USA > Indiana > Early Indiana trials: and sketches. Reminiscences > Part 33
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Col. Richard M. Johnson, then Vice President of the United States, was about the common size, heavy set, large head, with sandy hair standing out in every direction. He was one of the most companion- able, hospitable men in Kentucky, and one of the bravest of the brave. Still it was said that he had not sufficient moral courage to protect him from suits for security debts or indorsements for others. As presiding officer of the Senate, the Colonel was much respected. He was liberal and courteous to a fault. Still he was firm when necessary. I became much attached to the Colonel, and on one occasion we were returning home together in the stage. The snow was deep on the mountains;
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it had commenced raining and freezing. About daylight the driver stopped on the top of Laurel Hill, above Uniontown, and informed us that he was afraid to drive down the hill, that it was all ice, that the water had frozen, inclining to the precipice on the lower side of the road. The passengers all got out but the Colonel and myself. We concluded to risk it, the Colonel turning to me, " If we go over be careful not to fall on me." " You are on the upper side, I am in the most danger." "The stage may roll over." Putting his head out of the window, "Driver, keep the horses out of the way of the stage." Away we went at full speed, the stage at times sliding to the edge of the precipice below, and seeming to hang on the tree-tops. We reached the bottom in safety, and were at breakfast at Uniontown, when the foot-passengers came down.
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JUDGE BIGGER AND GENERAL HOWARD.
JUDGE BIGGER AND GENERAL HOWARD.
THE summer of 1840 had come. General Harrison and Mr. Van Buren had been nominated for President by their respective parties ; the notes of preparation for the great party struggle were heard over the nation. Indiana was among the first of the States to put on the political armor. In August, preceding the Presidential election, a Governor was to be elected. Both parties believed that the Presiden- tial election would be affected by the result of the State election, and both resolved to put forth their whole strength. The conventions to nominate the candidates were held at Indianapolis. The delegates came up from all parts of the State, full of spirits, and full of confi- dence. To the lasting eredit of both parties, cach resolved to seleet their best man as their leader, as it ever should be. The Whig party unanimously selected Judge Samuel Bigger, then on the circuit bench, one of the purest and best men in the State. He had been for years my law partner, and I well knew his great worth. He was most acceptable to the people, and would of course receive the entire vote of his party. He was over six feet high, well proportioned, fine face, blue eyes, prominent forehead, a very commanding appearanec, a fair stump-speaker, plain and candid in his statements, leaving a lasting impression upon his audienec, always closing with an eulogy on the life and character of General Harrison.
The Democratic party, with equal unanimity, selected Gen. T. A. Howard as their candidate. Gen. Howard was in Congress at the time. I saw him a few minutes after he received the news of his nomination, and have reason to know that it was cast upon him, and not sought by him. I had known him long and intimately. Though not a member when I was elected to the Senate, he was my warm friend, and I was his. We so continued till he died our Charge d' Affaires in Texas, and I had the melancholy duty assigned me by the courts and bar at Indianapolis of preparing for the records of the courts, and the use of his family, a brief address upon his life and character, on the return of his remains from Texas. Gen. Howard, like Judge Bigger, was large and commanding in appearance. His hair and eyes black, his forehead remarkably high, his features large and prominent, his complexion dark, his manners good, his mind of the first order, his private life pure and unsullied. As a publie speaker he stood high ; in a word, I thought him then the first man of his party in the State. He was so considered at Washington. His friends there reluctantly saw him leave the House to enter upon the Gubernatorial contest. Still, they seemed sanguine of his sueeess.
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EARLY INDIANA TRIALS.
Gen. Butler, of Kentucky, proposed to guess a thousand dollars with me on the result, and Mr. Van Buren told me at his table that Judge Wick and Gen. Carr had informed him that there was no doubt of the election of Gen. Howard, -looking in my face, " What do you say ?" " I say, if Gen. Howard carries Indiana over Judge Bigger, you will beat Gen. Harrison in the State." The conversation dropped.
