The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-20
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS
Copyrighted, 1908, by
A. j. DreXel Biddle.
Entered at StatIoner's
Hall, London.

| man. MY WlIe must De HeI own HIS
| tress; and while | know of no just
cause why she should refuse to re-
ceive or recognize Mrs Ingham, l must
still insist how the right to do both
lies wholly in her hands. Personally, 1
| may deploTe my wifes refusal OF the
acquaintance of Mrs Ingham; however,
| | stand none the less ready to give
you any satisfaction you require"
With this speech, Eaton bent his
brows upon the other in such way of
iron menace that without a word our
timid treasury gentleman clapped on
his hat and went pantingly in quest
of safer company.
| WAS ii not a masters trOke?" ex-
ulted the General when he related the
furry. Eaton had the hill of him in
! an instant; Napoleon himself could not
have exhibited more military genius.
The General, in his glee, would talk
! OF nothing else throughout the evening
! but since l left him at an early hour
| | was not bored too much. Eaton
replied in a manner to his credit when
one considers the fact of a surprise:
but there dwelt therein no reason for
! that long-drawn delight in which the
| General INDUCED. l was so far fortu-
nate, however, as to soon quit him on
| that particular night, having work to
| look after, and so escaped his enthuSi-
| asm. Any childishness of satisfaction
! for little reason, by the General, OBJ
! truded extensively on my ideal of him,
! and | would experience no more of it
than l might; wherefore l went about
| my affairs, leaving him in full song,
! celebrating the gallant cleYerness of
! Eaton, who, to my notion, instead of
his smart speeches should have pulled
! the Ingham nose.
While the General was sick on his
| lounge, and when Peg tired of reading,
she would fall to review of the unre-
| hitting politeness bestowed upon her
| by the suave Van Buren,. One might
| read the pleasure of the General over
these tidings in his relaxed face and
| the heed he offered to each detail. The
| word of how Van Buren, had brought
! Vaughn of the English and Krudener
| of the Russians-for these ministers
! were joint despots among the legation
folk and led them to what social fields
| they Would-gaVe the General peculiar
! satisfaction; and if there remained a
door in his affections which had not
! yet opened to the little Knickerbocker,
| Pegs recitals of the secretarys steady
yet delicately balanced goodness threw
| it wide.
When the General and I were alone
with our nightly pipes-albeit he at the
time would be in his bed for sickness
he made his little premier the great
| burden of his conversation and was
wont to find in him new excellencies.
| Time and again he would quote Peg
to me for virtues owned of Van Blu
rem and which he feared might other
| wise elude my notice. 1t was clear
"the good little Secretary Pegs
| name-was become a first favorite of
| the General; and to be frank, and
! for identical reasons, as much should
| be said of me. l loved any who was
| good to Peg, and made no bones of
| showing it. Wherefore you are to con-
/ h1t
us; instead, we took turn and turn
| about in eXalting our Secretary and
teaching each other a higher account
| of the man.
| Peg would set forth to the General
| it amused him and he would question
| her concerning such matters-how in
| this sort or in that, and always in
some way of trihes too small for the
| mind of man to seize on, the women
| who followed the social banner of the
| Vice Presidents wife would strive to
| drive her into obscurity. And this was
| not wanting Of stern effect on the Gen
eral. The name Calhoun found con-
| slant repetition in these tales, and
never to give the General delight. And
there is this to observe; while Peg
| spoke of Mrs. Calhoun, the General, for
| his side, would be thinking only on
the Vice President, and at the end
| he held even more hateful veiws of
the Carolinian than of Henry Clay him
| self. Surely, he came finally to be
| strung like a bow against him.
This vivacity of disfavor for Cal
| houn, however, may have it's story.
| Clay was a foe beaten beyond ques-
| ton, powerless for further war. CAL
| houn, on the other hand, was increas-
| ing in power; and, active in design
and searching for the future, stood
| forth as an enemy yet to be con-
| quered.
1.-The man is a would-be traitor. "
said the General one day when speak
| ing with me of Calhoun and his lines
| of political resolve. HE should con-
slider however; I may yet teach him
| better patriotism"
HE is for your destruction" said I,
land has been since the Seminole
| days"
| Nothing is more plain than that"
| said the General. "And yet, were he
| or his people fibered of any decency,
they would not, as an element of as
| sault on me, seek to make tatters of
| poor Peg. 1 cannot see how they bring
themselves to that; for myself, would
not give hand to so vile a ploy for
| all the world
"They would plunge you in for Pegs
| defense" l said, recalling Noahs ex-
| PLANTATION. "They hope to set the wom-
en- of the land upon you as he who
gives countenance to one fragrant OF
| her sins. That is their precious in
trigue; they, with their lies of Peg,
would shake your power with private
| home-loving folk whose firesides are
clean and who base themselves on
chastity. There you have the whole
| crow colored scheme of them, with the
black impulse which turns them against
| Peg"
"If they shake me with the people, -
said the General. they should call il
the thirteenth labor of Hercules"
They should have punishment for all
that" cried 1.
'Sir, they shall be punished" retort-
ed the General. and as for Calhoun
he most of all shall suffer. Mark you
this: That man shall never be Pres
| ident. More, he may yet win Glide
! roy's elevation at ropes end" This
last in wrathful whisper like a warn
ing of death.
There was spreading reason to talk
| on Calhoun and his policies South
| Carolina, ever arrogant, was moving to
snap rebellious thumb and finger in
| the national face. The Legislature OF
| that insolent commonwealth had done
it's treason part; Notification and its
counterpart, Secession, were already
| agreed on; men were being enrolled
and arms collected, while medals found
Charleston coinage bearing the words
John c. Calhoun, First President OF
the Southern Confederacy."
And the restless spirit to animate IL
all was no other than Calhoun himself
He was then among his henchmen OF
the Palmettoes, directing even the very
phrases wherewith to deck their traitor