The morning news., 1894-11-25

be was an alderman and notary I'M
peached the veracity of Lieut. 81 Clair
assertion, and deded him tu prove a. The
lieutenant. thereupou. threw "a bottle al
nobody in particular, and missed his aim.
In an instant, as theg SAY iu novels, al
was confusion, and then like god out
OF "a MACHINE, in walked Alexander Hamil-
tor.
The scene that met his gaze. according
10 John Adams account Ct IT, was shame
fuL Niands and glassware ana gentlemen
were all massed together. However lh-}
were separated and Hamilton. dreading
the effect Of the scandal If the episode be-
came public property, did his best 10 patch
matters up. The skeptI.al alderman ap-
pears 10 have had his doubts upon the
subject of Lieut. St. Clair sObr1ety set at
rest. but unfortunately there could be no
doubt that the heut-uauts nose was
broken in the course Of debate for the
Hamilton letters distinctly say so. but we
have the same authority for maintaining
that il was agreed that gentleman is at
times~ justified in insisting that he is sober.
The next thing that happened, accord
ing to the letters, was q dispute about
the turkey. Where was the turkey 1t
had not been brought upon the table.
There were loud shouts for turkey, but
none was forthcoming a proposition TO
dispense with that fowl was hOoted down,
and Alexander Hamilton swOre-the Ham
a4hbLi 4ENtNlo sd ne SN lilsLL Aly AlAAeEti
of the United States OF America should
abstain from turkey on Thanksgiving day.
Well they got a turkey somehow, and ate
ii. Then they drank and Cheered and
sang songs and cheered and drank They
knew how to observe Thanksgiving in
those days.
This little matter attended to. Hamilton
made speech and hiei him to the Presi-
Dental abode Here there had been dig
nihed observance of the lay. but il seems
that some inkling of the little row at
Faunce's had got abroad already. aud
Washington put some questions TO the
Secretary OF the Treasury about it, Both
Knox and Randolph mention the exercised
condition of the President, and Hamilton
seems to have been influenced somewhat
by his recent excitement. However it
was, W shington, at any rate. became
veXed and indulged in some pointed re-
marks. Readers of the history of the
period remember the effective way in
which Parton, Marshall and Hillard have
touched up the anger of our first Pres-
dent. Washington's dispeasufe always
took the form of Just resentment. He re-
sented the whole Thanksgiving episode
John JAY gives the language of the father
of his country on this occasion with some
pretensionS to eXactuess. Washington
was incensed that a young soldier should
have broken his nose in a tavern brawl,
while protesting to be giving thanks for
Heavens best gifts. our first President
went so far as to say that it was dis
graceful by God" by God, sirr' was
the most blasphemous imprecation in the
Washington vocabulary, and he used it
twice to Hamilton. The first occasion was
Oh this unhappy THANKSGIVING. At the
second, Hamilton quilted his master.
Thus, in bundle of family letters, does
the forgotten episode lie preserved. Like
many another event of the time 1t has
passed out of human knowledge, and the
printed correspondence Of the great ones
Of the time, in which allusion to it is made,
reposes amid dust heaps and is never Pc
rused by the eye Of man. But it was a
great event in its time and made Thanks
giving a memorable day to our forefath-
ers i'm official circles. History is silent on
the subject of the future career of the lieu
tenants broken nose, but THANKSGIVING
day has come down to us intact