The candidates were a noble pair of men, more alike iu age, size, appearance, talents, learning, high moral and religious worth-the one a member of the Old School Presbyterian Church, and the other of the New-than any two competitors that ever contested an elee- tion in the State. It was an open, honorable contest, and both of the candidates came out of it with fresh laurels on their brows. The popularity of General Harrison was irresistible, and Judge Bigger was elected by a heavy majority, which was largely increased in favor ' of Gen. Harrison over Mr. Van Buren in the fall. This was the greatest and most exciting political contest I ever witnessed in the State. At that time I was chairman of the Whig Central Committee -made the appointments for the meetings over the State, appointed the speakers, attended many of the meetings, and spoke continually by day and by night. Our best speakers were filled with enthusiasm and untiring zeal. We had on our side such men as Joseph G. Mar- shall, George G. Dunn, Albert S. White, William Herod, William Grahm, Caleb B. Smith, Richard W. Thompson, IIenry S. Lane, Othniel L. Clark, John Beard, Newton Claypool, Samuel C. Sample, Jonathan A. Liston, John D. DeFrees, Douglass Maguire, Edward +- MeGaughey, Thos. J. Evans, Hugh O'Neil, Martin M. Ray, Schuyler Colfax, Thomas D. Walpole, William Me K. Duun, Daniel D. Pratt, Henry Walker, John Vawter, Milton Stapp, John Dumont, Stephen C. Stevens, Jeremiah Sullivan, Joseph C. Eggleston, Wm. S. Coffin, William T. Otto, William G. Ewing, David Kilgore, David P. Hollo- way, Samuel W. Parker, Henry P. Thornton, James Collins, James Rariden, James HI. Cravens, Joseph L. White, Jonathan McCarty, John Ewing, George II. Dunn, John Pitcher, Samuel Judah, James Perry, John Yaryan, Lewis Burk, P. A. Haekleman, Abner T. Ellis, Randall Crawford, Thomas H. Blake, Elisha M. Huntington, Thomas Dowling, Judge DeBruler, Charles Dewey, John W. Payne, Conrod Baker, and others of the same character. Our opponents could name an equally strong set of speakers-Edward A. Hannegan, James Whitcomb, Merinius Willett, Findley Bigger, James Lockhart, Amos Lane, Thomas Smith, Gen. John Tipton, Thomas L. Smith, Robert Dale Owen, John Law, Joseph A. Wright, John G. Davis, Paris C. Dunning, Willis A. Gorman, Delana R. Eckles, Alvin P. Hovey, An-
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GOVERNOR WHITCOMB.
drew Kennedy, Marks Crume, William Watt, Jeremiah Smith, Henry Secrest, John Spencer, Elisha Long, William Rockhill, Nathaniel West, Nathan B. Palmer, Gen. Drake, John Carr, William W. Wick, William J. Brown, Henry Brady, James Brown Ray, Joseph Holman, Samuel E. Perkins, Ross Smiley, Wilson Thompson, and others. The campaign elosed with a grand torch-light procession at Indianapolis : the first of the kind I had ever seen in the State. The parties vied with each other in the brillianey of their transparencies, the bands playing beautifully, the whole heavens lighted up with rockets and the streets filled with bonfires. Gov. Whitcomb occupied the stand on the north side of Washington street, and I addressed the crowd on the south side; but the sounds of musie, singing, explosions of rockets, and huzzas of the multitude rose above our voices. We left our stands and became silent spectators of the 'scene till near mid- night. Thus ended the memorable contest of 1840, by the election of Judge Bigger, Governor, and Gen. Harrison, President, both by overwhelming majorities.
GOVERNOR WHITCOMB.
Gov. BIGGER served but one term, and was succeeded by JAMES WHITCOMB, by a close vote. I had known Gov. Whitcomb for years. We had practiced together on the circuit in many important and hard contested cases, sometimes as associates, and at others on different sides. We were friends while he lived. Gov. Whitcomb was about medium size, dark complexion, black hair and eyes, good features, wide mouth, eyes prominent, his hair nicely combed slick on his head, and well perfumed. He was a fine scholar, had a mind of a high order, well matured and disciplined. Ile was cool, self-possessed in debate, and on the stump ; rather hard to find out, except by his par- ticular friends. Ile was a strong, shrewd party leader. As was said of Martin Van Buren, " he preferred going fifty miles to see a man on political matters, to writing him a letter on the subject." Gov. Whitcomb made a fair Executive, and was "rotated " by his party from the Governor of the State to the Senate of the United States, where he remained but a few years, until he fell a victim to a chronic disease, and died in the meridian of life. Ile was succeeded in the Executive chair by Joseph A. Wright, over John A. Matson. Here, again, were worthy competitors in the field.
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EARLY INDIANA TRIALS.
GOVERNOR WRIGHT AND JOHN A. MATSON.
