T iIh Uiii.' i it, Lilirir, III II I I niiiijiri-wrri ^.?^ f-%^ t?Kfi »+ V'>,i M5 ^-. Vi >*.£ 2^-! r"^ ¦^i cS» i-^h i'-w!' '1^1. '•KI 6-fti' 'a., -. "¦rfi*;? ^r?- j(Mi'.^«i hi \m .^'.^ ,'¦¦' - .'¦ d> •/ "t^ *^"-. J ¦^^r- fjK^SS'iSg :^.^: ^t" uOO. / B OSD V) cfy.z /%^i9ifj ^^J^M'n€t' I MEMORIAL THOMAS EWING, OHIO. .ty VAys. iWev, (t¦*l^¦^^4') S Vl e f Vva a.-y\ New York : THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY, Xo. 9 WABKEN STREET. 1873. John Ross & Co., Pkintbbs, 37 Rose Stkbbt, Ne-w Yokk. THIS MEMORIAL, into which are gathered, for preservation, the tributes of respect and love oifered to the memory of a great man, together with testimony regarding a higher blessing than earthly honor and renowm, is prepared with ten der reverence and filial devotion. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, WRITTEN IN 1869. The following sketch by the late Thomas Ew- ing will be read wdth new interest since the re- cent decease of that great man. — (.'Inclnnati Com- mercial. " My father settled in what is now^ Ames towai- ship, Athens County, early in April, 1798. He removed from the mouth of Olive Green Creek, on the Muskingum River, and the nearest neighbor with whom he had association was, in that direc tion, distant about eighteen miles. There were a few^ families settled, about the same time, on or near the present site of the town of Athens, but no road or even pathway led to them ; the dis tance was about twelve miles. There was also an old pioneer hunter encamped at the mouth of Federal Creek, distant about ten miles. This, as far as I know, comprised the population statistics of what is now Athens County. I do not know 6 AX AUTOBIOaEAPIlICAL SKETCH. the date of the settlement in what was called Xo. 5 — Cooley's settlement — it was early. " At the time of my father's removal, I was with my aunt, Mrs. Morgan, near West Liberty, Yirginia, going to school. I was a few months in my ninth year. Early in the year 1798, I think in ^lax, my uncle brought me home. We descended the Ohio River in a flat-boat to the mouth of Little Hocking, and crossed a bottom and a pine hill along a dim foot-path, some ten or fifteen miles, and took quarters for the night at Dailey's camp. I was tired, and slept well on the bear-skin bed which the rough old dame spread for me ; and in the morning my uncle engaged a son of our host, a boy of eighteen, who had seen my father's cabin, to pilot us. '¦ I was now at home, and fairly an inceptive citizen of the future Athens County. The young savage, our pilot, was much struck with some of the rude implements of civilization which he saw my brother using, especially the auger, and ex pressed the opinion that with an axe and an auger a man could make everything he vr anted except a gun and bullet-moulds. My brother ^vas engaged in making some bedsteads. He had already finished a table, in the manufacture of which he had used also an adze to smooth the plank, which he split in AX AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 7 good width from straight-grained trees. Trans- portation was exceedingly difficult, and our furni ture, of the rudest kind, composed of articles of the first ueccssitv. "We had wild fruits of several vaiieties, very abundant, and some of them exceedingly fine. There was a sharp ridge quite near my father's house, on which I had selected four or five service or juneberry bushes that I could easily climl), and kept an eye on them till they should get fully ripe. At the proper time, I went with one of my sisters to gather them ; but a bear had been in advance of me. The limbs of all the bushes were brought down to the trunk like a folded umbrella, and the berries all gone ; there were plenty still in the vroods for children and bears, but few so choice or easy of access as these. We had a great variety of wild plums, some exceedingly fine — better, to my taste, than the best tame varieties. I have not seen any of the choice varieties within the last thirty years. "We of course had no mills. The nearest was on Wolf Creek, about fourteen miles distant; from this we brought our first suinmer's supply of bread- stuffs. After we gathered our first crop of corn, 8 AN AUTOBIOGEAPHICAL SKETCH. my father instituted a hand-mill, which, as a kind of common property, supplied the neighborhood, after we had neighbors, for several years, until Christopher Herrold set up a horse-mill on the ridge, and Henry Barrows a w^ater-mill near the mouth of Federal Creek. ''For the first year, I was a lonely boy. My brother George, eleven years older than I, was too much a man to be my companion, and my sisters could not be with me generally in the woods and among the rocks and caves ; but a small spaniel dog, almost as intelligent as a boy, was always AYith me. I was the reader of the family, but we had few books. I remember but one besides ' Watts's Psalms and Hymns ' that a child could read — 'The Yicar of Wakefield,' which was almost committed to memory ; the poetry which it con tained, entirely. " Our first neighbor was Capt. Benjamin Brown, who had been an officer in the Revolutionary war. He was a man of strong intellect, without much culture. He told me many anecdotes of the war Avhich interested me, and, among other things that I remember, gave an account of Dr. Jenner's then D-ecent discovery of the kine-pox as a preventive of the small-pox better than I have ever yet read in any w^ritten treatise, and I remember it AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. V better than any account which I have since read. He lent me a book — one number of a periodical called the ' Athenian Oracle ' — something like our modern ' Notes and Queries ' — from which, how^ever, I learned but little. I found, too, a companion in his son John, four years my senior, still enjoying sound health in his ripe old age. "In 1801, some one of my father's family being- ill, Dr. Baker, who lived at Waterford, eighteen miles distant, Avas called in. He took notice of me as a reading boy, and told me he had a book he would lend me if I would come for it. I got leave of my father and went, the little spaniel being my travelling companion. The book was a transla tion of Virgil, the Bucolics and Georgics torn out, but the JEneid perfect. I have not happened to meet with the translation since, and do not kuoAv Avhose it was. The opening lines, as I remem ber them, were — " ' Arms and the man I sing -who first from Troy Came to the Italian and Lavinian shores, Exiled hy fate, much tossed by land and sea, I By po-sver divine and cruel Juno's rage ; Much, too, in -war be suffered, tiU be reared A city, aud to Latium brought his gods — Heuce sprung bis Latin progeny, the kings Of Alba, and the walls of to-weringRome.' "When I returned home Avith mv book, and for 10 AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. some Aveeks after, my father had hands employed in clearing a new field. On Sundays, and at leisure hours, I read to them, and never had a more atten tive audience. At that point in the narrative Avhere .^Eneas discloses to Dido his purpose of leav ing her, and tells her of the vision of Mercury bearing the mandate of Jove, one of the men sprang to his feet, declared that he did not believe a Avord of that — he had got tired of her, and it AYas all a made-up story as an excuse to be off: and it Avas a d d shame after AA^hat she had done for him. So the reputation of iEneas suffered by that day's reading. " Our next neighbors Avere Ephraim Cutler, Silva- nus Ames, William BroAvn, a married son of the Captain ; and, four or fiA^e miles distant, Nathan Woodbury, George Wolf, and Christopher Herrold : and about the same time, or a little later, Silas Dean, a rich old bachelor, Martin Boyles, and John and Samuel McCune. Mr. Cutler and my father purchased 'Morse's Geography/ the first edition, about 1800, for his oldest son, Charles, and myself; it in effect became my book, as Charles never used it, and I studied it most intently. By this, Avith such explanations as my father gave me, I acquired quite a competent knoAAdedge of geogra phy, and something of general history. AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. , 11 " Al)0ut this time, the neighbors in our aud tiie surrounding settlements met and agreed to pur chase books and to make a common libraiy. They AYere all poor, and subscriptions small, but they raised in all about one hundred doUars. All my accumulated Avealth — ten coon-skins — Avent into the fund, and Squire Sam. BroAvn, of Sunday Creek, who AYas going to Boston, Avas charged Avith the purchase. After an absence of many weeks, he brought the books to Capt. Ben. Brown's in a sack on a pack-horse. I Avas present at the untying of the sack and pouring out of the treasure. There Avere about sixty volumes, I think, and aycII select ed ; the library of the Yatican Avas nothing to it, and there never Avas a library better read. This, Avith occasional additions, furnished me Avith read ing AAdiile I remained at home. " We were quite fortunate in our schools. Moses EA'erett, a graduate of Yale, but an intemperate young man, ayIio had been banished by his friends, Avas our first teacher ; after him, Charles Cutler, a brother of Ephraim, and also a graduate of Yale. They Avere learned young men, and faithful to their vocation. They boarded alternate Aveeks AYith their scholars, and made the winter evenings plea sant and instructive. After BarroAvs's mill Avas built at the mouth of Federal Creek, I, being the 12 AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKEICH. mill-boy, used to take my tAVO horse loads of grain in the evening, have my grist ground, and take it home in the morning. There AYas an eccenti'ic person living near the mill AA'hose name Avas Jones (avc called him doctor) ; he Avas alAYays dressed in deerskin, his principal vocation being hunting ; and I always found him in the evening, in cool Avea- ther, lying AAdth his feet to the fire. He AYas a scholar, banished no doubt for intemperance ; he had books, and, finding my fancy for them, had me read to him AAdiile he lay drying his feet. He Avas fond of poetry, and did something to correct my pronunciation and prosody. Thus the exces sive use of alcohol AYas the indirect means of fur nishing me Avith school-teachers. "My father entertained the impression that I AYOuld one day be a scholar, though quite unable to lend me any pecuniary aid. I grcAV up AYith the same impression, until, in my nineteenth year, I al most abandoned hope. On reflection, hoAVCA^er, I determined to make one effort to earn the means to procure an education. Having got the summer's AYork aycU disposed of, I asked of my father leave to go for a fcAV months and try my fortune. He consented, and I set out on foot next morning, made my Avay through the Avoods to the Ohio River, got on a keel-boat as a hand at small AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 13 AYages, and in about a Aveek landed at Kanawha salines. I engaged and went to Avork at once, and in three months satisfied myself that I could earn money slowly but surely ; and on my return home in December, 1809, I Avent to Athens, and spent three months there as a student, by Avay of testing my capacity. I left the academy in the spring Avith a sufficiently high opinion of myself, and re turned to Kanawha to earn money to complete my education. This year I Avas successful, paid off some debts AYhich troubled my father, and returned home and spent the Avinter Avith the iicay books which had accumulated in the library, AYhich, AA'ith my father's aid, I read to much ad- A'autage. I Avent to KanaAYha the third year, and, after a severe summer's labor, I returned home Avith about six hundred dollars in money, but sick and exhausted. Instead, hoAvever, of sending for a physician, I got "Don Quixote," a recent purchase, from the library, and laughed myself well in about ten days. I then Avent to Athens, entered as a regular student, and continued my studies there till the spring of 1815, Avhen I left, a pretty good though an irregular scholar. During my academic term, I Avent to Gallipolis, and taught school a quarter, and studied French. I found my funds likely to fall short, and Aveiit a fourth time to Ka- 14 AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. naAA'ha, AYhere in six Aveeks I earned one hundred and fifty dollars, AYhich I thought Avould suffice, and returned to my studies ; after tAvo years' rest, the severe labor in the salines this time Avent hard AYith me. "After finishing my studies at Athens, I read Blackstone's ' Commentaries ' at home, and in Juh^, 1815, AYent to Lancaster to study laAv. A. B. AYalker, then a boy of about fifteen years, accom panied me to Lancaster to bring back my horse, and I remained and studied law with Gen. Beecher. I Avas admitted to the bar in August, 1816, after fourteen months' very diligent study — the first six months about sixteen hours a day. " I made my first speech at Circleville the No vember folloAving. Gen. Beecher first gave me a slander case to study and prepare. I spent much time Avith it, but time Avasted, as the cause Avas continued the first day of the court. He then gaA''e me a case of contract, chiefly in depositions, AYhich I studied diligently, but that also Avas con tinued. A fcAY minutes afterward, a case was called, and Gen. Beecher told me tliat Avas ready ; the jury Avas sworn, Avitnesses called, and the cause AYent on. In the examination of one of the Avitnesses, I thought I discovered an important fact not no ticed by either counsel, and I asked leaA'c to cross- AN AUTOBIOGRxiPHICAL SKETCH. 15 examine further. I elicited the fact, AYhich Avas decisiA'e of the case. This gaA^e me confidence. I argued the cause closely and well, and Avas abun dantly congratulated by the members of the bar ayIio were present. " My next attempt Avas in Lancaster. Mr. Sherman, father of the general, asked me to ar gue a cause of his, AYhich gave room for some discussion. I had short notice, but Avas quite suc cessful, and, the cause being appealed, Mr. Sher man sent his client to employ me Avith him. I had as yet got no fees, and my funds Avere very loAV. This November I attended the Athens court. I had nothing to do there, but met an old neigh bor, Elisha Alderman, aaTio v-anted me to go to Marietta to defend his brother, a boy, ayIio was to be tried for larceny. It was out of my intended beat, but I AYanted business and fees, and agreed to go for $25, of AAdiich I received ?^10 in hand. I have had several fees since of $10,000 and up- Avards, but never one of which I felt the value, or in truth so valuable to me, as this. I went, tried my boy, and he vras convicted, but the Court granted me a new trial. On my way to Marietta at the next term, I thought of a ground of ex cluding the evidence, AYhich had escaped me on the first trial. It was not obvious, but sound. I 16 AN AUTOBIOGEAPHICAL SKETCH. took it, excluded the CA^idence, and acquitted my client. This caused a sensation. I was employed at once in twelve penitentiary cases, under indict ment at that term for making and passing coun terfeit money, horse-stealing, and perjury. As a professional man, my fortune was thus briefly made." BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. BT HON. HEXET STAXBERT. The following biographical sketch Avas AYiit- ten some years ago by my father's dear friend, Hon. Henry Stanbery, and Avas republished in the Cincinnati Commercial immediately after my father's death.— E. E. S. The family of Thomas Ewing resided, prior to the Eevolutiouary war, near Greenwich, Cumberland County, !New Jersey, where the old family mansion is still to be seen. George Ewing, the father of the subject of this sketch, Ypas born there in 1754. In 1775, he enlisted in the NeAA* Jersey Line, where he obtained the rank of lieutenant. He was present at the battles of GermantoAvn and BrandyAYine, and spent the winter of 1777 at the memorable camp of Yalley Forge. While in the army, he sold, on credit, the property Avhich had descended to him, and, when his bonds became due, Avas paid in Continental money, then a legal tender, though rapidly depreciating, and which soon after became totally valueless. Thus reduced in circumstances, he remoYed to the AA'cstern side of the AUeghanies in 1786, and settled 18 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. on a small farm near West Liberty, Ohio County, Yir ginia, Avhere Thomas Ewing was born on the 28th day of December, 17S9. In April, 1792, the family remoA'cd to the mouth of Olive Green Creek, on the Muskingum River. In the year 1795, the Indians rising in all directions, they Avere obliged to take refuge in a block-house at Olive Green, to avoid the dano;er of beino; massacred. An elder sister had taught young Ewing to read; and, while he Avas in the garrison, he A'ery assiduously cultivated acquaintance Avith almost the only book it afforded — the Bible — and acquired therefrom the cognomen of Bishop, which clung to him for many years. In 1797, he Avas taken to West Liberty, and there Avent to school about seven months, at the expiration of Avhich time he returned to his father, who had then removed to the Avaters of Federal Creek, into what is now Athens County, Ohio. The spot selected by his father Avas then in the wilderness, and seventeen miles beyond the fron tier settlements. Here, for nearly three years, they Avere shut out from any intercourse Avith the world. Young Ewing, during this time, read the " Yicar of Wakefield " and "Fool of Quality." These and the Bible Avere all the books Avhich, up to that time, he had been able to procure. In the year 1800, a feAv other families from NeAV England had settled on Federal Greet; and, iu the Avinter of that year, a school was opened under the super intendence of Chas. Cutler, a Cambridge graduate, Avho was succeeded by Moses Everett, from the same colleo-e. t, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 19 Ewing studied, one quarter under each, the rudiments of a common English education, and this Avas the total of his schooling until 1812. This little enterprising com munity of New Englanders that Avere then settled upon Federal Creek had but few books; and, to procure a further stock, they formed a library association, and raised a small fund by subscription. This literary fund (in all probability the first that Avas ever formed in the NorthAvestern Territory) was sent to one of the Eastern cities, and invested in books. The Avhole collection AA^as brought across the moun- ains on horseback in a sack. With the exception of Goldsmith's works, the books Avere not well selected, consisting princijDally of the novels then fashionable, such as "Amanda," the "Romance of the Forest," and dull treatises on controversial doctrines of divinity. Subsequent additions Avere made to the library, among which Avere Plutarch's " Lives," Stewart's " Philosophy," Darwin's " Zoonamia," and Locke's " Treatise on the Understandino-." Young Ewing fell upon these AAdth a literary avidity AA^hich none can understand but those Avho, under like circumstance,?, have felt it ; and he devoured the whole, reading at all his leisure hours, and principally at night by the light of hickory-bark. From the age of thirteen, the life of Ewing was labo rious. Then he became a substantial assistant to his father upon his farm, and by-and-by he had the principal management of it. Still, he found time to read, as all 20 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. can find Avho have a thirst for knowledge ; but, as he grcAV older, he had less time to read than when a boy. The little he had learned, however, but influenced him Avith a desire of learning more. The love of knoAvledge Avas the prevailing and all-absorbing passion of his soul. To be a scholar Avas then the summit of his highest am- bition. He felt that he had acquired all the knowledge Avithin his reach ; but this only taught him how little, in fact, he knew, and was far from allaying his burning thirst for knowing more. KnoAvledge there was, he knew, but hoAY to reach it Avas more than he could tell. Poverty stared him in the face. The father and his farm anchor ed him at home, but his buoyant spirits led him off on a thousand plans — through many aerial castles, and in many delightful visions. Calculations were made, but made iu vain. Plans were formed, but they were soon but air. A Avorld Avas abroad, but what it Avas the eager student hardly kneAA^ And yet, the more he knew of it, the more he panted to act his part in it. But the more he thought of his situation, the more he despaired. Re flection at last ripened into actual suffering. His feelings became intensely interested. The bitter, melancholy conclusion at last vA'as that he must abandon all hopes for ever. But ill the summer of 1808, he was awakened from this stupor by a youth nearly of his oAvn age, ivhom hi,s , father had hired for a few months to assist him ia farm- ino' and Y'ho had rambled about and seen much of the world. The narrations of this young man, and many BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 21 of his adventures, awakened Ewing; and as money Y\'as Avhat he wanted — in order to obtain the means of pur suing his studies — he AA'as induced to go Avith him to the Kanawha salines, in Western Yirginia, in order there to try his fortunes. He obtained the consent of his father, and left home early in August, Avith his knapsack on his back, and but little .spending-raoney in his pocket. He got on board of a keel-boat at Marietta, bound for Kanawha, and made his Avay to the ncAV El Dorado of his imagination. During the three or four months he Avas absent, he Avorked as a common hand at the salt wells, and Avas tolerably successful; but the greatest satisfaction he had was that he could do something in future. He returned home in the winter, Avith about eio-htv dollars, the amount of his Avages, leaving his companion l:)ehind, Avhose roving disposition prompted him to rove still more. This money Ewing gaA^e to his father, to assist him in paying for his land. The surrender of this little and hard-earned treasure to his father for the pur pose of enabling him to save his land from forfeiture was no ordinary sacrifice, as it postponed for a year all pros2:)ect of prosecuting his studies, and condemned him, for a Avhile, to stifle the high hopes he then noiirislied in his bosom. Early in the spring of 1809, Mr. Ewing set out again for the Kanawha salt-works. The Avhole of this season, until November, he spent in most assiduous labor, and 22 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. he succeeded Avell — the profits of the season being about four hundred dollars, out of Avhich he appropriated sixty to pay the balance due on his father's land. He spent the winter at Athens, then a flourishing academy, but irregular in the course of studie.=!, as it left the student to pursue such a course as he might think proper. At the end of about three months, he left this academy, and returned to KanaAvha, after receiving there such encour agement from the president of the institution, and such a stimulus from others, as fixed his determination to pro cure the means of obtaining an education. The next two years he cleA'oted to this object; and he returned from the Kanawha in November, 1812, Avith about eight hundred dollars in money, and with his health consider ably impaired with scA^ere hard labor. This sum he supposed Avould be sufficient to enal)le him to go through the preparatory studies, and acquire a profession. His health, however, was so much injured that he Avas unable to commence his studies. But he again fell upon the library in the neighborhood of his home, Avhich Avas noAV enlarged ; and, from the repose giA^en him, and the leisure spent in reading such works as Don Quixote, he laughed himself into such good health and spirits that in December he was able to go back to Athens, Avhere he continued to be a most inde fatigable student until the spring of 1814. His progress during this time Avas very rapid. He became familiar Avith many of the best English authors; and, as his judg ment matured, he easily obtained a knoAvledge of the BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 23 English grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Mathematics, hoAvever, Avas his favorite study, for Avhicli he had a natural inclination, and hence Euclid Avas the favorite author. The philosophy Avhich depended upon mathe matical demonstration he studied Avith care and pleasure, and in it made much proficie?c3^ He also studied the Latin, but determined to omit the Greek. In 1814, Mr. Ewing became satisfied that his funds Avould not hold out, and he took a school in Gallipolis. Not liking this em|)loyment, at the end of a quarter he relinquished it, and returned to Kanawha, the old scene of his labors, to collect a small sum that was due him, and to see Avhat could be done tow^ard adding something to his funds. He threw off the dress of the student, and again Avent to Avork at the salines. Lie hired a furnace, and in one month of incessant toil, the severest he ever undertook, he improved the state of his finances so that he felt confident they Avould bear him through his studies. At some period of his labors at the KanaAvha salt- Avorks — and it was probably this — he labored twenty hours out of the twenty-four, and he Avas often found, during the four hours allotted to sleep, Avorking Avith open eyes, but still asleep, between the two roAvs of boiling salt kettles, where a false step AVOuld probably have destroyed life. With his hard-earned treasure, he returned to Athens, where he continued till the spring of 1815. 24 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. At the examination in May, 1815, the trustees of the institution rated him the degree of A.B., being the first, Avith one, other, upon Avhoni this degree Avas conferi'ed by a college in Ohio. The circumstances Avhich decided Mr. Evv^ing's choice of profession Avere probably these. In 1810, he took a boat-load of salt to Marietta. While there, accident led him to the Court-house. The Court of Common Pleas Avas then in session, and he entered a court-house for the first time in his life. It happened that an interest ing criminal trial was going on. The attention of the young salt-boiler Avas riveted to the scene ; nor did he quit the room until the case was closed. He had AAat- nessed a high intellectual effort — he had listened to an advocate (the late Elijah B. Merriam) of uncommon ability. Hitherto he had not known or felt the power of elocpience. We may suppose that, along Avith his admi ration of intellect in another, there Avas associated a consciousness of his OAvn mental poAvers, and a feeling kindred to that Avhich caused the untutored Correggio, after gazing for the first time nj)on the pictures of Raphael, to exclaim : " I, too, am a painter." In truth, this must have been so, for he turned aAvay to pursue his toilsome occupation Avith the fixed purpose of be coming a lawyer. After he left college, he spent a feAV days Avith hi.s relatives, and then began his legal studies in the oflice of General Beecher, at Lancaster, Ohio — a man of sense BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 2f) and intelligence, and for several years a member of Con gress from Ohio. Gen. Beecher discovered the merit and approved the efforts of Mr. E\vino;. He received him as a student in his office, and, immediately upon his admission to the bar, took him into partnership. While Mr. Ewing Avas pur suing his laAV studies, he AA'as an indefatigable student, devoting to his books CA^ery hour that Avas not required for necessary repose. JMr. Ewing's rise at the bar Avas rapid. He entered almost immediately into full jiractice in his region of the State. In keeping Avith the generous filial character he displayed in the apj)ropriation of his first savings at Kan awha, he expended his first accumulation at the bar in the purchase of a fine tract of land in Indiana, on which he settled his father and family. As his powers and reputation grew apace, the area of his practice Avas ex tended to embrace and Avas chiefly confined to the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Ohio, and the Supreme Court of the United States at Washington, in which he has been engaged Avith only occasional interruptions by high ofl5- eial duties down to a recent time. He Avas distin guished at the bar for his sound logical mind, a clear conception and mastery of the general principles that underlie the system of the laAA^, and a most comprehen sive poAver of analysis and array of the facts bearing upon his case ; to Avhicli may be added an extraordinary general knoAvledge of the round of physical sciences — 26 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. great power in the hands of a laAA'yer, AA'hich has con tributed its share in placing him in the front rank of the profession in the United States. Mr. Ewing finished his collegiate studies at so late a period, and Avas for some years thereafter so constantly devoted to his practice, that his attention was not early turned to political concerns. He entered upon political life in his election in 1830 to the Senate of the United States. Y'ithout family or political influence or atfiliations, his election to this high place was prompted by a strong and just sense of his eminent qualifications, honorable alike to the Legislature and the new Senator. In no period since the formation of the Government has the Senate Chamber been graced by a galaxy of minds more brilliant and poAverful than in the first term that Mr. EAving sat there. Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Benton, Wright, Preston, and other first names in the nation then filled the Senate, and it is no slight praise to say that the Ohio Senator lost nothing in the contrast ; the reputation that won for him the place was but augmented by the new theatre on which his powers Avere displayed. He bore a not inconsjiicuous j^art in the exciting political contests of the sessions from 1830-37 as an opponent of the administration of General Jackson. Under the operations of the strict party discipline, gaining force year by year, Mr. Ewing failed of a re-elec tion, and at the end of his term resumed the full practice of his profession. On the accession of General Harrison to the Presidency BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 27 in 1841, Mr. Ewing Avas next called into public service by the invitation of the incoming President to a place in the Cabinet. The general voice of the country designated him as the proper man for the organization of reform in the administration of the important department of the General Post-Oflice, but he Avas ultimately assigned to the more conspicuous and important place of the Treasury. The death of General Harrison brought Mr. Tyler into the Presidency, and, on his special invitation, the Harri son Cabinet remained in office, until the developments of the memorable extra session of 1841 disclosed to the Avorld the violation on the part of Mr. Tyler of all the pledges of the party that elected him to power, and the disappointment of the hopes grounded on its success. Mr. Ewing Avas prompt among his associates in the Cabinet in his election between an adherence to the prin ciples and promises of his party on the one hand, and the allurements of place and power on the other; and the scathino; letter of resignation Avith Avhich he surrendered the keys of office did much to mark the boundaries that separated the President from the true men of the party he had betrayed. In the formation of the Cabinet of General Taylor, in 1849, by common voice a prominent place was assigned to Mr. Ewing. With a just appreciation of his qualifica tions for the important task, he was invited by the Presi dent to the charge of the new Department of the Interior, iuA^olving in its administration, beyond the ordi nary duties of a Cabinet ofiicer, the organization of a new 28 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. department of many separate bureaus, and having charge of the public lands, the Indian affairs, and the Patent OSice. He filled this post with honor and ability until August, 1850, when, after the death of General Taylor and the accession of Mr. Fillmore, the Taylor Cabinet, failing to harmonize on certain inqiortant questions Y'ith the new President, resigned their oflices. Mr. Ewing was thereupon appointed by GoA^ernor Ford to a seat in the Senate (vacated by the resignation of Governor CorAvin, Avho Avent into Mr. Fillmore's Cabi net), and continued in the Senate until March 4, 1S51, Avhen he retired from political life, and resumed the j)rac- tice of his profession. In person, Mr. Ewing AA^as large and stoutly built, so that he Avas physically as Avell as intellectually a strong man. In his early hard labor in felling the forests of the West, and in feeding the furnace of the salt-Avorks, his figure must liave been developed and strengthened much more than if in early life he had been devoted Avholly to sedentary pursuits ; and at the same time he AA'as confirmed in habits of industry that he never lost. His manner of speaking Avas not graceful, yet it com manded attention. He was powerful from his matter rather than his manner. Plain, open, straightforward, fearless, Avith little or no attempt at oratorical display, he laid hold with all his might upon Avhatever his hands found to do. His eye Avas fixed upon a point, and it Avas impossible to SY-erve him.. Others there AA-ere more elo quent in manner than he, to Avhoni nature had given BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 29 finer voices or more captivating oratory ; but few Avere more powerful in thought, fcAV Avith more resources, or ^vho had more or better weapons in any logomachy tilt. He seemed to be Avell informed on every point that arose in debate, Avhether a matter of history, of philosojihy, of poetry, or of criticism, thus shoAving that he had read much, and had not read in A^ain. How instructiA^e is the life of such a man, and Avith Avhat force does it commend itself to every young Ameri can, not only arousing him to exertion, but admonishing him to fix his ambition high, and to gratify it only in the path of virtue, integrity, and honor, and thus to Avin that reputation that abides and outlasts the corrosive rust of time ! Honors ever seek him in the Adrtuous days of a republic Avho deserves them ; but that is not honor Avhich is Avon by meanness and intrigue at the cost of integrity and self-respect. GroA^elling ambition tarnishes and stains Avhatever it touches; but an ambition like that Avhich animated the bosom of EAvina: dignifies and ennobles Avhatever it Avins. 4 ' %}dm? - ^^'\ ^ DEATH OF HON. THOMAS EWTXG. Special to the Enquirer. Lancaster. Ohio, October 2G, ls7!. Hon. Thomas Ewing died at his residence in this city at three and a half o'clock this afternoon. All his sons and daughters Avere Avith him, and he retained his facul ties almost to the last moment. Funeral services Avill take place on Saturday next, at eleven o'clock. The remains will be interred in our cemeteiT. ** Suti^ tjvantf oltr as?, crotDiitntj a Ijapps life, Sis maUtu men pansf, auTr toontret: toijs tijtg ti^otcflljt SjJciufltiiiTe no ijrautffttl." FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING, AT LANCASTER. Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial. Lancaster, Ohio, October 28, 1871. The funeral of Thomas Ewing, the most honored citizen of this city, took place to-day from St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, in the presence of one of the largest assemblies of prominent and distinguished men ever seen in Fairfield County upon any public occasion. For scA'cral weeks before he died, Mr. Ewing calmly awaited the final dissolution, and, although subjected at times to the most severe suffering, endured the ordeal Avith heroic fortitude^ and retained possession of his extraordinary faculties to the last. His beloved daugh ter, the wife of General Sherman, Avas Avith him some time before his decease, and fondly hoped to take him to her home in Washington, where she could devote herself Avithout a sense of divided duty to his remaining days ; but the lapses of suffering were too short to permit the 34 EUNERAL OE THOMAS EWING. execution of the cherished purpose, and, on Thursday last, surrounded by all he held dear on earth, " full of repentance. Continual meditations, tears, and sorro-\vs, He gave liis lionors to tlie "world again, His blessed part to lieaven, and slept in peace." The remains, encased in a superb burial-casket, lay iu Mr. Ewing's sitting-room, in the family residence, and were viewed by friends and visitors for the last time up to the hour of buriah Everything in the room appeared as he left them ; his table, with books, papers, and Avriting materials, his Avatch and spectacles, all lay as deposited by his hands when the final summons came. Fine portraits of the distinguished statesman as he appeared in early, middle, and after-life hung upon the walls, and Jones's magnificent colossal bust, well knoAvn to every Ohioan, and pronounced by every one who knew the original to be the best likeness which the hand of art has produced, stood near, and told more eloquently than words of the intellectual greatness that made Mr. Ewing the fit compeer of Webster, Clay, and Calhoun. Lying in the cold embrace of death, the once com manding countenance and the towering form still indi cated the physical greatness of the man. The features Avore a solemn, dignified, and calm expression ; the noble brow and the massive " dome of thought " riveted atten- tion, and in their splendid proportions gave the imagi nation scope for endowing the clay AAdth all the grand FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING. 35 intellectual attributes that inspire respect and excite admiration. A rich simplicity characterized the preparations for entombment. There was no ostentation, no attempt at Avorldly display. Some loving hand had placed sweet flowers and fragrant leaves upon the coffin-lid, the plate of which bore the simple inscription : THOMAS EAYIXG. Born December 38, 1789. Died October 26, 18^1. The last look was taken at the house, and before removal the final enclosure of the casket was performed. The train from Columbus at ten o'clock brought Governor Hayes ; Hon. F. B. Pond, Attorney-General of the State ; Hon. Isaac R. Sherwood, Secretary of State ; Adjutant-General W. A. Knapp ; General Charles C. Walcutt, Collector ,of the Seventh District ; Kev. A. G. Byers, Secretary of the State Board of Charities ; Llonorables Mcllvaine, White, and Welch, Judges of the Supreme Court ; Senators John Sherman and A. G. Thurman, of Ohio ; Judges James L. Bates, John L. Greene, and Joseph Olds; John H. James, Esq., of Urbana ; L. J. Critchfield, Esq., Reporter of the Supreme Court, and several other prominent citizens. Judge William B. Woods, of the United States Court in Alabama, and Hon. Willard Warner, ex-Senator of Alabama, were also in attendance ; and Professor Gibbons, of the Ohio University, came to pay the final 36 FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING. tribute of respect to one whom that institution honored as its first graduate. The residence Avas filled Avith friends and visitors. All the bells in the city tolled during the funeral. At eleven o'clock, the burial cortege moved from the house to St. Mary's Church. The casket Avas borne to the church — only a square distant — by the pall-bearers, and was received at the entrance of the sacred edifice by his Grace Archbishop Purcell, of Cincinnati ; Yery Rev. Father Young, of Washington, D. C, and other assistant clergymen. The pall-bearers were : Governor R. B. Hayes, of Ohio ; Honorables Henry Stanbery, of Cin cinnati ; Senators A. G. Thurman and John Sherman ; Judge Welch, of the Supreme Court ; John H. James, of Urbana ; George Reber, of Sandusky ; A. B, Walker, of Athens ; H. B. Curtis, of Mt. Yernon ; W. Mar shall Anderson, of Circleville ; C. B. Goddard, of Zanes- ville; H. H. Hunter, M. A. Daugherty, John T. Bra- zee, J. D. Martin, James R. Pearce, D. Tallmadge, Charles Borland, G. G. Beck, S. A. GrisAVold, F. A. Foster, Samuel Herr, C, M. L. Wiseman, Jacob Beck, and J. F. Yandemark, Esquires ; and Dr. T. O. EdAvards, of Lancaster. The mourning carriages conveyed Judge P. B. Ewing ; Generals Hugh, Thomas, and Charles Ewing, sons of the deceased ; General Sherman and Colonel Steele, married to daughters of Mr. Ewing, and their respective families. The imposing ceremony of the Catholic Church pro vided for the burial of the dead Avas celebrated l>y FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING. 37 Father Young, after Avhich Archbishop Purcell ascended the pulpit, and addressed the immense congregation Not all the Archbishop said reached the hearing of the reporter, but enough Avas gathered to ascertain that an eloquent eulogy Avas pronounced. The life and career of Mr. EAving were intelligently and graphically traced, from the earliest period down to the last moments, and the record AA-as held up as a model for the young and an honor to the surviving relatives. There Avas a beautiful manifestation of Providence, the Archbishop said, in the presence of Father Young, the nephew of Father FeuAAnck, afterwards the first Bishop of Cincinnati, who celebrated the nuptials of Mr. Ewing, and who has himself been his Avarm personal friend for more than half a century, manifestly sent by Almighty God to reach out his hand to his dying friend, and helj^ him in his last step into the church, and to soothe his dying hours. He had always treated the other denomi nations with uniform respect, especially the Methodist denomination, which he respected for its many good Avorks; but in the Roman Catholic faith alone he found consolation, and, for a period of thirty-eight years, Mr. Ewing had been deeply convinced that the Catholic Church was the only one that contained satisfying evi dences of the truth of the Christian religion. He Avas a frequent and for a considerable period of his life a con stant and reverential attendant at the ministrations of the Roman Catholic Church, and down to the very last year of his life took personal care to see 38 FUNERAL OF THOMAS EAVING. that his name Avas borne on the list of pew-holders in the church. "Never," said the speaker, " was he heard to utter an objection to its ritual, its morality, or its influence on governments or on society. This influence he had deeply studied in Guizot's ' History of Civilization,' in ' Balmes,' in the ' History of the Religious Orders of the Catholic Church,' in the sublime devotion of the 'Sisterhoods of Charity,' in the life and virtues of his incomparable wife, and the education of his children. " Once in Boston he desired to hear the elder Chan- ning, but on that occasion he Avas disappointed. The Unitarian pulpit Avas occupied by a mediocre, an unin teresting speaker. The congregation Avas composed of a few worshippers, if they could be so called, reclining listlessly in luxurious pews. But on his return to his hotel, he passed by a Catholic church, too small for the congregation, many of AAdiom were kneeling on the wet ground, apjiarently in fervent prayer. " The scene, the incidents of the day, had their effect on the thoughtful mind of Mr. EAving, Avho related to me himself this anecdote. It helped, with other and graver considerations, to convince him Avliere the true religion could be found. " More than once, especially at the earnest request of Mrs. Ewing and his daughter, Mrs. Sherman, I availed myself of what I regarded as auspicious occasions to urge him to embrace that saving faith to which I had often heard him render unmistakable testimonies. His answer AA'as, FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING. 39 ' Not now.' After all, faith is a gift of God, but it is granted to the sincerity of the enquirer, to purity of life, to moral Avorth, to the untiring prayer of the just. It Avas therefore granted to our deceased lamented friend. " On the Saturday before his death, he sought my min istration, and, in the fulness of the faith, Avith marked reverence and devotion, received at my hands the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. ' He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life ; and I Avill raise him up in the last day.' " In gratitude for the assistance AA'hich the church had rendered Mr. Ewing in raising his family in the right Avaj', he directed before his death that a thousand dollars be given for religious purposes, and this Avas only part of the many benevolent acts of his life. He had given two thousand dollars toward the erection of the church in Avhich his remains Avere then receiving the last rites, and he had in CA^ery proper manner acknoAvledged him self in Avill a Catholic, as Avell as he did in form before he died. And it Avas because the Catholic Church embraced everything in its faith to satisfy the reason, the intellect, and the heart, that Mr. Ewing came into its fold. He Avas convinced that the Holy Scrip tures sanction and point out everything , the church believes and teaches. " Yes," repeated the venerable prelate, " the holy Bible is the charter of our faith and the rule of our life. The holy Bible, Avhich is to be found in every Catholic family, and Avliich is read by every 40 FUNERAL OF THOMAS EAVING. Catholic, is not forbidden or prohibited, as the enemies of the church and religion falsely charge. It is the foundation of Christianity, because it is the Word of God, and the Catholic, the universal Church, so teaches." The Archbishop, in conclusion, paid a glowing tribute to Mr. Ewing as a statesman, as a patriot, as a citizen, father, and friend, and recalled his first impression of him seated in the United States Senate, surrounded by the great ones of the greatest country in the Avorld, feeling then, as his riper knoAAdedge of the man con firmed, that in that most distinguished and august assembly he occupied a fitting place. Mr. Ewing, he said, disapproved of secret societies, such as the Masonic and Odd FelloAvs and others, simjily because he con sidered them unnecessary. This was a free country, and such organizations Avere really useless. The church afforded every means and opportunity for the exercise of benevolence in every form, and what Avas the need for darkness and secrecy? Mr. Ewing had shown by a spotless life of eighty-two years that the teachings of religion Avere enough to enable any man to lead a blameless life, become rich and honorable, and bequeath to his posterity the still richer inheritance of a good name, Avithout the assistance of a secret society. Such Avas his moral purity, the Archbishop said, that he never Avas heard to utter a profane or vulgar word, and such AA^as the example of his life that his memory Avas honored in his loving and dcA'oted children. FUNERAL OF THOMAS EWING. 41 At the close of the ceremonies in the church, the fune ral procession reformed in the following order : 1. Pall-bearers, 3. The hearse, 3. Family and relatives, 4. Distinguished citizens from abroad, 5. Members of the bar, G. City Council, 7. Citizens, and proceeded to the cemetery, about half a mile out of the city. The remains were deposited beside those of Mrs. Ewing, Avhom her distinguished husband survived only a fcAV years, and the interment Avas final. And thus passed away one of the colossal men of the century — a man who rose from the obscurity of a Western pioneer's life to the highest distinction which the intellect can command in the American Republic, and whose noble qualities and honorable name are heritage enough to distinguish those he left behind. E. B, FUNERAL CEEEMONIES. From the Lancaster paper. It had been announced that the funeral ceremonies Avould commence at eleven o'clock, on Saturday last, at the Catholic church, and previous to that hour citizens and strangers proceeded in large numbers toAA'ards the EAving mansion, so that, before the hour above named, the house, the grounds, and the streets in the immediate vicinity Avere thronged Avith people. Every one seemed to appreciate the fact that a great man had passed aAvay, and the manifestations of respect Avere of that quiet but earnest character that represents sincerity. A long line of people passed through the house to look for the last time on the face of the great statesman. It Avas re marked by those AAdio had seen Mr. EAving within a year that emaciation had accomplished more on his countenance than they had anticipated ; ' but the marks of a master-mind could not be effaced, and even in death the countenance reflected greatness. All of Mr. EAving's sons and daughters, with their families, were present, including Judge P. B. EAving, General Hugh EAA'ing, General Thomas Ewing, General Charles Ewing, General W. T. Sherman, Avith his Avife and family, and Colonel Steele and Avife. At the appointed hour, the procession Avas formed and moved on foot to St. Mary's Catholic Church, the foUoAA"- FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 43 ing gentlemen acting as palbbearers : Messr.-'. H. H. Hunter, Michael A. Daugherty, John T. Brazee, John D. Martin, James R. Pearce, D. Tallmadge, Charles Bor land, G. G. Beck, S. A. GrisAvold, F. A. Foster, Samuel Herr, C. M. L. Ylseman, Jacob Beck, T. O. EdAvards, aud J. F. Yandemark, all of Lancaster; Hon. Heniy Stanbery, of Kentucky ; Governor R. B. Hayes, of Ohio ; Hon. A. G. Thurman, of Columbus; Hon. John Sher man, of Mansfield; Hon. John Welch, of Athens; Colonel John H. James, of Urbana; Hon. George Reber, of Sandusky; Lion. A. B. Y^alker, of Athens; General H. B. Curtis, of Mt. Yernon ; W. Marshall Anderson, of Circleville; and C. B. Goddard, of Zanesville. The auditorium of the church Avas filled Avith peojole, and the ceremonies Avere conducted by Rca^ Father Young, formerly of Perry County, one of the oldest priests in the United States; at their conclusion. Arch bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, delivered an addre-^s, in AA^hich he spoke in the highest terms of the character of the deceased. The Archbishop spoke of Mr.' Ewing's good citizenship, his clevotedness as a father, the purity of his patriotism, and the greatness of his mind. Contem porary AA'ith Clay, AYebster, Calhoun, and Hayiie, he Avas AYorthy of the high rank he took in the counsels of the nation Avhen such distinguished men Avere in the field of statesmairship. He had risen by sterling merit, and Avas as much a model in his private relations as he A\as in his relations to the country. He Avas a man Avho never for got a favor, and had frequently made substantial expres- 44 FUNERAL CEREMONIES. sions of his gratitude to those AA'ho had comforted him or those dear to him in hours of affliction. The Arch bishop spoke of Mr. EAAung's relations to the Catholic Church ; for thirty-eight years, Avhile practising liberality to the religious opinions of all, he had expressed his convic tion that the evidence Avas in favor of the church Avith Avhich he finally connected himself during his last illness. At the conclusion of the address, the procession re formed, and proceeded to the cemetery in carriages, in the folloAving order: First, pall-bearers; second, hearse; third, the family; fourth, visitors; fifth, members of the bar and city coun cil of Lancaster; sixth, citizens. At the cemetery, the Catholic ceremonies Avere ob served, and the remains of Mr. EAving were interred beside those of his Avife, Avho died seven years ago. Among the strangers present Avere Judges Welch, White, and Mcllvaine, of the Supreme Court of Ohio ; Hon. John Sherman and Hon. Allen G. Thurman, United States Senators ; GoA'ernor R. B. Hayes, General I. R. SherAvood, General F. B. Pond, General W. T. Wilson, Judge John L. Greene, Judge James L. Bates, M. M. Green, Esq., Adjutant-General Knapp, L. J. Critchfield, Esq., Colonel L. Baber, Rev. A. G. Byers, Thomas Mil ler, Esq., General C. C. Walcutt, R. C. Hoffman, E.sq., General H. B. Curtis, of Mt. Yernon, Colonel John H. James, of Urbana, and a number of gentlemen from Logan, including Judges Grogan, _ Wright, Alfred, and many others. Finis coronat Opus. FAMILY TESTIMONY. Washington, D. C, Nov. 14, 1872. Hon. p. B. Ewing, Lancastei;, Ohio : My Dear Brother : As you are aware, I am .amiiig- ing papers for the publication of a memorial of our beloved father, for distribution among his particular personal friends, but mainly for preservation among his OAvn children and grandchildren, and by them to be handed down to their descendants, in testimony of the fact that before his death he Ayas blessed Avith the fulness of faith — that f^xith to the intellectual acknowledgment of which his researches and iii-^ I'eason had long before brought him, and for the possession of Avhicli his heart had long anxiously yearned. I desire also in this Ava}' to preserve for his de^- scendants the evidences and expressions of the respect and veneration, of the affection and honor, in AA'hich he was held by his countrymen. To meet this end, I shall publish some private communications addressed to different members of the family after his death ; the ncAvspaper notices of that event and of his funeral; and the proceedings of public bodies in different cities of the State and in the Capitol of the nation on the 48 FAMILY TESTIMONY. occasion of his death. These Avill be grateful testi monials of the noble life of hini of AA'hom those Avho kncAV him longest and best could say, "After a long life of usefulness, he has left us a reputation of pure moral excellence Avithout a spot or a single blemish." The greater number of these publications Avill bear evidence of the fact that he came into the church. We, his children, Avho Avitli loving solicitude so long- watched for the coming of this transcendent gift of faith, saAV his mind and heart for years draw nearer and more near the truth, until at last the croAvning blessing of his life was given. Men prejudiced against the church Avould have forborne their invidious criticism on the consoling solemnities of his funeral could they have knoAvn, as Ave Avell knew, hoAv he loved and reverenced the ceremonies and services of the church. Tenderly and rcA'erently do I recall the days when, unable to go himself to church, he would sit Avith his Avindo\Ys raised, listening, with devotional interest, to the music of the Mass. The beautiful lilac bush,, an old relic in the yard, AA'as even sacrificed because it obstructed his vicAV of the church. Associated with the recollec tion of the walk home from church on Sunday is the vision of that beneficent face and that head, so grand and noble, AA'hich Ave could see from the distant slde- Avalk, and the smile so gentle and SAveet Avith which he Avould greet us as Ave entered, asking Avith in terest about the sermon, and listening with pleasure. FAMILY TESTIMONY. 49 and even avidity, to the prayers Ave would sometimes read to him. The dearest and most fondly remember ed smile of love and encouragement Avas ever given me Avhen often, in the early morning, I AVOuld pass his Avindows and look in, and he knew I w^as going fasting to receive my Lord and Saviour. Many a time has he spoken to me on the im portance of shielding my children from the danger of losing their faith in the Catholic Church. Once he charged me never again to let Tommy visit cer tain friends Avho had sneeringly laughed at him for declining to be helped to meat on Friday. "Keep him from such places," he said; "for it is cruel to subject so young a child to the ordeal of seeing that Avhich he holds sacred ridiculed, and he might be tempted to be ashamed of his faith — a thing from AA'hich you must guard him until he is older and stronger." These friends were on every other ac count desirable and valued. Also, he enjoined upon me to be ever firm in Avithholding my children from the public schools. He even declared his intention to himself prevent their attendance at them. "None of these children shall ever attend one," he said, Avitli great emphasis and determination. Fifteen years before his death, on the occasion of a visit I made Avith him to Washington, the Avife of a distinguished jurist sought a conversation Avith me on religion. In telling father about it afterward, I said that she had asked me to rencAV the subject. 50 FA.AIILY TESTIMONY. and I had refused on account of the manner in AA^hich she had spoken of the Blessed Yirgin. He was much agitated, and, after some reflection, said, "You should have told her that, as God knew from all eternity that she Avas to be the Mother of his Son, he must have made and preserved her pure and perfect beyond all others." Two or three years before his death, a holy Jesuit father, noAV living in the district (Father Stonestreet), at my request called to speak with father on the subject of religion. When I saw him next, he said to me : " I am old and gray-haired myself, but I sat Avith reverence before your father, and from his con versation I can only say he is A^ery near the king dom of heaven." Some time before that, you remember, father said to a dear friend (Sister M. Angela) " that his family could not be more anxious for him to have the faith than he himself Avas to possess it, and that he prayed for it daily." And in the last few Aveeks of his life, how^ feelingly he spoke to us of the great blessing Ave enjoyed in having been brought up in the faith ! When the end of his earthly course drew nigh, and the eternal day Avas dawning upon him, the talents and Avisdom of the natural mind became illumined by the grace w^hich poured in upon his soul as it beheld the great vision. Divine truth at last penetrated that mind, so grand in its creation, and so perfect in its cultivation, FAJIILY TESTIMONY. 51 and the noble heart, Avith all its longings, was at rest. The sacrament of extreme unction, Avhich a supernatural grace alone enabled him to compose himself to receive in the midst of agonizing suffering, brought grace to him and consolation to us. After that dread night Avhen he seemed in the agonies of death, and during the respite of days that follow ed, hoAV Ave rejoiced Avhen he said to us, Avhat he had said the clay before, " that he earnestly desired to receive the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist " ! That blessing was granted him. He received the body and blood of our Lord, and, in the Avorcls of the venerated Archbishop Avho broke to him the bread of life, " he received in the fulness of faith and in the holiest and happiest of dispositions." Ill our anguish at parting Avith him Avho for so long a time had been to us an idol so loving and l^eloved, so strong and so gentle, so bound up Avitli every thought and feeling of our minds and hearts that to lose him Avas to lose too much of earth — even in the anguish of that time, the great blessing A^ouchsafed forced from us the prayer of thanksgiv ing and joy: "O Lord! thou hast crowned us as with a shield of thy good-AA'ill." Up to the moment of his departure hence, our Avliole lives had been bound to him by all the dear and tender ties of earth; for he had shared our every joy and grief,, and his sympathetic heart responded to even the slightest of our interests. Those ties strengthened ,3 2 FAMILY TESTIMONY. Avith every year of his prolonged existence, and grew more and more sacred and tender, until at last it seemed almost impossible to Ha^c Avithout him, and terrible to see him die. The glorious sunset, the magnificently illuminated clouds and sky, which, closing a day of gloom and rain, greeted our eyes as Ave lifted them to heaA^en after leaving him dead, typify to my mind and heart the glory of his soul, which had so recently passed through a season of gloom, and suffering, and sorrow. The blessed hope of a reunion in the home of the redeemed is our infinite consolation. Thanksgiving to God that he gave us so grand and good a father, that he so singularly blest him throughout life, and that he bestowed upon him the faith Avhich will croAvn him Avith everlasting joy and glory, Avill ever continue to be our prayer. I am your very affectionate sister, Ellen Eaving Sherman. Lancaster, Ohio, Nov. 24, 1872. Mrs. E. E. Sherman: Mt Dear Sister : Your letter was received and read Avith deep interest and satisfaction. It is a touching monument of filial piety, and will serve admirably as a preface to the memorial volume. An incident which occurs to me as deserving of place, but which you have omitted, is the familiar FAMILY TESTIMONY. 53 fact that for twenty-five years or more he kept close at hand and carried Avith him in his journeys the Thomas a Kempis so affectionately presented to him by his good friend the Archbishop; and you remember that Yiney told us that he was im pressed Avith the assiduity with which he used to read it during the long nights of his last years Avhile he watched Avith and served him. From the difference in our relations to him, you cannot know as well as I the mark of grace and jDredilection that he bore through all his life in the elcA'-ation and purity of mind Avh-ich adorned him, even more than the strength and A'igor of intellect for Avhich he was so distinguished. I Avcnt into his office as a student in the fall of 1839, and from that date down to his death, a period of more than thirty years, I was very much Avith him, in the most intimate and confidential relations, through all the vicissitudes of his political, professional, and social life ; and I can say Avith con fidence that never, in my whole life, did I hear from his lips a profane or irreverent word. All that I ever saAV or knew of him left the reverent conviction that not his Avords only, but his very thoughts, might be photographed and read Avithout impeachment of his observance of every knoAvn trust or duty, and Avithout confusion in the presence of the purest and best among men. I specially desire to record my testimony |^to some 5 4 FAMILY ' TESTIMONY. of the interesting events of the last days of our honored father, and gladly avail myself of your offer to make place for it in the memorial. To this end, I give you the enclosed letter, written when these events AA^ere just passed, and the scenes and language Avere fresh in my memory. I also send a copy of my memorandum of an interesting date. As ever, my dear sister, Your affectionate brother, P. B, Ewing. The following is a portion of the letter to Avhich my brother refers, and Avhich Avas written to Mrs. M. M. Phelan, then at Notre Dame, Ind. : Lancaster, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1871. My Dear : I have much more to say to you on the subject of the last days of dear father than I can find space for in a single letter. In all, the grace and good providence of Almighty God were manifested in disposing and preparing his mind and heart for the supreme event, as fruit is ripened and made perfect by the kindly rays of the sun. You knoAY hoAV, in the early missionary days, his home was ahvays open to the Catholic ^priests, many of Avhom were entertained by him for Aveeks and eA^en months together, and always as most valued family testimony. 55 friends and Avelcome guests. For Aveeks before his death his mind AA^as dwelling on those old times and his association Avith those early priests; and, Avhile we Avere corresponding Avith the Archbishop, and anxious ly looking to him as the one whose hands would lead his last steps into the ark, good Father Dominic (almost the sole surviA^or of those old associates), coming from his distant home, presented himself uninvited and unexpected, but a most welcome visitor. Reaching Lancaster on the 18th, AA'ithout seeing any one, he Avent directly to father's room, and, finding him alone, had a long and satisfactory intervicAV Avith him on the subject of religion. He spent that evening at our house, and said that he Avas so well assured of father's faith and disposition that, if he Avere dying, he Avould have no doubt or hesitation about giving him absolution. We had just retired for the night, AA^hen Ave Avere startled by a message to the effect that father had a severe chill ; and Ave were soon assembled to find him in a fever, and in such distress that he constant ly rose to his feet, and, supporting himself for a mo ment Avith assistance, sank to his chair to rise again the next minute, and unable or unwilling to take the medicine prescribed for the emergency. Father Dominic addressed him a fcAV words, tell- in o- him to prepare his mind and heart by acts of faith and contrition, while he gave him absolution ; and, receiving his assent, this Avas clone. Then, say- 56 FAMILY TESTIMONY. ing a fcAV words about extreme unctioli, he proceeded to the administration of that sacrament also. Dur ing this time, father remained [ quietly seated in his chair, reverential and devout. After some prayers. Father Dominic left him, as he had groAvn easier, and it was probable that he would survive the night. The next day. Father Dominic visited him, and, among other things, he said to him, in my presence and that of other members of the family: "I would be glad to administer to you the Blessed Sacrament, if you Avere noAv able to receive it," to which he responded : " I desire it, I ardently desire it ; but I am not noAv able." (Father meant that he was not aljle to malce the ftdl and ininiite confession which he thought must precede the reception of the Holy Eucharist. — -S! E. S.) The day after, Father Dominic hoped to find him in better condition, but it was still deferred ; and the Archbishop came in the even ing, but he did not see father until the following day, Avhich AA'as Saturday. Then, taking the Host in his hands, the Archbishop, accompanied by Father Domi nic, came to his bedside, and, in a touching and effective manner, prepared him for the croAvning glory of his life, and administered the holy viaticum ; received by him, in the language of the Archbishop, "in the fulness of the faith, and Avith marks of the utmost reverence and devotion." I cannot express the feelings of my heart at this solemn and affecting hour. You know how my t'AAlILY TESTIMONY. 57 father Avas beloved and venerated, and how he Avas more than worthy of all the love and A^eneration that my poor heart can hold. Below I give extracts from the memorandum : Oct, 19, 1871. — "About ten o'clock this morn ing, father called me to his side (Hugh and Maria being also present), and said: 'I Avish you to pay out of 'my estate a gift donatis causa mortis of one thousand dollars to the Catholic clergy of the diocese of Cincinnati, in recognition of their valuable and ap preciated aid, by counsel, instruction, and example, in the right education and rearing of my children. I hardly knoAV hoAV to designate the projoer benefi ciaries of this gift ; but you may place it in the hands of Archbishop Purcell, to be disposed of at his good discretion.' " (This was the only Request that father made in con templation of death, except that he made provision for an annuity, in the hands of Philemon, for a servant who had heen faithfid through years / later in the day, lohen giving some further i'nstructions, he suggested that his horses and carriage ^hoidd he given to the members of the family in %Dhose care and use tliey then were. — E. E. S.) "At a fcAV minutes before six p.m., father again called me, and said : ' I wish to give you some 58 FAMILY TESTIMONY. directions as to my funeral. I cannot expect to survive more than a fcAV clays, perhaps a week, may be not tAventj'-four hours. I Avish that my funeral be plain and simple ; that I be buried by the side of your mother, and have a monument over my grave like hers in design, but larger and with suit able inscriptions.' After a pause, he said, ' I think I leaA'e my family and affairs in good condition.' To this I made some suitable rej^ly. After some interval, he said : ' And then, Ellen should not la ment for me. I have been already spared to my family for a term long exceeding that that belongs to humanity, though she will no doubt feel my loss more than if I had died twenty years ago.' "After some period of reflection, with tears coming to his eyes, he fell off into a doze, on rousing from A'vhich he Avas assisted to the bed. P. B. Ewing. "P.S. — He never rose from his bed again. P. B. E." ¦¦Mcmm- m -¦^: - Autogi^aphic Inscription prepared hy Father, for Mother'' s Moiuiraent. FAMILY TESTIMONY. G 1 Washington, D. C, May 20, 1873. My Dear Sister: I give below some extracts from my journal relating to father's formal reception into the church. All the evidence that came to my atten tion in his conversation and action since the year 1851, of his belief in and love and reverence for the church, would fill a volume. His delay in entering the Adsible church Avas due alone to scrupulosity; fear of the opinion of the Avorld had no share in it, for it is Avell known that he took pleasure in braving that opinion when it ran counter to truth. Shortly after my return from Europe, some 'one in our pre sence opposed the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope; Avhen father said: "It is a logical necessity, and the trouble is not in believing, but in disbeliev ing it." His familiarity Avith sacred history and the Avritings of eminent churchmen Avas begun early and continued through life. When driving out one day (Oct. 5, 1853), he said to me : " When I was six years old — that is, in my sixth winter — I read the Bible through from beginning to end. I was so young that I thought the four Gospels related to four different advents of Christ ; and I "was much dis appointed Avhen, on asking father, he told me that they all referred to the same advent." BeloAV are my later extracts. Your loving 'brother, Hugh Ewing. G2 FAMILY TESTIMONY Extracts. Oct. 16, Monday. — He said in the evening to me : "The young man is fortunate and happy Avho has Catholic faith, it is so firm and living. He may err, but, if his faith remain unshaken, he Avill come back. The priests of the church alone can guide young men." 19th, Thursday. — Father has had a chill; in great distress. Father Dominic gaA^e him absolution and extreme unction, and said prayers, in AA'hich we all joined. He consented to and received the sacrament Avith great quiet and attention, suppressing his pre vious and after-movements, as rising, etc. This after noon, Father Dominic had another intervieAA^ Father responded firmly and decidedly that he was sorry for his sins ; that he had full and entii-e faith in all the articles of faith ; and, in response to Father Domi nic's remark that he Avishecl he could receive holy communion, he said: "I Avish I could, I earnestly de sire to do so." 21st, Saturday. — At 3.20 p.m. the Archbishop came over, dressed in his cassock, cross, etc., with the Blessed Sacrament; told father he had brought him the croAvning blessing of his life — the body and blood, soul and divinity, of Jesus Christ; that, in his condi tion, he Avould not require confession ; asked if he had a hearty sorroAV for all the sins of his life, a firm faith in the church, and hope in the Redeemer, and FAMILY TESTIMONY. t)o love of God. He ansAvered, "I can truly say I have." He then received absolution and Lloly Communion Avith all the reverence and devotion of one brought up iu the church. "I never saAV any one in my life receive Avith more evidences of devotion" (Arch- l)ishop). The Archbishoj) then advised and prayed with him. Father Dominic and Rose present, others kneel ing outside. He has been serene and happy since. 26th, Thursday. — Father died at ten minutes before four o'clock this afternoon, after receiving the last benediction, so calmly that for some minutes it Avas not perceptible. A beautiful sunset. Lancaster, Ohio, June 28, 1873. Dear : Yours of 24th inst. is at hand. I AA'ill- ingly unite my evidence Avith that of others Avho had the same opportunity of knoAving that your good father died a Christian death and a sincere member of the Catholic Church. The Saturday preceding his death, and before the visit of Archbishop Purcell, who gave him the sacrament, I was alone in attendance on him for some time. He Avas restless and anxious in his manner, and seemed uncomfortable and unhappy. He complained of no pain, but could not rest, and I could do nothing to relieve him. After observing him closely for awhile, I became satisfied he Avanted to see some one, and I 64 family TE3TIJI0NY. Avas equally satisfied, for different reasons, that the person he Avanted was the Priest. I left the room to ask some one to send for him, and at the hall door I met Philemon, and told him Avhat I thought. He said that Archbishop Purcell had arrived, and he would bring him over at once, Avhich he did. When I returned to your father's bedside after the Archbishop had given him the sacrament, I was struck Avith the change. He lay quiet and peaceful, nothing but calm contentment in his expression. I proposed after awhile that he should try and sleep, and arranged the pillows for him. He smiled and made some kind remark, then sank into a quiet sleep of over two hours. I knoAA'" how much importance you attach to your own form of faith, aud I have often Avished that you, his chil dren, could have seen as I did hoAV full of belief he Avas, and how much comfort it gave him to be re ceived into your communion. I can ncA^er forget that day any more than I can forget him and all his goodness. Affectionately, C. Steele. Lancaster, Ohio, May 17, 1873. My Dear Sister : I enclose for the purposes of your memorial a lengthy extract from a letter to a friend, in Avhich I have detailed the circumstances attending the last days of our beloved fother, especially those relating FAMILY TESTIMONY. 