my memories of eighty years-第1节

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My　Memories　of　Eighty　Years

by　Chauncey　M。　Depew



TO　MY　WIFE　MAY　PALMER　DEPEW　THIS　BOOK　GREW　FROM　HER　ENCOURAGEMENT






FOREWORD

For　many　years　my　friends　have　insisted　upon　my　putting　in　permanent　form　the　incidents　in　my　life　which　have　interested　them。　　It　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　take　part　in　history…making　meetings　and　to　know　more　or　less　intimately　people　prominent　in　world　affairs　in　many　countries。　　Every　one　so　situated　has　a　flood　of　recollections　which　pour　out　when　occasion　stirs　the　memory。　　Often　the　listeners　wish　these　transcribed　for　their　own　use。

My　classmate　at　Yale　in　the　class　of　1856；　John　D。　Champlin；　a　man　of　letters　and　an　accomplished　editor；　rescued　from　my　own　scattered　records　and　newspaper　fiIes　material　for　eight　volumes。　My　secretary　has　selected　and　compiled　for　publication　two　volumes　since。　　These　are　principally　speeches；　addresses；　and　contributions　which　have　appeared　in　public。　　Several　writers；　without　my　knowledge；　have　selected　special　matter　from　these　volumes　and　made　books。

Andrew　D。　White；　Senator　Hoar；　and　Senator　Foraker；　with　whom　I　was　associated　for　years；　have　published　full　and　valuable　autobiographies。　　I　do　not　attempt　anything　so　elaborate　or　complete。　　Never　having　kept　a　diary；　I　am　dependent　upon　a　good　memory。　　I　have　discarded　the　stories　which　could　not　well　be　published　until　long　after　I　have　joined　the　majority。

I　trust　and　earnestly　hope　there　is　nothing　in　these　recollections　which　can　offend　anybody。　　It　has　been　my　object　so　to　picture　events　and　narrate　stories　as　to　illumine　the　periods　through　which　I　have　passed　for　eighty…eight　years；　and　the　people　whom　I　have　known　and　mightily　enjoyed。

C。M。D。




CONTENTS

I。　　CHILDHOOD　AND　YOUTH

II。　　IN　PUBLIC　LIFE

III。　　ABRAHAM　LINCOLN

IV。　　GENERAL　GRANT

V。　　ROSCOE　CONKLING

VI。　　HORACE　GREELEY

VII。　　RUTHERFORD　B。　HAYES　AND　WILLIAM　M。　EVARTS

VIII。　　GENERAL　GARFIELD

IX。　　CHESTER　A。　ARTHUR

X。　　GROVER　CLEVELAND

XI。　　BENJAMIN　HARRISON

XII。　　JAMES　G。　BLAINE

XIII。　　WILLIAM　McKINLEY

XIV。　　THEODORE　ROOSEVELT

XV。　　UNITED　STATES　SENATE

XVI。　　AMBASSADORS　AND　MINISTERS

XVII。　　GOVERNORS　OF　NEW　YORK　STATE

XVIII。　　FIFTY…SIX　YEARS　WITH　THE　NEW　YORK　CENTRAL　RAILROAD　COMPANY

XIX。　　RECOLLECTIONS　FROM　ABROAD

XX。　　ORATORS　AND　CAMPAIGN　SPEAKERS

XXI。　　NATIONAL　REPUBLICAN　CONVENTIONS

XXII。　　JOURNALISTS　AND　FINANCIERS

XXIII。　　ACTORS　AND　MEN　OF　LETTERS

XXIV。　　SOCIETIES　AND　PUBLIC　BANQUETS

INDEX　＇not　included＇




MY　MEMORIES　OF　EIGHTY　YEARS



I。　　CHILDHOOD　AND　YOUTH

It　has　occurred　to　me　that　some　reminiscences　of　a　long　life　would　be　of　interest　to　my　family　and　friends。

My　memory　goes　back　for　more　than　eighty　years。　　I　recall　distinctly　when　about　five　years　old　my　mother　took　me　to　the　school　of　Mrs。　Westbrook；　wife　of　the　well…known　pastor　of　the　Dutch　Reformed　church；　who　had　a　school　in　her　house；　within　a　few　doors。　　The　lady　was　a　highly　educated　woman；　and　her　husband；　Doctor　Westbrook；　a　man　of　letters　as　well　as　a　preacher。　He　specialized　in　ancient　history；　and　the　interest　he　aroused　in　Roman　and　Greek　culture　and　achievements　has　continued　with　me　ever　since。

The　village　of　Peekskill　at　that　time　had　between　two　and　three　thousand　inhabitants。　　Its　people　were　nearly　all　Revolutionary　families　who　had　settled　there　in　colonial　times。　　There　had　been　very　little　immigration　either　from　other　States　or　abroad；　acquaintance　was　universal；　and　in　the　activities　of　the　churches　there　was　general　co…operation　among　the　members。　　Church　attendance　was　so　unanimous　that　people；　young　or　old；　who　failed　to　be　in　their　accustomed　places　on　Sunday　felt　the　disapproval　of　the　community。

Social　activities　of　the　village　were　very　simple；　but　very　delightful　and　healthful。　　There　were　no　very　rich　nor　very　poor。　Nearly　every　family　owned　its　own　house　or　was　on　the　way　to　acquire　one。　　Misfortune　of　any　kind　aroused　common　interest　and　sympathy。　　A　helping　hand　of　neighborliness　was　always　extended　to　those　in　trouble　or　distress。　　Peekskill　was　a　happy　community　and　presented　conditions　of　life　and　living　of　common　interest；　endeavor；　and　sympathy　not　possible　in　these　days　of　restless　crowds　and　fierce　competition。