I HAD long intimately known both the candidates. Mr. Matson was a law student of mine. I had with great pleasure seen him rise in his profession, and the esteem of the people, until he was chosen the standard-bearer of his party. The candidates both belonged to the Methodist connection; they were both good stump-speakers, ardent, and untiring, canvassing every part of the State. Governor Wright suecccded by a decided vote, and served the first term to the general satisfaction of the people.
GOVERNOR WRIGHT AND NICHOLAS M'CARTY.
Gov. WRIGHT was nominated for re-election by his party, and was opposed by Nicholas M'Carty, the nominee of the Whig party. Here, again, the parties had put forth their best men. I had long been acquainted with Nicholas M'Carty. He was among the best men in the State, and strictly honest. His talents were not of the brilliant, but of the useful kind. He was eminently practical, plain in his manners, social, frank and open in his intercourse. He was below the common hight, heavy set, with nothing very prepossessing in his general appearance. As a speaker he was plain, deliberate, and dis- tinct, made no pretense of eloquence, but always spoke sensibly. Mr. McCarty has years since been gathered to his fathers, and lies in the family tomb in the Indianapolis cemetery. Governor Wright served his second term as Governor of the State, to the public approval, and soon after his office expired, was appointed by Mr. Buchanan our Minister to Prussia, and is, at this writing, upon his ocean voyage, crossing the Atlantic. In person Governor Wright is tall and commanding, with a large head, remarkably high forehead, hair light-colored and thin on his head, large blue eyes, wide mouth, long nose, good features ; his mind is elear, vigorous and impulsive. As a stump-speaker, he has had few, if any superiors in the State. ITis voice is strong and clear, when not too much used; but like the most of our publie speakers, he forgets his voice, and even himself, in his subject and his andience. Governor Wright is one of the most untiring, persevering electioneerers the State ever had in it. I heard him the last night before the elcetion of Governor Willard, on the steps of the Wright House. He was completely worn down, his voice gone, and his strength exhausted. He will now have leisure to recruit his strength, rest his voice, and improve his mind in foreign lands, as the representative of his Government.
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SENATORIAL ELECTION IN 1842.
SENATORIAL ELECTION IN 1842
I HAD served the State as United States Senator. My term was about to expire. The next winter the election of my successor was to take place. The members of the Legislature were elected with direct reference to the Senatorial contest. The two great parties of the State had been very active. Each had its candidate for Senator indirectly before the people. The Whig party, to which I belonged, were united on my re-election. The Democratic party were equally united upon Gen. T. A. Howard, as its candidate. In fact no other candidate was thought of by either party. As was the custom, in some counties the people ran candidates pledged to support the choice of their constitu- ents for Senator, although differing in political sentiments. This was the case in the county of Wayne, one of the old Whig counties of the State, giving at that time some two thousand majority for the Whig Legislative candidates. A Senator was to be elected from that county. David Hoover, an old and highly respectable citizen-a known Demo- crat-became a candidate, and, to secure his election, pledged himself to the Whigs of the county to support me in good faith for United States Senator ; and such was the confidence of the Whig party in his solemn pledges, that they elected him by a large majority. The county of Switzerland, another Whig county, elected Daniel Kelso, a upposed substantial Whig, as he openly avowed himself to be.
The returns were all in and the figures footed up-Whigs, counting Hoover's pledged vote, and Kelso, 76; Democrats, 74; insuring my election on the first ballot. It was, however, so close, and my sense of propriety not permitting me to leave my seat, and be present at the election, that I had doubts as to the result, as I wrote to Mr. Clay.
It was the custom at that time for the candidates to ride around and see the members of the Legislature at their homes. I availed myself of the privilege, and visited Mr. Hoover, at his residence north of Richmond. He received me kindly. I took dinner with him. He assured me, again and again, in the most positive and unequivocal terms, that he would not only vote for me all the time, but would, in good faith, carry out the will of his constituents, and his pledges before he was elected, by doing all in his power to secure my election. I left him with entire confidence, but at Richmond met with the other Senator, Lewis Burk, and was told by him that Hoover was not to be relied upon. I kept this to myself; I felt like Mr. Clay did, when he first became suspicious that Tyler would deceive the Whig party : " I can not believe that any man can be so deceptive."
