The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-12-01

was placed in the very face and fore-rank
of the nation. /, for one, am prouder of the
state than ever, and glad that my ancestors
for generations breathed its free air and
now lie buried in its soil. There at last /
pray that may leland that my children,
born in so many states, may come now and
then to recall what of tender love and un-
dying glory | have borne for my native
state. But this death of Arthur, our YER
monter, calls me back to the impulse which
prompted me to begin this letter. / was
thinking of the only time / ever met
him; it will be five years ago in the
coming January. | had been in New
York city, where | had had a mem
orable interview with Grant, and from
which / had carried away military map of
the second Bull Run battle drawn with his
own hand-and to which, at my request, he
had affixed his own signature-which he
presented to me. | went to Washington
from that never-to- be-forgotten interview,
where the peerless greatness of Grant flashed
fully upon me, to visit Sherman, whose
briliancy, versatility, vivacity seemed to
me in such startling contrast with the solid
ity, soberness and vast comprehensiveness
of Grants character. And from that always
tO-be-remembered visit j was taken to see
President Arthur. The whole thing is as
fresh in mind as any occurrence of yester-
day. An army officer United States sena-
tor and myself were ushered into the
great East Room of the White House. As
at the extreme farther end, the president
seated behind a desk listening with his
well-known courtesy to the intensely per-
sonal talk of some aggrieved politician
Arthur was SILENT apparently deeply inter-
ested, and yet showing by his occasional
glance toward u.s. and a strange yet unms-
taxable glance, that he was getting impa-
tient with I" his man" The conversation
so wholly restricted to the one party, ran
on and on until it became necessary for the
president to stop it. | shall never forget
how this was done. / see the president
now, with his magnificent physique, | hear
his wondrously melodious voice, ] catch
his kindly look as he broke in upon his
volube interviewer with his remark. He
rolled it out as much for us as for him.
He said: My dear sir, | have had but lit
tie experience in political matters and his
eyes turned towards us with a sly twinkle |,
" but the small observation which have had
in such affairs has taught me this very i'm
| portant lesson-that in order to get a ma
| jorty out of a minority recruits are neces-
saryn' And the president arose, and the
| waiting statesman arose. Somehow the
latter was impressed that he had heard a
| profoundly wise remark, and he withdrew,
as if bordering the same in mis- mind. As
we went forward to greet the PRESIDENT
was in a great laugh, and | greeted him
as a fellow-citizen and as a brother YER
monter-I congratulated him on the depth of
| his political wisdom and on his unmatched
| power to meet with perfect courtesy all con-
ditions of men. | was made glad by read
ing the fitting eulogy engrafted in the YER
mont legislative resolution passed in com
memoration of the Vermont president. He
| fills an honored place in the presidential
| list AS fellow-VermOnter / would place
this leaf in his fadeless wreath.
GEORGE B. SPALDING.