65 to his reception in faith and love of the adorable Sacra ment of the Eucharist. Ever A'our affectionate sister, Maria Ewing Steele. AYhen Father Dominic suggested to him on Friday to make his confession in preparation for receiving the Blessed Eucharist, he was suffering from great pain and exhaustion, and said he was not able to " commence it." When, however, the Archbishoj:) arrived on Saturday, he Avent to father's room carrying Avith him the holy viati cum. Father evinced the greatest comfort and consola tion at seeing the Archbishop, AA^ho, approaching his bed side, said, " Mr. Ewing, I have come to bring you the croAvning blessing of your life — the body and blood of your divine Redeemer. I knoAV that you are now too ill to make a regular confession, but, if you can say to me in sincerity and truth that you believe in all the doctrines of the Holy Catholic Church, and that you repent of all the sins of your past life, and beg joardon of God for them — say this to me in God's holy presence, and that is all that wall be necessary in your feeble state before giving you the bread of life." Father responded fervently and solemnly, " All that I can say from the bottom of my heart, and I Avill be most thankful to receive from you the holy Host." During the entire day pre ceding the Archbishop's visit, Avhich Avas late in the afternoon, the Colonel, who Avas Avatching Avith father, Q6 FAMILY TESTIMONY. Avas distressed by his restlessness and disc^uiet, Avhich Avas more mental than physical, anxious evidently for the presence of some one ; for, when questioned as to his physical Avants, there Avas nothing he Avished done for him. But from the moment of the Archbishop's visit, and the reception of the Sacrament, he Avas in a state of perfect calm and quiet, and after a time sank into a SAveet and restful sleep that seemed so like the sleep of health and ease that we found our longing hearts hop ing that a respite would be granted, and that clear and gentle life prolonged yet a little Avhile. But " his eyes had seen his salvation, and he was ready to depart in peace.'' Headquarters Army of the United States, j Washington, D. C, July 15, 1873. j Dearest Ellen : General Hugh Ewing has rec[uested me to contribute a letter for the personal memorial of your father, the Hon. Thomas Ewing, which you are preparing for publication. I find it difiicult to Avrite anything concise and short that approaches justice to the subject. I cannot Avell separate your father's memory from public events, Avhen manifesting my sense of grati tude and praise of him, and simple eulogy sounds bare when speaking of an historic character. Hugh asked me to allude to the fact that your father died in the Catholic Church. It struck me as something out of my line entirely ; for the fact Avas evidenced at the time, family testimony. G7 and needs no confirmation from me. With that event others can deal fully, truthfully, and naturally, but it Avould sit aAvkwardly on my pen. Llis life extending from 1789 to 1871, through prob ably the most active period of the Avorld's history, beginning when Ohio Avas a wilderness, sharing in the labor of clearing her forests, opening her mines, and establishing the schools and colleges that now adorn her, then transferred to a higher sphere, and sharing in the politics and government of a great nation, his biography assumes the rank of history. In the Avorld at large the fame of Thomas Ewing AAas secure Avhen transferred from Ohio to the United States Senate ; he at once took first rank among the statesmen of that most brilliant period, and Avas second to none as a laAvyer before the Supreme Court of the United States. Whoever assumes the task of biographer must show how, by industry AA^ell directed, he had gathered his immense fund of facts, arranged them in logical order, clothed them in pure language, and announced them Avith that earnest ness and force which characterized his speeches and Avri tings. AYe, however, avIio enjoyed a more intimate relation, can recall his natural love for the good and beautiful ; how" he would recite from Homer and Yirgil, from Addison and Scott, Ayith innumerable pieces of fugi tive poetry that from time to time attracted his notice, but never escaped his memory. We recall also his know ledge of pure mathematics, and how utterly impossible it Avas to impose on him by partial or imperfect demon- G8 family testimony. stration, and hoAv quickly he A^^ould detect any explana tion of an event not consistent with pure truth and logic. My personal recollections of him date back to a very early period, when I Avas a mere child and he a man in full career of life. On my way to West Point, in 1836, by his direction I came to Washington, where he Avas at the time a Senator from Ohio. I found him boarding Avith Mrs. Hill, Avho had a son at West Point. The mess of Avhich he was a member consisted of some of the most brilliant men of the day, and I now recall their wit and humor, in Avhich he always led oft', and which Avas in marked contrast to the bitter political wrangles that prevailed then iu Congress and in the press. One day, in Avalking along Pennsylvania Avenue, we overtook Hon. Samuel L. Southard, to Avhom he introduced me as his young Avard en route to West Point. Mr. Southard said, " Young man, I can only say to you, as I used to say to others Avhen I Avas Secretary of the Navy, be indus trious and obedient, and you have nothing to fear." I Avas in correspondence Avith Mr. EAving throughout the Civil war. He took the most intense interest iii every event, and at almost every stage of its existence he Avrote encouraging me to the boldest action, yet look ing to the success of our arms and cause without imperilling the principles of the Government itself, in Avhich he had the full faith he had in natural laAA''. To him extreme measures Avere only justified to produce peace, and that peace should leave the National and family testimony. 60 State Governments, Avith all their rights and limits as defined by the Constitution, unimpaired and unchanged. As the Avar approached its conclusion, I could see from the tone of his letters his fears and apprehensions on this point, and that the success of arms might give a bias to the people at large, and so increase the power of the National Government as to take from the State and local gOA^ernments the ability to manage successfully the matters that should rightfully be left to them. In dealing with the last stage of his public career, none but a great' constitutional lawyer can do justice to his memory, and therefore I trust that will fall into com petent hands. In private life, he Avas eminently social, full of humor and AA'it, and encouraging enterprise on the part of the young. To all connected Avith him he was full of sympathy, and gave assistance and advice to all avLo applied. As an example to others, your father's memoir Avill be almost a perfect model, and, as a part of history, his own is an epitome of that of the country itself Aftectionately, W. T. Sherman, General. Washington, D. C, 11th June, 1873. My Dear Sister: Hr.ving read Avith great interest Mr. Huntington's account of his journey from the faith in Avhich he had been educated, through the dif 70 FAMILY TESTIMONY. ferent Christian denominations, in which he paused for a time, to the Catholic Church, AA'here his soul found the food and rest it Avas seeking, I spoke of it to father, and he directed me to leave it on his table that he might read it. A day or two after, he re turned the book to me, saying that he Avas much pleased with it, but that the author had omitted a very strong argument in favor of the church that he should have giA^en, which he then stated at some length. I Avas so much impressed Avith this conver sation that I requested father to give me the sub stance of it in Avriting, saying that I wished to pre serve it; for I wanted to keep, in his oayu hand and language, the tribute of respect which he had paid to the dcA^otions the church has established in ho nor of the Blessed Yirgin. The folloAAdng day, he handed me a letter dated the 3d of May, 1870, giv ing in brief the proposition he had laid clown and discussed the day before, i.e., that " we owe to the Catholic Church the institution of families and the elevated social condition of Avoman." I now giA'e this letter to you as my contribution to the memorial you are preparing to perpetuate the memory of his virtuous life and the blessing that croAvned its close. Through life I have gathered father's opinions on religious questions solely from expressions that cur rent events called out. In all these, my memory from my earliest childhood to the last day of his life records no word or act of his in disparagement of FAMILY TESTIMONY. 71 the church or her dogmas. He often had for her Avords of praise, but never one of censure. Those AA'ho have been of his household have ever heard him speak in commendation of her great Avisdom, her teachings, her practices, and her priests. Of the incidents of father's last days there is but little that I can give you except AAdiat you alread}' have from other members of the family ; but there is one event of AAdiich I should speak, although others Avill doubtless give it. During the last ten days of his life, I AA^atchecl at his bedside and served him Avith an anxious heart, though my hands were un skilful and my service of little A'alue ; and it chanced that a serA^ant and I were alone with him for a short time in the afternoon of the 21st of October, AA^hen Archbishop Purcell entered his room bearing Avith him the Holy Eucharist. I could not be present at the confession AA'hich I knew must precede the reception of this sacrament, and I therefore Avent out and stood near by, Avhere I was Avithin call, and could hear the murmur of voices in the room, but could not distinguish Avords. After a short time had elapsed, I heard the Archbishop, in a distinct tone of voice, pronouncing ab.solution, Avhen I summoned Philemon and other members of the family from an adjoining room AA^here they were Avaiting, and, going AA'ith them to the door of father's room, and kneeling, Ave heard the Archbishop pronouncing the usual formula, "The body of our Lord Jesus Christ pre- 72 FAMILY TESTIMONY. serve thy soul unto life everlasting," as father received the Blessed Sacrament — the long hoped-for, prayed-for blessing that mother taught us in infancy to ask. I cannot refrain from giving you another incident Avhich has since become doubly dear to me, and Avill show how his kind heart always Avent out to his children', as he thought of us and of our children even to the last. It Avas late in the afternoon of the 25th of October, the day before he died, as I sat by his bedside holding his pale hand in both of mine, and, looking into his face, thought that he Avas sleep ing, that he said to me, "Hoav is my little friend?" I Avas half persuaded that he Avas dreaming. Still, I asked him Avhat he meant, AA'hen he turned his eyes upon me, and said, " Hoav is my little friend in Wash ington ? " He was thinking of his youngest grandchild, my little Lizzie, who had not half as many days of life as he had years. I answered that she Avas " flourishing," Avhen he said, " Not like the green bay- tree, for she is young and innocent." She Avas inno cent and pure, and Avill ever be ; for, although she was the last concerning AA'hom he asked on earth, she Avas the first to follow him to heaven. Father had no favorite child. Through his long life his solicitude Avas strong, and he Avas ever watchful and wise in his care for all of us; from Philemon to my little daughter, the first and last of his chil dren, all were embraced in his thoughtful care even to the last day of his life. FAAIILY TESTIJIONY. 73 As father's advice determined the question as to the kind of material to be used in building the main altar in our church at Lancaster, it may not be out of place for me to record here 'the interest he took in the matter Avhen it AA'as first under discussion. It had been suggested that the altar should be built, not of wood or marble, as Avas the custom in our churches, but of the rich brown sandstone from the quarries near Lancaster. It Avas urged that, Avhen an altar Avas raised from Avhich to offer the solemn sacrifice of the Mass, it should be built of the rock that nature furnished to the hand of the builder; and that a massive altar richer in ornamentation could be built of our sandstone than Ave could pos- silily make of Avood or marble. This suggestion did not meet Avith favor from any one until it Avas pre sented to father. He approA^ed it Avarmly, and said that he Avould give for this purpose the " Chestnut- tree rock " on his farm — a huge square block of stone that had in a remote age been torn from its place in the ridge beyond by some giant force in nature, and placed altar-like on the crest of a hill that stood out from its neighbors, and overlooked the valley for miles on either hand ; and he said that doubtless it had been set apart from the ledge more years than he could tell to harden and bleach for this pur2oose. This Avas years before Ave, his children, thought to raise this altar to the honor of God and to the memoiy of father and mother ; ]:)ut noAV that they have gone 74 FAAIILY TE5TIAI0NY. to rest Avith the benediction of the church, this majestic altar — its table, broad and deep, of solid rock, on AA'hich six monolithic pillars rest, supporting the rich cornice and canopy of stone that overhangs the place of sacri fice, and bearing on its front in letters of bronze the dedica tion, " Gloria Dei " — will be built by his children from the rock that father gave, and it Avill for generations yet to come be an altar of sacrifice, and, speaking from the past, it Avill perpetuate, among- the descendants of those Avho knew and honored them in this life, the virtues of two of God's servants who through life obeyed his laAV. I am, 111}- dear sister. Your loving brother, Charles Laying. To Mrs. Ellen Ewixg Sherman, AYasiiington, D. C. " The unanimous praise of the good, the unboughi voice of those who can well discriminate as to surpassing virtue" Letters and Telegrams from Friends. Cincinnati, Oct. 24, 1871. Dear General : I have just received j^ours of the 23d. I must go to Columbus to-morrow to argue before the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the laAV authoriz ing Cincinnati to sub.scribe $10,000,000 to the Southern Railway- — an engagement I cannot postpone or forego. No private business or ordinary professional engagement Avould prevent my going to Lancaster at once. So soon as that imperative duty is performed, I Avill hasten to Lancaster in the hope of once more seeing your father in life, or, if too late for that, at least to pay the last tribute of affection and respect to him, my guide and friend through all my professional life. Sincerely yours, Henry Stanbery. Genl. Thos. Ewing, Jr. Athens, Ohio, Oct. 27, 1871. Dear Sir : Your telegram, freighted Avith the sad intelligence of the death of Mr. Ewing, Ohio's noblest son, Avas duly received and the message passed round among his numerous friends last evening as far as prac- 10 78 letters and telegrams from friends. ticable. This morning, our citizens are all advised of this public bereavement, and our place Avill be numer ously represented at the funeral to-raorroA\'. Among others, I called on General Brown and Judge A. G. BroAA'ii last evening. The General will not be able to go up to the funeral, but he spoke of Mr. Ewing's age, that, if he had been spared till the 28th of next December, he AA'ould have completed his 82d year, and of his OAvn age, that on the first of the same month he will be 86. They Avere attached friends throughout their lives, and among the noblest specimens of humanity that Ave have knoAvn. I have an autograph letter of his of August 30, 1871, Avhich will be preserved most sacredly as a precious relic of the great man, so long and favorably knoAvn, and Avhom I could not doubt Avas ever my sincere friend. Our entire community Avill sympathize Avith yours and the bereaA'ed family on this occasion. Respectfully, A. B. WxALKER. ! Hon. H. H. Hunter. QuiNCY, Illinois, Oct. 27, 187L My Dear General: Your telegram announcing the death of our distinguished friend. Lion. Thomas Ewing, reached me, in the night, last night. Accept my thanks for your kind attention. I am not surprised, but grieved. I had hoped to see letters and telegraj[,3 from friends. 79 h'.m once more before he passed beyond the boundary of time; but he is gone, and the hope cannot noAv be realized. Llis Avas a long, useful, honorable, and eminent career; and I am proud to claim him as my countryman and friend. Lie was, I believe, the last of the great senators Avho shed so much lustre iqjon our country in the first half of the present century. He leaves behind him, in all the land, no one combin ing so much of patriotism, learning, Avisdom, and experi ence. He Avas a A^ery remarkaljle man, and a great and good one. His name now passes proudly into history, and Avill live there as long as love of just and good govern ment, and admiration of great and good qualities of our kind, endure. It occasions me sincere regret that I cannot shoAV my veneration for his character by being jjresent at his funeral ; but court is in session here, and I am tied doAvii to the trial of important cases, from Avhich I cannot escape. Mrs. BroAvning and Emma unite Avith me in kind re gards and sympathy for all. Most truly your friend, O. H. Browning. General W. T. Sherman, Lancaster, Ohio. Augusta, Maine, Sunday, Noy. 5, 1871. My Dear Cousin : I hardly feel that you can expect or desire letters of condolence on the death of your 80 LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM FRIENDS. fathei'. Such a death after such a life is not matter of grief, but of joy. To Avhat a small number of the hun dreds of millions of the human race is so much given as was given to your father ! By Avhat a small number is so much done ! He Avas a grand and massive man, almost without peers. With no little familiarity and association Avitli the leading men of the day, I can truly say that I never met one who impressed me so profoundly. His memory is a heritage to all his descendants of the most precious and inestimable type. . . . Affectionately your cousin, J. G. Blaine. To Mrs. Ellen B. E. Sherman. Pai!I3, Nov. 20, 18 71. Dear Mrs. Sherman: Across the Avide ocean comes to my ears the sad news that another light has gone out, that another great man has fallen; and to me, more than all else, that one Avho was to me a second father sleeps at last beside her AA^ho fulfilled eA'ery day of her life a paint's mission, and who ever reaps, I doubt not, a saint's revv'ard. Ever knoAvn for his incorruptible integrity ; a giant in intellect in the days Avhen there Avere giants in the land ; possessing in a most marked degree the respect and love of all who kncAY him — at last, full of years, he has yield ed to a poAver that none can mock, and the places that LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM FRIENDS. 81 haA'e so long knoAvii him shall knoAV him no more for ever. Had I been in the United States, nothing Avould have prevented me from being a humble but sincere mourner among those avIio followed him to his last rest ing-place. I need not say to you hoAV deeply I sympathize Avitli you in this sad hour ; for I kiicAV him as comparatively few knew him — at home, in the bosom of his family, in that sacred spot Avhere men throAV off the mask they are too often compelled to Avear in their intercourse Avith the Avorld ; and, thus knowing him, I knoAA" your loss. But as I read of the general expression of sympathy Avhich has gone up from all parts of the country ; of the universal testimony from bench and bar, and from politicians of all parties, as to his acknoAvledged ability and spotless life, I am consoled, and take courage for the future of my country — a country Avhich, though too often boAvlng the knee to the golden calf, and elevating to positions of trust and honor men of no intellect and of no honesty, at last over an open grave is able to dis tinguish between merit and charletanism, betAveen tinsel and jjure gold. It is a hopeful sign, and goes far to redeem its many shortcomings. Ever and sincerely your friend, William Slade. Buffalo, Oct. 31, 1871. Mrs. General Sherman : Dear Madam : I trust you Avill pardon the liberty I 82 LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM ERIENDS. take in expressing my sympathy iu this your hour of deep affliction. 'Tis said " the sympathy of friends in affliction charms aAvay half the Avoe." If so, I knoAV you Avill find the cup less bitter; for your friends are Legion, and your trust is in God. To me the memory of your clear father Avas like a beacon-light ; for aAvay back in my early youth, a kind and affectionate father taught me to love and honor the man Avho Avas his youthful companion in the early hard ships of a AYestern life, A'iz., Thomas Ewing, and Avlioni in my manhood I Avas moved'to admire and cherish. I shall never forget the numerous kind letters found among my father's correspondence, Avritten in early life by your noble father, some of Avhich I belicA^e one of my brothers has. But I dare not trespass longer on your kindness. Ac cept, clear madam, my condolence, and believe me Avhen I tell you that we all deejily sympathize Avith you and yours in this great bereav^ement. Kind regards to the General. Yery truly your obedient, S. S. Guthrie. From the Arclihisliop of San Francisco. San Francisco, Dec. 3, 1871. Dear in Christ, Mrs. Sherjian: I do not send you my condolence, but my joy. Death, it is true, brings on sadness, especially the death of our parents. At your letters and telegrams from friends. S3 father's death, your tears were no doubt accompanied Avith heavenly joy. It Avas only to-day, having just returned from blessing the first Catholic church in Utah Territory, that I learn ed the fact of your ffither's entering the ark, the bosom of his mother. God has heard your long and earnest prayer. I believe I also prayed for that ever since 1841, Avhen your dear mother gave me the finest room in her house. I have been filled Avith joy at the reading of your father receiving the Holy Sacraments. Well, let us return thanks to God, and let us pray that not only the statesmen, but also the generals, may join the choir, and sing the Catholic creed — the only one made by the aj)ostles and taught by Christ. When I was in Washington last, I wished very much to call and see you ; but I arrived there late in the eve ning, and had to leave the same evening for Rome. Please to give my kind regards to the General, and my best wishes to all your family. Yery respectfully, Joseph S. Alemany. Mrs. E. Sheraian, etc. Swanton, Yermont, Nov. 3, 1871. My Dear Mrs. Sherman: I feel assured you Avill pardon me for yielding to the impulse which urged me, as I this moment read the notice of the departure of your thrice-honored father, in the Journcd of to-day, to ^4 LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROJI FRIENDS. offer you my most sincere and heartfelt sympathy for a loss in AA'hich the nation mourns Avith you. ^Yith expressions of sympathy I must also join fervent congratulations that he was permitted to seal the record of a noble and illustrious life by the closing act, Avhich opened the golden gates of the glorious city of God to him as he passed to his rcAvard. I have not failed to comply daily with your parting- injunction to me at St. Albans; and the fervor of my poor prayers Avas redoubled when I saw notices of the alarming state of his health. Joy and thanksgiving mingle with regretful sorrow over an event Avhich has removed one of the fcAv remaining monuments of our former national glory. May God raise up others like him and his distinguished compeers to rescue our dear country from impending- perils, and shed ncAV lustre upon the new Union, bathed Avith a nation's tears, and cemented Avith a nation's l.)lood ! Accept, dear Mrs. Sherman, for yourself and family, assurances of our distinguished regard and deep sympa thy. Yery truly and sincerely yours, Julia C. Smalley. The following is from Judge Samuel Heher. St. Louis, Oct. 30, 1871. My Dear General: Your fayor of the 13th Avas duly LETTERS AND TELEGRAJIS FROM FRIENDS. 85 received, and I Avould have answered it sooner, but I learned through the neAvspapers that you had gone to Ohio, to Avatch the last struggles of a mighty spirit Avith that destiny which ultimately overcomes the bravest and strongest. Mr. Ewing fell fnll of years and full of honors — honors achieved by an intellect almost peerless among his countrymen. He Avas one of the giants of the last age who have lived into our time. Who can wield the sw'ord or Avear the armor of the departed hero ? We do not mourn his death immoderately, for that is the lot of all men; but Ave do lament that so much great. ness, so much learning, and so much of the wisdom of experience cannot be transmitted to others ; that it must all be buried in the grave. " How inexorable is death ! " His memory Avill live ! And may the green turf rest lightly upon his grave ! . . . Dr. N. H Arris to Jahj3 Philemon B. Ewing. Springfield, Illinois, Feb. 21, 1872. Honored and Dear Sir : Just before your dear and honored father died, I received a paper from Cincinnati giving me the first notice of his illness ; but I Avas not able to visit him, and his death soon after made it im possible to tender to him in person my sincere aud hearty thanks for his great kindness to me for so many years. A friend and relative, I am happy to say, occupied a warm place in my affections that no other man has ever occupied. I am glad my dear old friend 86 LETTEE.S AND TELEGRAMS FROM FRIENDS. and cousin was buried in the Catholic faith. You may remember that I Avas always a liberal Presbyterian ; and, as my mother, Sarah Carroll, Avas a Catholic, I hope to meet her and a good many of my Catholic friends Avho have been so kind to me in that good Avorld AA'here sin Avill never come. . . . I Avas much disappointed Avith the history of your grandfather. Captain George EAving. He did not sell his farm on credit, but for $8,000 cash, and loaned it to the Government, and, after six years and a half iu the army, he returned, to find his estate all gone, and, like my mother, received Continental pictures, not worth five cents on the dollar. He \Yas a noble man, a good oflicer, and Avas much respected. If Mrs. SherraaD has not, please send me a likeness of your dear mother. Broayn Usia'ersity^, Providence, R. I., Oct. 27, 1871. Gex. Thomas Eaving : My Dear Sir : From a brief reference to your fathei-'s health AA'hich fell under my notice a few days since, I Avas led to fear that his condition was very critical. By a telegram in my morning paper, I see that he breathed his last in the afternoon of yesterday. I cannot let this event, so deeply interesting to the public as Avell as to his own bereaved family, pass Avithout offering to you my sincere sympathy in so great a bereavement. It Avas my good fortune to form the personal acquaintance of your letters and telegrams from FRIENDS. 87 father some fifteen or twenty years ago. Since that time, I have often met him, and on two or three occasions have been Avith him for daA'S together. I have knoAVu a goodly number of our eminent states men. If I except Daniel Webster, I knoAV not another Avho has left on my mind so deep an impression of intel lectual power and range of knovdedge. He never failed to pour a flood of light upon every subject Avhich might chance to fall under discussion, and hence the attractive ness and charm of his conversation. I cannot but feel in his death a sense of personal loss. In this hour of soitoaa', you may A\"ell find consolation in his estimable character, his eminent public services, and in the universal respect that will be felt for his memory. More than this, I trust Ave may all find consolation in the hope that, through the merits of Christ our Saviour, he has entered into the peace and blessedness of them that love God. Believe me, most sincerely yours, Alexis Caswell. Cincinnati, Oct. 28, 1871. Gen. Thomas Ewing : Dear Sir : Yesterday afternoon, in Indiana, I learned from Cincinnati papers the death of your father. On arriving home, I find a despatch from Mr. Hunter, dated the 26th, announcing it, and learn that my son-in-law, M. Jenney, had forwarded the news, but it had missed me. I was at Richmond attending a family meeting con- 88 LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM FRIENDS. sequent upon the death of Mrs. Perry's mother, AAdio died last Sunday in her seA'cnty-ninth year. I Avas Avell informed of the leading events of your father's life and career preceding the late civil Avar. Since the opening of the Avar, I^ liave Avatched his public ex pressions, but they have been comparatively fcAV. That his opinions and vieAVS have been all the time open, enei'getic, and decided, no one Avho kncAV his constitution could doubt; but my means of knoAving them have been less continuous and authentic than before. I haA'e taken it for granted that the part borne in the great struggle by his sons and by Gen. Sherman Avas such as he would have chosen ; and I knoAV from himself that he felt in all its just depths the sjiecial personal gratification in their services, which, in a less special form, but not in any less genuine sense, was felt by the Avhole country. I am glad he lived to see the struggle ended, and to wit ness the honors of his family. While I do not doubt the coming grandeur and prosperity of our country, public aftairs are passing through a stage Avhich it Avere no great loss to miss. The course of nature having required a great man's eyes to be closed, they are, as to public affairs, closed upon little Avhich he would have cared to see. At a critical period of your father's political fortunes, I had reason to believe myself in his confidence, and had Avith him free conferences. The thing Avhich most thrusts itself upon my thoughts at this moment is that I never heard him utter or hint an unmanly or unfair thouo-ht. LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS FROM FRIENDS. 89 If he ever sought or wished an unfair advantage in any struggle, I did not suspect it. I look upon him as one of the greatest men I have CA^er seen. The tendency of my estimate is to place him a little higher, and rank him in a class by himself Be kind enough to accept for youi- self, and to make knoAvn to such of your family as Avould value it, my most sincere and respectful sympathy. Yery truly yours, Aaron F. Perry. CoLUMiius, O., Oct. 26, 1871. To H. H. Hunter : The funeral of Mr. Ewing Avill be attended by myself and other State officers. The Supreme Court Avill hold no session Saturday, to enable members of the court and bar to attend. R. B. Hayes. x\ugusta, Me., Oct. 27, 1871. Gen. W. T. Sherman : Just heard of Mr. Ewing's death. I greatly regret that I cannot be present at the funeral ceremonies of one for Avhom I have all my life cherished the profoundest respect and regard. Mrs. Blaine joins me in expressions of fullest sympathy to the family. J. G. Blaine. Washington, D. C, Oct. 27, 1871. Gen. W. T. Sherman : No CA'cnt could have more profoundly aftected the 90 letters and TELEGRA5I3 FROM FRIENDS. court and bar than the death of Mr. Eu'ing. It adds to my own sorroAV that I cannot join in his funeral train. J. M. Carlisle. QuixcA-, III., Oct. 27, 187J. Gen. Yi. T. Sherman: ReceiA'ed your telegram last night, and greatly regret that I cannot come to Lancaster. I write you by mail to-day. O. H. Browning New York, Oct. 27, 1S71. Gen. and Mrs. Sherman : Most sincerely we sympathize with you in the great loss to the family and the countr}'. Eugene Casserly, Teresa Casserly, St. James Hotel. FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAI. [From the Gazette, Lancaster, Ohio, Thursday, Nov. 2, 1871,] On Thursday last, the 26th of October, 1871, at a quarter to four o'clock in the afternoon, the distin guished citizen of Lancaster, and eminent American states man, Thomas Ewing, departed this life, in the 82d year of his age. The state of his health for several mouths had prepared all for the solemn event ; and Avhen the final summons came, it found him also prepared. Full of years and of honors, the cynosure of a nation's mournful interest, he has passed away, the last, Ave be lieve, of that grand array of giant intellects Avhich illu minated the American Senate in the days of Webster, Cla)', Calhoun, Benton, and their contemporaries, Avho gave that body the highest distinction it has ever gained. His last hours were consoled by the presence of his children aud children's children, and of the spiritual guides Avhose ministrations were sought in the final closing of earthly scenes. The death of no public man of this country could have created a more profound sensation, or called forth more general and earnest expressions of sorrow and sympath}'. From the several departments of the national service at Y'ashington to the smallest municipal organizations, in cluding State Legislatures, judicial bodies. City Conn- 92 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. cils, associations of the legal profession, and learned and dignified societies too numerous to name, all have taken formal action to testify their respect for the memory of a great man Avhose career discloses no blemish to dim its lustre, no public act that can be recalled with regret, no impulse that Avas not for his country's Avelfare. The mass of matter Avhich this event has draAvn out from A'arious sources, and of Avhich we have liberally availed ourselves for our columns this week, has left us no space for further remark, even had Ave the ability to add in the slightest degree to the interest and force of Av'hat has been so Avell said by those Avhose position as lifelong neighbors and friends enables them so much more fitly to deal Avith the subject. We need not commend this matter to the attention of our readers, all of Avhom have felt a noble pride in the great citizen Avhose loss is now so deeply and Avidely mourned, Avhich Avill impart an interest to AvhatAA'e present to-day on this memorable subject that could be supplied by matter of no other character Avhatever. [Cincinnati Enquirer.] The telegraph brings the intelligence that Hon. Thomas Ewing is lying at the point of death at his home in Lancaster. Before this paper reaches many of our sub scribers, the grave, perhaps, Avill have closed over the venerable statesman and jurist Avhose name has been so familiar for the last forty years in the political and FROAI THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY'. 9o judicial annals of Ohio. A sketch of his life and services Avill be read Avith interest at this time. The place of Mr. Ewing's nativity Avas Ohio County, Yirginia. He was born on the 28th day of December, 1789, and is consequently in the 82d year of his age at this time. His ftither, a man of some means, be came considerably reduced during the progress of the Revolutionary Avar, in Avhich he took a part. After the establishment of peace, the paternal Ewing removed his family to the valley of the Muskingum, in Ohio, and in 1792 he repaired to a frontier settlement, now knoAvn as Athens County. It Avas in this Avild region that young Thomas spent his boyhood, and it is quite probable that the rough experiences of a frontier life aroused and de- A'eloped that fortitude and self-reliance Avhich Avere such distinguishing elements in his character in afterdife. He Avas taught to read by an elder sister, and gave early in dications of remarkable intellectual activity. He read eagerly all the books that came within his reach, pur suing his researches at night by the glov/ing light of hickory-bark, or the inevitable pine-knot, unfailing re sources of light to our ancestors, and always at hand. Having attained his twentieth year, he left the paternal roof, and set out for the KanaAA'ha salt mines to Avork on his own account. In the course of two or three years, by the exercise of prudence and economy, he saved enough from his scanty earnings to purchase a farm for his father, and Avith the meagre surplus he entered the Ohio University, and pursued his studies energetically, Avith 12 94 FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY. occasional interruptions in consequence of failing funds, until the year 1815, when he graduated, receiving the first degree of A.B. ever issued by that educational in stitution. Having previously determined to adopt the profession of the law as a means of livelihood, he immediately com menced his studies at Lancaster, Ohio, and was admitted to practice in 1816. From the first his efforts were crowned Avith success, and he rapidly achieved Avealth and reputation, much of his practice in the Supreme Court of the United States being of a remunerative character. About this time he began to take an active part in politics, and in 1831 he Avas elected to the United States Senate as a Whig, and became the friend and colleague of Clay and Webster. He took a prominent and leading position in the Sen ate, and assailed the Administration for its apparent en croachments. He took strong grounds against the con firmation of Martin Yan Buren, who had been designated by the President as Minister to the court of St. James, and Avas a Avarm adherent and supporter of the protec tive-tariff A'iews of Henry Clay. He also lent his in fluence to the enactment of a laAv reducing the rates of postage. Among- other important measures Avhich he supported was the rechartering of the United States Bank and the revenue collection bill known as the Force Bill. He took an active part in all measures that came before the Senate. As a member of the Committee on Post- Offices and Post-roads, he j)resented a majority report on FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 95 the abuses in the Post-Office Department accompanied by fourteen resolutions of censure. These resolutions Avere subsequently reduced to four, and passed by a small ma jority. During the folloAving session, Mr. Ewing pre sented another majority report, accompanied by a bill reorganizing the Post-Office Department, AA'hich passed the Senate by a bare majority on the 9th of February, 1835. This measure was defeated in the House of Representa tives, and it was not until the folloAving session, AA'hen the Postmaster-General resigned, that the bill went into operation. Mr. Ewing Avas bitterly opposed to the removal of the deposits from the United States Bank, regarding the measure as unconstitutional. It Avas through the instrumentality of Mr. Ewing that the much-mooted question of the boundary of Ohio Avas settled by a bill introduced by him December 21, 1835, Avhich reached its final passage the following year, on the 11th of March, in the Senate, and on the 15th of June iu the House of Representatives. He also brought forward a bill for the reorganization of the Land Oflace, Avhich Avas passed during the same session. He opposed the policy of granting pre-emption rio-hts, the admission of Michigan into the Union, and discussed the complications Avhich arose Avith the French Government ; spoke upon the deposit bill, the limitation of executive patronage, and the fortification bill. He also presented a memorial praying for the abolition of slavery and th^ slave-trade in the District of Columbia, 9 3 FROAI THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. and asked that it be appropriately referred, at the same time expressing himself opposed to the granting of the prayer of the memorialists. In December, 1836, Mr. Ewing introduced a bill which caused Avarm debate, and was ultimately defeated. This Avas a measure for annulling a document issued by the Secretary of the Treasury the previous year, called the " Specie Circular," which authorized the receiA-ers in the Land Ofiice to accept payments only in gold, silver, or Treasury certificates, except from certain classes of per sons, for a limited time. Another bill, declaring it un lawful for the Secretary to make discriminations, Avas also defeated. Mr. Ewing returned to Lancaster, and resumed the practice of the laAA'. Upon the election of General Harri son to the Presidency, Mr. Ewing, who had been a Avarm supporter, Avas made a member of the Cabinet, occupy ing the position of Secretary of the Treasury, the duties of Avhich responsible office he continued to discharge un der President Tyler. Llis first official report Y'as distinguished by the ad- A'ocacy of measures intended to diminish the national debt, one of which Avas the imposition of 20 per cent. ad valorem duties on certain articles. In this report, he also attacked the Independent Treasury Act, passed the previous year, and advocated the establishment of a Na tional Bank. Mr. Ewing subsequently drafted a bill for the establishment of a National Bank, Avhich was vetoed by the President. FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 97 At the request of President Tyler, Mr. Ey-ing then drafted a charter, Avhich passed both BLouses of Congress, but Avas also vetoed. Thereupon the entire Cabinet, Avith the exception of Mr. Webster, resigned. Mr. Ewing pub lished a letter explaining his vicAVS and giving the reason for the course he had taken. The Department of the Interior having been created under the administration of President Taylor, Mr. EAving accepted the Secretaryship, and organized it. During his term of office, he recommended scA'cral measures of public importance in his reports. Mr. Ewing differed from Mr. Clay and others of his associates on the question ,of Congressional legislation on the subject of, slavery. Mr. Clay contended that the question should be settled at once, and Mr. Ewing that the legislation of Congress AA'as uncalled for. The death of General Taylor and the accession of Mr. Fillmore, on the 9th of July, 1850, precipitated the ques tion, and rendered the resignation of Mr. EAving neces- sary. Hon. Thomas Corwin was appointed Mr. Ewing's successor, and Mr. Ewing was appointed by the Gov ernor of Ohio to serve in the Senate the unexpired term of Mr. Corwin. During this period, he Avas an active defender of General Taylor's Administration. He was opposed to the fugitive slave law, the compromise bill of Mr. Clay, advocated the establishment of a branch mint in California, the reduction of postage, internal improvements, and various other measures of public im portance. 