The　Peekskill　Academy　was　the　dominant　educational　institution；　and　drew　students　not　only　from　the　village　but　from　a　distance。　It　fitted　them　for　college；　and　I　was　a　student　there　for　about　twelve　years。　　The　academy　was　a　character…making　institution；　though　it　lacked　the　thoroughness　of　the　New　England　preparatory　schools。　　Its　graduates　entering　into　the　professions　or　business　had　an　unusual　record　of　success　in　life。　　I　do　not　mean　that　they　accumulated　great　fortunes；　but　they　acquired　independence　and　were　prominent　and　useful　citizens　in　all　localities　where　they　settled。

I　graduated　from　the　Peekskill　Academy　in　1852。　　I　find　on　the　programme　of　the　exercises　of　that　day；　which　some　old　student　preserved；　that　I　was　down　for　several　original　speeches；　while　the　other　boys　had　mainly　recitations。　　Apparently　my　teachers　had　decided　to　develop　any　oratorical　talent　I　might　possess。

I　entered　Yale　in　1852　and　graduated　in　1856。　　The　college　of　that　period　was　very　primitive　compared　with　the　university　to　which　it　has　grown。　　Our　class　of　ninety…seven　was　regarded　as　unusually　large。　　The　classics　and　mathematics；　Greek　and　Latin；　were　the　dominant　features　of　instruction。　　Athletics　had　not　yet　appeared；　though　rowing　and　boat…racing　came　in　during　my　term。　　The　outstanding　feature　of　the　institution　was　the　literary　societies：　the　Linonia　and　the　Brothers　of　Unity。　　The　debates　at　the　weekly　meetings　were　kept　up　and　maintained　upon　a　high　and　efficient　plane。　　Both　societies　were　practically　deliberative　bodies　and　discussed　with　vigor　the　current　questions　of　the　day。　　Under　this　training　Yale　sent　out　an　unusual　number　of　men　who　became　eloquent　preachers；　distinguished　physicians；　and　famous　lawyers。　While　the　majority　of　students　now　on　leaving　college　enter　business　or　professions　like　engineering；　which　is　allied　to　business；　at　that　time　nearly　every　young　man　was　destined　for　the　ministry；　law；　or　medicine。　　My　own　class　furnished　two　of　the　nine　judges　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States；　and　a　large　majority　of　those　who　were　admitted　to　the　bar　attained　judicial　honors。　It　is　a　singular　commentary　on　the　education　of　that　time　that　the　students　who　won　the　highest　honors　and　carried　off　the　college　prizes；　which　could　only　be　done　by　excelling　in　Latin；　Greek；　and　mathematics；　were　far　outstripped　in　after…life　by　their　classmates　who　fell　below　their　high　standard　of　collegiate　scholarship　but　were　distinguished　for　an　all…around　interest　in　subjects　not　features　in　the　college　curriculum。

My　classmates；　Justice　David　J。　Brewer　and　Justice　Henry　Billings　Brown；　were　both　eminent　members　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States。　Brewer　was　distinguished　for　the　wide　range　of　his　learning　and　illuminating　addresses　on　public　occasions。　　He　was　bicentennial　orator　of　the　college　and　a　most　acceptable　one。　　Wayne　MacVeagh；　afterwards　attorney…general　of　the　United　States；　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　bar；　also　one　of　the　most　brilliant　orators　of　his　time；　was　in　college　with　me；　though　not　a　classmate。　　Andrew　D。　White；　whose　genius；　scholarship；　and　organization　enabled　Ezra　Cornell　to　found　Cornell　University；　was　another　of　my　college　mates。　He　became　one　of　the　most　famous　of　our　diplomats　and　the　author　of　many　books　of　permanent　value。　　My　friendship　with　MacVeagh　and　White　continued　during　their　lives；　that　is；　for　nearly　sixty　years。　　MacVeagh　was　one　of　the　readiest　and　most　attractive　of　speakers　I　ever　knew。　　He　had　a　very　sharp　and　caustic　wit；　which　made　him　exceedingly　popular　as　an　after…dinner　speaker　and　as　a　host　in　his　own　house。　　He　made　every　evening　when　he　entertained；　for　those　who　were　fortunate　enough　to　be　his　guests；　an　occasion　memorable　in　their　experience。

John　Mason　Brown；　of　Kentucky；　became　afterwards　the　leader　of　the　bar　in　his　State；　and　was　about　to　receive　from　President　Harrison　an　appointment　as　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　when　he　died　suddenly。　　If　he　had　been　appointed　it　would　have　been　a　remarkable　circumstance　that　three　out　of　nine　judges　of　the　greatest　of　courts；　an　honor　which　is　sought　by　every　one　of　the　hundreds　of　thousands　of　lawyers　in　the　United　States；　should　have　been　from　the　same　college　and　the　same　class。

The　faculty　lingers　in　my　memory；　and　I　have　the　same　reverence　and　affection　for　its　members；　though　sixty…five　years　out　of　college；　that　I　had　the　day　I　graduated。　　Our　president；　Theodore　D。　Woolsey；　was　a　wonderful　scholar　and　a　most　inspiring　teacher。　　Yale　has　always　been　fortunate　in　her　presidents；　and　peculiarly　so　in　Professor　Woolsey。　　He　had　personal　distinction；　and　there　was　about　him　an　air　of　authority　and　reserved　power　which　awed　the　most　radical　and　rebellious　student；　and　at　the　same　time　he　had　the　respect　and　affection　of　all。　　In　his　historical　lectures　he　had　a　standard　joke　on　the　Chinese；　the　narration　of　which　amused　him　the　more　with　each　repetition。　　It　was　that