The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-03-30

OughC 10 De cOnSldereO eligible to a seat IN
Congress. If chose to do so could give
you the names of congressman and ex-
Congressmen who have spent weeks in
Providence Hospital and even in St Eliza
beth's Insane Asylum because their brains
were so stepped in alcohol they were abso-
| iutely lncapacitated for mental labor, The
| constituents of a Congressman from the
far West used to come on here and search
| the city over for their representative and
| would go back home without finding him!
All the time, he was under the care of the
| Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity at
Providence Hospital for severe attack of
delirium tremenS.
l wonder how many Of your readers re-
member General Thos. L. Clingman, of
our State. He spends part of every
winter at Wizards Hotel and goes regular
ly to the Capitol at l o'clock every morn
ing when Congress is in session. To me
he is one of the most interesting landmarks
of the past. He was a member of the
House when Webster, Clay, Calhoun
Hayne, and Benton were here. Later he
was III the Senate, and was for a while
the only bachelor in that body. Tall,
graceful. educated, of fine presence and
good birth, he received his full share of
attention from watchful mammas, iudIc-
| lous chaperones, and society in general
Every day brought showers of Invitations
to him, and few men nave been SO uni
versally feted and toasted His duel with
| William L. Yancey at Bladensburg rather
| added to his prestige. An extended Eu-
| ropean trip during his Senatorial term was
greatly enjoyed by him. He tells ME that
the best dinner he ever ate was one after
noon, after a long drive IL the environs of
Naples. He stopped at wayside inn and
| ordered something to eat. A bottle of
| Lachrymae Christi, q famous wine made
only from the grapes that ripen on the
sunny slopes of the hills around Naples,
and a fish freshly caught from the waters
| of the historic bay, were brought to him,
and made the most delicious repast he re-
members ever to have tasted,
Soon after his return to this country
| the Civil War broke out, and he at once
| volunteered. He arose to the rank of brig
adler general, and can tell of hairbreadth
escapes aud dangerous adventures during
that memorable struggle The slight limp
| which now characteriZes his walk is ac-
| counted for by the fact that three bullets
| yet remain in one of his legs. He was
severely wounded several times. People
| of the present generation never knew his
rank here in the days of Auld Lang Syne,
and they little dream of how charmingly
| the gaunt old man can speak to them of
scenes that go to fill up pages of some of
| the most eventful parts OF the nations
history, in all which he was participant
aild an eye witness. Besides politician,
Gen. CHngman is Il scientist of no mean
attainments. He has done great deal to
| develop the mineral resources of Western
| North Carolina, and he first suggested the
use of a zircon tip for the electric light.
| He owns real estate near Asheville. and
nearly the whole of Mount Pisgah belongs
to him. One of the highest peaks in the
| Blue Ridge, Mount Clingman, was named
| for him. Gen. Clngman is very fond of
music, and has list of sweet old ballads,
which he often makes a North Carolina
lady friend residing in this city play for
| him over and over again. OF these old
ballads he never seems to tire, and it is
probable they suggest to him the central
| figure of a hidden romance that has kept
| him all his life a bachelor. Another ac-
complishment of Gen. Clingman's is his
ability to repeat the poetry of the masters
| by the hour, almost without making a
mistake.
| \ witty old sinner here. who speaks his
mind pretty freely, gives the following as
one of the main reasons for the delays
| which characterize this Congress. He says:
''As l told you once before, the great
| trouble is the fear and trembling, the par
alysis which ;sffiicts them one and all, be-
cause Of the impending campaign. Since
| Blaine's withdrawal the Republicans have
| been in muddle He drew the lines
sharply in his reply to President Clevel-
| ands message, defined the issues of the
coming contest, forced the fight as a lead
| er, YOU understand, and then, when the
| skirmishing began, preceding the actual
conflict, resigned his leadership. Since
then every Republican aspirant for the
nomination has experienced an increase Of
his jealousy of all the other Republican
aspirants. There is Allison, of Iowa; Sher-
man, of Ohio; Evarts, OF New York, and
| all the rest of them: they are watching
each other like hawks, and as ready to tear
each other to pieces as SO many Kilkenny
cats. Senator Chandler and Senator Spoon
er are about the most active and efficient
members on the Republican side of the
| Senate, and Senator Beck is the same on
| the Democratic side. Beck can't have the
| bee in his bonnet, for it is Scotch, and
| Chandler and Spooner really have not even
| the remotest dreams of reaching the top of
the ladder. Now, among the Democrats
there is the same feeling regarding Clevel-
and that the Republicans had regarding
Blaine fortnight ago. They all wish he
were out Of the way, but are compelled to
recognize him as the coming man. They
are also compelled to crook the pregnant
hinges of their knees to him that public
patronage may follow fawning, and they
cool their heels in his ANTE rooms of
power, smother their dislike, and are look
| ing around for smother man. Hence the
fear, trembling, and paralysis l have
spoken of. Cleveland and Blaine crossed
swords; then Blaine returned his blade to
its scabbord, leaving his alleged plume to
wave as battle flag, SO to speak, at the
same time leaving demoralized army,
and Mr.. Cleveland remains the only GER
tainty of the present or future"
There is great deal Of truth in what he
says, and he puts it pointedly, forcibly
and fearlessly.
| Brace Up.