The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-11-28

sonage Of whom we know no more
than that his name was Tisdal, and
that he was an alderman and notary,
impeached the veracity of Lieut.. st.
Clair. and defied him to prove it. The
lieutenant thereupon threw bottle ut
nobody in particular and missed his
aim. In an instant, as they say in
novels, all was confusion, and then,
like god out of a. machine, in walked
Alexander Hamilton. The scene that
met his gaze, according to John
Adams account of it, was shameful.
Viands and glassware and gentlemen
were all massed together. However,
they were separated, and Hamilton,
dreading the effect Of the scandal if
the episode became public property,
did the beststo patch matters up. The
skeptical alderman appears to have
had his doubts upon the subject Of
Lieut.. st. Glars sobriety set at rest,
but unfortunately there could be no
doubt that the lieutenant's nose was
broken in the course Of debate, for the
Hamilton letters distinctly say so, but
we have the same authority for main
tanning that it was agreed that gen
tleman is at times justified in insist
ing that he is sober.
A Row About the Turkey.
The next thing that happened, &C.
cordinE to the letters, was a dispute
about the turkey. Where was the tur-
key? It 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 Hamilton letters
say he swore-that no citizen of the
United States Of America should alb
stain from turkey on Thanksgiving
day. Well, they got turkey some
how, and ate it. Then they drank and
cheered and sang songs and sang
songs and cheered and drank. They
knew how to observe THANKSGIVING
in those days. -,, /.
This little matter attended to-, Ham
ilton made speech and hied him to
the presidential abode Here there had
been dignified observance of the day,
but it seems that some inkling of the
little row at Faunce's had got abroad
already, and Washington put some
! questions to the secretary of the treas
| ury about it. Both Knox and Ran
| dolph mention the exercised condition
| of the president, and Hamilton seems
to have been Influenced somewhat by
his recent excitement However it
was, Washington at any, rate became
vexed and INDUCED in some pointed
remarks. Readers of the history Of
the period remember the effective way
in which Parton, Marshall and Hill
lard have touched up the anger Of
our first president. Washington's dis
pleasure always took the form of just
resentment. He resented the whole
Thanksgiving episode. John Jay gives
the language Of the Father of His
Country on this occasion with some
pretensions to exactness. Washington
was incensed that a young soldier
should have broken his nose in tav-
ern brawl while processing to be Civ
ing thanks for heavens best gifts
Our first president went so far as to
say that 1t was disgraceful "by God"
| "By God, sir" was the most blasphem-
GUS imprecation in, the Washington
vocabulary, and he used it twice to
Hamilton. The first occasion was on
this unhappy Thanksgiving. At the
second, Hamilton quilted his master.
Thus, In a bundle of family letters,
does the forgotten episode lie pre-
served. Like many another event Of
the time, 1t has passed out Of human
knowledge, and the printed cores,
pondence Of the great ones Of the time