackson
was President o the United States" said
William +. Faherty to a reporter Monday.
"and have remained there ever since. {"
Mr.. Feherty recently celebrated his
eighty-sec md birthday. He is native
OF Baltimore, where, as a boy, he helped
to di trenches during the war with Eng
land in Is 9 but has been resident of
Washington sixty six yelrs. At eighty
two he stands as straight as the WASH
ington Monument, and s character il as
upright as his cure. His eyesight is un-
dimmed. aud defect in his hearing is tn
only evidence OF his advanced age. He
can recall and relate a number of Incl
dents illustrative of the ind vidual peculi-
arities OF Webster, Calhoun, Buchanan,
Cass and other Secretaries of days gone
by. He was ON terms of intimacy with
the most of than, and held by them in the
high ast esteem.
II received my first appointment con-
tinued Mr.. Fab srty, 'from Jackson's Sec
retary of State. j hn Forsyth, in recogni-
tion of my services to the Democratic
party in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Il was not loag before conplaiuei that
had not enough work to keep me- occupied,
and on that ground offered my resigna-
tion, but being bluntly informed by the
Secretary that was fool, 1 withdrew
my resignation. When Daniel Webster
became Secretary OF State he ssnt a mes
senger to me to tell me that / was too tall
for him, and that there was a man ready
to taks my place This is my first rscol- :
lection of Mr.. Webster, but it did not turn
out so badly after all, for he found place
for tie tier man without removing me-"
What were Mr.. Webster's peculiari.
ties?"
III remember him particularly as often
borrowing small Sums of money from
me, which sometimes he repaid and soma :
times forgot. Calhoun afterward fol.
lowing Webster's example, used frequent
ly to borrow small sums of money from
myself and others, but, unlike Webster,
Calhoun never failed to pay up. l recall
an Instance of Secretary Calhoun stop
ping his carriage Oh the way to a confer
ence at the Presidents house to pay
f.ty cents which be had borrowed the
day before to give an old bs <gar woman.
Webster was no teetotaler, bIs he knew
that was, AMI have a vivid recollection
o: one night, about forty years ago when
Webster, after d elivsring an eloquent
speecl in the Odd Fellows Hall, in favor
OF Ir sA Independence, came up to me
and. slapping me on the back, cordially
invited me ID go to his house and drink
some wafer with him. But the fondest
memory which 1 cherish Is that nearly
tho last writing dOne By Webster
was an inscription on a printed copy of
the great speech which he delivered be-
fore the Historical Society in New York
Here it is" and Mr.. Faherty brought
forth an age-s.ainsd pamphlet Its in
scr'ption: with Daniel Websser's best
wishes to VIM. y. Faherty," was Ia thu
gr, at statesm ans own Aandwriting.
"No," Continued NJ. FAherty, ''the re.
movals in the State Department on
change of government were never as
numerous as in other departments Mr..
Forsyth US ID 10 say that the State d.
par me..t had n, thing to do with politics
r III mbor when Marcy was appointed
Sscre ary Of State a very clever Irish fell
low, who had been in tn departmel for
scme time, said to me hat he was sue TO
go quick, as he had threatened
TO throw Marcy out OF tie window when
he was Secretary OF War. But Marcy was
not vindictive. for, instead of dismissins
tho young man who had threatened to
throw him out of the window, that young
man was the very persoa he selected to go
with him on a holiday he was about to
take. And l remember another notable
instance, to show that men were not
pushed out because they did no.
belong to the party in power. During the
war / myself was a strong Union man,
but my son was Lieutenant in the South
ern army, and complaint was made to
Secretary Seward that / was a rebel.
Well, Instead of kic Sing me out, Mr.. Sew
ard sent for me'and asked me if l could
not get somebody to swear l was not a
rebel! Of course 1 got friend who was
ready 10 give the necessary testimony.
And / knew that same Secretary to actu-
ally do the same thing in another case 10
enable him to retain the services OF a mes
sengtr who was indeed an out and -out
REBEL"
L "You remember Mr.. Cass?"
30 yes; he was one of the finest Secre-
taries of the whole lot. He was a very
generous man, and took delight in giving
helping hand to a young man who need
ed and deserved it. He was quick to rec
ognizs talent and encourage it remem-
Der one young fellow whom he found hoI-
lering at the door of travelling circus and
put into nice situation in the State De-
partment He raised my salary from
$l,2OO to 81, 400, and when his term of office
expired he wrote a magnificent letter to
judge Black, his successor, in my favor"