New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30
MIR. RIDDLES "REMINISCENCES
A NEW CONTRIBUTION TO THE PERSONAL
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR.

RECoLLEC1 Ms OF VAR T wnih,osi ms'"' i.ss
cences OF ;. and Events in waShihs, ,r;,,nr,y
Member Of the House OF Representatives from
the XIXth District. Ohio. fp. XII ~ :" J.
Putnam Sons.
Merely as literature. Mr. Riddles book is sig
nincant addiu to the library 81 war REM
niscence. It would have been even better than IL
= u the author had quoted Joss from speeches OF
the old time and had devoted himself to re"fi'-
,,y IN. narrative wholly from his memory lie
has a vivid style IT. which a sentenc" compa'"S
oons,ruc,ea serves the purpose Of an elaborate
nicture We was in Congress NJ an age when ne
could take tie deepest interest In us busih''S'
and he left - before all the enthusiasm 81 IN
gresham ha worn itself out In him. me s''''
men Of tn war period especially those IN ''N'
lie. were familiar t. his eyes ana Wherever ~
mentions one OF them he adds "A stroke or TWO
nv way Of cha acterization That VIII De mus
pensable TO the future historian. Charles sum
ner was 10 him the great man whom ne anyways
had TO tell who ne was and what ne had zone -
no worthy Of notice. A. he was new 10 Con
gross and had not done anything. ne soon
wearied OF the effort 70 cultivate the great Mas
sachusetts Senator When II Is SAID that ne ha'
not yet done anything. the phrase Is only
modification Of thaI which he himself used As
a matter OF fact, Mr. Riddle had ALREADY zone
something 10 be famous for. but he hah YET 20
learn how fatefu these performances were. Inc
account which he gives Of these-his own act
and the sequel IN each case-fOrms the most en-
| tertaining part = his volume. lie was an arneh'
a,,ts,avorv mar He was energetic youth
In the campaign II 1si0 and when the nomiha-
ton Of General Zachary Taylor for Prcsiden, was
| made in ls4s hc foremost In the rebellion
| that destroyed nc Wing party In Ohio NO
| hf
Of John Brown to make speech which rever-
| berated for good many years. espec ANY IN
places where 1t was most likely TO injure iis
| author Not that ne much disturbed by IL.
The recurrence to it seems to have amused him.
and he regretted so little the making 81 II that
he has reprinted It In full as an appendix 10 ms
hook II IS a good speech. with all the pictur-
| csnueness Of expression OF which Its author ~
| attn capable and much Of that youthful RASH
| ness and fervd earnestness which he has now
| outprown But the political world had not then
| escaned from the theories Of compromise which
| were rife before the civil War. II was still
| considered a fatal blunccr for a man with a
political career opening before him q speak with
too great emphasis on the subject Of slavery
| The spaech had considerable vogue In its time.
greater than Il d, served Mr.. Riddle remarks
| dryly But that was not all IL nnally became
a sort Of test OF gratitude. Mr.. Riddle. though
| a Republican, was not strict party man wheh
1t came to the distribution Of Offices ID MS IN
fluence 1t was due that a younger brother OF ;
s. Cox retained a ccrkship TO which he had beer
appointed under Buchanan. and Cox himself.
Democratic Congressman with the renown be
hind him OF a piece OF fine writing In the shape
OF a book Of travel. looked upon Mr.. Riddle al
one time as a sort OF protector; at least. h
seemed to do so and Mr.. Riddle was guileles'
enough to be willing to DO him favor. Th'
favor desired was that Of obtaining the hoor .
difficult thing for Democrats In the Committed
OF the Whole on the State Of the Union. where
they were apt to be ignored by stern Republi
can chairman. But Mr. Riddle managed affair
so that the Democrats had chairman OF thei
own for once. The mere calling Of "A Democra
TO the chair warned everybody that some oil
scores were to b. paid off. and. as the day wa
one on which the House was In anything but
working mood. most OF the members were con
tent 10 have an unexpected diversion. even II l
was marked by some il-temper Cox got IN
floor as Mr. Riddle had arranged. Few Re
pubcans In the secret. but those WI
, were could not restrain their delight when Co
crowned his catalogue Of Republican sins by nav
! ing Mr.. Riddles John Brown speech read iron
the Clerks desk. Il confess | was surprise
under the circumstances" is Mr.. Riddles com
D ment But times had changed. The speec
I which tmid persons dreaded when II was frs
! delivered now in accord with the seniimen
e OF the majority. embittered by the burdens 9
t the
( One Of the most graphic descriptions Of IN
= flight OF the Army OF the Potomac from the ba
;. tie OF Bull Run written by Mr. Riddle.
: and certain other Congressmen were eager 10 &c