98 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. He did not retire to private life until 1851, AA'hen he returned to Lancaster, his old home, and resumed the practice of the laAv. He AA'as engaged as an attorney in many important litigations requiring the exercise of the highest order of talent, and always acquitted himself with distinguished credit. Llis ability as a laAvyer Avas only excelled by his ability as a public speaker and a ,statesman. About a Aveek ago, he eml^raced the religion of the Catholic Church, and received the sacrament at the hands of Archbishop Purcell. [AVashington Patriot.] DEATH OF HON. THOS. EWING, OF OHIO. The following despatch has been received from General Sherman : "Lancaster, Ohio, Oct. 26. "Hon. Thomas Ewing died at half-past three o'clock this afternoon, surrounded by his family, as easily and naturally as though taking a sleep. He Avill be buried here at 11 o'clock on Saturday. W. T. Sherman." Since the deaths of Douglas, Crittenden, and Taney, the country has been called to mourn the loss of no states man of equal poAver and national fame. His eminent public services merit and demand a more detailed notice than the mere mention of the day and hour of his death. He was born in Yirginia, December 28, 1789, of from the newspapers of the day. 99 Revolutionary parentage. In his third year his father removed to that portion of the frontier settlements which is now the State of Ohio. His youth and early manhood were passed amid the hardships of frontier life. His studies were pursued by the light of a hickory bark, and by the earnings of his manual labor he paid for his father's farm and his own education. In 1816, one year after graduating at the Ohio Uni versity, he Avas admitted to the bar. Lie Avas then twenty-seven years of age, and immediately rose to eminence, verifying the maxim that " the laAV has hopes of those AA'ho come to it late." He Avas a Whig Senator in 1831, and again in 1850, to fill the unexpired term of Thomas Corwin. During his political career he sustain ed nearly all the Whig party measures. He Avas active ly engaged in 1834 in reorganizing the Post-Office; brought in the bill for the reorganization of the General Land Office; and introduced and passed the bill for the settlement of the Ohio Boundary question. In 1840, he became Secretary of the Treasury under General Harri son, continuing under Tyler, but resigned upon the veto of the National Bank Bill, a measure which he favored, having himself prepared a bill for the establishment of the bank. As Secretary of the Interior under Taylor, in 1849, he organized the then new Interior Department, and originated and recommended its earliest measures of internal progress and development. Since 1851 he has lived retired from public life. His celebrity as a statesman and public speaker is 100 FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY'. equalled by his reputation as a lawyer. His leading mental quality was that of great clearness and compact ness of reasoning. Arguments Avhereon other equally eminent lawyers Avould consume days, he would condense within half an hour, for which he Avas often compliment ed from the bench. These powers of his mind have secured for him the title of the " Great Logician of the West." In person, he Avas tall and commanding and possessed of a powerful frame ; in manner, quiet, self- controlled, gentle, and courteous ; always exhibiting one of the most endearing marks of true greatness — kindness and consideration for youth. In his late years he has taken no very active part in politics, though he has not unfrequently given to the country the wise advice of conciliation and harmony. He sustained the election of Mr. Lincoln, and the pa triotic prosecution of the Avar, for pure and national purposes, but he Avas earnestly opposed to the Radical measures of reconstruction, and to their unconstitutional legislation since the Avar ; and during and since the administration of President Johnson, he has avowedly thought and acted Avith the Democracy. The friend and compeer of Clay and Webster, he may be pronounced almost the last of a great race of states men, who, deeply learned in the history, laws, 'and Constitution of their country, and identified with its institutions since their creation, were inspired by a de- Yoted love for their country, and could never tolerate any violation of the spirit or letter of the Constitution. Lie FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY. 101 was always steadily opposed to executive encroachments, and made this opposition one of his fundamental politi cal principles. Lie leaves behind him a family, large, powerful, and established in the love, confidence, and respect of the entire country. While the country has thus lost one of its "pillars of state," they haA'e lost a father, a counsellor, and a friend, who, rencAving his youth in them, has here tofore added to the strength and A'igor of their manhood the Avisdom of his years and the counsels of his expei'i- ence. The country deeply mourns his loss, and tenders its sympathies and condolence to his afflicted family. While he lived, he commanded the respect of age and the reverence and attachment of youth ; and, dying in the fulness of years, his head is thrice silvered with honor, dignity, and fame. [Cincinnati Comraercia!.] DEATH OF THOMAS EWING. This event took place at Lancaster last Thursday after noon. Elsewhere a memoir, prepared by one of his old friends, is published. It is interesting, especially on ac count of the beautiful and instructive story told of the boyhood and early manhood of Mr. Evving. All have heard of him as the " Salt-Boiler," but few of this genera tion have known with Avliat honorable toil and with what admirable ambition that title Avas earned. In public life, he stood high among the strong men. 13 102 FROAI THE NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY. His first term in the United States Senate Avas from March 4, 1831 ; and he AA'as succeeded by William Allen, Avho Avas elected by one majority. Lie Avas very active on the stump for Harrison in 1840, for Clay in 1844, and for Taylor in 1848. He Avas in the Cabinets both of Harrison and Taylor. After the death of Harrison, he bitterly resented the partisan defection of Tyler; and after Taylor's death he preferred the Senate to the Cabi net. Then Corwin became Secretary of the Treasury, under Fillmore, and Ewing was appointed Senator to fill the vacancy occasioned by Corwin's resignation. It is related that after the nomination of General Taylor by the Whig Convention, the triumphant Taylor men, anxious to conciliate Mr. Clay's friends, jwoposed the nomination of Mr. Ewing for Yice-President, and it Avould have folloAved. as a matter of course, had not the Hon. L. D. Campbell, inconsolable for the defeat of Clay, and irritated too, declared that Ohio " did not Avant any sugar-plums," and the nomination passed on to Fillmore, and made him President. Mr. Ewing's resolute adherence to the course that his own convictions marked out for him Avas strikingly apparent in his opposition to Henry Clay's great compro mise measure, known as the Omnibus Bill. Mr. Clay exerted his Avhole strength to bring support to that bill, and on one occasion intimated strongly to Mr. Ewing that he Avould suffer for his opposition to it, succeed ing only in drawing from him a positive expression of antagonism to his policy. In this memorable contest. FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 103 Mr. Ewiug Avas against the Fugitive-slave LaAV and in faA'or ef the unconditional admission of California as a State. When the time came that Mr. Ewing Avas a candidate for re-election to the Senate, owing to the personal opposition of General J. H. Geiger, he lacked a vote or tAVO of having enough. The result Avas, after a fierce struggle, the election of a gentleman not then well known in the State, but who happened to have three or four fast friends. His name AA'as Benjamin F. Wade. In his retirement from official life, Mr. Ewing did not lose interest in public affairs. He was active in his profession, and his force of character and intellect gave him unsought conspicuity and influence. In 1861, he Avas aj)pointed by Governor Denison to represent Ohio in the Peace Commission, Avhich sat in Washington. His associa,tes Avere S. P. Chase, Reuben Hitchcock, F. T. Backus, and Judge J. C. Wright. When hostilities broke out, he took an active part in favor of measures for the support of the National Government, and throughout the war Avas an earnest supporter of the Government aud a trusted counsellor of President Lin coln, Avhose regard for him amounted to veneration. On the Trent seizure, Avith Slidell and Mason, he imme diately wrote Mr. Lincoln, " There is no such thing as contraband of war betAveen neutral ports," and urged that Mason and Slidell be surrendered to the English in accordance Avith international law. When Mr. Ever ett's opinion Avas published, arguing that our Govern ment had a right to hold them under the law of 104 FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY. nations, Mr. Ewing hurried to Washington, and found Mr Seward inclined to Mr. Everett's view, but Mr- Lincoln felt from the first a doubt about the right of our Government to retain them. Mr. Ewing's great influence — those Avho know best Iioaa' ardently it Avas exerted, have reason to believe — turned the scale, and Ave Avere saved from a rash and needless Avar Avith England, at a time that Avould have called for tremeii- clous sacrifices, and that might have destroyed our national unity. Iu 1862, Mr. Ewing formed a ncAV partnership, and entered upon the practice of the law iu Washington City ; but at the close of the war he retired from the practice, except as to a feAV old cases. In arguing one of these, something more than a year ago, it AA'ill be remembered, he fell in a fainting-fit from over-exertion and the effects of the malady Avhicli has occasioned his death. He retained his faculties to the last in a remarkable degree. He has, occasionally, during several years, in addressing the public, preferred to do it through the columns of this journal. At his advanced age, his massive communications, all Avritten out Avith his oayu firm hand, were literary and MS. curiosities, and bore testimony to his capacity for labor and the unabated force of his faculties. Always of a conservative ten dency, though his natural disposition Avas at once im petuous and imperious, he had a laAvyer's dread and detestation of rcA'olutionai'y proceedings ; and he could FROM THE NEWSPAPEP.S OF THE DAY. 105 not see the necessity, or believe in the safety, of the reconstructive legislation of Congress. This drove him to act during his last days with the Democratic party. A few months ago, he gave the old homestead at Lancaster, which had been his home .since 1823, to Thomas EAving, Jr., and last summer, knowing full Y'ell his condition, and feeling that the end of his days clreAv nigh, he revisited the scenes of his boyhood, and with touching tenderness revived old associations, after an absence from them of more than half a century. Public life prevented Mr. Ewing realizing the full pecuniary rewards from his professional labors that his reputation Avould have commanded ; but he Avas, in his old age, in the enjoyment of a comfortable competency. As a statesman, austere and inflexible; as a partisan, pa.^sionate and resolute, and not always exercising the completest self control, he was a considerate and kindly friend; and his devotion to the memory of his wife, and love for and pride in his children, beautified his life. [Mansfield Herald.] HON. THOMAS EWING. The country, on Thursday, lost, in the death of Thomas Ewing, the last link that bound the present l)olitical era to the dim and fading past. Mr. E^ving died calmly at his residence in Lancaster, O., Avhich has been his home for more than half a century, 106 FROM THE NTEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. and Avhere all his children Avere born, and all were Avith him at his death. Biographies have already been published in the Cincinnati papers, and read by many of the readers of the Hercdd, but as the writer of this knew him Avell, he thinks that a more extended sketch than has been presented, embracing some in cidents that haA'e not been named in these, might not be uninteresting. Mr. Ewing Avas born near West Liberty, Yirginia, in 1789, his father ha.A'ing moved into that country in 1786. This place is situated about six miles east of the Ohio River, and Avas then the most den.sely populated place, south of Pittsburg, near the river. It is no more thickly settled now than then. The house Avhere he AA'as born Avas removed long before he Avas. When he was but three years old, his father removed to Ohio and bought land on the Muskingum River, where he lived for some years, then remoA'ed to Federal Creek, AA'here he lived until his son had made money enough by the law to buy and settle him on a good farm in Indiana. Thomas labored hard upon the farm, but yearned for a higher life. With all his labor and deprivation of intellectual re sources, he found time to read and study, and the more he studied, the more he desired. He had a few months' schooling at West Liberty in 1797, and subsecpently had six months' teaching at a small school near his home, and this Avas all until he Avas twenty years of age. His Avhole time Avas spent in hard FROM TIIE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 107 labor on a farm until he AA'as nineteen years old, Avhen he Avent to the Kanawha River, in Yirginia, and there Avent to boiling salt. This Avas about 200 miles from his home, and in a country that is still wild and sparsely populated, yet, besides having salt iu abundance, is one of the richest mineral regions in the Union. Here he earned $80 in four months, Avhich he gave to his father, but spent part of the ensuing Avinter at Athens, and in the next two years earned nearly enough to enable him to graduate at Athens College, then the only one in the State. After many struggles and privations, he graduated in 1815, and receiA'ed the first degree of A.B. eA'cr conferred in the State. He Avas then tAventy-six years of age, and had still his profession to study Avithout money. He commenced to study Avith Gen. Beecher, of Lancaster, and Avas admitted to the bar at tAventy-eight years of age. He at once took a high position as a sound laAvyer and powerful advocate. He seemed to grasp all the strong points of his cases, and Avas able to set them forth in such a manner as to convince the reason, not influence the passions, of the court and jury. He made use of none of the tricks of the trade. All Avith him was straightforAvard, earnest truth, AA'hich he preserved throughout his political as Avell as legal and domestic life. In person, Mr. Ewing Avas large and robust, but never fleshy. His frame had been fully developed Avith manual labor in his younger life, aud his man- 108 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. ner and all his movements, as Avell as his language, gave you that impression, as both did of the earnest ness and truthfulness of his character. Although many of the early members of the bar of Ohio became eminent entirely through their own exertions, and Avith out early advantages of education, as Llammond, Cor- Avin, aud others, yet there are none to Avhoin Ave could so conscientiously direct the attention of the young and ambitious as to Mr. Ewing. His early life seems to have been one of settled purpose and blameless, truthful energy, acquiring therein habits and tones of thought and strong filial affections that marked hini through life. Young men, especially you to aa'Iioui the AVorld before you looks cold and hard, and hopes A'ague and dim, remember Thomas Ewing, " the salt- boiler," and folio sv him in fixedness of purpose, strength of AA'ill, perseverance, and, above all, in strict integrity and temperance of life and habits, and the clouds, though dense, Avill clear away and a bright sunlight Avill beam upon your future lives and hearts. In 1830, Mr. Ewing Avas elected to the Senate of the United States with great unanimity by the Legis lature of Ohio, not because he Avas a politician, nor because he had an influential family or connections, but simply because they kncAv him capable. With out any special attractions of eloquence in A^oice, language, or manner, Mr. Ewing at once took posi tion among the highest in that bright galaxy of statesmen in Avhich were Clay, Webster, Calhoun, FROM TIIE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 109 Preston, Bayard, and Benton. He Avas then but lit tle more than forty years old — among the youngest of the eminent men, but his ability was at once acknoAA'ledged. He looked older — indeed, seemed never to haA'e had a youth. He spoke but rarely, nay, only Avhen it seemed necessary to carry an impor tant point. His speeches are still extant against the confirmation of Yan Buren to the Court of St. James, the removal of the deposits, in favor of a protective tariff, the re-charter of the United States Bank, the Revenue Collection Bill, the Ohio Boundary question, on the admission of Michigan, and on vari ous other questions. His language Avas always plain as his manner, but always to the point. His man ner and style were between those of Webster, Davis, Preston, and Crittenden, and partook of some and lacked some of the qualities of each. In a word, it seemed like that of a man who says, " I am going to cut that tree doAvn before dinner," and goes syste matically about it. Mr. BAving was simply neat enough in his. dress to show that observing propriety was all he cared about, and paid no further attention to it. Such Avas the fact Avith nearly all the prominent men of that day. Mr. Yan Buren, AA'ho took his seat as Yice- President in 1833, was the most fastidious in dress, rather foppish for a man of his age, but he had very good taste in adapting colors to his foxy com plexion 14 110 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY, At the expiration of his first term, the Democracy being in the ascendant, Wm. Allen Avas elected in his place. In 1841, Gen. Harrison called him to the head of the Treasury Department. Harrison dying at the end of a month, John Tyler became Presi dent. He Avas weak, and although he had said, both publicly and privately, before and after his inaugura tion, that he should, in case of a tie in the Senate, vote in favor of the charter of a United States Bank, he announced to his cabinet that he Avould onlv sign one with the privilege of branches iu the States con senting thereto. ' Mr. Ewing drafted and submitted a bill Avith that feature, Avhich Mr. Clay and his friends rejected, and re-passed the old bank charter. This Avas vetoed under the influence of the Demo cracy that croAvdecl around Tyler, and Mr. Ewing, seeing the failure of Tyler's administration, resigned. This was done, Ave happen to know, not because he justified Congress iu rejecting the bill Avhich he kneAv Avas the only one that Avould be signed, but because he kneAV that Mr. Tyler could not be relied on, and the swarm of toadies that had Mr. Tyler's ear de stroyed his influence \vith the President. He remained in private life from 1841 to 1849, and few men so perfectly retained the respect and admira tion of the people of the country as he did. In 1849, he was at once selected by Gen. Taylor as head of the Department of the Interior— a department then being organized, and the heaviest and most intricate FRO.AI THE NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY. Ill in our goyernment. On the death of Gen. Taylor and the incoming of Mr. Fillmore, he again resigned, and was appointed to the A'acancy in the Senate oc casioned by the resignation of Mr. Corwin, Avhose term closed in 1851, Avhen Mr. Ewing retired to the practice of his profession, in AA'hich he remained until his death. Mr. Ewing's resignation of his position in Mr. Fill more's cabinet and his opposition to the Omnibus Bill, Avhich failed, and to the FugitiA'e-slave Bill in parti cular, Avould seem to indicate an opposition to Mr. Clay ; but they were firm friends until Mr. Clay's death. Mr. Clay incorporated the Fugitive-slave Bill in his omnibus or compromise bill — it being drawn by 3Ir. Mason, of Yirginia — because it Avas the only mea sure that could prevent the South from rebellion at that time, aud to preserve the Union. Mr. Clay adopted it, and pushed it through by his influence Avitli the North. Mr. Clay and Mr. Ewing regarded the bill in the same light, as unconstitutional and perversive of all law and right, and Mr. Ewing refused to support it, let the South do Avhat they might. Mr. Clay thought a peaceful union required any sacrifice. In the analysis of Mr. Ewing's qualities, Ave find powerful physical dcA^elopment aided by early labor and preserved by regular and correct habits and prac tices of life, an affectionate but not demonstrative feeling, an intellect slow and cautious to Avork, but poAverful to grasp all points, and a sterling and un- 112 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. flinching integrity of purpose and action. Lie was an instructive more than an agreeable and pleasing conversationalist, for he lacked buoyancy and versa tility, which Avould have destroyed his usefulness but for his unflinching perseverance. Few men are more happy in their family relations than Avas Mr. Ewing, and his memory will long be cherished by a large circle of friends, and revered by historians. DEATH OF. LION. THOMAS EWING. Among the notable events of this period that his tory will record, is the death of the distinguished citizen Avhose name is at the head of this brief notice. Thomas EAving died at his residence in Lancaster, Ohio, on Thursdaj', the 26th inst., at the age of about 82 years. On Saturday, the 28th, his remains Avere committed to the tomb Avith the religious ceremony of the Catholic Church, and an eloquent address and eulogy pronounced by Archbishop Purcell. The funeral was attended by U. S. Senators Sherman and Thurman, GoA'ernor Hays and several of the State officers, the Judges of the Supreme Court, and many other dis tinguished gentlemen from adjacent counties, among Avhom Avere many leading members of the bar. Also, l)y the City Council of the city of Lancaster, and the FROM TIIE NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY. 113 judges and lawyers of the county in a body. Among the pall- bearers Avere Honorables H. H. Hunter, Henry Stanbery, Gov. R. B. Hayes, A. G. Thurman, John Sherman, Henry B. Curtis, Judge Welch, C. B. Goddard, John LI. James, Charles Borland, John T. Brazee, and others — all selected from his life-time friends, and chiefly from the bar of Fairfield and other counties in Avhich for so many years he had labored with them, in the same profession. The scene Avas very impressive as the great croAvd of citizens and friends filled the lawns and streets in front of the mansion, and pressed their Avay in long files through the hall and room Avhere the remains of the illustrious deceased Avere reposing in state, to take a last look of one so much beloved for his pri- A'ate virtues — so honored for his distinguished ser- vices. All the immediate members of the deceased's family Avere present at his death, and in the funeral attend ance — among Avhom Avas specially noticeable his dis tinguished son-in-law. General W. T. Sherman. Mr. Ewing's family Avas formerly from Cumber land Countj', NeAV Jersey. The subject of this notice AA'as born near the village of West Liberty, Ohio County, Ya. (now West Yirginia), on the 28th of De cember, 1789. His parents (having lost in the times of the Revolution the estate inherited) moved to Ohio in April, 1792, and at first settled on the Musk ingum River, but subsequently made their permanent 114 FROAI THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. location on a little tract of land, on Federal Creek, in Athens County. This was the home of Mr. Ewing's boyhood days. Here by the side of his father he learned to Avork. Here he toiled, as none but those Avho have experienced like disadvantages can appre ciate, to lay the foundation of that learning and knoAvledge that afterwards adorned the court-room and the forum, and held listening multitudes in rapt at tention. Mr. Ewing Avas emphatically the architect of his own fortune. Every step he made in procuring an education AA'as sustained by the earnings of his oavu rustic and manual labor. And Avhen at last he at tained his collegiate degree of A.B., he carried into the study of his future profession, and in his subse- C[uent practice, the same laborious habits of applica tion and assiduity of study that are CA'cr sure to aa'Iu .success. He was called to the bar in 1817. His early practice brought him into forensic contact with the Beechers, the IrAvins, the Shermans, Grangers, Stan- berys, Sillimans, Swans, and McDoAvells of that day — all men of exjoerience, high talent, and great legal acumen. But the mathematical mind aud trained habits of industry of the young laAA'yer Ewing- were equal to the demand, and he soon rose to command the respect and confidence of the court aud bar, Ayher- ever he practised. His professional engagements soon made a circuit for him embracing a range of counties extending from the river to the lakes; but more es- FROM TIIE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 115 pecially for his constant and regular attendance at the terms of court, besides his own county of Fairfield, the counties of Muskingum, Knox, Licking, Hocking, Athens, Franklin, PickaAvay, Jackson, etc. It was in this broad field, and as a county court laAvyer, that Mr. Ewing established his great fame at the bar, aud placed himself acknowledgedly at the head of his pro fession in the State of Ohio. His subsequent career in the higher courts of the State, and in the Su preme Court of the United States, gave him the same enviable distinction in a Avider sphere of use fulness. His elcA^ation to high and distinguished political or civil positions Avas but the natural fruit and result of the Avell-earned fame acquired iu his profession. Lie Avas no tyro Avhen he entered political life. He graced the positions to AA'hich he Avas called rather than re ceived honor from them. He did not seek ofiice — but Avas called to it by the demand of the best men of the times. He filled one full term in the United States Senate, from 1831 to 1837 ; 'and AA'as at a later period appointed to fill the unexpired term of Thomas CorAvin in the same body. "There Avere giants in those days." Mr. Ewing soon stood, not only the com peer in rank, but in talent, influence, and acknowledged greatness, the equal of such men as Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Benton, Hayne, Wright, and many others of that period, AA'hose master-minds and great acts have left their impress upon the character of our institn- 116 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. tions and the history of our country. Nor Avas our deceased friend less distinguished as a public minister in the several Cabinets of Presidents Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, and Fillmore. His comprehensive mind and broad and liberal vieAvs looked far into the future, and his recommendations Avere always marked by Avisdom. We cannot extend this article — our limits forbid. We will close with the remark that Mr. EAving's pri vate life AA'as without reproach. Genial in disposition, cheerful in manners, he made himself loved for his goodness of heart, as Avell as respected and honored for his noble qualities of mind. To him may justly be applied the sentiment best expressed in his own law Latin: " Suaviter in modo, fortlter in ?'f ." B. THE LATE THOMAS EWING. Among the great men of Ohio Avho have stood iu the front rank at the bar, on the hustings, and in the national councils, Thomas Ewing was one of the most eminent. As a laAvyer, he has had few if any superiors in the United States, and as a statesman, he has received high recognition and honor. Having a physical con stitution of rare vigor, he retained his faculties in a remarkable degree beyond the age of fourscore. Though a victim of heart disease for many years, it Avas but FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 117 recently that there Avere any decisive signs that nature Avas giving way. Llis mind Avas clear and strong to the last. For a Aveek past, it has been known that his end must be near. At his old residence at Lan caster, with all his children about him, Mr. Ewing passed away about four o'clock last evening. Thomas Ewing was born near the toAvn of West Liberty, Ohio County, now West Yirginia, on the 28th of December, 1789. His father had been a soldier in the Revolution, and when he left the army was possessed of little property. He remained iu Yirginia, but a few years after his marriage, having remoA'ed in 1792 to the Muskingum Yalley, when the subject of this sketch Avas less than three years old, and, not long after, to lands seventeen miles northwest of the frontier settlements, in what is now Athens County. Here Thomas passed his youth, on a farm in the wilds. Having been instructed in reading by an elder sister, he eagerly perused all the books Avithin his reach, and acquired an inclination for the career after Avards pursued. When in his tAventieth year he left home — the better to accomplish his Avishes — and was employed in the KanaAvha salt-Avorks, where he saved money enough, in two or three years, to complete the payment for his father's land, leaving a surplus Avith which to start on a collegiate course at the Ohio Uni versity, at Athens. He AA'as the first to receive the Bachelor's degree at that institution, in 1815. He studied law, and Avas admitted to the bar at 15 lis FROM TIIE NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY, Lancaster in 1816, AA'here he continued to reside, prac tising in all the higher courts, Avith the emineni success so well knoAA'u. In 1830, he was elected to the United States Senate, taking bis seat the following year. A Whig in politics, he co-operated actively AA'ith Clay and Webster iu opposition to the policy of Jackson. One of his first speeches was made in opposition to the confirmation of Martin Yan Buren as Minister to England. He supported the protective tariff policy of Clay, adA'ocated a reduction of the rates of postage, a recharter of the National Bank, and the passage of the Force Bill as a remedy for nullification. Among the prominent measures Avith Avhich he Avas identified during this term of senatorial service was his bill for reorganizing the Post-Office Department, Avhich passed the Senate without a division on the 9th of Februarj', 1835, though it Avas lost in the House. The Post master-General, Barry, soon after resigned, and the Department was reorganized under Amos Kendall, its head being raised to the rank of a Cabinet Ministei'. He introduced a bill for the settlement of the Ohio Boundary question, Avhich passed in 1836, and Avas author of the act for reorganizing the General Land Office, Avhich became a laAV the same year. He pre sented a petition for the abolition of slavery, insisting that it ought to be received, though he Avas opposed to the views of the memorialists. He also took a leading part in the discussion of the once famous " specie circular," issued by Levi Woodbury, Secretaiy FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 119 of the Treasury, in July, 1836, and Avhich Avas long an exciting topic throughout the country. Mr. Ewing resumed the practice of his profession in 1837, on the expiration of his senatorial term. Lie Avas selected by President Harrison, iu 1840, as Secre tary of the Treasury, and continued in that office under Mr. Tyler until Sejitember of that year, Avhen all the Cabinet officers, except Webster, resigned. President Taylor, on coming into office in 1849, ap pointed Mr. Ewing as Secretaiy of the new Depart ment of the Interior, Avhich Avas as yet unorganized. Again the death of a President terminated his cabinet service, having resigned on Mr. Fillmore's assuming the Executive chair, on the 9th of July, 1850. After filling out the unexpired term of Mr. Corwin, Avho resigned his seat in the Senate to become Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Ewing retired to Lancaster in 1851, since Avhich time, almost to the day of his death, he had been actively engaged in the practice of his 2)rofession. In public and private life, Mr. Ewing Avas a man of integrity, determined in his purposes, powerful as a friend of as an antagonist, dignified yet genial in his bearing, strong but not hasty in his impulses, and firmly attached to Avhat he deemed the " good old ways," in preference to change in the name of joro- gress. A few days since, he was received into the communion of the Roman Catholic Church, to which his family belong. He retained his mental poAA'ers Avith 120 FROM TIIE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. great clearness to the last, and quietly sank to rest from his prolonged earthly career. [Toledo Commercial.] HON. THOMAS EWING. The despatches of Thursday night announced the death of this eminent Ohio jurist and statesman. He died at half past three o'clock on the 26 th inst., at his residence iu Lancaster, of heart disease, or an accumula tion of fatty matter about the heart — -a disease Avhich has prostrated him on several occasions during the past ten years. He Avas nearly eighty-two years of age, and died Avith all his children and many other members of his family around him, and Avith his mind clear and A'igorous to the last. For more than a generation past he has filled a large space iu the public eye, and has been recognized as one of the ablest jurists of his time, and as a statesman is to be ranked in the category Avitli Clay and Webster, with AA'hom he long served in the councils of the nation. Mr. Ewing was born in Ohio County, Yirginia, on the 28th day of December, 1789. His father had taken part in the struggle for American Independence, and in 1792, owing to his reduced circumstances, he removed to Ohio aud settled in Athens County. An elder sister taught the boy Thomas to read, Avho, until his twentieth year, labored on his father's farm and read books at night by the light of a hickory fire. He then FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAA-. 121 left home and Avorked two or three years in the KanaAvha salt-works, and until he had accumulated a sufficient sum to pay for his father's farm and to enable him to enter the Ohio University, where he took the degree of A.B., being the first graduate of the institu tion. He Avas emphatically the architect of his oavu fame and fortune ; and, in addition to acquiring a collegiate education and a profession, he had the purpose and strength, amid his early struggles and privations, to purchase a farm for his father, and place the family in comfortable circumstances. He " honored his father and his mother,'' and he has, in turn, been honored by his children, and his days have been " long in the land," in strict fulfilment of the promise — a lesson, by the by, Avhich should not be lost upon young men struggling against adverse circumstances. Nor need such envy the more fortunate Avho have their Avay paid through college, and frequently through life. It is out of such early struggles and privations that giants like Ewing come. Mr. Ewing studied la\v Avith Philemon Beecher, a distinguished hiAvyer of his day, at Lancaster, and Avas admitted to the bar in 1816. His attention is said to have been turned to the laAV during his boyhood. On one occasion (so the story runs) he AA'as driving his father's ox-team by the court-house, iu Avhich an important case Avas being tried. He stopped the team and entered the court-room, Avliere he remained to hear the argument Avhich the counsel made in behalf of the prisoner. 