The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-03
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS
Copyrighted. 1908, by
A. j. DreKel Biddle.
Entered at StatIoner's
Hall, London.

weakness, out q source OF strength.
The General was an indomitable con-
versationist, and would not be criti-
cised. THE man who says the most,
commonly knows the most, and comes
most often to succeed. Silent folk win
only by accident, as he shall see who
retraces any of their victories to its
birth"
and now what nonsense cried 1.
"What wise one said Silence is gold
en?"
Some wise one who wanted the floor
for himself, doubtless" pulled the Cen
eral. Talk is a cloak, and great talk
a great cloak to hide ones movements.
1t is common fallacy to suppose that
one who talks much-chatters, we will
even call it-tells ever the truth. Now
J my experience goes for it that great
talker is misleading you nine-tenths of
the time; heads one way while he talks
another. ! cannot be sure of the plans
or aims of a great talker He would
seem to point so many ways at once.
Your tongue-tied fellow 1 read easily.
When 1 once know where he is, and
then remember where he would be,
will readily foresee for you the trail
he means to travel"
Calhoun is a silent man."
And Calhoun is a defeated man; his
one chance is my death, which 1 have
no mind shall happen. Calhoun is a
Silent but not secret man. He hides
! nothing, and can hide nothing by a
still tongue. Who does not know how
he is for Notification and must live
or die by it?"
And you" said l., "have decided it
shall be the latter"
IF Calhoun had not assailed me, and
| more if he had not included Pegs de-
| struction in his plans-as a soldier
might burn a beautiful suburb for an
| element of his assault on a city-Cal-
| noun | would a lxre
agreement. 1 like the man; but you
see he has no gift to be popular. He
makes war on me, which is the least
! popular thing he could do and then
to prick me OH for bitterest resolution
and strife to the death, he sets his
dogs to baying Peg. Also, let us not
forget how he would drag down Van
Buren, because he is Pegs friend and
| mine. Sir, you and l will one day make
Van Buren, President for that"
And you have written Calhoun that
letter to be notice of your hate"
1T ties him hand and foot" said the
| General. Were Calhoun Samson, that
letter shears his locks. He will publish
1t, and make every friend 1 have his
enemy"
And you are enough loved by the
people to make that a most formula
bic condition for Calhoun"
You are to observe that now when
an itch for talk, / trolled him along as
folk troll pickerel. 1t relieved him to
thus unbuckle; more, it helped him
form his plans, for 80 he said himself.
Il am ten fold more loved than Cal
houn," responded the General. Cal
houn, as I've said, has no gift to be
popular. He talks to folk; / talk with
them. Sir, between those words, with
and to, dwells the whole art of popu-
larity"
Your popularity is growth of your
work in the field"
MY being a soldier, had much to do
with its beginning. Man is a fighting
animal and loves a fighter. Particu-
larly If he win. Now, We're / to ad-
wise one to short cut for public favor,
l would say, BE a soldier and VIM"
Especially win " returned.
by all means add the win and
emphasize it. That is my rede: Be
sure to win. No one is made to explain
a victory; no one tries a conquerer;
the error of all errors is the black err
ror of defeat"
And yet a good man may lose"
Sir, the best man may lose But
you are to consider: When he loses.
the public owes him nothing. A farmer
tolls like a slave; a drought kills his
crops; is he paid for the corn he does
not raise? The public owes the sue
cessful soldier for that profit it takes
from his sword; and the public pays
its debts 1 won at the Horseshoe, at
Pensacola, at New Orleans; and the
public pays me with a White House.
Had / lost my battles, l would have
been caShiered a score of times CAL
noun would have succeeded with his
scheme to court-martial me in the Sem
mole days, save that l was armored
of my victories. | would never agree
to less than victory, and that stub
bornness for triumph has even defeat
ed enemies did not know I had"
You have had vast success" said
l. automatically, when one remembers
the blindness of your prejudices, and
how you will help this one or hurt that
one for a no better reason than love
or hate. There is your defect; l have
often wished that to your honesty and
ardor you added the just fairness of
jefferson"
jefferson" This with a snort: 81
am a fairer-a more just man than was
Jefferson! He was just to his enemies
and unjust to his friends Now. I am
strong enough to do justice by a friend.
1t hurts no man with me that he has
been the friend of Andrew Jackson"
But you cannot do justice by foe.
You are all for foes destruction"
Il am all for foes defeat. And
defeat of a foe is justice to foe. Woe
TO the vanquiShed! said Brennus and
teld, your business is to conquer"
You talk like a philosopher" said
], but you never feel like one. Here:
l will show you your prejudice in the
face! Give me now your estimate of
Clay-of Webster-of Hayne-of Cal
houn-of Randolph"
You think my portraits will be red
and black and flame color" The Cen
eral spoke cunningly. I saw how he
had gone sentry over his feeling, and
now 1 looked for a mild story of those
whom had named. webster, mental
ly. is strong" said he, land willing
like a horse But like a horse. he
cannot harness himself to a load. There
should be those about to hook the
traces and in measure guide him for
his haUlings Compared with Havne
whose mentality is slim and graceful
as is an elm, Webster is the oak He
is bigger and stronger without being
so beautiful. Besides, Hayne is indo.
lent, and would sooner drift all dav
than pull an oar an hour. That is the
reason why Calhoun, who has currents
sweeps Hayne along for Notification.
Calhoun is simply a good man gone
wrong; and for that he was bred mar
rowly and as an aristocrat, he loses
time over his dignity. Also, he does NOT
keep in touch with the detail of his
destinieS, but leaves too much to un-
derlings. Thus he is put into the posi-
ton of him who attacks woman-an
act without defense, and one most peril
Gus; and. being in, Calhoun lacks that
force needed for his extrication. Ram
dolph is built like a spear, with his an
ger the head and his iOtel1ioenca 20 ~