my memories of eighty years-第19部分

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ory　and　patriotism；　and　behind　them　the　personality　of　an　ex…president　of　the　United　States。〃

As　an　illustration　of　how　distinguished　men；　when　out　of　power；　no　longer　interest　our　people；　I　remember　I　met　Mr。　Hayes　one　day　in　front　of　a　fruit　display　of　a　well…known　grocery　establishment；　and　after　greeting　said　to　the　groceryman：　　〃That　is　ex…President　Hayes。　　Don't　you　want　to　meet　him？〃　　The　groceryman　replied：　〃I　am　not　interested　in　him；　but　I　have　the　finest　collection　of　pears　in　the　city　and　want　to　sell　you　some。〃

The　Capitol　was　full　of　the　rich　and　racy　characterizations；　epigrams；　and　sarcasms　which　Senator　Conkling　was　daily　pouring　out　upon　President　Hayes；　and　especially　Secretary　Evarts。　　By　all　the　rules　of　senatorial　courtesy　in　those　machine　days；　a　member　of　the　Cabinet　from　New　York　should　have　been　a　friend　of　its　United　States　senator。　　Mr。　Evarts　was　too　big　a　man　to　be　counted　in　any　other　class　or　category　except　his　own。　　Of　course；　all　these　criticisms　were　carried　to　both　the　president　and　the　secretary　of　state。　　The　president　never　mentioned　them；　and　I　never　heard　Evarts；　though　I　met　him　frequently；　make　any　reply　but　once。

Dining　with　Mr。　Evarts；　who　entertained　charmingly；　a　very　distinguished　English　jurist　among　the　guests；　here　on　a　special　mission；　said：　　〃Mr。　Secretary；　I　was　at　the　Senate　to…day　and　heard　Senator　Conkling　speaking。　　His　magnificent　personal　appearance；　added　to　his　fine　oratory；　must　make　him　one　of　the　most　formidable　advocates　at　your　bar　and　in　your　courts。〃　　The　English　judge　thought；　of　course；　that　Mr。　Evarts；　as　the　leader　of　the　American　Bar　and　always　in　the　courts；　would　know　every　lawyer　of　distinction。　　Mr。　Evarts　dryly　replied：　　〃I　never　saw　Mr。　Conkling　in　court。〃

It　is　always　dangerous　to　comment　or　narrate　a　racy　story　which　involves　the　personal　affliction　of　anybody。　　Dining　with　Mr。　Evarts　one　night　was　also　a　very　distinguished　general　of　our　Civil　War；　who　had　been　an　important　figure　in　national　politics。　　He　was　very　curious　to　know　about　Mr。　Tilden；　and　especially　as　to　the　truth　of　a　report　that　Mr。　Tilden　had　a　stroke　of　paralysis；　and　appealed　to　me；　as　I　was　just　from　New　York。　　I　narrated　a　story　which　was　current　at　the　time　that　Mr。　Tilden　had　denied　the　report　by　saying　to　a　friend：　　〃They　say　I　cannot　lift　my　left　hand　to　my　head。〃　　He　then　put　his　right　hand　under　the　left　elbow　and　shot　the　left　one　easily　up　to　his　face　and　said：　　〃See　there；　my　left　has　reached　its　goal。〃

I　saw　that　Mr。　Evarts　was　embarrassed　at　the　anecdote　and　discovered　afterwards　that　the　distinguished　guest　had　recently　had　a　similar　stroke　on　his　left　side　and　could　propel　his　left　arm　and　hand　only　with　the　assistance　of　his　right。

My　old　bogie　of　being　put　into　office　arose　again　in　the　senatorial　election　of　1882。　　The　legislature；　for　the　first　time　in　a　generation；　was　entirely　leaderless。　　The　old　organization　had　disappeared　and　a　new　one　had　not　yet　crystallized。

