my memories of eighty years-第39节

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ought　he　would　have　great　difficulty　in　his　undertaking。

〃Well；〃　the　preacher　said；　〃I　am　going　to　see　Mr。　Tilden。〃

Doctor　Buckley　could　not　persuade　him　that　his　mission　was　next　to　impossible；　and　so　this　rural　clergyman　started　for　Gramercy　Park。　When　he　returned　he　told　the　doctor　of　his　experience。

〃I　rang　the　bell；〃　he　said；　〃and　when　the　door　was　opened　I　saw　Governor　Tilden　coming　down　the　stairs。　　I　rushed　in　and　told　him　hastily　who　I　was　before　the　man　at　the　door　could　stop　me；　and　he　invited　me　into　his　library。　　I　stated　my　mission；　and　he　said　he　was　so　overwhelmed　with　applications　that　he　did　not　think　he　could　do　anything。　　'But；　governor；'　I　said；　'my　case　differs　from　all　others。　　My　congregation　is　composed　of　miners；　honest；　hardworking　people。　　They　have　hitherto　been　Republicans　on　the　protection　issue；　but　they　were　so　impressed　by　you　as　a　great　reformer　that　they　all　voted　for　you　in　the　last　election。'　　The　governor　said：　　'Tell　that　story　again。'　　So　I　started　again　to　tell　him　about　my　church；　but　he　interrupted　me；　saying：　　'Not　that；　but　about　the　election。'　　So　I　told　him　again　about　their　having；　on　account　of　their　admiration　for　him　as　a　reformer；　turned　from　the　Republican　party　and　voted　the　Democratic　ticket。　　Then　the　governor　said：　　'Well；　I　think　you　have　a　most　meritorious　case；　and　so　I　will　give　you　all　I　have。'〃

Doctor　Buckley　interrupted　him　hastily；　saying：　　〃Great　heavens；　are　you　going　to　build　a　cathedral？〃

〃No；〃　answered　the　clergyman；　〃all　he　had　in　his　pocket　was　two　dollars　and　fifty　cents。〃

Governor　Tilden　had　many　followers　and　friends　whose　admiration　for　him　amounted　almost　to　adoration。　　They　believed　him　capable　of　everything；　and　they　were　among　the　most　intelligent　and　able　men　of　the　country。

John　Bigelow；　journalist；　author；　and　diplomat；　was　always　sounding　his　greatness；　both　with　tongue　and　pen。　　Abram　S。　Hewitt　was　an　equally　enthusiastic　friend　and　admirer。　　Both　of　these　gentlemen；　the　latter　especially；　were；　I　think；　abler　than　Mr。　Tilden；　but　did　not　have　his　hypnotic　power。

I　was　dining　one　night　with　Mr。　Hewitt；　whose　dinners　were　always　events　to　be　remembered；　when　Mr。　Tilden　became　the　subject　of　discussion。　　After　incidents　illustrating　his　manifold　distinctions　had　been　narrated；　Mr。　Hewitt　said　that　Mr。　Tilden　was　the　only　one　in　America　and　outside　of　royalties　in　Europe　who　had　some　blue…labelled　Johannisberger。　　This　famous　wine　from　the　vineyards　of　Prince　Metternich　on　the　Rhine　was　at　that　time　reported　to　be　absorbed　by　the　royal　families　of　Europe。

Our　host　said：　　〃The　bouquet　of　this　wonderful　beverage　is　unusually　penetrating　and　diffusing；　and　a　proof　is　that　one　night　at　a　dinner　in　the　summer；　with　the　windows　all　open；　the　guests　noticed　this　peculiar　aroma　in　the　air。　　I　said　to　them　that　Governor　Tilden　had　opened　a　bottle　of　his　Johannisberger。〃

The　governor's　residence　was　on　the　other　side　of　Gramercy　Park　from　Mr。　Hewitt's。　　The　matter　was　so　extraordinary　that　everybody　at　the　table　went　across　the　park；　and　when　they　were　admitted　they　found　the　governor　in　his　library　enjoying　his　bottle　of　blue…labelled　Johannisberger。

When　Mr。　Tilden　was　elected　governor；　my　friend；　General　Husted；　was　speaker　of　the　assembly；　which　was　largely　Republican。　　The　governor　asked　General　Husted　to　come　down　in　the　evening；　because　he　wanted　to　consult　him　about　the　improvements　and　alterations　necessary　for　the　Executive　Mansion；　and　to　have　the　speaker　secure　the　appropriation。　　During　the　discussion　the　governor　placed　before　the　speaker　a　bottle　of　rare　whiskey；　with　the　usual　accompaniments。　　In　front　of　the　governor　was　a　bottle　of　his　Johannisberger　and　a　small　liqueur　glass；　a　little　larger　than　a　thimble；　from　which　the　governor　would　from　time　to　time　taste　a　drop　of　this　rare　and　exquisite　fluid。　　The　general；　after　a　while；　could　not　restrain　his　curiosity　any　longer　and　said：　〃Governor；　what　is　that　you　are　drinking？〃

The　governor　explained　its　value　and　the　almost　utter　impossibility　of　securing　any。

〃Well；　governor；〃　said　Speaker　Husted；　〃I　never　saw　any　before　and　I　think　I　will　try　it。〃　　He　seized　the　bottle；　emptied　it　in　his　goblet　and　announced　to　the　astonished　executive　that　he　was　quite　right　in　his　estimate　of　its　excellence。

The　governor　lost　a　bottIe　of　his　most　cherished　treasure　but　received　from　the　Republican　legislature　all　the　appropriation　he　desired　for　the　Executive　Mansion。

