Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-04-05
CIark's Story on Henderson.

u1iS - HloiludN III tiEitCit III LuOuudJ |
i'll May, I'd Monday in September.
CIark's Story on Henderson.
Representative Champ Clark tells
the following about General John B.
Henderson: General Henderson
began his career in my county of
Pike. He always al persistent and
hung on to any undertaking like
grim death. Though the General is
now one Of the chief priests of the
Republican party he was a Democrat
TIL Sumter was fred on. When the
Mexican War began he was about
Is years old, and was teaching a
country school not far from Louisi-
ana, the largest town in the county.
They had a lyeeum at Louisiana,
which afforded opportunity for local
orators to train themselves in the art
OF Demosthenes, Cicero and Patrick
Henry. One Friday night Henderson
was there. The subject was rs the
Mexican War Justiiable?' The
Democrats affirmed and the Wings
denied the proposition. The rules
Of the lyceum provided for 10-minute
speeches. Young Henderson, being
both a visitor and an ardent Demo-
crat, was, as a matter of courtesy,
invited to open the debate, which he
did in great shape. He was very
kind, and did more. He not only
opened the debate, but closed it also.
AS an additional act of courtesy the
rules were suspended and the fuzzy
faced pedagogue was permitted to
speak without limit. He evidently
did not know when he would get
another chance to crate and proposed
to speak his mind freely. He began
IN a hating, stammering way, but,
warming up to his theme, he haran-
gued the enthusiastic Democrats and
the bewildered and disguised
Wings for four mortal hours, and
gained the verdict for his belligerent
party by shutting out his adversaries
entirely. The Wings were speeches.
with rage and the Democrats delir-
ious with Joy. This exhibition of
gall, cheek and endurance laid the
foundation of Henderson's political
fortunes. The Democrats swore that
he was the smartest boy between the
two oceans and would one day be
President. They did not compel him
to wait at Jericho until his beard
was grown, but elected him to the
Legislature before he was of the age
to qualify under the law. When he
was to be sworn in some question
was raised as to whether he was old
enough. He was asked point blank:
when were you born?' Il have no
very clear rembrance of being born
at all. If you want to know my age,
go ard ask the people who elected
me- was the reply. They did not
go, and Henderson took his seat and
served out his term.
"He has performed many notable
acts since that time. He is the only
man, living Or dead, who ever re-
fused a seat on the Supreme Court
Bench of Missouri; he was a Union
Brigadier General; be served eight
years in the Senate of the United
States; was the author of the Fiji.
teenth amendment, and had the
courage, wisdom and patriotism and
self-abnegation to vote for the ac-
quittal Of Andrew Johnson, which
brought a check to his political ca
reer. He was one of the special
counsel which prosecuted the whisky
ring in st. Louis; presided over the
Chicago convention which nominated
Garfield, and was president of the
Pan American Congress. But in
all his long and busy life he never
did one thing which promoted bis
W interests so much as that four.
hour speech in the Louisiana Ly-
ceum. Somebody has said that op.
pertunity is bald behind and has a
single fieecy lock in front. Hender-
son fastened onto that with both
hands aud an everlasting grip while
delivering that long-drawn-out ora
ton on the banks of the Missis-
sippi."