Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-02

no such word as concession" or as
compromise. In very truth, they
took their lives in their hands and
fought the battle to the bitter end.
statuary Hall In the Capitol.
Under the law each state has the
right to place the statues of two-and
only two-illustrious American citizens
in statuary hall. but in this regard Mis-
souri, has been more fortunate than
most of her sister states, for. while she
can place only two there herself, three
of her soldier statesmen stand there in
bronze and marble as perpetual re-
minders of her glory. In addition to
Benton and Blair, through the action of
Illinois there stands General James
Shields that illustrioas Irish American.
a hero of two wars and the only man
that ever did or in all human probabil-
ity ever viii represent three states of
the Union in the senate of the United
States
Upon the base of his statue in yonder
hall are blazoned the coats of arms of
Illinois Minnesota and Missouri, in
whose service he spent his life, but as
he wrought for the whole country in
the senate and in the field his fame be-
longs to the whole country, in whose
cause he freely shed his blood
Either Benton OF Blair is sufficient.
noble theme for any orator
/ shall confine my remarks in the
main to the latter. with only incidental
reference to the former. leaving the
great contemporary of Webster. Clay
and Calhoun to my colleagues.
In this era of good feeling it may
seem ungracious to talk much about
the civil war and may appear like
sweet bells tangled out of tune, but
this is historic occasion Frank Blair
is historic parsonage. and the truth
should be told about him. All his deeds
with which history will concern itself
are those which he performed in mat
ters pertaining to that unhappy period
either before. during or after. A
speech about him and without mention
Of these things would be like the play
Of Hamlet with the Prince of Den
mark left out
Frank p. Blair.
Born in the lovely blue grass region
of Kentucky. reared in Washington
city. in the excitement and swirl of ma
tional politics. spending his manhood s
days in St Louis. the great city of the
iron crown, his opportunities for growth
We're Of the best. and he developed ac-
cording to the expectations of his most
sanguine friends.
Within radius of Is miles of Lex
ington, KY. where Frank Blair first
looked forth upon this glorious world.
more orators of renown were born or
have exercised their lungs and tongues
than upon any other plat of rural
ground Of the same size upon the habit
able globe,
Henry Clay. John J. Crittenden, the
Marshalls, the Breckinridges, the Pres
tons, the Shelbys, the McAfees. the
Browns. the Blairs, the Buckners, the
Deshas. the Houstons, old Bob Letcher.
the Harlans, the Wickliffs, old Ben
Hardin, Leslie Coombs. john Rowan
the Thompsons the Davises. the Tur-
| ners, Riehsrd Fl. Merifee. the Goodies,
the Hansons. Henry Bascom. John Pope.
the Johnstons, Chief Justice Robert
SON. Cassius NJ Clay and his brother
Brutus Junius Joe Blackburn. George
Graham Vest. Henry Watterson, J.
Proctor Knott. Jim Mckenzie and a
host of choice spirits have reused the
multitude and made the welkin ring.
Rise OF the BIairs.
The rise of the Blairs father and
sons, to great political eminenee and
power forms most curious and inter
esting chapter in our history
The foundation of their career was
laid by an anonymous article written
by Francis P Blair. Sr.. for mental
recreation purely and printed in the
Frankfort (Ky. Argus. in the incipient
stage of the war of determination
waged by Andrew jackson against the
old Bank of the United States which
article luckily fell under jackson s
eagle eye and attracted his attention.
It may be doubted whether any other
anonymous communication to any
newspaper in any country since Gu
tenberg invented movable types was
ever productive of so many and such
farreaching consequences
In that elder day, while the American
newspaper was still in its infancy, ev-
cry administration had an organ at
the seat of government. supported in
the main by public pap and by subscrip-
tions from federal officials Subscribe.
resign. or be kicked out were the alter
natives presented to all holders of gov
ernmental positions, from secretary of
state down to the spittoon cleaners. So
that to edit the organ was. in the popu-
lar parlance of this day. to have de-
cidedly soft snap
Until his quarrel with John c. Cal
houn. quarrel which wrecked more
lives and was more prolific of calamities
than the Trojan war. jackson S organ
was the United States Telegraph owned
and edited BY General Duff Green. As
long as he was faithful to his irascible
and exacting chief he lived in clover.
But early in that historic feud Duff
began to show signs of rafting to Cal
houn, whereupon jackson. with char
acteristie promptitude began looking
for another organist, and he found him
accidentally in the most unlikely person
and most unexpected place certainly
the greatest. fercest, the most coura-
geous. the most loyal to his chief the
most puissant organist president ever
had. Francis Preston Blair. Sr, author
of the anonymous article aforesaid. clerk
of a court at Frankfort. Ky. the neigh
Dor. relative and quondam supporter Of
Henry Clay. ''the great commoner.
To lay on and spare not the enemies Of
Andrew jackson, personal or political,
to smite them hip and thigh, to draw.
quarter and break them ON the wheel.
to scalp and tomahawk them. to fay
them alive inch by inch. to roast them
at the stake, to gibbet them before high
heaven was labor of love to that
brave. brainy but modest Kentuckian.
Hero worshiper.
Recreant Democrats We're the pet
aversions-t the bette noire-of this man
whose pen was dipped in aqua fortis
For them be had no bowels Of compass
sion toward them he was absolutely
merciless. According to his logic deser
tion of jackson was high treason to the
country For all such the penalty was