The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-06-06
BEN tIARDlN'S CLOTHES.
They HAY Have Changed the Courso
oe American History.

Thoy HAY Have Changed the CouRso
ee American History.
81. gular the coincidence and desery.
I'M .,Hntinn that tthh7el presidents OF
the YI:.tad t,tat2s elected to the
wor'"s highes,; office ut five successive
presidential elections should have had
close and direct personal connection
with Kentucky, says the Louisville
Herald. Abraham Lincoln, elected In
1850 and In 1864, was born III Hardin
county. Ulysses S. Grant, elected ,r.s.
ident In 1865 and 1879, attended the
celebrated Maysvllio academy. con-
Quoted by Jacob w. Rand and William
w. Richcson, Of thut beautiful and his
torlc little city. Among the school
mates Of General Grant at Mnysville
were the late Hon. Walter Newman
IIaldcmun Of Louisville, founder Of the
Couricr-Journal; Hon. Thomas II. Mel
son, United States minister to Mexico;
the Hon. William Henry Wadsworth
OF the Mexican claims commission:
Richard ii. Collins, historian OF Ken
tucky, and many others. General
Grant always entertained IL warm feel
ing for Kentucky and delighted when
president to give official recognition to
sons Of tho old commonwealth on
who5e soil he hud spent happy days.
So well. indeed, did General Grant
think Of Kentuckians that as far back
US the election Of 1860 he voted for
John Cabell Breckenridge, then re-
garded as first OF Kentucky's favorite
sons, for president Of the United
States.
Not many are aware that James
Buchanan Of Pennsylvania, elected
president in 1866, was q resident dur
ing an interesting period &C Hardin
county, which had given birth to the
great American destined to succeed
him IN the presidency. It was in 1918
that James Buchanan took up his res.
fdence at Elizabethtown. Five years
before, In the very county of which
Elizabethtown was then and is now
tho county seat, had been born child,
Abraham Lincoln, destined TO achieve
higher honors and a greater name IN
history than even Buchanan himself.
considered In bis day one OF the most
fortunate Of American public men.
Buchanan's fcther had purchased as
an Investment some property near
E.iSabethtown. Giving 1t to his son, he
bade him settle in the new land of
promise and grow Up with It. Buchan-
an, then three and twenty, q college
gr~A,uate and lawyer, had little 1T
ness for tho rough and ready sides of
frontier life. Attending the first term
Of court after his arrival, he noticed
among the visiting lawyers the cele-
brated Ben Hardin, in suit of un.
blearhed tow linen, Ill fitting and bad
ly built, giving it's gifted wearer q
clownish appearar .e. Buchanan felt
surprised to see this ungainly looking
parsonage take seat among the law
yers.
A case was called the third day of
the term In which the pleadlngs were
very intricate, and after the strictest
English forms before the days Of Chit.
ty. The future presidents wonder was
fnexpressible when he saw Hardin take
hold Of this case with astonishing skill
and force. The arguments of the
rough looking Kentucky lawyer were
masterpieces Of learning, logic and
clearness. 1efors he left the courtroom
SAAo% ~oy JOuA9 SuSud4aA AooVAfoO SAal
Eiaefe SUCH iii favored looking lawyers
possessed 80 much learning aud power
there wea ams!! chow for budding
Pennsylvania tendarroct. Raffs:.sr than
struggle for success at the bar with
such giants as Hardin and his col.
leagues he would go back to his native
Keystone commonwealth. Meeting MIR.
Hardin afterward In congress., 1921.
23, Mr. Buchanan declared that he
/ went. to Kentucky expecting to be q
<greaf man there, that SO many i,wyerz
he came In contact with were his
equals ana so many again his superiora
that he gave It up.
Thus Ben Hardin'e Ill fitting suit OF
1nbleached tow linen may have chang.
ed the whole cee:::sz=ss 0f AMERICAN mis-.
tory.