It　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　know　well　the　governors　of　our　State　of　New　York；　commencing　with　Edmund　D。　Morgan。　　With　many　of　them　I　was　on　terms　of　close　intimacy。　　I　have　already　spoken　of　Governors　Seymour；　Fenton；　Dix；　Tilden；　Cleveland；　and　Roosevelt。　It　might　be　better　to　confine　my　memory　to　those　who　have　joined　the　majority。

Lucius　Robinson　was　an　excellent　executive　of　the　business　type；　as　also　were　Alonzo　B。　Cornell　and　Levi　P。　Morton。　　Frank　S。　Black　was　in　many　ways　original。　　He　was　an　excellent　governor；　but　very　different　from　the　usual　routine。　　In　the　Spanish…American　War　he　had　a　definite　idea　that　the　National　Guard　of　our　State　should　not　go　into　the　service　of　the　United　States　as　regiments；　but　as　individual　volunteers。　　The　Seventh　Regiment；　which　was　the　crack　organization　of　the　Guard；　was　severely　criticised　because　they　did　not　volunteer。　　They　refused　to　go　except　as　the　Seventh　Regiment；　and　their　enemies　continued　to　assail　them　as　tin　soldiers。

General　Louis　Fitzgerald　and　Colonel　Appleton　came　to　me　very　much　disturbed　by　this　condition。　　General　Russell　A。　Alger；　secretary　of　war；　was　an　intimate　friend　of　mine；　and　I　went　to　Washington　and　saw　him　and　the　president　on　the　acute　condition　affecting　the　reputation　of　the　Seventh　Regiment。

General　Alger　said：　　〃We　are　about　to　make　a　desperate　assault　upon　the　fortifications　of　Havana。　　Of　course　there　will　be　many　casualties　and　the　fighting　most　severe。　　Will　the　Seventh　join　that　expedition？〃

The　answer　of　General　Fitzgerald　and　Colonel　Appleton　was　emphatic　that　the　Seventh　would　march　with　full　ranks　on　the　shortest　possible　notice。　　Governor　Black　would　not　change　his　view　of　how　the　National　Guard　should　go；　and　so　the　Seventh　was　never　called。　It　seems　only　proper　that　I　should　make　a　record　of　this　patriotic　proposition　made　by　this　organization。

Governor　Black　developed　after　he　became　governor；　and　especially　after　he　had　retired　from　office；　into　a　very　effective　orator。　He　had　a　fine　presence　and　an　excellent　delivery。　　He　was　fond　of　preparing　epigrams；　and　became　a　master　in　this　sort　of　literature。　When　he　had　occasion　to　deliver　an　address；　it　would　be　almost　wholly　made　up　of　these　detached　gems；　each　perfect　in　itself。　The　only　other　of　our　American　orators　who　cultivated　successfully　this　style　of　speech　was　Senator　John　J。　Ingalls；　of　Kansas。　　It　is　a　style　very　difficult　to　attain　or　to　make　successful。

David　B。　Hill　was　an　extraordinary　man　in　many　ways。　　He　was　governor　for　three　terms　and　United　States　senator　for　one。　　His　whole　life　was　politics。　　He　was　a　trained　lawyer　and　an　excellent　one；　but　his　heart　and　soul　was　in　party　control；　winning　popular　elections；　and　the　art　of　governing。　　He　consolidated　the　rural　elements　of　his　party　so　effectively　that　he　compelled　Tammany　Hall　to　submit　to　his　leadership　and　to　recognize　him　as　its　master。

For　many　years；　and　winning　in　every　contest；　Governor　Hill　controlled　the　organization　and　the　policies　of　the　Democratic　party　of　the　State　of　New　York。　　In　a　plain　way　he　was　an　effective　speaker；　but　in　no　sense　an　orator。　　He　contested　with　Cleveland　for　the　presidency；　but　in　that　case　ran　against　a　stronger　and　bigger　personality　than　he　had　ever　encountered；　and　lost。　　He　rose　far　above　the　average　and　made　his　mark　upon　the　politics　of　his　State　and　upon　the　United　States　Senate　while　he　was　a　member。

Levi　P。　Morton　brought　to　the　governorship　business　ability　which　had　made　him　one　of　the　great　merchants　and　foremost　bankers。　As　Governor　of　the　State　of　New　York；　United　States　Minister　to　France；　Congressman；　and　Vice…President　of　the　United　States；　he　filled　every　position　with　grace；　dignity；　and　ability。　　A　lovable　personality　made　him　most　popular。

Roswell　P。　Flower；　after　a　successful　career　as　a　banker；　developed　political　ambitions。　　He　had　a　faculty　of　making　friends；　and　had　hosts　of　them。　　He　was　congressman　and　then　governor。　　While　the　Democratic　organization　was　hostile　to　him；　he　was　of　the　Mark　Hanna　type　and　carried　his　successful　business　methods　into　the　canvass　for　the　nomination　and　the　campaign　for　the　election　and　was　successful。

Passing　through　Albany　while　he　was　governor；　I　stopped　over　to　pay　my　respects。　　I　was　very　fond　of　him　personally。　　When　I　rang　the　door…bell　of　the　Executive　Mansion　and　inquired　for　the　governor；　the　servant　said：　　〃The　governor　is　very　ill　and　can　see　nobody。〃　　Then　I　asked　him　to　tell　the　governor；　when　he　was　able　to　receive　a　message；　that　Chauncey　Depew　called　and　expressed　his　deep　regret　for　his　illness。　　Suddenly　the　governor　popped　out　from　the　parlor　and　seized　me　by　the　hand　and　said：　　〃Chauncey；　come　in。　　I　was　never　so　glad　to　see　anybody　in　my　life。〃