The Portland daily press., 1895-03-23
MASON AND SLIDET.L.
Interesting "reminiscences of the Days
of the War.

Both Rabid ire-eaters-Trounced by
Senator Fessenden-The Trent Affair
and How 1t Was Settled.
[By Hon. John ]. Perry.l
To the Editor of the PRESS:
Persons then living and personally ac-
quainJed with the stirring scenes OF the
great rebellion in ante-bellum days will
readily recognize the men whose names
stand at the head Of this article. James
M. Mason was native of Virginia, born
in 1898, graduated at the university OF
Pennsylavnia,, studied law in William
and Mary College, and was admitted to
the bar in 1920. He was three years a
mem ber of the House Of Delegates OF
Virginia. was two years member OF the
National House; and in 1S47 was elected
a mem ber of the United States Senate,
where he remained until 1861, when he
resigned to go into the rebellion.
John Slidell was born in New York in
1898, and after becoming twenty-one years
of age removed to New Orleans and COM
menced the practice of the law. He was
appointed by President jackson, United
States District A Storney; was many year
member of the Louisiana legislature;
was representative to Congress from
1843 to 1915, aud while in Congress was
appointed by President Polk Minister to
Mexico. In 1858 he was elected to the
United States Senate and was member
of that body until 1861, when he resigned
4 tiod n ohQI1
These two men were Leading mem mbers
of the Senate in the Democratic side of
that body when we first became mem
ber of the House. They both swore by
John C. Calhoun, and of course were
radical secessionists.
While they agreed in the main upon the
slavery question, they were in many re-
spects personally unlike. Mason was a
tall, well proportional, portly man, tip
ping the scales at 225. he had large
head, bald on the top, black hair stand
ing out in all directions, dark eyes, and
when excited had sort of semi-sayage
look. In personal appearance he was the
greatest aristocrat in the Senate, not ex-
cepting jeff Davis. His ordinary gait
was little better than d turkey strut,
while mis- whole appearance was pomp-
Gus, and naughty in the extreme. His
association with his peers was confined
to select few-of course men of extreme
Southern views. As a debater he was
austere, commanding and dicourteous
to his opponents. His oratory was OF the
AsIedga hammer kind" mere declama-
ton, containing more sound than sub
stance. His speeches never commanded
she attention of the Senate, and were
devoid of influence, excepting perhaps a
few fire eaters, who sometimes listend to
them.
L remember one day in the winter of
1861, near the close of the session, of be-
Ing in the Senate chamber when Mason
arose, and pointing to gun placed near
the Capitol by order of Gen. Scott. in his
sarcastic manner inquired why the
National Capitol in times Of peace was
surrounded with guns, as ii menace to
freedom in legislating, suggesting that
it be removed. This was at the very
time when he and his associate Southern
traitors were in secret conclaye nearly
every night plotting treason and inau'
gurating the rebellion.
- Mason was always boasting of "Old
Virginy-"the mother of all the early
Presidents and the home of Washington.
He always spoke of her as sovereign
State-remaining in the Union by hel
consent.
TIE austere and pompous manner ol
Mason sometimes led him to forget the
courtesie due to senatorial dignity as
recognized III that body. l recoliect upon
one occasion, in replying to some re-
marks of Senator Fessenden, Mason said
he was the son of an "old Abolitionist
who if he had appeared in Virgins
preaching his treasonab BILE doctrines might
have hung to the first tree. " This aroused
the fine of the Maine Senator, who in re
ply pounced upon his antagonist in one
of the most scathing speeches ever deliv
cred in that body. The old Virg1niar
fairly withered under the castigation ne
received from the Senator he had so dis
courteously attacked in debate. Il i.
unnecessary to say that Mason never
afterwards made any illusions to tht
Senator from Maine.
John Slidell i'll many respects was like
Mason, but in some other things differed
widely from him. In person he stood
about five feet, ten, stoutly built, witt
large head we'll covered with white
hair, with dress which under differ
ent circumstances might have given ths
Senator the appearance of a well-to-dt
farmer. When In the Senate cham ber ht
always wore sober face, scarcely evel
lighted with a smile, which, togethel
with his loag white hair, gave him NOR,
the appearance of an old time Puritan
deacon than a rabid scceessionist.
While Mason, to use a common phrase
"put the worst side OUT" Slidell was th
reverse-secretive, sly, yes, "devilisl
sly" He had just the elements of char
acter which fitted him to "piot treaIol
in the dark" hence he was one of tn
Jaodare, in caarafIv ba ohoI