The times., 1901-05-19

/ torgave ana, this being the opportunity
; for revenge, availed himself of il. The
! hour being late when the committee re-
I ported, motion TO adjourn made by Sen
ator Aaron Il. Sargent Of California, who
1 had just entered the Senate Chamber, was
! faVOrabiy entertained General Gushing
/ had in the early days. been the head
and front Of movement which caused
/ Mr.. Sargent, at that time editor of a
newspaper ~ NewburypoIt, Mass, to emil
Crate to California, ana so the next morn
ing this cherished feeling found vent.
The Washington Chronicle of which
I Senator Sargent was the largest stock
: holder, came out with flaming headlines,
proclaiming General Gushing a secession
/ list and rebel and therefore unfit to be
Chief Justice and to pass upon the Eif-
teenth Amendment to the Constitution of
the [ nited States.
General Cushing was nominated as a
/ resident of Virginia. In lSIl he purchased
an old homestead in Fairfax County,
Virginia, q few miles from the Chain
Bridge, which he used as a place to re-
tire in the afternoon and nights from his
arduous work, and to entertain his
friends who were legion, diplomats of all
Municipalities, statesmen, and newspaper
men from all parts of the world. He pur-
chased the place in Virginia with the in
tention Of becoming citizen of that State
and also with making himself available
as a candidate for Chief Justice.
The fact that he had become resi-
dent and voter in Virginia gave some
strength TO the contention of his enemies
that during the war he was a rebel, but
the whole matter finally simmered down
to his having been chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Convention at Charles
ton, y 9, in 1860, and having written a
letter OF recommendation for his former
private secretary TO Jefferson Davis, of
Mississippi who had been Secretary of
war while General Gushing was Attor-
ney General in the Cabinet of President
Franklin Pierce
However, the matter was so persist
emily kept before the public by the papers
which were controlled by Senator Sar-
gent that notwithstanding the favorable
report OF the Judiciary Committee on the
18th OF January. 1874, General Gushing de-
termined to have his nomination as Chief
Justice withdrawn That afternoon he re-
/ turned from 'Glebelands. his place in Vir-
glnia, where he had been to recuperate
for several days and said TO me:
. Mr.. Cowie, / have been sitting on the
hot stove long enough. Please write a
letter to the President requesting him TO
withdraw my name as Chief Justice
4 protested, knowing how much he de-
sired the position and fully believing as
the President and nearly all his friends
dld, that he would be confirmed If it came
10 a vote in the Senate. General Cush-
ing was firm, the letter was written in no
uncertain language, and on the next day
MS name was Withdrawn and that Of
Morrison 4. Waite Of Ohio, was sent TO
the Senate and afterward confirmed As
70 MS belng a SecessiOnist, no one who
knew MS history and wished to state the
truth would for moment assert It, Af-
ter Fort Sumter was fired upon he ten
dered his services to Governor Andrews
OF Massachusetts, by whom they were re-
FUSED, on account Of General Cushing
having been President of the Charleston
convention; but to show the inconsistency
Of the Governor s action, he accepted the
services Of Ben niamin F. Butler and an
pointed him general Of volunteers, al
though he had been a member of the
same convention.
General Cushing was the daily asso-
ciate and adviser Of such men as Charles
Sumner, Roscoe Conkling. Hamilton Fish
William +. Chandler. George s. Boutwell,,
during all the war and for years after.
1t is hardly TO be presumed that they
would have chosen for their intimate
friend one who was liable to be charged
with treason. There is no doubt in my
mind but that General Cushing. after his
return from Spain, where he went and
fulfilled his mission. died of a broken
heart in 1879 at Newburyport. Mass. His
kabits had been so correct and abstemious.
an early riser, light eater, and plenty of
exercise. that he should naturally have
lived to be a centenaTian.
General Cushing's clothing was often
tnG tnG subject TOT hlahy newspaper ar
ucle, as he usually wore coats and trOus-
ers a couple Of sizes too large, a cloth
cap with large ear-laps. and an old-fash-
ioned blue cape. He frequently said to
me: BY the time these newspaper men
get TO be as old as ! am they viii con-
slider comfort before fashion often he
had two or three watches on his person
at once and very seldom did any OF them
have the correct time of day.
while living In the house Of ex-senator
Chandler. at 1927 ! Street northwest, he
caused the arrest in 1873 Of Fernando
Wood. then member of Congress from
Ne.y York. for maintaining a nuisance in
the shape Of a bowling dog. Mr.. Wood
lived on Fifteenth Street, next to Cham
berlin's, and his back yard where the
dog was kept was directly opposite Cen
eral Cushing's room on / Street. The
dog howled so continuously and dismally
IN the early hours of the morning as To
disturb the generals sleep. After COM
planning numerous times to the servants
and writing TO Mr. Wood, he swore ont
a warrant in the Police Court prosecuted
the case himself, secured a conviction and
hne, and an order that the nuisance be
abated. General Gushing was a truly
great man, but lived and died in a very
simple manner"