122 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. He was struck Avith the imjiierfectness of the defence, and, remarking that he could make a better plea him self, Avent out Avitli the determination to become a lawyer. During his early years at the bar, Mr. Ewing was distinguished as a hard student, and his close appli cation to his books became a jest among the good- natured laAvyers of those days, Avho rode from county to county on horseback, and trusted more to "in spiration " than to study for their success at the bar. He Avas not one of those Avho trusted to his " genius '' to see him through, and hence he was always prepared, and nearly ahvays successful. He Avas distinguished as much for the thoroughness of his legal knowledge as for his legal grasp and acumen ; and it is said that, on one occasion, when he had an important case to prepare, he shut himself up in his room and remained there an entire week, and until he had mastered the case. Another "moral" Avhich is pointed by his career is that great and permanent success is achicA'cd only by hard labor. This is, perhaps, still more strikingly illus trated in the career of his early associate in the law, the noAV distinguished Hocking H. Hunter, Avho failed at first in several attempts to practise law, aud returned to manual labor; lint, having faith iu himself and in hard study, he again took up the laAV, and has pushed his way to that "top story" in Avhich Mr. Webster remarked that there Avas " always room." Mr. Ewing Avas undoubtedly a great man, so far as greatness consists in massive power ; but his chief FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 123 eminence Avas in the law, and his special poAver or forte lay in real-estate cases. By his success iu some of these, he acquired the title to lands of great A'alue. Not the least among his important real-estate cases, and in Avhich he prepared elaborate arguments, AA'as that of Oliver v. Piatt ct cd., involving the title to a large part of Toledo. Mr. Ewing's legal opinion Avas constantly sought and liberally paid for from all parts of the country. He Avas one of the most trusted advisers of President Lincoln in matters of public policy, as Avell as upon points of law, and his despatch to the President stating the law in the Mason-Slidell case Avill be remembered. Within the limits of an ordinary business despatch, he gave the Avhole laAV of the case in the foUoAving words : " There can be no contraband of Avar iu a neutral bottom going from one neutral port to another." As a statesman, Mr. EAving has abvays been ranked as a conservative. He has never been recognized as one of the " earnest " or " progressive " men of his time ; yet his record shows that during his second term in the United States Senate (from 1850 to 1851) he refused to A'ote for the Fugitive-slave LaAA-, helped to defeat Mr. Clay's Compromise Bill, and adA'ocated the abolition of slaA^ery in the District of Columbia. During his first Senatorial term (from 1831 to 1837), he AA'as associated Avith Clay and Webster in resisting Executive encroach ments, and he supported the protective tariff system of Mr. Clay. 124 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. In massive strength, physical and intellectual, he Avas the peer of Webster; and the two giants agreed mainly in their views of public policy. But Mr. EAving lacked the oratorical grace and poAver of Webster, and compen sated for this by greater independence and a more rugged self-respect. He lacked also the qualities of a popular leader, and his career as a statesman has been one of influence rather than of power. In other Avords, he has not held the public positions which give men power, but has exerted a A^ast influence over those Avho did hold such positions. He voted twice for Mr. Lincoln, and during the Avar Avas one of the chief Aarons who up held the hands of the Presidential Moses, until the sun set upon a concjuered Rebellion. In, March, 1831, Mr. Ewing took his seat iu the United States Senate, Avhere he remained until 1837. During this term he ojDposed the conflrmation of Mi-. Yan Buren as Minister to England ; supported the pro tective tariff system of Mr. Clay ; advocated a reduction of postage, aud secured a reorganization of the Post-Office Department ; advocated the re-charter of the U. S. Bank, and opposed the removal of the deposits, by President Jackson ; procured the passage of a bill settling the much-vexed Ohio Boundary question (out of which greAA' the famous "Toledo War "); and another reorganizing the General Land Office. He also opposed the admission of Michigan into the Union, and the granting of pre emption rights to settlers on the public lands. Mr. EAving took an active part in the campaign of FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 125 1840, and achieved a national reputation as a stump orator under the name of the " Old Salt-Boiler." Gen. Llarrison rewarded him by a seat iu the Cabinet, Avhere he remained as Secretary of the Treasury under Tyler until the latter forfeited the confidence of the Whigs, Avhen, with all the other members, except Mr. Webster, Mr. Ewing resigned. On the accession of General Taylor to the Presidency, Mr. Ewing Avas again called to the Cabinet ; this time as Secretary of the Interior, AA'hich department he organized. When Mr. Fillmore succeeded General Taylor, a change Avas made in the Cabinet, Mr. Ewing retiring, but taking iu the Senate the place of Mr. CorAvin, who Avas called to the Cabinet, as Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. E'wing filled the un expired term of Mr. Corwin, and Avith the close of this term (in 1851) his official career virtually ended. Lie was a Member of the Peace Congress in 186l, and, as before stated, a Avarm supporter of Mr. Lincoln's adminis tration ; but, Avith his Avhole family, he favored the reconstruction policy of President Johnson, and found himself, after so many years of sturdy and uncompromis ing ojoposition, in action, if not in sympathy, with the Democratic party. For ten years Mr. Ewing Avas recognized as the lead ing- man of the Whig party in Ohio, being their only representative in the United States Senate between 1831 and 1845. It was quite natural under the circumstances that when, in the winter of 1844-5, his party again had the choice of a Senator, he should expect to be returned 16 126 FROM THE NEAA'SPAPERS OF THE DAY. and SO he Avould haA'e been, but for the fact that in the meantime a competitor for partisan favor stronger in the elements of personal popularity appeared to dispute his claim. This Avas the distinguished "Tom Cor\vin," Avho, from his nomination for Governor in February, 1840, be came the idol of his party. His more popular oratoiy and greater personal magnetism were not long in putting " Tom, the Wagoner Boy," iu the place of the " Old Salt-Boiler." In 1848, Mr. Ewing Avas within a single A'ote of being the Whig nominee for Yice-President, in place of Mr. Fillmore, as he also Avas in 1850 of being the Senator instead of Ben. Wade. Y'^ith this latter defeat, and the close of the fraction of a term he Avas then serving iu the Senate, his political aspirations probably ceased. As a man, Mr. Ewing was as pure as he A-i'as great. He had none of the A'ices nor distinguishing " Aveak- nesses" of great men, aud in his domestic relations Avas most fortunate and happy. He Avas married, in 1820, to Maria, daughter of Hugh Boyle, of Lancaster, Avho AA'as a devout adherent of the Catholic Church, and distinguished in the church for her piety and charity. It is said of Mr. Ewing that in the early part of his legal career, Avhen he Avas frequently aAvay at tending court, he Avould ride forty or fifty miles on Saturday and Saturday night, in order to be at home on Sunday to attend church Avith his family. The children of Mr. E-wing, we belieA'e, are all living. FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 127 and are an exception to the general rule, inasmuch as they have inherited the brains as Avell as the name of their father. General Thomas Ewing, Jr., Avas dis tinguished during the Avar as the hero of Pilot Knob, and his name has recently been before the peojile of this State as the choice of the Democracy for GoA'cr- 'oor, though he Avas defrauded of the nomination bv the friends of Mr. McCook. General Hugh EAving serA'ed through the Avar, and Avas Minister to the Hague under Johnson. General Charles Ewing took an active part in the Avar, and is one of the noblest Ewings of them all. Judge Philemon Beecher Ewing has been Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, dur ing Avhich service he AA'as distinguished for the clear ness and correctness of his decisions. Mr,s. General Sherman and Mrs. Colonel Steele are both distin guished in private life for superior culture and char acter. Mr. Ewing has been frequently charged by his neighbors Avitli having possessed inordinate family pride. Probably the fact that there was such good ground for this pride, gave rise to the charge. He Avas most happy in his domestic relations, and proba bly no father Avas ever more beloved and respected by his children. He had a tender regard for their happi ness. He was profoundly versed in all the nobler literature, his chief delight being in Shakespeare and Milton, in Avhose works he Avas in the habit of drilling his children. The public Avill be glad to learn that some years 128 FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF THE DAY. since, at the urgent request of his children, Mr. Ewing commenced an autobiography, which is understood to have been brought doAvn to a recent time; but hoAV complete it may be, Ave are not able to state. Such a Avork would constitute a valuable contribution to the history of the State and the country. Mr. Ewing Avas nearly the last of those eminent laAvyers AA'ho once made the Lancaster bar famous, as he Avas also nearl}' the last of those political giants of a former era Avho have had much to do in shaping the public opinion and the legislation of the present time. Ohio has had more successful politicians, but no greater statesman and jurist thiua Thomis Ewing. A. P. M. EWING'S FUNERAL. On Saturday, October 28, 1871, the remains of the Hon. Thomas Ewing Avere consigned to their last resting- place. The occasion calls for tribute to the memory of a great and virtuous man, aud those surrounding him. It was the last shadoAV closing the eternal sunset of a brilliant life — one that had begun Avith all the hard ships and trials of a friendless pioneer — one that Avithout wealth or friends had gathered in the wild Avoods, or l)y the lonely cabin fire, a lore and a mental streno-th that made him the pser of Clay, Webster, Calhoun, FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 129 or any other leader of a later day. It was the fune ral of a great statesman — one that had left upon his country's history a name and character that shall remain " ages after each of us have passed aAvay for ever " ; and in offering the last solemn honors to his remains, there "were collected together the captains of armies, the leaders of parties, the oracles of senates, and the ornaments of courts." And there present, too, were unknown men belonging to the early history of the State — men who had heard the Avild wolf hoAvl and the Indian yell Avhile redeeming Ohio from the forest and the savage: and the living leaders of the present were joined at the funeral to the historic past by many a decrepit form in the " sere and yellow" belonging to a generation fast passing away. There, too, Avere the grand old apostles of Catholicity in the West — Archbishoj) Purcell and Rev. Dominic Young — cheering the mournful farewell to the illus trious dead Avith the sweet consolations of religion, and uniting the historic memories of Ohio Avith the teachings published to wandering Judea by the light nings of Sinai, and leading to honors not evanescent and to monuments not made by human hands. For more than fifty years the three had been friends, and they were at his bedside in his dying moments to "guide his wandering spirit home." When Ewing was entering upon his remarkable career, and at a time Avhen little of convenience and 130 FROM THE NEAVSPAPERS OF TIIE DAY. nothing of luxury was known in our State, the A-ener- able Archbishop Avas devoting his life to the service of Heaven. As Bishop, he had often travelled on horse back through our county and Southern Ohio, often uncertain in the morning whether he Avould have more than the bare ground for his couch at night, content with corn-bread and venison for his evening repast. and the cabin floor for his bed. Like those from Avhom his mitre descended to him, he Avas truly an apostle, and asked nothing from this Avorld, and truly lived the " meek and loAvly " life that Avas taught by Him Avho died to save mankind. And old Father Dominic — the one before Avhom the dead statesman had plighted etern.al love to his sainted Avife, long, long years before — Avas at his dying bedside to plight his departing spirit to its eternal Source. He, too, is one of the historic characters that are so fast leaving us — one that our citizens here may well cherish as a " father in Israel " — the one that first carried his creed from Catholic Maryland to the then Avilderness of Ohio. Him we claim as our own, in character and career. More than fifty years ago he planted the cross where St. Joseph's uoav is — the first pioneer of the Catholic faith that folloAved the French missionaries of the last century. At that time there was not a Catholic church in the State. He saw the Indians and the Avild wolf and deer for ever abandon the country; he sa.w and shared with the early settler, half hunter and half farmer. FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. 131 in his hard struggle with the wilderness; like the A'enerable Archbishop, he travelled many a day through pathless forests, on a mission of love, that extended almost from Yincennes to the Muskingum. His Avas not merely a life of teaching; it was also a manual struggle, axe in hand, to conquer a home for his people. Many a time did he put his shoulder to the log at raising the settler's cabin, and at rolling the logs in the " clearing." Piety at this day never comes in connection Avith such matters : it etherealizes exclusively by theories. He built a cabin church at St. Joseph's, and placed upon it the first bell that rung Avest of the AUegha nies, and it is preseiwed there still. And these three brave old men Avere together for the last time ; one dead, the others to bestow the last and holiest attentions that friendship can offer. And all had been successful — all had lived to realize their dreams of youth Avhen each Avas beginning. Ewing had bid the torch-light and cabin fire bring him power and fame, and they came at his command. Purcell and Young had asked of Him who rules all things to build up His altar in the wilderness, and it Avas built. " The wilderness blossomed as the rose " ; their altars and followers became almost numberless. Bigotry and superstition were consigned to times long gone, aud their illustrious friend, now dead, had come to believe as they belicA^ed, and to die as they Avoiild Avish to die. 132 FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE DAY. In those funeral rites Avas a panorama of all there can be of poetry, religion, and history. These friends of a long life, these companions of many a suffering hour — the priest that had blessed the mariiage-vow, Avlien young, of the statesman of fourscore, aud had cheered his fainting spirit over death's dark Avaters; the pioneers of Y^estern civili zation and the rulers of to-day, Avith the fame of the mighty dead around them ; the triumphant present and the momentous past — all linked together, and listening to the De Profundls as it had been chanted over the dead long before the Western world was knoAvn. So passes aAvay all there is of life — so, like a droji in the ocean, or a snoAV-flake in the avalanche, never to be knoAA'u again, each generation is lost to the rest. Proceedings of the City Council OF LANCASTER, OHIO. [Ohio Eagle.] IN MEMORIAM. Hon. Thomas Ewing departed this life a few days since, in Lancaster, O. He graduated in 1815, receiving the flrst degree given by the Ohio University, that of A.B., Avhen fcAv students and fcAA'er universities claimed a place in the ncAV West. Of his college career Ave knoAvbut little; yet we knoAA', of a truth, that his difficulties were many, his conflicts Avere fierce, and if his life was a success, he merits credit. But Thomas Ewing's AA'ork is ended. His fittest monument is the institutions of our country, which he strove to perpetuate, and the inscription thereon : LiBERTAS ET NaTALE SoLUJI. f At a recent session of the Athenian Literary Society of the Ohio University, the following resolutions were adopted : Whereas, This Society has heard with deep sorroAv the announcement of the death of Hon. Thomas Ewing, one of its most venerable members ; therefore, 17 134 PROCEEDINGS OF THE liesolved. That in his death Ave lose an honored mem ber, and the nation sustains an irreparable loss. Resolved, That as a testimony of respect for his memory, we drape our hall in mourning for thirty days. Resolved, That these resolutions be published in the Athens and Lancaster papers, and a copy be sent to the famdy of the deceased. A. B. Richardson, E. M. Jackson, D. C. Casto, Oct. 30, 1871. Committee. City Clerk's Office, Lancaster, O., October 30, 1871. To the Family of the Hon. Thomas Eivlng : In pursuance of the resolution of the Council of this city, I herewith furnish you Avith a copy of their proceed ings of the 27th inst. relative to the death of your lamented and beloved father. Council Ciiaaiber of the City of Lancaster, October 27, a.d. 1871. Council met pursuant to a call of the President. Members present — John L. Tuthill, Hugh Cannon, P. M. Wagenhals, George Hood, H. \Y Develling, Jacob Walter, James Weaver, James Henley. city council of LANCASTER, OHIO. 135 On motion, the reading of the minutes AA'as dispensed AA'ith. Dr. P. M. Wagenhals moved that a committee of three be appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of this Council as to the death of the Hon. Thomas Ewing. Thereupon the President appointed the following com mittee : P. M. Wagenhals, Jacob Walter, and Hugh Cannon. The Committee reported the folloAving, viz. : " Ohio's greatest and ujoblest is no more ! Thomas Ewing died yesterday. More than fourscore Avere his, yet his eye Avas not dimmed nor his mental A'igor abated, until ' the silver cord of life Avas loosed ' and ' the golden boAvl AA'as broken.' " In early manhood he came among us, and Avith the interests of our city he has been identified for more tha'a fifty years. He Avas our nation's Avisest counsellor, and in her peril was her ardent and determined friend. He lived to see the enemies of our country vanquished, and rejoiced iu their discomfiture and dismay. Ever loyal, ever true, ever just to his country, he fell after the sanguinary strife was over, after the Avounds inflicted had been healed, and with his closing eyes beheld our country's standard high advanced and reverenced every- Avhere. " Resolved, That the City Council of the City of Lan caster Avill attend the funeral of Hon. Thomas Ewing, deceased, on Saturday, 28th inst. 136 ^'¦Resolved, That the Council of the city recommend the suspension of all business from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, 28th instant, and that the City Clerk be in structed to issue circulars to that effect immediately. '¦'¦Resolved, That the City Clerk be instructed to fur nish a copy of the above proceedings to the family of the deceased. '¦'¦Resolved, That the editors of the State be requested to publish in their respective papers the above pro ceedings. " P. M. Wagenhals, Jacob Walter, Hugh Cannon, Committee." On motion, That when the Council adjourn, it adjourn to meet at the Council Chamber at halfpast ten o'clock A.M., and that they attend the funeral of the Hon. Thomas Ewing in a body. On motion. Council adjourned. John L. Tuthill, Attest : ^ W. L. King, President. City Clerh. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR Of Lancaster, Ohio, on the Occasion of the Death of Hon. Thomas Etolng. Immediately on the organization of Court, the death, on the 26th of this month, of the Hon. Thomas Ewing, late a member of this Bar, Avas announced by Hon. H. H. Hunter, who presented the proceedings of the Lan caster Bar in that regard, and moved that the same be spread on the journal of the Court. It Avas thereupon ordered by the Court, that said proceedings, and also the addresses of Mr. Hunter and others on the occasion, be placed on the journal in full. The proceedings and addresses are as foUoAvs, to Avit : At a meeting of the Bar of Lancaster, at the office of the Clerk of our Common Pleas Court, on Friday evening, October 27, 1871, to consider suitable formal action to be taken by its members in relation to the decease and obsequies of their late distinguished and honored professional exemplar, the Honorable Thomas EAving, all the members of the Bar AA'ere present. An organization Avas formed by calling Hon. H. 138 proceedings of the bar. H. Hunter to the chaii-, and appointing Tall Slough secretary. Hon. C. D. Martin moved the appointment of a committee, to be named by the meeting, to draft ap propriate resolutions in memory of the deceased, which motion was adopted. The foUoAving gentlemen Avere selected to constitute that committee, A'iz. : Hon. H. H. Hunter, Hon. John T. Brasee, Lion. P. Yan Trump, Hon. M. A. Daugherty, John D. Martin, Escp, AYm. P. Creed, Esq., and Hon. C. D. Martin. On motion of John S. Brasee, Esq., it was resolved that, Avhen this meeting adjourn, it adjourn to meet at the Court House on next Monday morning at ten o'clock. On motion of W. P. Creed, Esq., the committee on resolutions Avas instructed to report to the adjourned meeting, and that the proceedings of the Bar be .pre sented to (the Court by the Hon. LI. H. Hunter, and that, in connection therewith, Mr. Hunter, the intimate friend and professional associate of the de ceased, pronounce an eulogium upon his life and character. K. Fritter, Esq., moved that the Lancaster Bar, iu a bod}', attend the funeral of the deceased ; which motion prevailed. On motion of John S. Brasee, the meeting ad- journed. Monday morning, ten o'clock, Bar meeting convened, pursuant to adjournment. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 139 The committee on resolutions submitted the fol- loAving report, Avhich Avas adopted, viz. : "¦Resolved, That in the death of Thomas Ewing, the members of the Lancaster Bar, Avhich he so long adorned, have lost not only an exemplar of every forensic excellence and of every professional virtue, but also a friend Avho, by his uniform kindness to his brethren, had avou the aftection of every heart. '¦'¦Resolved, That Avhile his pre-eminent ability as a jurist Avas recognized throughout the State and the nation, his co-laborers in the field of his early efforts and of many of his triumphs, Avho knew well his poAvers and his methods, and Avere familiar Avith his eveiy-day professional life, bear Avilling testimony to the solid and varied learning, the A'ast mental resources, the honest and untiring zeal, and the chivalric bearing at the bar, Avhich fully entitled him to the almost unequalled fame Avhich crowned his professional career. "¦Resolved, That these qualities which graced him as a lawyer, combined Avith a natural aptitude for jDublic affairs, and an ardent aud unselfish patri(.>tisra, Avere found, upon his being called into the service of the nation, whether as Senator or Cabinet officer, to qualify him for the highest duties and place him in the front rank of statesmen. '¦'¦Resolved, That notAvithstanding his distinction in these Avalks, it is yet his character as a private citi zen, his purity of heart, his nobility of conduct, his firm adherence to the right Avithout regard to conse- 140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. quences, his conscientious fulfilment of duty in ever}' relation of life, his warm attachment and his abounding charity, to AA'hich his friends will ever point Avith fondest pride, and AA'hich, more than even his distin guished position as a public man, Avill, for all time, to those Avho knew him best, embalm his memory in an odor of sweetness." On motion of John D. Martin, it was resolved that a transcript of these proceedings, including a copy of Hon. H. H. Hunter's eulogy of the deceased, be fur nished by the secretary for publication in pamphlet form, and that copies thereof be transmitted by him to the family of the deceased. On motion, the meeting adjourned. LI. H. Hunter, President. . Tall Slough, Secretary. Remarks of Hon. H. H. Hunter. May it please the Court : I am instructed by the members of the Bar of this city to present to the Court resolutions adopted at a recent meeting held by them on the occasion of the death of our fellow-citizen, Hon. Thomas Ewing. I beg leave to read them, and move the Court to order them to be entered on the journal. The j)roceedings of the bar I now present to the Court, and ask to have them read. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 141 In presenting these resolutions, I take leave to submit a few remarks prompted by the occasion. Our venerable brother — I should rather say the patriarch of our profession — Avhose death we commemo rate, has long been amongst us, and has passed away full of years and full of honors, without spot or Idemish — not cut off' in the midst of life and active usefulness, but, like full-ripened fruit of goodly fragrance, has been gathered — his spirit to the Creator Avho gave it, his body to the grave. The Avork he Avas sent to perform is finished, though much that he has clone AAdll live after him in the hearts and minds of those Avho kncAV him ; and Ave are left, not to lament his death, for it is appointed of God for all once to die, but to rejoice that he lived. Full-orbed, he shed his light in the Avorld amongst men, and a world of men recognize it. Eminently A\'ise as a statesman and philosopher, during long years after he ceased, to occupy office and place in the public councils, he continued in his retirement to exert a poAA'erful influence on the events and affairs of the nation, through the press and by confldential counsel- lings, sought by those in poAver, avIio knew and ajopre- ciated his Avisdom and integrity of purpose. The present does not seem to be an appropriate occa sion to enter largely into details of his eventful juiblic acts or priA'ate life, or to do more than to glance at them in a general Avay; and this the more especially because, as I am advised, arrangements are being made for a 18 ' o 5 ¦ 142 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. meeting of the bar of the State in commemoration of our deceased friend. And yet, as his felloAv-toAvnsmen and professional brethren, it is meet and proper that Ave honor his memory by placing on the records of this Court these resolutions, and to communicate them to his family. On the occasion anticipated and referred to at the opening of the next regular term of the Supreme Court of the State at Columbus, AA'hen a full attendance of the members of the bar of the State may be expected, the details of the public official services of the honored deceased, and his professional life and career, his general characteristics as a man in the society of men, and as neighbor and friend, and in his individual and private relations, Avill, doubtless, be appropriately brought under consideration. Nevertheless, may it please the Court, it is fitting that Ave, his professional brethren and neighbor?, shall give utterance to our thoughts on these topics whilst the event of the closing of his life is fresh and recent upon our minds. More than half a century ago, our honored friend, then in his early manhood, and Avhen the humble individual Avho now addresses you Avas yet a boy, came to our then small village, a graduate cf the Ohio Uni versity at Athens, having, by the results of his own labor, secured to himself the means that enabled him to obtain a collegiate education, and commenced the study of laAV Avith General Philemon Beecher, an able PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 143 and successful practitioner. He Avas admitted to the bar in August, a.d. 1816, and became the copartner of Mr. Beecher in the practice, and by the extraordinary vigor of his intellect and unremitting application almost immediately became the leader of the bar in Ohio, competing successfully Avith the ablest and most experi enced practitioners, and extending his practice Avidely into different parts of the State and into the Federal courts. His chief employment in life, after being admitted to the bar, was as a lawyer, till the year 1830, AA'hen he AA'as elected to the Senate of the United States; and during his term of office, from 1831 to 1837, he devoted his energies to the discharge of its duties — successfully, by the force of his extraordinary intellectual vigor, rising to a level of acknowledged equality as a states man Avith Webster, Cla}', Calhoun, and others, the splendor of whose talents, and the extraordinary im portance of the affairs of government Avhich then occu pied its attention, gave prominence to the Senate of the United States, equal if not su23erior to any like political body in the AA'orld. The national history of the period, covering one of the most important eras of its jirogress, iuA'olving the discussion, agitation, and incipient settlement of the great principles upon Avhich the duration — nay, the continued existence of the Union of the States under the Constitution depended — could not be truthfully written, did it not include, in the Senatorial galax}- 144 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. to Avhich allusion has been made, the name of our departed friend, Thomas Ewing, as one of its brilliant stars. And from that period, doAvn almost to the closing scene of his life, his active, vigorous intellect, both in official station and in the retirement of private life, covering the period of the rise, progress, and sup pression of the great rebellion of the so-called Confede- i-ate States, Avas employed in the cause of the country. To no inconsiderable extent, it may be said that by his counsels battles haA'e been fought, campaigns pro jected, and many of the leading measures of Govern ment policy iu the progress of the Avar suggested. Firm and decisive in supporting the Union, and in suppressing the rebellion by the most energetic and efficient action, he was yet highly conservative in regard to the principles on Avhich the revolted States should be reinstated, differing in this regard from the extreme radical jDolicy of many of the supporters of the cause of the Union, AA'ith Avhom he had acted in the great contest. It thus happened that in those measures of policy to Avhich he could not yield his assent in reconstructing the revolted States, he came to be re- garded by the dominant party, Avith whom he had acted in suppressing the rebellion, as favoring its ad herents rather than the legitimate Government. Iu resjiect to this, much injustice has unwittingly been dons to our departed friend. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 145 ^Yhatever may be the results of the dominant policy — an experiment not yet fully tested — it is the height of injustice to attribute to him an}^ ftdtering in his devoted adherence to the legitimate government of the Union under the Constitution, moulded and shaped as it has been, or shall be, to adapt it to the exigencies of times and events, by the American people. As said, these great national affairs continued to be subjects of Aveighty consideration Avith our departed friend, from the period of his entering the Senate iu 1831 to the close of his life. But during that interval he also to a large extent, to Avithin a recent period, kept up the practice of his profession, chiefly, hoAV- ever, in select cases of importance, and in the higher courts — his exam|)le in Avhich is before us to stimulate our efforts to render our profession Avorthy of its great ofjects — the administration of justice betAA'een individ uals, and the propagation amongst men of the obli gations of civilized society regulated by laAV and order. We have yet to notice the example of our departed friend in his more private relations, as neighbor and citizen — in short, as a man in the ordinary walks of life. Unostentatious, yet dignified and affable, he mingled but little, outside of his own individual and family affairs, with the current incidents. In political party movements he scarcely participated at all — he med died not AA'ith the "¦ wlre-ivorhing'''' machinery or the 146 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. " rcpes " ; and Avas, consequently, several times defeated — or, rather, the efforts of his friends Avere defeated in his nomination for office, Avhen his success would pro bably have saved the country from much of the trou ble it has encountered in seA''eral important re spects. When a public improvement or any object of pub lic interest, or the advancement of public charities, called for patronage and support, he was prompt and liberal in contributing aid, and iu devising the best means for their promotion. So, also, in private charities — he gave liberally Avhen it Avas a merit or a duty, and in the most quiet Avay. Among his circle of friends, some of AAdiom AA'ere struggling Avith adversity, he Avas bountiful in noticing and ex tending to them the means of relief Such, may it please the Court, are some of the out line features, briefly and feebly portrayed, of the char acteristics of our honored departed friend. It does not become me to scarcely allude to one other subject forming a part of the characteristics of this truly great man — his religious , faith and pre dilections. Until recently before his death, he had not made any public profession, or formally united himself Avith any church; yet a consistent Christian iu his AA'alk in life, and learnedly conversant Avith the doctrines of the Bible, and the Avhole body of church literature — for his was a miucl that did not investigate by halves, or understand imperfectly — he closed the PROCEEDINGS OF THE EAR. 147 scene of his earthly existence by formally uniting himself Avith the church of his choice. May he rest iu peace ! RliMARKS OF HON. P. VAN TRUMP. May it please your Honor: There is always a melancholy satisfaction iu paying a just tribute to the memory of dejiarted Avorth. In such case, it requires no external or formal symliols of Avoe to give expression to the feelings of the heart. General sympathy denotes the universal bereavement. A great and a good man has gone from among us ; a mighty intellect has returned to the Divinity from Avhence it sprang. All that death could destro}' of Thomas Ewing has been deposited in the silent rest ing-place of the graA'e ! A Avhole nation mourns his loss ! The loss of great public Ijenefactors, in any of the departments of life, is always a national calam ity. But there is a protracted period in human life, fixed by the unchangeable laAvs of the Almighty, Avhen man, having performed his allotted task, stands upon the verge of time, and is ready to sink into the grave full of years and full of honors. The separation Avhich a grateful and appreciative people mourn is deprived of half its sorroAV by the reflection that his days of vigorous and active life Avere gone. Extreme old age, Avhich threatens to dissolve the relations exist- ing betAveen the individual and the people, signalized 148 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. by mutual benefits and affection, bears with it in the course of nature infirmities that impair and restrain the enterprise of man. Living as an octogenarian, he is but the monument of power and usefulness; but the grave, Avhich encloses his inanimate body, cannot cover his bright example to excite the emulation of his more youthful survivors; and his unsullied name is still preserved to command the respect of succeed ing generations. But even at such an age, private lamentation is but the echo of the public soitoav; and the bosoms Avhich throb for the loss of a parent or a friend only S3'mpathize Avith the grief and beat in unison Avith the stricken hearts of a whole people. I may say Avith the utmost propriety, on the pre sent occasion, that this is neither the time nor the place to enter into an elaborate study of the character and public services of Mr. EAving. That must be postponed for more deliberate consideration, by other and abler hands, and from a AA'holly different stand point. All AA'e are called upon to do here hoav is to express our sorroAV in this national bereavement ; and that sad duty has already been very aptly performed in the resolutions so feelingly presented by the gentleman Avho is made the father of the Lancaster Bar by the very bereavement Avhicli Ave are now com memorating. It Avill recj^uire time, and thought, and labor to present a full estimate of the character of Mr. Ewing in all the completeness and symmetry of its PROCEEDINGS OP THE BAR. 149 moral, intellectual, and professional proportions. It Avill demand the highest qualities of the laAvyer, and the most comprehensiA^e intelligence of the statesman, to perform that duty. It is a fact, may it please your Honor, Avhich Avill be readily acknoAvledged every where and by everybody that Mr. EAving Avas a man of such rare natural endoAvments, and possessed of such an admirable equation of moral and intellectual jdoav- ers, as Avould have placed him, in any age or country, in the front rank of professional eminence. He owed this harmony between his moral and mental character somewhat to the times and circum stances of his early life — so admirably grouped to gether by one of his most intimate friends, a fcAV days ago, in the columns of the daily press. The peculiar state of the country during the days of his boyhood, AA'hich had scarcely emerged from the hard- shij)s pf a ncAV and half-peopled condition, while it excluded the luxuries, the advantages and refinements of civilized life, had a strong tendency to train up the youth in those habits of simplicity and privation, of personal independence, and of constant activity of mind and body, which, hoA\'ever much we may shut our eyes to the fact, constituted the most essential part of the education which formed the heroes and patriots of republican antiquity. In this state of society was Mr. Ewing's character first formed, and the early and manly impressions of his youth may be traced through the whole uniform tenor of his pub- 150 PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. lie and private life, which stands as an enduring record of the highest integrity and purest virtue. As a lawyer, we feel proud of his fame. In some points he Avas, perhaps, unequalled. So varied and extensive Avas his knoAvledge of the business and affairs of life that no lawyer of his time was a greater master of facts in cases where the evidence before the jury Avas complex and contradictory. He persuaded the minds of his