The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09

oNA oOlNl<h4t O4ODDlS
and, a. her husband turned quickly To see,
what was wanted, @Lushe, or big Lushe, \
% all called him, would kiss him suddenly
and lightly on the forehead. In footnote
10 reproduced passage from letter writ
ten by Mr.. Z. v. D. Miller to Mrs. Clay In
1885, when Mr.. Lamar was Secretary OF the
Interior: sOnly those nearest In his labors
understand and have compassion for him
to try 10 save him all he can. He would
take us all In his arms and confer the great
est benefits on US II he could; and q more
tender, apprecia.ive, industrious, kind
hearted man have never been associated
with. 10 say nothing Of his giant intellect
and cultivated brain and taste
v.
Mrs. Clay remembers President Franklin
Pierce when he entered the White House
In March, 1858, full as youth Of leaping
life. A year before his Inauguration she
had seen him bound up the stairs with the
elasticity and lightness Of schoolboy.
At the end Of four years he went out OF
Office. q staid and grave man, on whom
the stamp OF caro- and illness was ineradi-
cably impressed. Il often contracted
she says. 1the pale. worn. haggard being,
whose wine OF life was drawn, and the
mere lees left in the vault, ere his term
was spent with the buoyant person I first
met on the breezy New Hampshire hills. '
She goes on to bear witness that, a pecul-
iarly lovable man in his private character,
President Pierce was q man whom the
nation might we'll be proud to have at its
head. The possessor OF an unusually fine
presence, he was courtly and polished in
manner In a foonote Col. Watterson
testihes that President Pierce was one
Of the handsomest men ever have seem"
Fair in complexion rather than dark, Of
graceful carriage, he was also an eloquent
speaker. and, though reserved to degree,
was very winning in manner. He was
still in middle life when elected to the Presi-
dency. being less than a. years old when
inaugurated.
Our author considers that, when taken
all In all, the Cabinet circle formed by
Mr.. Pierce was one Of the most interesting
bodies that have ever surrounded an Amer
loan Chief Magistrate. Having been wisely
chosen, the Cabinet remained unchanged
throughout the Administr alton, notwith-
standing the incessant contention that
prevailed between Northern and Southern
men. We are reminded that only three
such instances Of continuity are recorded
IN the careers Of the Presidents Of the
United States, the other examples occurring
in the terms OF j. Q. Adams and James A.
Garfield The latter's term, Of course,
was very short. Tho tie which bound
President Pierce and his Cabinet 80 closely
was one Of mutual confidence and per-
sonal friendship Perhaps the Presidents
firmest ally was his Secretary Of State,
William l.. Marcy, q man whose self possess
sion and composure were sources Of envy
to his friends and Of confusion to his en-
emies. Commenting once on the Secre-
tary's imperturbability, to her husband,
Mrs. Clay heard the following story: 1t
seems that some one had once asked
Secretary Marcy how he preserved his
oalmness. well, he answered
SI'n tell you. I have given
my secretary orders that whenever he sees q
newspaper article eulogistic Of me, praising
my astutenes, my far seeing diplomacy, my
Incompatible 'statesmanship,' he isto cut It
out and place It oonspicuously on my desk,
where ! can see it the first thing In the
everything to the contrary he il
instructed to cut out and consign to the
waste basket. By this means, hearing
nothing but good Of myself, have come
to regard myself as pretty good
fellow. Who wouldn't be serene under
such oircumstancesf' II may be remem-
berod that George Henry Lewes pursued
= similar course with George Eliot
When the Clays took up their residence
In the Federal city, there were at least
q dozen statesmen who had dwelt almost
in ', Arlington for nearly
twoscore years. Writing Of these In 1858,
Senator Clay said: -Mr Buchanan looks
az ruddy as ever. and Gen. Cass as young
and vigorous as he did in 1884, Thomas
Hart Benton. the Missourian, probably
all others in length Of public
service. Among our authors pleasantest
OF Warrington are the evenings
spent at Mr.. Bentons house At his own
table Benton was an oracle to whom every
one listened eagerly Mrs Clay has seen
twenty guests keld spellbound as he re-
cited the story Of the Clay Randolph duel,
with the details OF which he was acquainted.
On the other hand, she never heard him
alude to his great fight In the Senate, when,
The galleries being crowded with men
OF him, his wife and Gen. Jones
sent out for arms TO protect the fearless
Senator from tho onslaught which seemed
All Of Benton's daughter,
were admirably educated, but our autho}
regarded Mrs. Fremont as the most 40
sompltshed. She recalls that many years
lfter my acquaintance In Washington with
Mr.. Benton's family. was present during
the first Cleveland Administration at a
given by Mrs. Endioott (wne Of
he Secretary Of War, when / observed
among the guests q very busy little woman
In simple black apparel whose face was
familiar to me, but whom found myself
unable TO place; yet every one seemed to
xnow her. heard her address several for
Agners, in each case employing the language
II his country, and, my curiosity increasing,
asked, at last, Who is that small lady
n black To my surprise she proved to
70 Mrs. Fremont
VI.
In q chapter headed Fashions OF the
rifhee,' our author says that, while a
ife-and-death struggle ragged between
POLITICAL parties, and oratorical battles Of
,minous import were fought daily at the
capitol, there was great deal OF what at
y = TINA wa deoned In viah armand t,ire in