The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-05-07
SATIN A HISTORIC SENATE.
Thomas L. CIingman Was Colleague
OF Clay and Webster.

The news that ex-senator Thomas
I.anier Ciingman Will enter the home
f1r Confederate soldiers in North Caro-
Ina. broken in health and in purse, has
excited the deepest sympathy among
those who knew the old man IN b..
pa.my day. and in recent years. He
lla- been a familiar figure about the
Capitol. and / IA. only lately that lis
presence vas missed from the corridors
aud the floor q the Senate.
I, "a: daily ..gEt. just after the
session u the senate began. - zee the
gaunt gray G-urc. straight a. an Indian,
despite the burden =: age. val, into
tbs chamber and take =eat il an IN
o3tru.lye corner. >apw-wiite hair.
scaut 81 growth, partly covered he
head. aad -uowy wh..ker5 served 10
hide the hollow checks. Occasionally
a Senator would stop .or word and
the aged >o.Gn you'd seize the oPPor-
tuI.ty u tc.. y. liz aUt.-tO Jacco cure.
Which has been h. hobby f3- many
years.
To zee C..ngman IN his poverty
stricken aye oae found It hard 10 pic
tire him a. q power in body o. great
men, -uch a. Cay. Webster and Cal
h0un. IetLc vas quite as prominent,
!; not 20 famous. N the proceedings
which marked the historic three when
they we're his colleagues. Clay vas his
idol, and when Webster made h. great
9TH 81 March speech he sat Oh the arm
81 ~
Ken tuckian : shoulder. That WAS III
the Old Senate chamber, where the
Federal Supreme court now hO.d- Is
sessions With Andrew Jackson as his
compaLion, lie led the Senate INTO the
Old Hal Of Representatives. now stat
uary Hal, to hear John Quincy Adams
deliver h.3 eulogy Of Lafayette. HIS
friendship FOR Gay lead to a duel be-
tween himself and COlgressman
Iaucey, Of Alabama, growing out Of a
speech delivered about the causes Of
Cay. defeat. The ground selected
for the meeting was near Washington,
perhaps at Baden 5ourg. Pistols were
the weapons, and one shot va: eG-
changed without effect. Here the sec
oi.Gs. CLar.es Lee Jones, the noted ex-
pDuen. Ot tie code duei!a, for Cling
man, and COn9rc=.man Huger, ofSCuth
Carolina. for Iancey, eudcavored to
bring about an adjustment, and they
finally arranged the matter -at!sfac-
! torlly. During the very first week he
served il Couyrea. C.ingmau had a
passage at arms on the floor with Henry
\. Wi.c. Of Virginia.
The public career Of Senator Cling
man has been q remarkable one. lie
= low c.ghty-three years Of age, and
more than twenty Of these were spent
III legislative aEsemb.ica. Graduating
from the University Of North Carolina
at twenty. he was soon after elected to
the state Legislature, and in 1910 was
/ promote! by the ciectOr. to the State
! Senate. From Dece.4ber. 1913. to
/ june, lSj3, he served continuously As
! It repre-. cntatIve Oi North Carolina in
| Cou9re-5. with the exception Of one
! term, partic. pat.ng during this eXtcn-
! ded period III nearly AL important de-
! bates, particularly in those relating to
/ tprcis n affairs from ha prominent po-
s.tlon Of chairman Of the commltte
! having that field in charge. During
/ this service he established a record for
/ attei.tance, never missing Il days ses-
! son.
II.a Senatorial career began in 1853
( through appointment to fill the uneX-
I pred term Of Senator Asa Biggs, who
resigned to accept a Federal judgeship.
lie was subsequently elected TO succeed
himself from March +, 1861, but the
term was never begun. In the pre-
cedtn2 January, CIingman withdrew
| from the Senate with other southern
/ members, participated As Commits =
s.Dner from North Carolina in the Con-
Tolerate congress in May, and in July
was formally expelled from the Senate.
Then lie entered the Confederate army.
and became Il acknowledgement, and
did not fiyure again in politics after
| 1868. when he went as d delegate to
the Democratic National Convention.
For years prior to the war and for a
long time thereafter Senator Cllngmau
had devoted himself to scientific pur.
suits, and it is q tribute to his knowl-
edge and enthusiasm that he deter.
mined the highest points Of Black
Mountain aud Smoky Mountain, both
Of which have been called in his honor
North Cardinals valuable mineral de-
posts were also made known through
his efforts w Washington Post.