Mr。　Evarts　was　anxious　to　be　senator；　and　I　pledged　him　my　support。　　Evarts　was　totally　devoid　of　the　arts　of　popular　appeal。　He　was　the　greatest　of　lawyers　and　the　most　delightful　of　men；　but　he　could　not　canvass　for　votes。　　Besides；　he　was　entirely　independent　in　his　ideas　of　any　organization　dictation　or　control；　and　resented　both。　　He　did　not　believe　that　a　public　man　should　go　into　public　office　under　any　obligations；　and　resented　such　suggestions。

A　large　body　of　representative　men　thought　it　would　be　a　good　thing　for　the　country　if　New　York　could　have　this　most　accomplished；　capable；　and　brilliant　man　in　the　United　States　Senate。　　They　urged　him　strongly　upon　the　legislature；　none　of　whose　members　knew　him　personally；　and　Mr。　Evarts　would　not　go　to　Albany。

The　members　selected　a　committee　to　come　down　to　New　York　and　see　Mr。　Evarts。　　They　went　with　the　idea　of　ascertaining　how　far　he　would　remember　with　gratitude　those　who　elected　him。　　Their　visit　was　a　miserable　failure。　　They　came　in　hot　indignation　to　my　office　and　said　they　did　not　propose　to　send　such　a　cold　and　unsympathetic　man　as　their　representative　to　Washington　and　earnestly　requested　my　consent　to　their　nominating　me　at　the　caucus　the　next　morning。

The　committee　telephoned　to　Albany　and　received　the　assent　of　every　faction　of　their　party　to　this　proposition。　　Then　they　proposed　that　when　the　caucus　met；　Mr。　Evarts；　of　course；　should　receive　complimentary　speeches　from　his　friends。　　Meanwhile　others　would　be　nominated；　and　then　a　veteran　member；　whom　they　designated；　should　propose　me　in　the　interest　of　harmony　and　the　union　of　the　party；　whereat　the　sponsors　of　the　other　candidate　would　withdraw　their　man；　and　I　be　nominated　by　acclamation。　　My　answer　was　a　most　earnest　appeal　for　Mr。　Evarts。　　Then　Mr。　Evarts's　friends　rallied　to　his　support　and　he　was　elected。

I　place　Mr。　Evarts　in　the　foremost　rank　as　a　lawyer；　a　wit；　and　a　diplomat。　　He　tried　successfully　the　most　famous　cases　of　his　time　and　repeatedly　demonstrated　his　remarkable　genius。　　As　a　general　railway　counsel　and；　therefore；　as　an　administrator　in　the　retaining　of　distinguished　counsels；　I　met　with　many　of　the　best　men　at　the　bar；　but　never　any　with　such　a　complete　and　clarified　intellect　as　William　M。　Evarts。　　The　mysteries　of　the　most　complicated　cases　seemed　simple；　the　legal　difficulties　plain；　and　the　solution　comprehensible　to　everybody　under　his　analysis。

Mr。　Evarts　was　the　wittiest　man　I　ever　met。　　It　is　difficult　to　rehabilitate　in　the　sayings　of　a　wit　the　complete　flavor　of　the　utterance。　　It　is　easier　with　a　man　of　humor。　　Evarts　was　very　proud　of　his　efforts　as　a　farmer　on　his　large　estate　in　Vermont。　Among　his　prizes　was　a　drove　of　pigs。　　He　sent　to　Chief　Justice　Morrison　R。　Waite　a　copy　of　his　eulogy　on　Chief　Justice　Salmon　P。　Chase；　Waite's　predecessor；　and　at　the　same　time　a　ham；　saying　in　his　letter：　　〃My　dear　Chief　Justice；　I　send　you　to…day　one　of　my　prize　hams　and　also　my　eulogy　on　Chief　Justice　Chase；　both　the　products　of　my　pen。〃