auditors, whether judge or jury, without using any of the arts of persuasion. He convinced Avithout condescending to solicit conviction. No practitioner at the bar -was freer from the ordinary arts of professional finesse, or less inclined to appeal to popular passion and prejudice. Nothing could elude the acuteness and force of his logic, or the searching astute ness of his great poAvers of investigation. Whether he displayed his powers in the forum or the Senate-cham ber, I might say, in the language of another, " He opened his arguments iu a progressive order, erecting each suc cessive position upon some other, Avhose solid mass he had already established on an immovable foundation, till at last the superstructure seemed, by its height and pon derous proportions, to bid defiance to the assaults of human ingenuity." No man had greater selfreliance, or possessed a more imperious self Avill. It was this remark able characteristic AA'hich, perhaps, more than any other leading quality of his mind, made Mr. Evping to be mis understood by a large portion of the people Avith Avhoni he came in contact, and especially among his political colleagues and professional brethren. What they often PROCEEDING,:, OF TIIE BAR. 151 supposed to be an exertion of mere arbitrary Avill Avas (}uite as likely to be only an earnest, and sometimes, Avhere great interests or duties Avere involved, an inex orable conviction of right, after mature deliberation and examination of the subject-matter in hand. With such a motive poAver to put into action his intellectual ma chinery, he strode to his object like a giant, and over- Avhelmed his antagonist with the Aveight and power of his assault. Thus stimulated, his reasoning • and argu mentative poAA'ers Avere of the highest order. For clear, masculine, and massive thought he Avas certainly the peer of any of the great men by Avhom he was surrounded, AA'hether at the bar or in the halls of legislation. It cannot be claimed, and I do not claim for him, that he combined all the rare elements of the most gifted ora tory ; but for strong natural sagacity, penetrating acute ness; for comprehensiveness, if not a quickness of appre hension, clearness, and force of understanding, against Avhich the most subtle sophistry set itself up in vain ; in situations where difficulties of the most involved and complicated character equally in A'aiii opposed his indus try and courage, he was undoubtedly one of the foremost men of his generation. He, perhaps, preferred to over come his antagonist more by the AA'eight of his bloAVS than the suavity of his manner. The battle-axe of Richard fitted more readily to his hand than the cimeter of Saladin. In the battle of professional life, he relied more upon strength than policy to achieve the victory. He always brought to the management of his case, 152 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. Avhether before this tribunal or the highest one in the land, all the forces of his AA'onderful mental organization ; because an earnest zeal for the interests of his client kncAV no difference between a subordinate and a supreme juris diction. His floAV of argument, in a proper case to call out his poAvers, Avhether in the court of Common Pleas or in the Supreme Court of the United States, was like a mighty stream, quickening and fertilizing everything in its swelling course. " But no further seek his merits to disclose." They stand confessed and recognized everywhere AA'ithin the orbit of a reputation Avhich is national, if not cosmo politan. The death of uo man, out of public life, since the demise of Mr. Webster and Mr. Clay, in 1852, has created so profound a sensation in the popular mind in all sections of the country. And uoav, may it please your Honor, I cannot, so far as my own feelings are con cerned, more fittingly close this brief and feeble tribute to departed greatness, made at the request of that bar A-vhich was the theatre of Mr. Ewing's first efforts, than in the language of Mr. Justice Story, on a similar occasion, AA'hen he said : " I rejoice to haA'e lived in the same age Avith him, and to haA'-e been permitted to hear his elo quence, and to be instructed by his wisdom. I mourn that my country has lost a patriot without fear or reproach. The glory AA'hich has settled on his tomb Avill not be easily obscured ; and if it shall grow dim in the lapse of time, I trust that some faithful historian will PROCEEDrNGS OF THE BAR. 153 preserve the character of his mind in pages that can perish only with the language in Avhich it is Avritten." REMARKS OF HON. C. D. MARTIN. After Hon. P. Yan Trump had spoken, Hon. C. D. Martin then said : Mcty it please your Honor : I yield to the suggestion of the Committee, and, on behalf of the junior members of the Bar, join in a funeral tribute to the memory of Thomas Ewing. In their name, and with reverential solemnity, I lay a glove on his bier. In my judgment, it Avould not be appropriate, nor is it expected of me, to sketch his biography, or dwell at length upon the prominent events of his life and career. I propose to advert in general terms, and briefly, to his character and the nature and extent of his attainments. Mr. Ewing Avas especially distinct from the general class of men, and possessed physical and intellectual characteristics of the most commanding order. It matters not who Avere nor Avhence came his ancestry. His oavu distinction and renown could neither be enhanced nor abated by such considerations. Considered as a states man, a lawyer, and a scholar, he was justly eminent. Many years ago, he attained the foremost rank of dis tinction. He was a " Conscript Father " at a time when the title Avas an honor indeed ; and the political histoiy 154 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. of the country attests his ability, learning, and eloquence in the Senate, and his great executive capacity in the Cabinet. Llis scholarship was of the profoundest cha racter. He was master of the entire range of natural sciences. He Avas perfectly familiar Avith the classics, and had the keenest appreciation of the beautiful in letters. His career, ending at the ripe age of eighty-tAvo, is to the young a lesson and an inspiration. His manly struggles Avith the difficulties of early life, Avith the inconveniences and disadvantages of a frontier settlement, and his triumph over them all, together with his subsequent long life of eminent usefulness and distinguished honor, are knoAvn to all. It is likewise Avell knoAvn, and let it be remembered, that, in addition to his commanding talents and A'ast acquirements, he possessed those sterling traits of cha racter that gaA'e him the stamp of true nobility. Tem- j)erance, veracity, courage, and honor, indispensable marks of a true man, were bright jewels that illuminated his pathwa}', aud were treasured by him beyond all price. To other hands than mine should be allotted the task of sketching his portraiture as a laAvyer ; and I shall not attempt it. The A'ast resources he gathered from other fields of knowledge were conspicuously useful in the practice of his profession. His arguments, distinguished by the severest logic, are, nevertheless, radiant with a glory that shows that true classic taste presided in their PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 155 preparation. Many of his impromptu addresses to the jury Avill be long remembered as inimitable models, illustrating his superb mastery in the elucidation of com plicated cases of fact. And frequently on such occasions, Avhen thoroughly aroused, he avouIcI illuminate the dis cussion with the flashes of true oratorical genius. No man Avas more conversant Avith the strict forms and technical refinements, the settled maxims and artificial proceedings, of the law. Yet these, so powerful in the hands of a practised la Avyer, Avere not his only nor his chief instrumentalities. He moved on a more exalted jilane. He explored the reason and philosophy of the rule, and enforced the claims of justice by the deductions of an inexorable logic. The science of the laAV has been compared to a grand temple, and the highest honor awarded to the votary Avho Avas fortunate enough to cross its threshold and behold its vast compartments. Ewing Avas familiar Avith the entire edifice " from turret to foundation-stone." He had traversed its spacious halls. He had explored its labyrinthian recesses. He Avas both guest and host under its high dome. He Avas not an admiring occupant only ; he was more — he had attained the ^ rare dignity of architect and builder. In recurring to Mr. Ewing's more celebrated efforts at the bar, if I may be allowed to venture an opinion, it is that his argument in the Methodist Church case is the proudest monument to his ability and genius. But the memorials of his intellectual exertions are numerous. 156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. They are massive, grand, imposing. They will en dure. The statue, the bust, the medal ; what are they ? Cold and inanimate. Time touches them, and they are un sightly. Time presses them in his rude grasp, and they are gone. But the trophies that uncommon intellect and learning leave to mankind are for ever alive with sacred fire, and survive the accidents of time. They appeal to the admiration and command the homage of successive generations. And, brethren of the bar, long years after Ave are for CA'er silent, and the very names of most, if not all, of us are forgotten, the fame of Thomas EAving Avill abide in his works to interest and instruct his felloAV-men. The practical lesson of the hour, especially to the junior members of the bar, is to profit by his bright example ; to imitate his habits of study and investigation, and, above all, his pure and spotless life. The full measure of years was his; his the full measure of care, and toil, and happiness, and honors. His massive brow and commanding person will be seen of men no more. He is gone. Gone are the proud impulses of his noble nature. He is at rest. His temples are crowned Avith immortality of glory and honor reserved by the Father of us all for the pure in heart. REMARKS OF WILLIAM P. CREED, ESQ. May it please your Honor : After listening to the eloquent eulogiums of gentlemen PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 157 who have spoken, it Avould perhaps be better I should remain silent ; for I can add nothing to Avhat has been said. The beautiful tributes, so full of truth and pathos, so graphic of the great abilities, great qualities and virtues of the great dead, embodied in the resolutions of the honorable chairman and remarks of my distinguished friends, are but fitting testimonials of the regard the people of this county and members of this Bar have for the great and good man AA'hose death Ave mourn, and memory now honor. To tell you that a great man has gone from earth — one Avho, in an eminent degree, possessed those rare in tellectual poAvers which made him peer of the giant minds of the land — is but to repeat that which you have already heard. All here are familiar with the life and character of Thomas Ewing. We knew him well ; he Avas our neighbor, and at the Bar of this county laid broad and deep the foundation of a name and fame, not limited by county or State lines, but co-extensive with the Union. How instructive his life, and Avhat an example for emulation ! With no fortuitous aids, no powerful family alliances, but a will indomitable and a courage that could not be crushed or broken, favored with an intellect God like, self-made, and self-sustained, Thomas EAving rose one of the master-minds of the period, and, whether in the forum or Senate, was the recognized equal of the intellectual giants of the nation. 158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. Mr. Ewing was not only great as a jurist, aud eminent as a statesman, but in almost every branch of knoAvledge had few equals, perhaps no superior. Y^ell do I remember in early life, while a senator, a conversation he had in Lancaster with one equally dis tinguished — Mr. Browne, of Philadelphia, a lawyer of eminence, and of great scientific attainments. It Avas in regard to the geological formation of the Hocking Yalley. Mr. Ewing's knowledge of the subject AA'as profound, and made manifest that he Avas as familiar with natural history or science as the laAv. Both were strongly impressed with the importance of having it brought to the attention of the Legislature, that such legislation might be had as Avould tend to the development of its vast mineral resources. Shortly thereafter, it was done, and to Thomas Ewing, more, perhaps, than any other are the people of Ohio indebted for the early development of the hidden treasures of the State. It is fitting and proper, therefore, that we, his neigh bors and friends, the members of this Bar, Avhere his early struggles commenced, culminating in renoAvn, should thus publicly recognize his claims to our regard, and that the records of this Court in coming years should show how highly were appreciated the great talents, profound learning, virtues, and Avorth of the honored dead. He rests from his labors, and his Avorks survive ; and, Avhile the grass grows green over the grave where he sleeps, his memory will live in the hearts of his countrymen. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 159 REMARKS OF JUDGE SILAS II. WRIGHT. The resolutions of the Bar and the address of Mr. LIunter are ordered to be entered upon the Journal of this Court and spread upon the final Record. I knoAV full Avell that the worm will waste this Jour nal and run riot with this Record; that the registry of decrees and judgments is doomed, by the nature and constitution of things, to pass aAvay ; and that this frail memorial to the " old man eloquent " must eventually be mixed with the commonest order of the Court. And Avere these same orders of the Court cut in tablets of marble or engraven upon brass, time, with a kind of cruel cunning, Avould wipe them aAvay and mock us AvIth our frailty. But to-day at least is ours ; and Ave come to signify our poor appreciation, iu the last way left to us, of the great and good man Avhose demise has draped AvIth sorrow the standard of every State in the Union. It falls to the lot of few to be so mighty and so mourned. Nature seems stingy of her gifts. Her crea tive power Is satisfied with common men. There is no planet in the skies so bright as to be seen from all the latitudes ; few trees between the tAVO oceans that over top and outgirth the many millions, that stand the pecu liar monarchs of their native mountain. Few jieaks catch the first gleam of the sun. Nature Is exceedingly democratic in her appointments, and careful in her designs. The Avorld is full of littl(3 men ; the skies are sprinkled Avith little stars ; the earth is covered Avith 1£0 PROCEEDINGS OF 'THE BAR. small trees ; hills and hillocks Avithout number give A'ariety to the vicAV and a serene repose which comes from a common brotherhood. But for this arrangement, among the mountains there would be no Chimborazo, among the stars no Jupiter, among the trees no royal lords, and -among the men no Ewing. Men are only great by comparison, and, Avhen placed in a roAV, you may draw a line that will fairly mark their intellectual altitudes. The great ones are at dim distances, both in point of time and place. Fix the great men of the last century thus, and Ewing outmeasures them all. We are not generally fond of great things, nor Is there much need of them In the small affairs of this life. We break the froAvning mass of rock into fragments fit for our puny hands ; Ave divide the river Into streams, and scatter the fountain into spray ; the huge oak is split into many subdivisions, and becomes manageable in human hands. Great men are the quarries out of Avhich temples are built ; they are the fountains that Turnlsh supplies when the streams are dry ; they are vicegerents of God, and utter his decrees ; they permit no questioning, and rarely alloAv aj)proach ; and, even among themselves, they stand as distant as high mountains, aud as far apart as mighty rivers. The man Avho Avields a sceptre rarely succeeds In rocking a cradle. Even Avhen he croons a sonnet there Is the rumbling of thunder. EAving was great in mind as he was in person. He stood high up above the measure that shoAved the size of common men, and the belt that clasped him counted many feet. His hat was PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. 161 so capacious that it Avould have fallen to the shoulders of most men, and covered them like a tent. Wherever he Avent, into whatever city or strange place, all asked, " Who's that ? " and there was always some one able to answer the enquiry, so unlA^ersally Avas he known and admired. He had little, except a philosophical sym pathy AvIth the individual, and that Avas enough ; for he had no time to squander his affection — It Avas measured out for mankind. I have known him by sight since I Avas ten years old ; and nineteen years ago, Avhen I Avas a law student in the office of Hon. P. Yan Trump, I spent an evening at his house. With rustic promptness, I came at the appointed hour, and, as none had "gathered there," he kindly engaged me in conversation. He was so bland and fatherly, I thought I could safely have pressed his great hand, fashioned at furnaces and furrowed Avith early toil. He said something of me which came to my ears on the next clay, and that something has been to me a stronger stay in the battle of life than all things else together. I have not ahvays been in sympathy AvIth this great man. We have not agreed in matters of public moment and of great concern ; but to his superior judgment and unques tioned Integrity I probably should have submitted my self But I could not. His death came not with the silent approach of a thief at night, but with full Avarning, and in the day season. The cold messenger did not steal upon him unawares. That would have been no triumph. It Avas a Avarfare of eighty odd years, and the 162 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. sunlight must stand in evidence of the struggle. On a clear day, Avhen no cloud Avas perceptible, has been heard a clap of thunder ; in the still noontide, some forest tree falls ; so comes upon us the report of EAving's death. He Avas a half century old when I first saw him, and " dry antiquity " had scarcely disturbed a lock of his curly hair. I have since seen his diminished form and his crop of hair groAviug thinner iu the harvests of time ; and the ghostly reaper has gathered and garnered him In the great storehouse of the hereafter. Let us say — for we may well and honestly say — as Tacitus did of Agrlcola, " Whatever In Ewing was the object of our love, of our admiration, remains and Avill remain in the minds of men, transmitted in the records of fame through an eternity of years." For while many great personages of antiquity Avill be involved in a com mon oblivion with the mean and Inglorious, EAvIng shall survive, represented and consigned to future ages. Lancaster, O., January 27, 1872. Hon. p. B. Ewing: My Dear Sir : I did not until this morning, at ColumlAus, receive from the Clerk of the Supreme Court the enclosed certified copy of the record of the proceedings of the members of the bar, communicated to the Court, commemorative of their estimation of your honorable father ; and as Chairman of the Com- proceedings of the bar. 163 mittee, and In obedience to the directions of the meeting of the bar on that occasion, I liereAvith trans mit It to you, and, through you, to the family. With considerations of esteem and respectful regards. Your very obedient servant, H. LI. Hunter. SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OHIO. Decejibee Teem, 1871. Hon. H. H. Hunter, chairman of a meeting held by the members of the bar, to consider the death of Hon. Thomas Ewing, appeared in open court, and jjresented the folloAving, AA'hich is ordered to be spread upon the records of this Court : To [the Honorable the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio : On the 26th day of October last, Thomas Ewing died at his home in Lancaster, at the ripe age of elghty-tAYo years. He was, take him all in all, the most distinguished mkn that the Ohio bar has pro duced — a great lawyer and great man In an age of great men. The members of the bar feel that It Is due to the living as aa'cII as the dead that they shall bear their solemn testimony to the value of the life and services of this Illustrious citizen, to be spread upon the records of this court, AvhIch he dignified and adorned by many of the choicest labors of his life. As a lawyer, Mr. Ewing- was thoroughly grounded 164 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. In legal principles ; his reading was large and accu rate, and he had, among other things, mastered at an early day the science of special pleading, without which no man can be an accomplished lawyer In this country or in England. He was a man of large attainments In many departments of study. In sci ence. In general literature, especially poetry, and In history, his reading was extensive and thorough, and his memory Avas so tenacious that the acquisitions of a lifetime seemed to be ahvays at his disposal. He had great powers of analysis, great force and closeness of logic, a wide range of illustration ; and while he lacked the minuter graces of style and scholarship, he had a thorough knowledge and com mand of the English tongue. A marked peculiarity, in AvhIch his greatness as a reasoner, like that of his contemporary, Webster, especially showed itself, was a faculty of logical statement, embodying the whole argument in the statement of his case. His genius was eminently suggestive, setting other minds to AVork, and thus making his presence felt In every circle, however high or humble, in which he moved. He was] a bold practitioner at the bar, relying, per haps, sometimes too much upon a single blow in dis posing of a case ; and in this respect his method was iu striking contrast with that of many of the leading lawyers of his day. The labor of minute preparation and care for detail Avere distasteful to him, and for these he relied, at all events for many years, upon the PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. 165 younger men associated with him; but his judgment upon the steps to be taken in the preparation of a case, and upon the case itself when prepared, was almost unerring, and in the presentation of a case to either court or jury he had few equals and no superiors, at the bar of either State or nation. The deep foundations of his strength were laid In hard study, untiring industry. Indomitable energy, unflinching integrity and honor. Let young men who would aspire to a greatness like his seek, first, to be like him in these humble qualities- In this and no other way can the bar maintain its place in the confidence of the American people. Mr. Ewing was a man of warm and generous heart, of most affection ate and genial spirit among his family friends, full of kindness and sympathy. The struggles of his early life had undoubtedly left their traces, and given something like a tinge of sternness to his manner, and a habit of selfreliance so pronounced and unmistakable as to seem to those who only met him officially like coldness and selfish isolation. But these were only appearances, and upon the surface ; while at heart he was a living aud true man, and the friend and companion of good men. The time has not yet come for passing judgment upon his statesmanship in his efforts In behalf of the Union which he loved ; but Ave know that, Avhether right or Avrong, he was always the patriot statesman, too great to be a partisan leader, too much of a man to be an in triguer or a demagogue. His leadership was one of 166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. thought, of character, of life ; and his influence Avas felt for good in his day and generation, not only in the State Avhose counsels he honored, but throughout the nation, whose best Interests, alike in the Senate, the Cabinet, and as a private citizen, he had ahvays at heart and sought to serve. The generation that knew Mi\ EAAdng personally avIII soon haA'e passed aAvay, but his memoiy will survive ; for he has built for himself an enduring monument in the political and legal history of the nation, and his statue will adorn the Capitol, while his labors and example avIU be felt throughout all the coming generations of the State that he so faithfully loved and served. Resolved, As an expression of the deep reverence of the bar of Ohio for the memory of Thomas Ewing, that the Supreme Court of the State be requested by the Chairman of this meeting to place upon its records the foregoing minute and these resolutions ; and that a copy of the same be sent to the family of Mr. Ewing, and furnished to the press for publication ; and that Messrs. M. A. Daugherty, Attorney-General Pond, and L. J. Critchfield be a Committee, who shall, in behalf of the bar of the State, procure a marble bust of Mr. Ewing, to be placed, Avith the approval of the Court, iu the audience-room of the Supreme Court ; and that said Committee be authorized, through sub-committees in the several counties, or otherAvIse, to provide the means for this object. And resolved furtlier. That said Committee be request- PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 167 ed, in such manner as they shall deem best, to call the attention of the General Assembly, uoav in session, to the provisions of the second section of the act of Con gress of July 2, 1864, inviting each and all the States to proA'ide and furnish statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two In number for each State, of deceased persons AA'ho have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renoAvn, or from their distinguished civic or military services, such as each State shall deter mine to be AA'orthy of this national commemoration; and providing that such statues, Avhen so furnished, shall be placed in the Capitol of the United States; aud that said committee, by memorial or otherAvIse, ask the General Assembly to provide, by a special act or resolution, that Avhenever the State shall take action pursuant to said act of Congress to furnish statues as contemplated there by, one of the same shall bs that of our deceased felloAV-citizen, Thomas EAvIng. The State of Ohio, City of Columbus, ss. Supreme Court of Ohio. I, Rodney Foos, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, do hereby certify that the foregoing is truly taken and correctly copied from the records of said court. In witness Avhereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Supreme Court this 15th day of January. wm A.D. iSt "7^ Rodney Foos, Clerh. 168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. ADDRESS OF JUDGE W. JOHNSON Before the Bar of Columhus. The life and death of a distinguished man is an im- pressive lesson, and ought to be both conned and recited by the living ; and those who have knoAvn him best should not hesitate to speak of those characteristics AVorthy to be Imitated by the survivors. In the summer of 1838, thirty-three years ago, 1 had the honor to preside at a public dinner given to Mr. Ewing by the young men of Carroll County, Ohio, and I had him for my guest on that occasion. He Avas then In the prime and A'igor of manhood ; and he im pressed himself on my mind as the most remarkable man of my acquaintance. I have known him intimately ever since, and received from him marks of kindness and les sons of AvIsdom Avorth far more than anything I can now say of him. Of course, I am not wholly Ignorant of his life. He Avas not, either by birth or education, a product of the Orient. He was born on the western slope of Yir ginia, in that part knoAvn familiarly as the Pan-handle, In 1789, and at three years old was carried by his parents into Ohio, and planted in the wilderness. In 1803, in conversation with Jeremiah MorroAv and Manasseh Cutter, Mr. Jefferson expressed regret that the new constitution of Ohio had excluded slavery, because, In his opinion, the heavy forests of Ohio could not be cleared out by free labor. Such a blunder for so wise a PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 169 man ! 1 have sometimes thought that wrestling with the giant oaks and hickories of these forests imparted a strength and toughness, both to the bodies and minds of the boys of that period, not to be met with under what the Avorld calls happier auspices. Such seems to have been the effect produced on Mr. Ewing, at least. His family were settled In the wilderness, without what are uoav called the comforts of life, doomed to hard work, few books, and no schools. His elder sister taught him the art of reading, and with this key of knowledge in his hand, in the intervals of hard labor, and at night by the light of hickory-bark, he exhausted all the stores of knowledge Avithin his reach till he Avas tAventy years old. A little school, dignified Avith the name of the " Ohio University," was about being established at " Ncav Athens," in his own county, where some Latin, and Greek, and mathematics, and what not might be learn ed ; but this great boy had no money and no one to help him. He laid his axe on his shoulder, and crossed over the Ohio to the Kanawha salt-Avorks, cut cord-AVOod and boiled salt for tAvo or three years, saving by the most rigid economy all his earnings, and came home — ready to enter college ? Not yet ; he had a higher duty yet to discharge. His father and family were struggling for life on a new farm, unimproved and not yet paid for ; and laying the first commandment with promise to his conscience, and his hand on his little purse, he first cleared his father's farm of debt, and AvIth what Avas left went to school. 170 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. How could SO grand a beginning ever fall ? That " the hand of the diligent maketh rich," had grown into a proverb in the time of Solomon ; and the success of the youth who renders due regard to his father aud his mother had been guaranteed by the code of Mount Horeb. If anybody calls It superstition, so let them ; I never argue about morals or religion ; but my father taught me Avhen a child — and to his observation of sevent}''-two years I have added my own — that every youth Y'ho commences life regardless of this duty is, sooner or later, found to come to grief When his funds Avere exhausted, he resumed his axe and returned to the salt-works, and cut cord-Avood and boiled salt till he had acquired enough to finish his collegiate course; and, in 1815, the Ohio Uni\'erslty had the honor of conferring upon him the degree of Bachelor of Arts — the first parchment of the kind ever issued by that school. I have heard Col. Armstrong, of Kentucky, describe the return of this wood-chopper to college. The col lege boys, physically " but grasshoppers in his sight," gathered about him to make sport of him, and to insist at recess on making a ball-alley against his broad shoulders, taking care ahvays not to provoke him to anger. This sport did Avell enough for a AvhIle, and he took It good-naturedly; but. In. less than six months, the students iu mathematics came to him to haA'e him solve their problems, and the students in Latin to have him help them out with their lessons; and he PROCEEDINGS OP THE BAR. 171 toAvered up in the midst of them an oliject of admira tion and esteem — not less their superior In mind than in body. Mr. Ewing studied the law in the toAvn of Lancas- ter, Ohio. Llere he commenced his professional career, here he lived, and here he died. But his professional labors extended far beyond the circle in AvhIch he lived. I remember very Avell, Avhen I was young In the profession, and willing- to learn something from older men, having travelled on horseback nearly thirty miles, Avhile our late friend, Edwin M. Stanton, tra velled double that distance, to Avitness the gigantic strup-gle betAveen him and Andrew W. Loomis In an important and exciting trial in New Philadelphia. But I Avill not speak iu this presence of his accom plishments as a laAA'yer. The thoroughness of his legal training, the singular clearness of his conceptions, his remarkable power of statement, the bold simplicity of his style, and the massive strength of his logic, are familiar to this court. But his general scholarship outside of his profes sion deserves respectful notice, for he was not a mere laAvyer. As a linguist, he never travelled beyond the Latin and French. These he continued to read, by way of beguiling the tedium of his winter evenings, as long as he lived. But he always bore iu mind, as Dr. Johnson Avould say, that words Avere but the daugh ters of earth, while things were the sons of heaven. And with him the knowledge of one dozen things by 172 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR their right names Avas far more important than the knowledge of one dozen names for the same thing. Hence, his mind Avas devoted more to science than to literature. His knowledge of history and general lite rature Avas far above mediocrity; but in matters of science he was the most cyclopsedlc scholar I have ever known. I first made his acquaintance, as I have said, at a public dinner; after the public doings of the day Avere over, I conducted him across the com mons to a little cottage I had built Avith a Grecian portico in front. He laid his hand on one of the columns, and, casting a glance up to the entablature and the pediment, enquired, "Who did this?" I re plied that I was the architect and builder both. He paid it a compliment which it scarcely deserved, and immediately ran into a disquisition on architecture that would have astonished Sir Christopher Wren. He traced the science from Egypt up to Greece, and Greece over to Rome. He was familiar with the massive ruins of Baalbec and Palmyra, and what not ; but what aston ished me was that he was not only acquainted with the general history of architecture, but that he knew the exact proportions of every member of each order, as if it had been the business of his life. My business for the day, as I had supposed, was to entertain a politician; but I soon found that the better part of it Avas to be entertained by a savant. In thirty-three years' acquaint ance which followed, I never found him Ignorant of any matter of science on which I had occasion to speak to PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 173 him; and many a time I invented the occasion Avhen there was none, to enjoy at once the instruction he gave and the charms of his conversation. But what was most remarkable in the AvIde range of his scientific knowledge Avas his knoAvledge of common things. It was said of Burke that he could enter any workshop In London, and in conversation pass himself off for a brother of the craft. Mr. Ewing might have done the same thing but for the danger that his massive Doric head might have betrayed him. Part of this vast store of knowledge he used in the line of his profession ; but a greater part of it was stored up and kept, because he loved it merely. What a happy thing, when age comes on, and the five senses grow dull, and the perceptive faculties begin to fail, to have on hand such a store of knoAV- ledge for the mind to feed upon ; to keep the heart 3'oung and the spirits bright through the otherwise cheerless darkness of old age ! In the active developments of Mr. Ewing's life and character, he was more of a jurist than a statesman, and more of a statesman than a politician. He served one term and a half in the Senate of the United States, and he Avas a member of two different Cabi nets. In the short time he served in official capaci ties, he worked laboriously, and did his work well. But, alas ! for the public, it is hard to keep a man long In office, unless he Is a politician ; and he Avas no iDolItlcIan in the common sense of the word. He stood 23 174 PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. high above all the tricks by Avhich politicians use and abuse their friends, outAA'it their enemies, and circumvent their rivals. Of course, he had little to expect from couA'entlons ; and then, he was defective in the art of Avlnnlng the hearts of the masses. He recognized the brotherhood of mankind, and would defend their rights with bull-dog pertinacity ; but he lacked the suaAdty of the spaniel. To do men acts of justice and beneA'olence satisfied his ideas of duty, Avithout promises to do more, or boasts of Ayhat AYas already done. But he had one quality Avhich politicians Avould do Avell to cultivate — he knew Avhen his time AA'as out, and accej^ted the situation Avithout complaint. He could do Avhat no other man of my acquaintance ever could — he could retire from politics, and fall back AvIth success on his profession. And then, a man so Avise, so instructive, and so cordial by the fireside, though he might not hold the places of pub lic trust and honor, Avas able to command " that Avhich should accompany old age, as honor, reverence, and troojis of friends " — AVorth more to an honest heart than all the shows and shams Avhich surround men in power and place. Though jurisprudence and science occupied Mr. EAvIng's miucl chiefly, he had his playthings AA'hereby he relaxed his mind and relicA'cd it from toil. I once. In the city of Columbus, seeing a light in his room at eleven o'clock at night, intruded myself upon PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 175 him, and found him reading a little noveL " What have you there ? " said I. " A love-tale," said he. " I haA'e been vA'orklng all clay on a brief, and ha\'e not finished it; and if I go to bed AA'ith that on my brain, I shall sleep none; and so I haA'e taken up this little story by Avay of dissipation. In order to get some rest, and be ready for to-morroAA''s Avork." In Mr. EAvIng's character, honesty could scarcely be called a virtue. It resulted from the normal structure of his mind, Avhich, like one of those well-adjusted machines in our mints and workshops, could not do false Avork without first breaking or deranging the machinery. All crooked Avays were abhorrent to him, and he Avould go straight forward, even at the cost of harshness, rather than be agreeable at the