A few days before I left for Washington, to attend to my Senatorial
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EARLY INDIANA TRIALS.
duties, I met Gen. Howard at Indianapolis, when the election of Senator came up in conversation. The General, like myself, was far from sanguine of the result. He said he knew well that one of us ought to be elected, if the will of our parties was to be carried out ; " But," said the General, with his eyes fixed upon mine, " the vote will be so close, that a man or two may be found, who, like Judas, would sell his party for a few pieces of silver. There is nothing certain."
After the clection was over, and we had both been defeated by the base treachery of Hoover and Kelso, the General reminded me of what he had told me. I arrived at Washington, took my seat on the first day of the session, and was never absent a day until Congress adjourned. The election came on ; both parties sanguine as to the result, as I learned from my friends, who apprised me every day of the prospect of affairs. Both Kelso and Hoover had given the most positive assurances of their fidelity to the party, and to myself as the Whig candidate-and even to the very last their treachery was not suspected. The joint convention met. The first vote showed the state of affairs. Gen. Howard received 74 votes-precisely what he should have received. I received 72 votes-four less than the party vote, with Hoover's added. Edward A. Hannegan received three votes, and Joseph G. Marshall received one vote. Kelso voted for Hannegan, and Hoover voted for me, knowing that his vote would not elect me, as Kelso did not vote for me, the next was his last vote for me. Gen. Howard received 74 votes; I received 75 votes. Hannegan received Kelso's vote ; had Kelso voted for me I would have been elected. Hoover voted for me, knowing that Kelso would not, and that I could not be elected without the vote of Kelso. This was the last time Hoover voted for me, and Kelso never voted for me at any time. The third vote Gen. Howard received 73 votes; I received 73 votes ; and Mr. Hannegan received the votes of Kelso and two demo- crats. The fourth vote Gen. Howard received 73 votes ; I received 73 votes ; Mr. Hannegan received two votes ; and Hoover voted for Gov. Hendricks. The fifth vote Gen. Howard received 73 votes ; I received 70 votes, and Mr. Hannegan received two votes, Hoover and Kelso voting against me, and voting for Mr. Hannegan.
The Convention adjonrned, and then it was that both Gen. Howard and myself were sacrificed to a temporary party triumph, procured by the treachery of David Hoover, of Wayne, and Daniel Kelso, of Swit- zerland. The vote in the afternoon was taken : Gen. Howard received one vote; Edward A. Hannegan received 76 votes. and was elected, both Kelso and Hoover voting for him ; I received 69 votes ; and there were four scattering votes. Gen. Howard was sacrificed by his party,
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while my party stood by me, for which I shall ever thank them. While Gen. Howard was sacrificed by his party, I was defeated by the treachery of Hoover and Kelso. I do not know who east the one vote for Gen. Howard; he ought to be known. I would rather be that man than any other man who voted against me.
I was lying in my bed at Washington, late at night, when I received the news from the post-office that I had been defeated by the treason of Hoover and Kelso. The next day the Committee on the Public Lands, of which I was chairman, met. I had a number of bills pre- pared that met the approval of the committee. As I rose from my seat in the Senate to report my bills, I noticed Mr. Benton, Mr. Walker, Mr. King, and Mr. Buchanan, on the opposite side of the chamber, looking toward my seat. After I had made my report, Col. King came over to my seat, and asked me if it was true, that I had been defeated. I told him it was. " That was what we were talking about, as you saw us looking at you ; we could not believe it. You are the first man that I ever saw that went on with his business in the Senate, immediately after the news of his defeat, just as if nothing had hap- pened." " I feel that I am worth as much to myself as I am to my State ; if the State desired the severance of the connection, it is not for me to complain. My only regret is, that the result had not been by the free choice of a majority of the people of the State. However, I bespeak for my successor the kind offices of you all."
I know that Gen. Howard never got over the mortification of his defeat by his own party. For myself, I have lived and prospered in private life, and am now writing these sketches, at the age of sixty- two, in fine health, without glasses. Kelso and Hoover have lived to feel as comfortable in the presence of those who once respected them, as Gen. Arnold did when introduced, in England, to the friends of Maj. Andre.
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THE RACE TRACK.