The　good　things　Mr。　Evarts　said　would　be　talked　of　long　after　a　dinner。　　I　remember　on　one　occasion　his　famous　partner；　Mr。　Choate；　who　was　a　Harvard　man；　while　Evarts　was　a　graduate　from　Yale；　introduced　Mr。　Evarts　by　saying　that　he　was　surprised　that　a　Yale　man；　with　all　the　prejudices　of　that　institution　against　the　superior　advantages　of　Harvard；　should　have　risked　the　coats　of　his　stomach　at　a　Harvard　dinner。　　Mr。　Evarts　replied：　〃When　I　go　to　a　Harvard　dinner　I　always　leave　the　coats　of　my　stomach　at　home。〃

Mr。　Evarts　once　told　me　when　I　was　visiting　him　at　his　country　place　that　an　old　man　whom　he　pointed　out；　and　who　was　sawing　wood；　was　the　most　sensible　philosopher　in　the　neighborhood。　Mr。　Evarts　said：　　〃He　is　always　talking　to　himself；　and　I　asked　him　why。〃　　His　answer　was：　　〃I　always　talk　to　myself　in　preference　to　talking　to　anybody　else；　because　I　like　to　talk　to　a　sensible　man　and　to　hear　a　man　of　sense　talk。〃



VIll。　　GENERAL　GARFIELD

The　triumph　of　the　Democrats　in　Maine　in　the　September　election；　1880；　had　a　most　depressing　effect　upon　the　Republicans　and　an　equally　exhilarating　one　upon　the　Democrats。　　The　paralyzing　effect　of　the　simple　utterances　in　popular　elections　almost　makes　one　think　that　every　candidate　should　follow　Matthew　Quay's　famous　advice　to　his　candidate　for　governor：　　〃Beaver；　keep　your　mouth　shut。〃

In　the　campaign　when　General　Winfield　Scott　ran　for　the　presidency；　he　began　an　important　communication　by　stating　that　he　would　answer　as　soon　as　he　had　taken　a　hasty　plate　of　soup。　　That　〃hasty　plate　of　soup〃　appeared　in　cartoons；　was　pictured　on　walls；　etc。；　in　every　form　of　ridicule；　and　was　one　of　the　chief　elements　of　his　defeat。

When　towards　the　close　of　the　canvass　Garfield　had　succeeded　in　making　the　tariff　the　leading　issue；　General　Hancock　was　asked　what　were　his　views　on　the　tariff。　　（You　must　remember　that　the　general　was　a　soldier　and　had　never　been　in　politics。）　　The　general　answered：　　〃The　tariff　was　a　purely　local　issue　in　Pennsylvania。〃　The　whole　country　burst　into　a　gale　of　laughter；　and　Hancock's　campaign　had　a　crack　which　was　never　mended。

There　never　were　two　more　picturesque　opponents　than　General　Garfield　and　General　Hancock。　　Hancock　was　the　idol　of　the　Army　of　the　Potomac；　and　everybody　remembered　McClellan's　despatch　after　one　of　the　bloodiest　battles　of　the　Peninsula　campaign：　　〃Hancock　was　superb　to…day。〃　　He　was　an　exceedingly　handsome　man　and　one　of　the　finest　figures　in　uniform　in　the　whole　country。

General　Garfield　also　presented　a　very　fine　appearance。　　He　was　a　large　man；　well…proportioned；　and　with　very　engaging　manners。　He　also　had　an　unusual　faculty　for　attractive　public　addresses；　not　only　on　politics；　but　many　subjects；　especially　education　and　patriotism。　　I　never　can　forget　when　the　news　of　Lincoln's　assassination　reached　New　York。　　The　angry　and　dangerous　crowd　which　surged　up　and　down　Broadway　and　through　Wall　Street　threatened　to　wreck　the　banking　and　business　houses　which　were　supposed　to　be　sympathetic　with　the　Confederates。

Garfield　suddenly　appeared　on　the　balcony　of　the　Custom　House　in　Wall　Street　and　succeeded　in　stilling　the　crowd。　　With　a　voice　that　reached　up　to　Trinity　Church　h