expense of truth. His early life had taught him self-reliance ; and, although no man listened more patiently or re spectfully to the opinions of others, I do not believe he ever relinquished an opinion of his own once delibe rately formed. I have said that our departed friend commenced life right. The first of his earnings was devoted to the service of his parents. This was his Interpretation of the divine precept, '' Honor thy father and thy mother." His true perception of the obligations of man to his fellow never forsook him. Next to his father, the men Avho helped him up by their countenance, aid, and advice Avere Philemon Beecher and Judge Sherman, of Lancaster. He commemorated his gratitude to the 176 PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. former by naming his eldest son after him, and can celled his obligations to the latter by sending his son Tecumseh to the military academy at West Point. He never Avas accused of turning the cold shoulder upon a friend. He was successful in business, and left a large estate to his children ; but the legacy he left to the poor young men of the country, struggling for wisdom, and worth, and eminence, and success, is infinitely greater. And now he is gone to his rcAvard In a good old age, leaving us to moralize upon the event. Let us not, then, regard this as a calamity. For my own part, as one whose friendship for the deceased Avas never questioned, I think he had lived long enough. He had lived twelve years beyond the ordinary period allotted to man. He had accomplished his destiny with honor both to himself and his country. He had lived to see his children and his children's children growing up in happiness and respectability. He Avas approaching a time Avhen earth* could have no charms for him ; and may we not rather reckon it as one of his blessings that he was permitted to with draw to his better home before the Infirmities of age should mar the beauties of a well-spent life? PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 177 [Cincinnati Commercial.] DEATH OF THOMAS EWING, SEN. The death of Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sen., was an nounced in the United States Court yesterday after noon at five o'clock, by Colonel C. W. Moulton, Avho stated that he did not think the occasion a proper one for pronouncing a eulogy on the character of the deceased. He presumed Judge Swing and mem bers of the bar Avould consider it fitting to take formal action in reference to this event at some future time. Judge SAving stated that of course the members of the Bar of this city Avould not allow an occasion of this kind to pass Avithout making some public de claration of their esteem for the high character and distinguished serAdces of Mr. Ewing. In his remarks. Judge SAving also stated that when Daniel Webster died, Mr. Ewing was thought the only man able to take his place before the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He supposed that the Bar of Cincinnati would be prepared to take formal action in this matter upon the reassembling of Court this morning, as the death of so great and so good a man should not pass unnoticed. The Court then ad journed. The funeral of Mr. Ewing avIU take place at Lan caster, Ohio, at eleven o'clock a.m. on Saturday, and we understand that members of the bar, Avho desire 178 PROCEEDLNGS OF THE BAR. to be present, can reach there by Avay of the Little Miami Railroad, Ija' leaving on the four-o'clock p.m. train to-day. THE DEATH OF THE HON. THOMAS EWING. Meeting of the Bar of Ohio. ADDRESSES BY HON. BELLAMY STOEER, HON. A. E. PERRY, HON. HENRY STANBERY, JUDGE H. C. WHITMAN, JUDGE WARDEN, JUDGE CARTER, NATHANIEL WRIGHT, AND OTHERS. The members of the Hamilton Count}' Bar, and distinguished lawyers from other parts of the State of Ohio, some Avhose professional reputation extend OA^er the Union, assembled yesterday in the United States Court-room, In this city, to offer an appropriate tribute of respect to the memory of their A'enerable and dis tinguished brother in the profession, the Lion. Thomas Ewing. Among those present were the Hon. E. F. Noyes, GoA'crnor of Ohio ; A. F. Perry, member of Congress for the First District ; Judge Saa-Ius, of the United States Court ; Judges Storer and Taft, of the Superior Court of Cincinnati; Judge Este, Nathaniel Wright, and the majority of the leading members of the Cincinnati Bar. On motion of T. D. Lincoln, Judge Este Avas called to the chair, and, on motion of Warner M. Bateman? Judge Charles Fox was appointed Secretary PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 179 Judge Whitman rose and said that on behalf of a committee of the Bar, heretofore appointed, he desired to present to the consideration of the meeting the resolutions which had been prepared. They are as follows : RESOLUTIONS. "The Hon. Thomas Ewing, at the venerable age of eighty-tAvo, has passed aAvay from among us. He died full of years and honor, a great man and a great laAvyer. He had occupied high public stations in the Senate and the Cabinet ; and in a day of intellectual giants, he AA'as recognized a worthy compeer of all. " The profession mourns its ablest member, its ac knoAvledged leader ; while he stood at the head of the Ohio Bar, his legal reputation was also national. " He added new lustre to the noble science of the laAV by the skill, power, and integrity he displayed in its development and application. He Avas bold, vigorous, and comprehensive in thought and expres sion. He seized the strong jiolnts of a case as by In tuition, and in marshalling complicated facts, before either court or jury, he was not excelled even by Webster. His intellect Avas massi a'c and robust ; his power of analysis extraordinary; his reading, both pro fessional and genei-al, large and accurate ; his percep tions rapid ; his memory wonderful ; his industry un tiring ; his energy, both physical and mental, intense. His legal learning embraced all the branches of the 180 PROCEEDLNGS OF THE BAR. science ; he was equally ready and able, whether dealing Avith the broader questions of international laAV or equity, or the most recondite and subtle points of real- estate learning or special pleading. He carried into his practice, at all times, the strictest Integrity, the highest honor, and the utmost fidelity to truth. He scorned all low and cunning arts and devices, and nothing more moved his Indignation than any de parture in the profession from truth and honor. He has left to his brethren of the bar a splendid legal and forensic record. " But sweeter and more glorious than that intel lectual record is the higher, better one of his private virtues and character. Austere in morals, stern in patriotism, a lover and doer of justice, faithful in all his duties as a citizen, a friend and defender of the poor and oppressed, fearing no one, however high, despising no one, however lowly, genial In Avord and manner — this Avas known to all his friends. " But he shone best and brightest in his own home. Here he laid aside the severity of science, and was winning, gentle, and loving as a child. He Avas fi'iend as well as husband and father in his household, and all its members loA'ed him almost to idolatry. " In his death, our profession has lost its chief orna ment, the State its greatest citizen. It Avell becomes us to do honor to his memoiy — ' Esto perpetvAC " Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, attested PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 181 by the President and Secretaiy of this meeting, be sent to his fimlly, and also published in the papers of the State. " Resolved, That the United States Court be re quested to spread them upon its journal." Mr. Stanberjr moved the adoption of the resolu tions. General McLean seconded the motion. REMARKS OF 'THE HON. BELLAMY STORER. Judge Storer then rose and said : 'Mr. Ewing came to the bar one year before I Avas admitted ; he was my senior in age seven or eight years ; but, so far as the practice of our profession Avas concerned, Ave are almost equal in point of time. I kucAV him well, although Ave were separated by distance between the points of our residence. More than fifty years ago, I first made his acquaintance. I have practised AA'ith him In the Supreme Court of the United States. Two years of my life AA'ere spent at Washington ; he In the Senate, and I In the Lower House. I have had opportunities on committees to confer with him on points connected with our national history and our national character and honor. We separated nearly forty years ago In public life. He afterAvard Avas called to the position of Secretary of the Treasury and Secretaiy of the Interior ; and so far as any inti mate acquaintance is concerned after that period, there 23 182 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. Avas but little betAveen us. But I have always enter tained the highest regard for his honor, his legal integ rity, and his profound knoAvledge, not merely connected AA'ith his profession, but on many cpiestions of science. The literature of the day Avas ahvays mastered by him, at least that portion of it Avorthy of being read or remembered. He had a nice sense, as was well remarked, of justice — justice that was formed on deep couA'ictlons of right, not on any temporary rule of practice or standard that meets us In the ordinary course of life, but on that elevated ground Avhere a man's conscience, enlightened as his was, becomes the arbiter of his conduct. But, sir, AA'hy speak of a man Avhom all have honored, respected, and admired ? The language of these resolutions contains all that may be said, and all that need be said, and all that there Is any necessity for commending more particularly to the attention and remembrance of those who have heard them to-day. This event teaches us all Avhat shadows we are, and AA'hat shadows Ave pursue. We are reminded that this world is one of discipline, one of continual effort, one that is not a blank unless it is made so by ourselves. Thank heaven ! there is no blank here in the biography. It may be said of him, " Nidla dies sine lineal'' He Improved every minute of his time. I never kncAv a man more Industrious, more methodical in all his legal pursuits, more desirous to understand the subjects he brought his mind to PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. i03 grasp, until his perceptions Avere as clear as a crystal. Lie should be remembered by those who are still young In the profession as one to Avhose example they may recur with profit and Avith pleasure, alike honorable to themselves and to his memory. Sir, you and I and my venerable brother Avho sits here (Mr. Nathaniel Wright), and who it affords me so much pleasure to see here, are left among the fcAV who remember the departed in his comparative youth. We haA'e been spared to a period that few are per mitted in the order of Providence to attain. What Ave have done is known to that Providence — our errors, our infirmities ; aud AA'hatcA^er has been profit able to our fellow-men, If any good has been accom plished by us iu the profession, if Ave have vindicated the law of humanity, which is but the law of the Almighty, those AA'ho kncAV us best, Avhen our bodies have been committed to the earth, will be able to testify to our brethren. But you and I, sir, wish no monument of brass or stone ; Ave Avish only to be remembered by those Avho shall have charity for our failings, and Avho have the deep conviction that, in Avhatever position or office of importance Ave were permitted to hold, our great anxiety Avas to perform our duty, leaving the rest to Him before Avhom Ave must all appear. Let us remember that Thomas Ewing lived, but not In vain ; that he died, but still lives for our example and our study. 1S4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. REMARKS OF HON. HENRY STANBERY. The Hor. Henrj^ Stanbery then addressed the meet ing : 2Ir. Chairman and Brethren of the Bar : I am but just returned from Lancaster, from assisting at the last sad tribute to the memory of a friend — our deceased brother. I did not arrive In time to see my friend once more alive, but it Avas not too late to see that well-remembered face, cold, pale, solemn, AvIth no ansAverIng look of recognition, which I never missed before in my life. There, Mr. Chairman, in that beauti ful town he has made so famous ; there. In that old homestead Avhere he enjoyed all the hapj)Iness that belongs to domestic life ; there, surrounded by every child that was ever born to him ; there, AvIth every duty of life fulfilled and accomplished, he passed from earth, and from there his bodv was taken to that neighboring cemetery, Avhere, by the side of that wife he loved so Avell, I saAV him laid quietly aAvay. I feel in no con dition, Mr. President, to speak of Mr. Ewing as he deserves to be spoken of — as a laAvyer and a member of the bar. It is the man and the friend I miss hoav. My mind reverts to an early time, and to Mr. Ewing as he was almost a half a century ago. I remember well that day I Avas admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court In Gallipolis. He Avas on the committee that examined me. Ah ! what a circle of men there were PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 185 at that time on that committee, and on the bench of that court — Burnett, Heath, Goddard, King (the all- accomplished), Douglas, Putnam, and Ewing ! When did the bar or bench see such an array as that? — ^and now the last of them Is gone. Having finished their business In the court, Mr. EAvIng, my friend Goddard, aud myself started aAvay together on horseback. Well do I recollect that morning In May ! Mr. Ewing's point of destination Avas Lancaster, ours Zanesville. As Ave rode along, oppressed by the heat, we passed a grove of tempting shade. Mr. Ewing, quoting from the first Bucolic the lines addressed to Tityrus, invited us to repose in the shade. There it Avas he invited me to come to Lancaster, travel with him through the circuit, and become acquainted with the practice. I Avas not slow to accept the Invitation. In less than a Aveek, I was in Lancaster, and from that time for a period of fully seven years, I studied AA'ith him in his office, rode with him on his circuit — a large one — -following with willing but all unequal footsteps his great leadership, Avitnessing his noble efforts at the bar, and learning from him what it is that makes a laAvyer. It seems to me I can see him uoav as he Avas then. I first kncAV him in May, 1824, then In his thirty-fifth year, a man marked with a grand physical organization, such as is rarely seen united to such mental powers as he possessed. Age had not yet impressed any traces of its advance. He stood fully six feet high, well developed, possessing gi'eat physical powers, SAvIft-footed, matchless in the 1[6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. race, first in all athletic exercises — such a man physi cally as one rarely looks upon. Yet it Avas not that AA'hich Avas so much the attraction as that fine, intellec tual face, that head well poised upon his ample shoub ders. One could see in looking at the physical man that he endured a life of early labor ; but AA'hat Avas rarely seen in such a life was its combination Avith such a head and such a face. I haye seen many men v^'ork their way up through labor and early toil into Intellectual life, but ncA'cr have knoAA'u one Avhose face shoAved so little of the early impress of time and mere labor. It was all over intellectual, and at any time he might have sat as a study for a sculptor or a painter. It AA'as In these seven years, from 1824 to 1831, before he entered political life, and when his great powers and forensic abilities Avere all in full play, Mr. Ewing was to be seen to the greatest advantage. I confess I missed something of that fire when he left the bar for political life. I shall never forget him as he was from the age of thirty-five to forty-tAVO, though from that day to this Ave must regard him as one of the greatest men of the nation. I may say that, with one exception, and that Is Y^ebster, I knoAv of none in Avhom I could recognize more ability and forensic power than in Ewing. Among his chief qualities Avas his ability in discussing questions of fact before a j ury. Though able to discuss any ques tion before a court, it seems to me his grandest efforts Avere as an advocate before a jury. Of all the men I have ever listened to, he was the greatest master of facts. PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. 187 When he entered political life, our relations, though not so close, continued. He was often engaged In the Su preme Court, Avhere I met him frequently with Wirt, Lee, Webster, Choate, Davis, and the tAVO Johnsons, and our OAvn Doddridge and Hammond, among the greatest lawyers that we ever had. Among these he took his place In the foremost rank, second to none, as a great lawyer, save Webster alone. How these tAVO names are associated In my recollection ! Nothing could be more delightful than to hear their ordinary conversation, Avhen the lawyers sat around, a listening and attentive audi ence. One day, Ewing was absent, and, on his coming in the next day, Webster said : " Ewing, you Avere not here yesterday," and then he quoted from that beautiful elegy he loved so well the verse commencing : " One morning I missed him fiom the accustomed hill." I shall never forget that scene, or the pathos and beauty Avith which Webster repeated these words. There are many that did not understand Ewing In his character as a man. Great as he AA'as as a laAvyer, his private, domestic, friendly traits, his moral nature, attracted me even more. Never Avas there a more affec tionate son, never a more devoted husband, never a more loving father. Some have supposed, seeing him In fits of abstraction, that he Avas forbidding and repulsive. My friends, there never Avas a more loving nature than his. With a heart as tender as a Avoman's, I have seen that manly face time and again suffused AvIth tears. 188 PROCEEDINGS OE THE BAR. He Avas liberal, all-embracing in his friendship, never deserting a friend. That was the character of the man, and no one feels or can feel his loss more as a friend than I do ; for, Mr. Chairman, if I have at all learned Avhat must go to make up a lawyer, if I have attained to any success at the bar, whatever it may be, I owe more to the teaching and example of Thomas E^vIng than to any man, living or dead. I feel that there is a debt of gratitude on me I cannot discharge, and I shall always Avith great pleasure avail myself of the opportunity, Avhenever it offers, to speak of him as a lawyer, and of the lesson he has set to the younger brethren. Of all things in the way of preioaration for the bar — I do not speak of moral qualifications — but of all other things his example taught me, Avas a thorough preparation of my case. O my friends ! I found the advantage and neces sity of it Avhen I came to contend with him in forensic discussion. Then all that saved me Avere the Aveapons he put into my hands, the armor with AvhIch he encased me. His life affords a study for all of us, but it Is to the young, the ambitious lawyer Avho intends to AA'ork his Avay up, the lesson must be of most interest. REAIARKS OP THE HON. A. F. PERRY. Mr. Perry next addressed the meeting as follows : Mr. Chairjian: The figure AvhIch has disappeared from our bar was a grand one, and, once seen, cannot be PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 189 easily forgotten. The intellectual character of the mail Avas conspicuous and powerful. He was a great man and a great lawyer. It is not desirable ou this occasion to rehearse Avith joarticularity the incidents of a long life, so much observed by his countrymen. If at any place reached by his fame, or before any audience of Ameri cans, it Avould be needful to tell Avhat he has done, assuredly that place is not In Ohio, nor that audience an assemblage of Ohio laAvyers. There 'was published in a new,q3aper many years ago a biographical sketch of the earlier part of the life of Mr. Ewing. It set forth in detail, and with a degree of fulness Avhich I have not seen in any other production, the circumstances of his father's family and the incidents of Mr. Ewing's boyhood. I do not know who AA'rote it, but it was recognized by Mr. Ewing as correct. I have not lately seen the article iu its original form, but I think that a biographical sketch published In one of our city papers since the death of Mr. Ewing Avas made up of a copy of that article, Avith additions relating to his later life. The biography of Mr. Ewing, published in the IKew AmerlcanCyclopcBdla, so far as it related to his earlier life, was abbreviated from that newspaper article. But the incidents of his official career were carefully collated from public documents and from the debates of Con gress. The space allov.'ed for It by the publishers requir ed the utmost condensation, and permitted little more than the merest abstract of CA'ents and dates. But it 24 190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. covered the most active part of his career, and included all his official services, with one doubtful exception. The volume containing this article Avas published In 1859. In 1861, Mr. EAving Avas a member of that assemblage known as the Peace Conference. The Conference Avas Invited by the State of Yirginia. The members from Ohio AA'ere appointed by the Governor of the State, and Mr. Ewdng AA'as one of them. The gravity of the occasion, and the public interest centred upon it at the time, Avere such that his serA'ice there may perhaps be accounted part of his official career, though the Conference had no authority or sanction in any con stitution. State or Federal, and its proceedings Avere abortive. His part in that conference, as in most other transactions shared by him, Avas conspicuous. A com mittee composed of one member from each State, selected by the Commissioners, as they were called, of the States, Avas constituted, AvIth authority to consider all proposi tions for the adjustment of existing difficulties between States, and to report " Avhat they may deem right, neces sary, and proper to restore harmony and preserve the Union." Mr. Ewing was chosen by his colleagues from Ohio as the Ohio member of that committee. The Con ference sat tAventy-three days, during which time its labors engaged the anxious and almost undivided attention of the country. It recommended a series of amendments to the Constitution of the United States, Avhich Avere subsequently considered by Congress, in con nection with other projects for avoiding a civil Avai-. PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. 191 But the time had gone by for such conclbatioas, aud Avar folloAved. With the exception of Mr. Ewing's service at this Con ference, the biographical sketch in the Cjclopasdla covers his entire official career, and Avas recognized by Mr. Ewing as correct. The ncAVspaper article, and the article in the Cyclopmdia to which I have referred, form the basis for all the published sketches AA'hich I have seen. Some of the newspaper articles published since his death continue the narrative, Avith an appearance of authenticity, to the time of his death. The main works of Mr. Ewing's life Avere at the bar. His fame Avas spread abroad and his great capacity made more AvIdely known by his public official positions. But his grade as a man of intelligence Avas definitely that of his grade at the bar. His first official position Avas that of Senator of the United States, to AvhIch he was elected at the age of forty-tAvo. Lie served one term, and returned to the bar. At about the age of fifty-two, he became Secretaiy of the Treasury, under President Har rison. After about six months, he retired from office, and returned to the bar. At about the age of fifty-nine he was placed in the Cabinet of President Taylor, as Secre tary of the Interior. At about the age of sixty, he Avas again elected to the Senate to fill an unexjDired term, having about a year to serve, after which he returned again to the bar. His Avhole official life occupied less than nine years. He took his place In the Senate in 1831, one of the 192 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. last years of the Administration of President Jackson. His position Avas gained and held without the help of Government patronage; for the party with AvhIch he acted was In a mlnorit}'. Afterwards, AA'hen he Avas made Secretary of the Treasury, under President Harrison, and still later, when made Secretary of the Department of the Interior, under President Taylor, the same thing Avas true. The successes of his party Avere victories gained by main strength, not only without, but against, the Influence of patronage. The high positions awarded him Avere due alone to his character and abilities. When he entered the Senate, Ohio did not hold the same relative position In the public councils AA'hich she holds UOAV, but was regarded rather as a frontier State. Mr. Webster, on constitutional law and questions of flnance, occupied, Avithout a j3eer, the whole field of debate. In the political organization of the party, Mr. Clay AA'as fast anchored in an unquestioned and unap proachable ascendency. But Mr. Ewing made himself promptly felt. If I should describe here the rapidity and strength Avith which he gra.sped the controlling themes of the time, a true description would seem like an exaggeration. One has need to trace him through those volumes of animated, sometimes acrimonious debates to measure his enormous vitality. Although in a minority, it Avas chiefly his exertions Avhich forced a reorganization of the Post-office Department and of the General Land Office. I do not mean merely a change of persons, but a reconstruction of the laAvs PROCEEDIN'G.5 OF TIIE BAR. 193 AvhIch related to those inijiortant branches of the Government. To enumerate his services during those six years Avould be to trace the leading incidents in the history of the Senate during that time. He sjjoke upon the Specie Circular, upon the removal of the deposits from the L^'nlted States banks, upon the tariff, upon the Force Bill. His speeches Avere alive AvIth power. In a Avord, he commanded the respectful attention and deference of an audience accustomed to listen to Calhoun, Clay, and Y^'ebster. In that one term, he achieved a national reputation, and flxed his grade as one of the strong men of the United States. But Avho does not knoAV that the fleld-days of the Senate are play compared Avith the contests of the bar ? The first time I saAV Mr. Ewing AA'as in the Supreme Court of Ohio, at its December term for 1838. His Senatorial term had expired. The case Avas the Bank of Chlllicothe vs. SAvayne and others, reported in 8 O. R. 258. The last case in Avhich I remember to have seen him Avas the McMIcken aa'IU case, iu this Court. More than tAventy years intervened, during all which time, and before and after, he was distinguished for substantially the same qualities, and ranked at the head of the bar. I do not mean by this that his professional employments Avere more numerous or successful than the employments of some others, nor that there were not others Avhose services, even in a great and difficult case, might be as A'aluable to clients; but I mean that the qualities by Avhich 194 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. he was distinguished Avere great qualities, and Avould not permit that at the Ohio bar, or the bar of the Su^Dreme Court of the United States, or at the English bar, his grade should be thought of as Inferior to any other. He Avould have taken posses sion of the sight and thoughts of men, and become a central figure anywhere. Almost a giant In stature, Avell formed, Avith head and features of classic mould, his mind and body Avere fitted to each other. Direct and unconventional in manner, plain in attire as in sj^eech, his moA'ements of body and mind had an Impetus sug gestive of poAver to render obstructions futile. In the Senate as at the bar, he alwa}'s struck directly, and AvIth main force, for the key of the situation. There Avas not ahvays absent something of the unconscious air of a coii- (j^ueror. An opponent In debate had need of selfreliance aud a steady balance of the nei'A'ous system; not that Mr. Ewing Avas rude or otherAvise unpleasant in debate, but because, aside from intellectual processes and legal kuoAA'ledge, his presence carried with It an undefinable ascendency of avIII or character. He Avas a lover of literature and an extensive general reader. In conversation, he Avas fond of playful anec dotes and literary allusions. But in speech his thought moved to its aim AvIth too grand an impetus to VA'ait for ornamentation. He had the faculty of labor AvhIch habitually explored for the Avhole reach and bottom of his subject. I am not aAvare that I have CA'cr met a stronger man. In logical poAver and breadth of thought, PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 195 he Avas not inferior to Mr. Webster. In Mr. Webster' ,s mind, imagination AA'as a more prominent feature than In Mr. EAviug's, and I think the artistic faculty, as seen in the construction and ornamentation of his speeches, Avas more in use AAdth Mr. Webster. But for breadth. Impetus, and logical force, Mr. Ewing's mind had no siq^erior, at least none Avliich has come Avithin the range of my observation. At a critical and trying period in his political fortunes, I had reason to supi^ose myself in his confidence, and had free con ferences Avith him. The circumstances Avere vexatious, and difficulties too great to be overcome. But I never heard him suggest the use of unfair or unmanly means. It may be that the necessary struggles of his early years fixed upon him an aspect of sternness AA'hich he carried through the vigor of his life. It may be that conscious ness of intellectual strength became the laAV of his ex istence. His nature Avas too large and full not to be moved by genuine sympathies; but it Avas sometimes possible to Avish them more demonstrative. In his latter years, after his combats were ended, all this Avas changed. A more loA^able, affectionate, sympathetic nature Avas never bestoAved on man or AA'oman. As he neared the CA^enlng horizon, the orb of his being seemed to groAV larger; its rays neither penetrated nor scorched any more, Imt filled the scene Avith trancpill affections. At the short session of the Forty-second .Congress, held last spring, pending a debate said to have been unprece dented, he appeared on the floor of the House, supported 196 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. by a friend, and AvaS seated for a time. As he surveyed the actors there, his features kindled Avith the Avouted play of his great faculties. His presence Avas majestic and venerable. He avIU not appear in that House any more, nor In the Senate, nor iu the Cabinet, nor at the bar. While arguing In this Court the McMicken avHI case, he used an expression, considerately muffled, Avhich could mean nothing else than negation of religious belief It did not imply positive disbelief, but simple absence of belief. With such a mind as his, the line betAveen religious belief and the Avaut of it is narroAA'. It depends upon the existence of Deity and immortality of the soul, and belief in those is less the result of reason than of intuition ; rather a part of the constitution of the mind than a product of the mental operations. It Avould seem that as his A'vill, the dominating trait of his mental structure, subordinated itself to the supremacy of his aftections, he left that side of the line on AA'hich he stood at the McMicken argument, and passed over to the side Avhere stood his departed companions at the bar, God dard, Wilcox, Hitchcock, McLean; Avhere also waited for him the departed mother of his children. REMARKS OF NATHANIEL AVRIGHT. Mr. Nathaniel Wright said he Avished to make a feAV remarks, more particularly in regard to the character of Mr. Ewing. It Avas very noble and very lovely. It Is not much, even In these degenerate days, to say of a man PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 197 that he Avas upright, just, firm in principle, faithful in duty, steadfast as a rock In Avhat he believed to be right. These Avere traits AA'hich every lawyer should possess; but there was something peculiar, something gentle and genial about his nature that thrcAV a charm over his character, and attracted everybody to him. He Avas thrown, in the latter days of his life, into positions Avhich provoke not unfrequently the sarcasms and bitter ven geance of party spirit; but it is remarkable that, if Ave look OA'er the newspapers of that day, Ave do not find In any of the popular declarations or harangues anything of personal bitter abuse. His friends who differed AvIth him believed he Avas an upright, conscientious man, Avhom everybody must respect ; and outside of that circle over the nation at large there was a kind of atmosphere of character pertaining to him that pervaded the Avhole nation — a general sentiment of respect toAvard the princi ples, character, and conduct of the man. His character AVds to be studied, especially by the members of the bar. True Avorth In his case reaped Its rcAvard in this Avorld, and surely avIII in a better one. REJIARKS OF HON. A. G. AV. CARTER. 21 r. President and Brothers of the Bar : " The death of those distinguished by their station, But hy their virtue more, awakes the mind To solemn dread, and strikes a saddening awe : Not that we grieve for them, hut for ourselves. Left to the toil of life." Y^e of his brethren "left to the toil of life," who are 198 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR, assembled here this day to give clue respect and honor to the memory of the departed Thomas Ewing, are not called upon to grieve or lament, but rather to rejoice in the memory of the great traits of character of the deceased, and to thank Heaven that his life was so long and so useful, and that he has arisen to a higher sphere of existence, in which his life is continued to accomplish far greater and better results than when clogged by the material grossness of this earthly being. We rejoice to know that he Avho has departed was distinguished by his station, but by his virtue more; and although our minds have been awakened to solemn dread, and struck with saddening aAve, It is not that we grieve for him, but for ourseh'es. We meet together to do honor to the excel lence of his life for the sake of the living, and not for the dead. Y^e Avho survive here convene together to mani fest to the world that Ave shall keep in sacred memoiy, and respect, and love, and affection Avhat Avas great and good of our departed brother, and hold It ever close aud dear in our minds and hearts, that we may be the better for it, and, in our lives here, may be enabled to accom plish more good and use for the benefit of human- ity. " Wise judges are we of each other." From the very nature of ourselves and our existence, it Is cj^uite impossible for any one of us to sit in judgment upon another. No one can judge us properly and truly Init He Avho seeth all things. We come not to judge of Mr. Ewing ! Y^e come to do honor to those noble traits PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAF. 199 of his conduct of life Avhicli Avere so apparent that all Avho ever kncAV him or had his acquaintance might readily see. We judge not, that Ave be not judged; and what Ave shall say of Mr. Ewing shall not be in the spirit of judgment, but in the spirit of praise and laudation, for high and great qualities of mind and heart, Avhich cer tainly and eminently belonged to him. His death does not grieve us; he lived long, aud nobly, and full of honors. We deplore not his death ; for " All that live must die, Passing through nature to eternity." But Ave rejoice in his great, exemplary life, and are glad to kaoAY that in such a world as this there Avas such a man aud such a life ! I remember that, Avhile I was yet a youth at college, the name of Thomas Ewing as a lawyer and a statesman stood foremost among the great sons of Ohio. He had then achieved the lofty position of Senator from Ohio in the Senate of the United States, and. as such Avas high iu rank among the then great names of the Senate. His name Avas frecjuently associated Avith those of Clay and Y/ebster, and the people of Ohio of all j)artles felt proud of his name and his standing. His first service as United States Senator was from the year 1831 to 1837 ; when retiring from the strife of political life, he returned to his peaceful home in Lancaster, and resumed his practice of the law. This was Mr. Ewing's first political position — that of a Senator of the United States. It Is 200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. given to but a few of our felloAv-citizens to achieve at the start in public life so high a position. Mr. Ewing before this — from the year 1816, Avhen he was admitted to the bar of this State — had been practising law with distinguished success in the courts of the State and of the United States, and from his position as an eminent laAvyer Avas at once transferred to a seat In the national Senate. He had not been a hackneyed, ambitious poli tician, a seeker for place and office, but, honored for his political wisdom, he was considered a great statesman, and the Whig party of that day, Avithout action or solici tation upon his part, placed him in high, honorable posi tion ; and, Avhen he was once so placed, he did honor to his State and the nation, acquiring for himself at once a national reputation equal almost to that of any senator In the L'nlon. In the year 1841, on the accession of President Harri son, Mr. EAving Avas appointed Secretary of the Treasury, Avhich office he held until September of that year, Avhen, Avith other members of President Harrison's cabinet, he resigned his office, unwilling to follo'w the fortunes of the administration of John Tyler, Avho had succeeded to the Presidency on the demise of General Harrison. Again Mr. EAving retired to private life, and again re sumed the practice of the laAA'. Y^hen General Taylor Avas made President, In 1849, Mr. Ewing Avas again called to the councils of the nation, aud he organized the neAA'ly-createcl Department of the Interior, having been appointed the Secretary. In 1850, after the demise PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 201 of General Taylor, Mr. Ewing resigned his office as Secretary of the Interior, and was appointed by the Governor of Ohio once more to the United States Senate, to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Corwin, Avho had been appointed Secretary of the Treasury by Presi dent Fillmore. He served as Senator until the year 1851, AA'hen, his term of office liaA'Ing expired, he once more gave up public employment, and betook himself to the practice of the laAA'. No more do Ave hear of him in public station until the year 1861, when, the great civil Avar threatening, the Governor of our State, because of his great fitness, appointed Mr. E\ving as a Peace Commissioner In the ill-starred National Peace Confer ence called together by the State of Yirginia. This Peace Convention, as all know, Avas an utter failure ; and Mr. EAvIng, now in declining age, gave up public position entirely. But during the Avar of the great Rebellion, he Avas by no means still, in his private sta tion. Having clone all he could to stay the bloody and unholy work in the beginning, his voice and pen were nobly on the side of the Union AA'hen the cry Avas, "Havoc, and let loose the dogs of war!" And Avhen, too, the cruel Avar Avas oA'er, Mr. Ewing, from his private place and peaceful home, Avas again ready, in his true- born patriotism, to counsel his countrymen to forget and forgiye, and thus more strongly and thoroughly per petuate the bonds of union, and restore the peace and happiness of his countrymen and the glory of his nation. 