Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-27
JOHN G. CARLISLE.
A DESCRIPTIVE PICTURE OF AN
OTHER MAN WHO MAY ARRIVE
Halted states Senator without Miiilon
DoIiars--Bow lie Looks. Acts. ard
Lives-A strong Democrat.

Lives-A strong Democrat.
---------------
Like 30 many of the strong men OF the
oountry. Senator Carlisle began his life IN
immediate contact with the soil. His
father I.ilbon II. Carlisle. was q small
farmer. IN what is now kenton. but was IN
1898. when John G.. was born, Campbell
county. The county was subsequently d.
vdod. and the old Carlisle farm, situated
only few miles from Covington. fell 10
the part which was called Kenton.
Carlisle pere. while not poyerty-strlcken
man by any means, was yet In very mode
rate circumstances. lie, 700, was porn III
Eentucky. and only a very short distance
from waere his son. the Senator. first saw
the LIGHT. The original Carlisle came from
somewhere down Culpeper way, IN Virgil
MIA There are Carlisles still in that neigh
borhood in the Old Dominion. doubtless
branches of the same family. This elder
Carlisle must have been man OF some
substance when he went TO hentucky, or
be must have prospered very well there IN
his new home, for IL Is matter OF tradi-
tion that be was the man who built the
first brick house in the then Campbell
county. -,
Soon after Senator Carlisle was born his
father died. and from that time on DIS
mother conducted the farm. John was al
WAYS quiet. tboughttul, ana mortaiiy
law boy when it came TO doing farm Work:
Scores of stories are extant OF howhe used
10 shirk and steal time from hours sup:
posed to be devoted to hard manual
iabor-time which he devoted to surrepti-
tious delving into books. of which he was
always fond. AT one time. when he was
supposed to be ploughine, his mother, as
the result OF reconnoiterlng eXpeul-
ton based on her knowledge OF DIS
habits. found the horses peacefully
grazing and John stretched out IN the
shade deeply buried IN DOCK. lie was
giving the horses rest, he sald. lndteu,
thew were fortunate horses when went OUT
10 share the farm tolls with Master Johh.
Resting was the principal feature Oh thelr
duties On another occasion, wnen ne
WAS very, very small, his mother. who had
had set MIN at some active tarn-ooys JoD,
was surprised TO hear q loud and contlnu-
Gus conversation, raised at times 10 q hlgh
pitch of earnestness, coming from the Oh
rection where he was supposed 10 oe TOLL
ing. Gong ont to investigate, che found
him mounted on q stump and addressing
anlmaginarY audience with much IRE ana
earnestness. The Grafton came TO an
abrupt and undigmied conclusion.
But IL was very evident at an early stage
in the Youths career that all attempts to
make him a farmer might as well oe aDan-
doned. lie had few opportunities for eie-
walton, but such as they were he took al
vantage Of them 10 the fullest extent pos
sible. Frequently IN the course OF ms I H
duties he was compelled TO drive INTO Coy-
ington with produce. and he quietly maze
up his mind he would ultimately 1--we IN
Coyington and be lawyer.
HIS EARLY CAREER.
4 L., ~ h. ,sit
zens of CovingtOn on the occasion OF his
return home while he was Speaker of the
House. he spoke somewhat mlnutely OF
this early stage In his career.
1T was on the 25th of August, 1885," he
said. that came TO Covington, an awk-
ward inexperienced country boy, TO seek
situation as teacher III the public schools.
was not then II years old, and had but
comparatively little education, and that lit
tie mad been acquired partially III the CON-
mon schools of the country, but principally
by solitary reading and study during eve
ings, aud at other times when not engaged
In labor on the farm. You Will readily see
that my aspirations, under these circum-
stances, for that place among strange
people were not very reasonable, nor my
prospects encouraging, but the time had
come when IL was necessary for me 70
seek some occupation IN winch L could
Notwithstanding many misglvrngs and
many apprehensons of failure, to
apply for position as public-schooi
teacher.
VERY well do remember how after my
courage almost failed as | came down that |
hot and dusty road, and now strong the
temptation was to turn back TO my !
mothers farm and abandon the enterprise |
which seemed almost hopeless In its mag |
nhst which H.
stantly presented itself TO my imagination
was tue examination to which every ap.
pllcant had TO undergo before board
appointed by the CITY Council"
But il proved by no means the terrible
ordeal which the young man had pictured
II, and he was very soon equipped with a
proper certificate and became tull-hedged |
school-teacher. He welded the birch for
but a short time. HIS objective point was
the law. and it was not long before he was
admitted as a student into the ofhce or |
John W. Stevenson. Stevenson was a
man not only of fine legal attainments, but |
of statesmanlike turn of mind. In rather |
a curious way his own career and that OF
his father, Andrew Stevenson, mapped |
out that which was to fall TO the destiny |
of the young law student in the Steven |
son office Andrew Stevenson was elected |
TO Congress and made Speaker OF tie |
House of Representatives. John W. Ste |
yensOn was elected TO Congress, and after |
wards 20 the United States Senate.
In 1853. when he was but twenty-three
years old. Senator Carlisle was admitted |
to the bar. His very first speech in his |
first case was signal success. he had |
mastered every detail of his subject, his |
voice was soft and agreeable and his clean |
cut, cold logic was even at that early age |
sent home by sentences of such precision |
and force that they hit with telling effect. |
The speech was the making of him. Law |
yers and laymen crowded around him In |
the courtroom and shook his hand with |
the genuine heartiness OF Kentucky |
warmth. The very next year he was elect |
ed TO the Kentucky House of Representa- |
tives. He lacked few months of the |
twenty five years of age requisite to adj |
mission 10 the Legislature when he was |
elected. but by the time the Legislature |
convened he had passed the turning mark |
and was duly sworn in.
oPPosED SECESSION.
This was the thrilling epoch of the out |
break of the war, and Kentucky in par |
ticular was IN q blaze. In no State was the
internal discussion so bitter as there.
Family was divided against family. brother
enlisted TO fight against brother, and
father to fight against son. There was |
strong secession party, and this Senator
Carlisle vigorously opposed.
II did not believe, in the first place." |
be said. recently. THAT the States had the |
right TO secede. and in the second place. / |
did not believe they had the strength to |
make secession successful"
Speaking of this stormy time yesterday |
he SAID
Il was Union man from the first and l |
voted for Union delegates to the Washing |
ton Peace Conference as opposed to seces- |
sion delegates who knew would do moth |
ing to promote peace. That Peace Con- |
ference is never spoken of now. and its |
very existence is almost forgotten. Yet it |
was all important gathering Its proceed. |
ings are all printed in the public docu- |
ments and would make interesting read |
ing.
Il have said / was {. Union man all |
through the war and so 1 was. but not |
what you would call an active Union man.
took no part in the struggle in any way.
j remained all through it IN Coyington
practising my profession"
In 1866 Senator Carlisle entered public |
Lac. Ia. -. -