THE treaty between the United States and Great Britain was in progress. Mr. Webster, Secretary of State, and Lord Ashburton, were busily engaged iu arranging its provisions. I was sitting in my seat in the Senate Chamher, about twelve o'clock one day, when Gov. Fulton asked me if I would not go out to the race-track with him and Franklin Pierec, to see the great race between Boston, Cippus, and Prince George. He said the Senators were all going. I accepted the invitation, and we started down the Avenue for the race-ground- Gov. Fulton Gen. Pierce and myself in one hack, Col. King, Mr. Man- gum and Col. Sevier in another, and other Senators in other hacks. About two miles north of the city we passed up a rising ground to a hill that overlooks the far-stretching Potomac, the cities of Washing- ton, Georgetown and Alexandria, with the surrounding country on the south. Just at the foot of the hill in full view on the north lay the Washington race-course, inclosed with a high board fence. On one side was the judges stand, near which was the covered stand for ladies, and others, giving a full view of the horses on every part of the course. The course was a mile in length, and the heats of four miles by their rules were run four times round, with a rest of thirty minutes between each heat, and requiring one horse to win two heats to take the stakes. Carriages entered the front gate and had the privi- lege of the whole ground, inside the track. We drove in, and took our stand on the high ground, near the center of the circle. There were some fifty carriages, and as many on horseback, but very few on foot. Throwing my eye on the back-ground, I saw two large, heavy- set men walking quietly along, apparently in deep and close conversa- tion. I kept my eye upon them; as they approached our carriage Mr. Webster, in his blue coat and bright metal buttons said, " Gentle- men, let me make you acquainted with Lord Ashburton." We had a few minutes pleasant conversation, when they passed on to the carriage of Messrs. King, Mangum and Sevier. Our attention was immedi- ately called to the opening of the gate from the stables to the track, and the entry of the horses. The driver was directed to move forward, to give us a better view of the animals that were to contend for the prize. "Boston " I had heard of, but the others were strangers to us, if not to the Spirit of the Times. The horse " Cippus," from the New Orleans course, was a long, slick black, a beautiful animal. He looked to me as if he could fly, almost like a bird. We learned that his owner and backers were confident in his speed and endurance. He passed on led by his groom. Then came "Prince George," the pride of
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THE RACE COURSE.
Maryland, a beautiful blood bay, with black legs, mane and tail, led by his groom. Col. King remarked as he passed by, " There is a horse that has the running points ; he will win." I said nothing, for I knew nothing about the "running points," and as the Colonel lived in a racing country I supposed he knew all about it, of course. " Prince George " passed on, and then came " Boston," the great racer, Boston that was never beaten, until he was nine years old, and then by Fash- ion a five year old of his own blood, over her own Union Course, he carrying weight for age. Boston was a light chestnut sorrel, about fif- teen hands high, bald face, white feet, long body and neck, light mane, ribs plainly visible, strong bone, deep chest, protruding eyes, large open nostrils, elastic pasterns, strong hoofs, firm limbs, long switch tail brushing the ground. IIe was ridden by the celebrated jockey, Gill Patrick, who afterward rode him when he ran the great race against Fashion, and who recently rode Prioress, on the Goodwood course, in England. The horses had passed to the stand ; the jockies and sad- dles weighed ; riders up ; the drum tapped, and off they went. Cippus took the Icad, closely pressed by Prince George, Boston far behind. Around they went at a flying pace ; they passed the stand, Cippus ahead, Prince George lapping him, Boston thirty feet behind. Away they went on the second mile, the pace increasing. They passed the stand again, Cippus still ahead, Prince George pressing closely, Bos- ton, under a hard pull, thirty feet behind. Around they go on the third mile, maintaining their positions till they pass the stand and enter upon the fourth mile. Prince George passed Cippus, a shout rent the air from the Marylanders. Poor Cippus! It was all over with him. His rider reined him off the track. The contest for the last mile was then even-handed between Boston and Prince George- Virginia and Maryland. As they passed our carriage, Col. William R. Johnson, the Napoleon of the turf, galloped up, his white locks floating over his shoulders. "Gentlemen look at Boston, as he comes down the last quarter. I told Gill to let him run. He is the best four-mile horse on earth." They pass the last quarter-post head and head-Prince George goaded to the top of his speed. Gill Patrick gave Boston the rein ; he seemed to lie along the track, as he stretched him- self, in imitation of an old red fox crossing the valley from mountain to mountain, before the pack. His speed increased ; he seemed almost · to fly ; he passed the winning-stand some thirty feet ahead. Prince George was withdrawn. Boston walked over the track alone for the next heat. The race over, Mr. Webster and Lord Ashburton entered their carriage, and we all drove back to the city, after my first and last day on the racc-track.
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