The Irish standard., 1905-01-21

I. all the ways and acts of his private
life, and when once lie had formed Il
decided opinion Gil some great public
question lie was ready to back that
opinion with all that he was worth.
Mr. Mccarthy had. ut the same time,
the nice diScernment to perceive that
Greeley was above III things politi-
cian--I mean in the higher sense, and
not in that narrower sense which has
lately applied the term for the most
part to men who make politics their
business and their trade. Greeley was
as conscientious and as resolute in the
maintenance of his convictions as John
Bright OF Richard Golden, and, as
might have been expected, he made
many enemies and suffered many loss
es during this or thar national crisis;
but lie held his way undaunted and fol-
lowed only his inner guiding light.
There We're many public questions on
which l could not agree With him.
talkin" them over with him and lis
tening to his original and striking man.
her of enforcing and illustrating his
views. and he often threw off on the
spur of the moment phrases and SEN
fences which would have been worthy
of Benjamin Franklin" Our later
Franklin" Greeley has been called,
but as Il matter of fact he differed ma
Richards Almlnack" Greedy has been
Richards Almanuck" in his total lack
Of wOrldlineSs. Greeley, in truth, as
his visitor was not slow to discover,
was unique individuality. None but
himself could be his parallel. ''There
was one thing to he said about Horace
Greeley. and that was he did not call
to mind anybody else whom one had
ever met
1t is interesting to learn what i'm
preston was made upon our author
by another distinguished American,
Charles Sumner, Mr.. Mccarthy says
that "Charles Sumner was the most
impressive figure, so far as physical
attributes were concerned, among the
public men of his time He was very
tall, was powerfully built and had Il
handsome face. In stature and pro-
portions he often reminded me of Bis
marck; but Sumner was Il very hand
some man, which Bismarck certainly
was not. had brought him letter
of introduction from John Bright This
in itself would have secured me COR
dial reception from Sumner. The two
negro emancipation when that great
reform had yet to be struggled for, and
Bright had been most powerful and
eloquent champion during the Ameri-
can civil war Of that Northern cause
to which Sumner OH the other side Of
the Atlantic was levoting his best en-
ergies." II our author recalls Preston
Brooks assault upon Sumner, it is for
an especial reason of his own: 'In my
"Reminiscences mention the fact that
Sumner himself showed me the place
where the attack was made Oh him
it was in the old senate chamber, and
not that ut present in USE Until had
heard Summers own explanation, l
could not understand how man of his
powerful build could have been strick-
en- down by an attack, however sud
den, from an assailant of ordinary
to me that the attack was made on
him while he was alone in the cham
Der, after the sitting had been con-
cluued, and was seated at his desk
writing letters. His knees were under
this heavy solid desk, and when he
endeavored to spring to his feet, he
was kept under the desk, and his enc
my struck blow after blow until he
fell senseless." 1t appears that some
three years after the publication Of
our authors "Reminiscences" he re-
ceived letter from a Southern lady,
couchcd in language courteous to him,
but urging that he had given an in
correct and misleading view Of the
conduct of Preston Brooks, and inclos-
ing a letter from the son Of Summers
assailant, which, according to her con-
viction, gave an accurate account Of
the whole affair. In the book before
us are reproduced the passages from
Mr.. Brooks letter which profess to
give the correct version Of the incident.
Mr.. Brooks says: ",The fact is my ia
ther waited until the senate adjourned
and all the ladies had left, and then
went up to Mr.. Sumner and told him
he had read his speech as dispassion-
ately as possible but that, in consider
alton of the language he had used
against his (Brookso kinsmen, his state
and his country, he deemed it neces-
sary to chastise him. Sumner did not
try to resist it," The writer of the
letter went on to say that the weapon
Preston Brooks used was not blud-
Seon, but a light cane which he, the
writer, had seen many times. st is a
small gutta perclla cane, hollow from
end to end, and running to point not
thicker than Il lady's little finger, and
SO frail that it broke after Il lick or
tv-o IN nnvnr bit Summon with film