202 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. This, then, is a brief epitome of the public services of our distinguished departed friend. In his life, though perhaps often, he Avas not long in office ; but Avhen in office, he was the true patriot and the true statesman. Lie was always for his coun try, and, AvIthout any selfish consideration, his duties he performed for the good of the people. I never be longed to the same political jjarty as did Mr. Ewing — being always, until of late years, of the opposite party iu politics — but I haA'e this to sa}' of Mr. Ewing, that I never saAV aught in him of political guile or machina tion. Indeed, I never looked upon him as a mere politi cian. In public character, he Avas always to me a states man, and as such I A'leAved him. Personally, of late years, coming sometimes in contact with him and get ting Avell acquainted with him, my opinion of him as a statesman and a true patriot Avas greatly confirmed. I remember a conversation I had with him just at the close of the Avar of the Rebellion, Avhen the uppermost question was AA'hat Avas to be done Avith the States latel}' iu rebellion, and his significant reply was, " They must be treated as Territories, and, at the proper time, must be readmitted into the Union." This Avas the first time that I had heard that Idea suggested ; and, even at this late day, It frequently occurs to me, particularly in con sideration of all that has happened since, that it Avould have been the wisest and surest plan of reconstructing the Union. In his subdued age and latter life, Mr. Ewing, Avith all his faculties about him, Avas still the PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 203 patriot and statesman. He had lived a long- life as such. and as such he died, Avhen — " He gave his honors to the world again, Eis blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace." But, brethren of the bar, it particularly concerns us to speak of our honored friend as a lawyer. It was in the profession of the law that he was especially one of us — our brother. There are some of venerable years among us at that time, who Avere associated and Intimate Avitli Ml'. EAving In professional relations, and one of these has addressed us In feeling and eloquent terms. But most of us have been personally little acquainted with Mr. Ewing as a laAvyer at the bar, though all of us avsII know his great reputation ; and that reputation speaks to us In most unmistakable terms that Mr. Ewing was the leading lawyer of our State, if not of the nation. It Avas my fortune, Avhen upon the bench of the Common Pleas and District Courts of this county, to see and know Mr. Ewing as a practising lawyer. He argued several cases before me and my associates, and I must be permitted to say, as extensive as I kncAv the reputation of Mr. Ewing to be, his great and high standing as a laAA'yer was more than confirmed In my opinion, when, as a Judge of the Court, I was permitted to see and know his ability and learning. I remember well his conduct of a very Important case in the District Court. He had as colleague and adversary two of the most prominent laAvyers of the bar of Ohio. In the argument 204 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. of the case before the Court, his colleague and adve:'sary consumed some six or seven hours of time. Mr. Ewing, taking the chief points and principles of the case, ami AvhIch comprehended all thei'e was of laAV and fact involved in the case, in a terse, strong, and forenslcalh' eloquent argument, consumed only about three-quarters of an hour of the time of the Court. I mention this one instance of the practice of Mr. Ewing, because, as I am informed. It illustrates all. Mr. E^ving, fully compre hending and grasping the great legal priuciijles and the sum of the facts of the case, argued briefly and tersely upon them alone, and let the small niceties and legal quibbles and technicalities to those Avho cared for them. He confided in the justice of his cause, founded upon the real legal ju-lnclples and the facts involved, and hurled these at the mind of the Court AvIth all necessary power and discretion. When he was afloat upon his case, he pursued the Avide and deep stream of it, unmindful of the small tributaries, AvhIch he left for others to pursue as they might think fit. It Avas this extended, compre hensive poAver of Mr. Ewing that made him a truly great lawyer, and gave him that nuAvonted success at the bar. He was indeed a natural lawyer, and, because of that, his mind Avas eminently judicial; and often haA-e I thought that It Avould have been Avell for his country had Mr. Ewing occupied the place of Chief Justice of the United States. He AA'as emphatically fit for that high office ! It is not needful to say more of Mr. Ewing as a jurist, PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. 205 as, in Avhat has been said, we have comprehended his real and genuine greatness as such; and it would be well for us all, as lawyers, to keep In mind that the greatness of Mr. Ewing, as a laAvyer was not in his learning aud experience in the cases or the technicalities of the laAA', but in the profound principles, reason, and justice of the law. He Avas a man emphatically of justice iu the law, and to his legal mind all else had to succumb. During his long career of practice at the bar — much over a half century — it never could be said of him : " In vain thy reason finer webs shall draw, Entangle justice in her net of law. And right, too rigid, harden into wrong ; Still for the strong too weak, the weak too strong." It becomes now my pleasiug duty to speak of our distinguished brother as a onan among his fellows; and here it is that his character, ever above reproach, stands out in bold relief All who have ever seen him full well know that he Avas marked AAdth a splen did physical personality; and his surmounting, mas sive brow and head showed most plainly the brains within. His mental and intellectual strength were very great; and this shoAved itself, not only in the field of politics and jurisprudence, but in all depart ments of life. His mind, too, was garnished with much useful information and learning beyond that necessary In his profession and public life; and per- 206 PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE BAR. haps no man was, during his AA'hole life, a more dili gent student than he. His intellectual house, of much magnitude, he filled with CA^-ery form of use and adornment, and managed it all for the good of his fellow-men. Gifted so in mentality, he Avas by no means want ing in heart. On the contrar}', to those avIio kneAv him Avell, his heart Avas as great as his mind ; and in all his social relations as husband, father, and friend, he Avas loving and beloved. Among his felloAvs he moved Avith much dignity, and attracted much respect; and underlying that serious and solemn aspect of per son and carriage Avas the affection of a brother and a friend, AvhIch attached to him Avith "hooks of steel" those Avho kncAV him avcU. He Avas a man of Avhom it can be truly said that, throughout his long and useful course, he Avas pure, clear, and free from guile, incorrupt, and above suspicion. ^^ Integer vita, seelerisque purus." Such in this life Avas our great friend ; and we do not lament that death has stricken him doAvn. He has not fallen — he has arisen. His death was his rebirth into another and a better Avorld. It Is the divine laAA' — birth, groAvth, life, decay, death, rebirth — all progress : and Mr. EAviug has been like all of us AvIU be, but a subject of the laAv. In him the laAv has been fulfilled, and he has been born again. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 207 " For though the soul of man Be got when he is made, 'tis born but then When man doth die; our body's as the womb. And, as a midwife, death directs it home." Says the great apostle, "There is a natural body, and there Is a spiritual body; and Avhen we lay oft' the corruptible one, Ave take on the incorruptible. This is the law." Go for a little while Avith me to the sculptor's studio. We are modestly and gladly AA'elcomed, and Ave enter. There, among- other objects of beauty, Ave see a remarkable statue, pointed out to us by the excellent artist. It is a statue of perfect manhood. We look and admire: " See what a grace is seated on this brow : Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself; An eye hke Mars, to threaten and command ; A station hke the herald Mercury New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill. A combination and a form, indeed, Where every god did seem to set his seal To give tie world assurance of a man.'' The statue, in all its startling beauty is moulded In clay — the dust of the earth. Soon the artist ap proaches, and, climbing to an eminence above the statue, cries out to us, "Behold! Again behold!" And with draAvn and uplifted hammer, to our amazement he instantly strikes the statue, and off, off the yield ing, crumbling clay falls in appalling ruins. But, lo ! 203 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. lo ! In Its place on its pedestal stands still the statue of manhood, in the same form, features, attitude, and lineaments; but now, oh! how resplendent in gold — iu its shining, golden texture to stand for ever ! The earthly clay Avas but the coarse coA^erlng of the statue of gold. We are sti-uck dumb Avith aAve ! So Avith our eminent friend. The great Master- Artist of the universe, lifting the hammer of death, has but struck off the mortal clay, and Thomas Ewing, in golden immortality, still liA'es. " He lives in glory ; and his speaking dust Has more of life than half its breathing mouths." REMARKS OF JUDGE AVHITMAN. Judge H. C. Whitman said he oaa'CcI an apology for rising to address the meeting at this late hour, and in the presence of many abler and older members of the bar, and Avould haA'e remained silent but that he desired to express, as a comparatively younger mem ber of the bai', the high honor and privilege he had felt iu AvItnessIng the great Intellectual efforts of Mr. EAA'ing, in the enjoyment of his professional friendship and the hospitality of his home. He felt the debt of gratitude, aud should feel it all his professional life. He had heard in Washington the ablest members of the bar, and was familiar someAvhat Avith the reputation of Mr. Ewing, but Avas by no means prepared for the extraordinary displays he afterAvards Avitnessed, filling PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 209 him, not only with astonishment, but almost Avith aAve. He seemed to have taken advantage of the remark of Edmund Burke iu relation to the science of the laAV — that Avhile it tended in the first instance to make the mind more acute, unless fortified by learning. It ended in making It narroAv; for his researches, his studies, Avere not limited to the mere abstract science of the laAV, but he Avent out into every department. He was a master of Shakespeare, of Milton, thoroughly con versant Avitli all the English classics, familiar, too, with the best Avritings of the old Romans. He Avent tho roughly into the domain of the natural sciences, and as a historian, there Avere perhaps but two men In this State who could be called his equals — one Avas the Hon. William Allen, the other the Rev. Arch bishop Purcell, the distinguishing peculiarity in each being the extent of his historical knoAvledge. With- out wearying this honorable meeting, he (Judge Whit man) desired simply to say, • in addition to recording in this public manner his humble tribute to the mem ory of Mr. Ewing, that. In his judgment, he was In almost every branch of the laAV as great a lawyer as this countiy ever produced; in the power of marshal ling complicated facts before a court and jury, fully the equal of Webster. His life was an example to the young. No man can rise by genius, unless he define genius by labor; and his genius Avas untiring and methodical, never despising small things. 210 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. REMARKS OF GEORGE E. PUGH. Mr. Pugh said, though the meeting had been pro longed beyond the ordinary time on such occasions, he could not suffer the opportunity to pass without be stowing his humble mite of admiration Avhere so emi nent a gentleman, with whom he was accpialnted for more than a quarter of a century, had passed from among them. Mr. Pugh then recounted several of the cases in which he appeared with Mr. Ewing, and jiassed a handsome eulogy on the abilities of the great laA\'- yer and statesman. He Avas a finished scholar, his couA'ersatlon the charm of all Avho heard him, his character an honor to the profession, and, since the death of Webster, the greatest lawyer in the United States. Judge Warden and J. L. Miner followed in a fcAv appropriate remarks. Judge Swing and Judge Este also paid brief but handsome tributes to the memory of the great de ceased, after Avhich the resolutions were then put from the chair aud adopted. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 211 [Ciucinnati Commercial.] THOMAS EWING. Uj)on yesterday the bar of Hamilton County con vened for the purpose of paying its tribute of respect to the memory of the great lawyer, who was uni versally acknowledged as the leader of the profession in the State of Ohio. It is very rare that a meeting of the kind has produced such a profound impression upon those Avho attended it, and it Is also rare to find so much ability and good taste united to pronounce eulogies at once so high and so just. It is difficult for friendship to praise without excess of commendation, and it is difficult to estimate the ability of one who has occupied position, and avou applause in discharging great and honorable duties, Avithout that natural tendency to exaggeration Avhich may be considered. If not a failing, at least an in cident, of human nature. But the proceedings of the bar displayed a singular excellence. Eulogy Avas not too high Avrought, and the remarks of all who sjioke evinced great feeling, admiration, and respect. They illustrated the fact that the character of the deceased had impressed itself upon the hearts and minds of those Avho knew him in a way such as only a great and good man could. 212 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. KEPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Oil the announcement of the Death of the Hon. Tliomas Ewing. Although it is not a usual matter for this Court to notice in Its proceedings the death of members of the bar, the venerable years of Mr. Ewing, his eminence as a lawyer, the long term, ending only with his life, in Avhich he vA'as constantly engaged at this bar, and the reputation AA'hich he had throughout the countiy, both in professional and public life, seemed to haA'e caused a departure from the practice In his case. i-=- Mr. EAving Avas born in Ohio County, Yirginia, December 28, 1789. His father, Avho had served in the American army during the ReA'olutlon, and had become reduced in circumstances, remoA'cd his family in 1792 to the Muskingum River, and thence to a place in Avhat has since become Athens County, Ohio. He AA'as here taught to read by an elder sister, and by extraordinary efforts of his own acquired a fair elementary education. At the age of nineteen, he left home, and Avorked in the KanaAvha salt establish ments, until, in the course of tAVO or three years, he had saA'cd money enough to enter the Ohio Uni versity, at Athens. His money being exhausted, he PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 213 returned to his salt works, saved his earnings again, then resumed his studies, and in 1815 received the first degree of A.B. ever granted by the Ohio Uni versity, He studied laAV in Lancaster, Ohio, and Avas admitted to the bar in 1816, and practised with great success in the State courts and In this Court. In March, 1831, he took his seat in the Senate of the United States as a member of the Whig party, and became associated Avith Mr. Webster and Mr. Clay in resisting what Avere deemed the encroachments of the Executive, and In support of the Whig measures generall}'. In March, 1837, his term of office having explred, he resumed the practice of the law. Upon the election of President Harrison, in 1841, he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury — an office which he retained under Mr. Tyler (avIio, by President Har rison's death, in one month after his Inauguration, succeeded to his office) so long as Mr. Tyler acted in accordance with the a'Icavs of the party by whose electors he was elected. With most of the other members of President Tyler's Cabinet, he resigned office in September, 1841. On the election of Presi dent Taylor, in 1849, he Avas appointed Secretary of the then recently created Department of the Interior, which Avas still unorganized. On the death of that President, July 9, 1850, and the accession of Mr. Fillmore, a division in the Whig party caused a change in the cabinet. Mr. Corwin became Secretary of the Treasury, and Mr. Ewing Avas appointed by the 27 214 PROCEEDINGS CF TIIE BAR. Governor of Ohio to fill the unexpired term of Mr. CorAvin in the Senate. In 1851, he retired from public life — in AvhIch he was engaged, taking it all together, for about nine years — and resumed the practice of the law. However, in 1861, Avhen the Rebellion Avas imminent, he became a member of the assemblage known as the Peace Conference. This Con ference was invited by the State of Yirginia. The members of Ohio Avere appointed by the GoA'eruor of that State. The Conference sat tAventy-three days, but conciliations Avere Impossible. The South Avas determined on rebellion, and the war came. Mr. Ewing died on the 26th of October, 1871, at his residence in Lancastei', Ohio, in the eighty-second year of his age. His abilities Avere known to those of the departed or departing generation perhaps more than to those of the present one, although he continued to prac tise in this court until Avithin a short time ; the last case Avhich he argued having been, I think, Maguire vs. Tyler, at December Term, 1869, which, on account of his venerable years and Imperfect strength, he was gra ciously requested by the Court to argue sitting. Among the most elaborate of his Avrltten professional arguments are those in the case of Oliver vs. Pratt et cd., involving the title of a large part of Toledo, Ohio ; the case of the Methodist Church division ; the Mclntire Poor-school vs. Zanesville ; and the McMicken Y^ill case, Invohdng large be(]uests for education On the 28th of October, after the intelligence ot his PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 215 death reached Washington, a meeting of the bar of this Court was held, Avhen, on motion of Mr. Carlisle, the Hon. B. H. Bristow, Solicitor-General, Avas called to the chair, and Mr. D. W. Middleton appointed Secretary. The resolutions set out beloAV (Avhich Avere drawn up and offered by Lion. T. W. Bartley, of Ohio) were unanimousl}'' passed. On the opening of the Court on Monday, the 30th, Mr. Attorney-General Akerman, In appropriate terms, announced the melancholy event AvhIch- had led to them, and laid them .before the Court, as follows : " Resolved, That the members of the bar of the Su preme Court of the United States have received AvIth profound sensibility the announcement of the death of the late Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, long and eminently distinguished as a jurist and statesman. " Resolved, That we hold in high estimation the mem ory of the deceased as one of the great men of the coun try. Illustrious for public services in the councils of the nation, and eminence and ability in the profession of the law. " Resolved, That the Attorney-General of the United States be requested to communicate these resolutions to the Court, Avith the request that they may be entered ou the record ; and, further, that they be communicated to the family of the deceased, AvIth the expression of the sympathies of the meeting." The Chief- Justice made the following reply : " The Court share Avith the bar the sentiments ex- 216 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. pressed by their resolutions, which will be entered upon the records, in accordance with their request. " We all feel that whatever honors can be paid to the memoiy of Mr. EAving are properly paid. " His is the record of a youth patient of toil and full of aspiration ; of a manhood worthily employed in vari ous and honorable public trusts, and in forensic labors, Avhich gave as frequent occasion to note the remarkable grasp and vigor of his intellect, and the great variety and extent of his attainments; of a protracted and serene old age ; and of a calm and peaceful death, surrounded by children Avorthy of their father. " To family and friends, the death of a relative and friend so honored and beloved, however long deferred, conies always too soon. Counting ourselves as not the least affectionate among the friends of Mr. Ewing, we yet find, and doubt not that all near to him in friendship or relationship avIII ever find, consolation in reflecting upon the brightness of the example he has left for the imitation of his countrymen." (12 Wallace.) MEETING OF THE BAR AT ATHENS, OHIO. At a meeting of the bar of Athens, held on the 10th day of June, a.d. 1872, the following proceedings Avere had upon the death of Thomas Ewing: The committee heretofore appointed, composed of Hon. A. G. BroAvn, Colonel R. E. Constable, and Hon. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAR. 217 W. R. Golden, reported the folloAvIng resolutions, Avhich Avere unanimously adopted : " 1st. Resolved, That the Bar of Athens County, in common AvIth others, regard the death of Hon. Thomas Ewing as a great public loss, and will cherish his mem ory Avith highest veneration. " 2d. Resolved, That his exalted character and attain ments and his distinguished career afford an eminent and Avorthy example for aspiring youth and for the admiration of all. "3d. Resolved, That inasmuch as It Avas In this county that his early days Avere spent and his education acquired, and his opening legal talents Avere for a series of years displayed and appreciated, the bar and peojile of Athens County claim a peculiar Interest in his fame, and cannot permit the opportunity to pass Avithout the offering of one more to the many tributes paid through out the land to his exalted worth. " 4th. Resolved, That these resolutions be requested to be spread upon the minutes of the Court, and that a copy thereof be forwarded to the family of Mr. Ewing, at Lancaster." Upon the assembling of Court, on the morning of June 10, A.D. 1872, the Court, on motion, directed the proceedings of the bar of Athens, upon the death of Hon. Thomas Ewing, to be spread upon the records of this Court. 218 PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FACULTY OF THE OHIO UNIYERSITY. Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to remoye from earth the Hon. Thomas Ewing, the first graduate of this institution, and one Avho was greatly distinguished both as a lawyer and as a statesman ; therefore, be it 1 st. Resolved, By the Faculty of the Ohio University, that, by the death of Mr. Ewing, Ave are made sharers in a common loss; for his early connection AA'ith this insti tution, first as a student and afterwards as a trustee, has given her a special interest in his fame. Y^e have observed his eminent career AvIth grateful pride, and have felt that his elevation of character, his purity of life, his sagacity as a statesman, and his power as an orator, Avere an ornament and an honor to his Alma Mater. 2d. Resolved, That Ave commend his noble example of energy and aspiration for the imitation of those who noAV succeed him as students in the UniA'ersIty. 3d. Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the records of the Faculty, and that a copy be trans mitted to the family of Mr. EAving. A. S. Gibbons, Actmg Pres't. AY. Ii. G. Adney, Secretary. Ohio Unia'ersity, Athens, 0., June 15, 1872. proceedings OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. 219 MEETING OF THE ATHENIAN LITERARY SOCIETY OF THE OHIO UNIYERSITY. Hon. Thomas Ewing departed this life a fcAV days since in Lancaster, Ohio. Lie gi-aduated In 1815, receiving the first degree given by the Ohio University — that of A.B. — when fcAV students and fewer universities claimed a place In the new West. Of his college career Ave know but little ; yet Ave know of a truth that his difficulties were many, his con flicts were fierce ; and if his life Avas a success, he merits the credit. But Thomas Ewing's Avoik Is ended. His fittest luonument Is the institutions of our country, Avhich he strove to perpetuate, and the inscription thereon : " LIBERTAS et NATALE SOLUM." At a recent session of the Athenian Literary Society of the Ohio University the following resolutions Avere adopted ; " Whereas, This Society has heard A^dth deep sorrow the announcement of the death of Hon. Thomas Ewing, one of its most venerable members ; therefore, " Resolved, That in his death Ave lose an honored member, and the nation sustains an Irreparable loss. " Resolved, That as a testimony of respect for his memory, avc drape our hall in mourning for thirty clays. "Resolved, That these resolutions be published in 220 PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS EOCIETIES. the Athens and Lancaster papers, and that a copy be sent to the family of the deceased. "' A. B. Richardson, E. M. Jackson, D. C. Casto, " Committee. "October 30, 1871." MEETING OF THE ALUMNI OF THE OHIO UNIYERSITY. At a meeting of the alumni of the Ohio University, Avhich AA'as held in Athens, June 18, 1872, the folloAving action was had : Hon. Ben. Smith, from the Committee on the death of Hon. T. EAvIng, reported as foUoAvs : " Thomas Ewing, the first and probably the most distinguished graduate of the Ohio University, having departed this life since the last meeting of the alumni of the institution, it is believed to be eminently fit and proper that Ave should at our first meeting succeeding his death express our estimation of his character, and spread our opinions on the record of the alumni ; therefore, "Resolved, 1st, That, In the opinion of the alumni of the Ohio University, he stood among the foremost of our country In general literature and in the varied depart ments of learning. " 2d, His mental faculties Avere calm, reflective, and admirably balanced, and Avell guarded against hast\' PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. 221 extremes on all subjects. His judgment Avas clear, and his conclusions almost faultless. All questions of impor tance Avere examined by him Avith calm consideration, and, Avhen decided by him, Avere never yielded to popular Influence or personal or political considerations. " 3d, He never Avas a favorite of professional poli ticians, because his stern integrity and unselfish patri otism repelled the approach of all fraud, Insincerity, and duplicity. Llis great ability, his Indomitable energy, and honest patriotism. In despite of politicians, extorted from his country the eminent position he occupied In the councils of the nation. " 4th, It Is AvIth pleasure and honest pride that Ave assert Avith truth and In all sincerity of heart that our friend and brother, after a long life of usefulness, has left us a reputation of pure moral excellence, without a blot or a single blemish." THE PIONEERS OF ATHENS COUNTY. [The following valued account of my father's associa tion Avith the jDloneers of Athens County was kindly furnished me by his long-cherished friend, Hon. A. B. Walker, himself a pioneer. — E. E. S.] As showing the Interest Mr. Ewing felt in aftairs iu Athens, and in matters relating to her older citizens, AvIth Avhom he was Intimately acquainted in his earlier years, we present from the record of the Pioneer Associa- 28 222 PEOCEEDENGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. tion the foUoAvlng letter from him, under date of Lancas- ter, July 21, 1869 : "Dear Sir: I have yours of the 15th instant. You may add my name to the Association, but there is little prospect of my being able to attend any of its meetings. " I am, A'eiy respectfully, "T. Ewing. " A. B. Walker, Esq., Secretary I'' At a meeting held In Athens, July 24, 1869, we find this minute : " The meeting directed the name of T. Ewing to be added to the list of members of the Association as a cor responding member." At the same meeting, the name of Bishop Ames Avas added to its members, besides a large number of the older citizens of Athens County. At this meeting Hon. Isaac Barker presided ; he Avas then in his 90th year. On the 4th of July, 1871, the Association met at Amesville, at Avhich place Mr. Ewing Avas expected to i)e present and deliver an address. His health was such as to prevent attendance, but he Avrote and sent with his son. Gen. Thomas Ewing, Jr., a most excellent letter, AvhIch was read by Gen. C. H. Grosvenor to, and Avarmly received by, the Association. The letter is copied and sent with this communication. By a vote of the mem bers, it Avas ordered to be copied In full upon the minutes of the Association : PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. 223 " The following letter from Hon. Thomas EAving, Lan caster, was read to the meeting by Gen. C. H. Grosvenor, of the Executive Committee, which, from its importance, is copied at length into these minutes : "Lancaster, July 3, 1871. " Gentlemen : I find it will not be in my power to attend the Amesville Pioneer celebration on the 4th. Though my health Is tolerable, I cannot endure even a small amount of fatigue, and, on consulting my physician, he advises me not to venture. "I would be very glad to meet you all, the living friends and associates of my boyhood and early youth, and the descendants of those that are gone ; but, as I cannot, I send my third son. Gen. Thomas Ewing, Jr., Avhom I trust you Avill find a creditable representative of the first pioneer. " I visited Amesville a few Aveeks since, after an ab sence of fifty-five years, and found my memory fresh as to places and persons. The streams appeared small, and the valleys narrow, but rich and beautiful as when I last knew them. To me, while I lived in it, and until I left it, it Avas a happy A'alley ; there was little material AA'calth In It, but it verified the assertion of the j)oet, that a people, " ' Though very poor, may still be very blest,' and there can grow up no inordinate wealth here to disturb the quiet tenor of life. While it is abundantly prosperous, its tranquillity is not in danger of being de- 224 PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. stroyed by those terrible commotions Avhich distract the greater world. " Mr. Walker's histoiy of Athens County marks well the calm and steady progress of this happy valley In population and in mental culture, much of AA'hich is due to our early Library Association ; and I am strongly impressed with the opinion that it is entitled to one year's earlier date than his record gives It. "In the spring of 1803, my father removed his family to a small farm sca'cu miles southeast on the Marietta road. In this I am not mistaken, as I made record of the date on the bark of a beech-tree, Avhich I have seen often since. I remained on the Amestowu farm, to go to school and help my brother take care of the stock. Judge Walker came in November of that year, and occu pied the principal cabin, aud such of our family as remained a smaller one the other side of the little run. I Avas reading a library-book — The Children of the Abbey — and had got together a good supply of hick ory bark to make me a light, and I rose an hour or tAvo before day, and sat on a stool by the fire reading. Henry Bartlett, Esq., AA'ho happened with us that night, came and sat also, and a.skecl to look at my book. I handed it to him, and, as he returned it, it fell open on the fire, and scorched and spotted several of the leaves. By the rules of the library, there Avas a fine for every spot, and, in counting over the injury In fips and levies, I found myself a bankrupt boy. HoAvever, I took the book to the next library meeting, explained the misfortune, and PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. 225 the Board very kindly remitted the fines. If the volume (I think it Avas the second) be still in being, it must bear the marks of the adventure. " This antedates Mr. Walker's record several months. I think the money Avas raised, and the books bought and on hand, before that record Avas made out, and that it is but an official recognition of a past fact. As to Morses Geography, I studied it as early as 1800; but it was no doubt a book on hand, afterwards turned in by Mr. Cutler and my father as part of their contribution to the libraiy. "I remember a rural scene of the summer of 1800, simple and childish, but illustrative of a fact in history. Mrs. Brown had a handsome little tomato-plant of the small, round kind, which was then called love-apple. It Avas not knoAvn among us as an article of food until several years after the French Inhabitants of St. Do mingo had been driven from the island and took refuge on our shores, and then its use extended slowly. On the day named, children of the two families were at play In Mrs. BroAvn's garden, when suddenly the alarm was raised, and ran through the little group, that Apphia Brown had eaten a love-apple. We sped Avith the fearful intelligence to the grown-up people, AA'ho did not partake of our alarm, and it passed off without a catastrophe. It Avas many years later when I first saw the tomato used on our tables as an esculent. " For many years, Ave had no post-office nearer than Athens ; but my father's little farm, on the Marietta 226 PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. road, Avas passed once a week by a mail carried on horse back between Clarksburg, Yirginia, and Chlllicothe — one Aveek east, the next Aveek Avest. I alwa}'s took care to be on hand AA'hen the mail passed. It Avas car ried by a boy of sixteen or seventeen — John Davis — Avho became my Intimate friend; and I fed his horse, and mother gave him supper and a bed wdth me by the fire, as a rcAvard for the news he brought us. I have often sat up till ten o'clock listening for his horn ; he was very punctual with his satchel of ' ' ' News from all nations, lumbering at his back.' " I am indulging in trifles, but, " 'These little things are great to little man,' aud I Avrlte as I would talk with you if present. I Avish all our assembled friends many happy returns of this glorious day. " I am, very respectfully, yours, "T. Laying. " C. H. Grosvenor, L. Brown, D. B. Stewart, TiioviAS F. Wildes, ' George Putnam, "Committeer The folloAving telegram Avas received on the day of Its date, and is filed : PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. 227 "Lancaster, O., October 26, 1871. " To A. B. Walker : "Thomas Ewing died this p.m. Funeral Saturday, eleven o'clock. " H. H. Hunter." The Secretary of the Association has very thought fully and wisely collected in a scrap-book articles from all the leading papers of the Hocking Yalley and the State, and the press in various parts of the country, upon the death of Mr. Ewing. These extracts are pre faced as folloAvs : "Hon. Thomas Ewdng died at his residence in Lan caster, O., October 26, 1871, in the eighty-second year of his age. "Mr. Ewing was a man of national celebrity, and justly honored in life by the first in this country. He Avas ' Ohio's greatest and noblest son.' The deceased Avas a member of the Athens County Pioneer Associa tion, by whom his memoiy is now cherished." At a meeting of the Association, held in Athens, April 6, 1872, announcements were made of the death of both Messrs., Ewing and Hunter. Remarks were made upon these announcements by Hon. John Welch, Hon. A. G. 'BroAvn, and others. In speaking of Mr. Ewing, Judge Welch dwelt at length upon the purity of his private character, Avhicli he pronounced "Avithout spot or blemish." He spoke also of his mind, patriotic intentions, and great expe- 228 PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES. rience and usefulness in public life ; of the example for emulation his life affords, and the instruction to youth Avith Avhich it was filled ; of his profound knoAA'ledge of the law and his great poAver as an advocate ; and, as the Secretary has well expressed in his minutes of Judge Y^elch's remarks, " the picture given his auditors of the beauty and grandeur of this great and excellent man in all the social and domestic relations of his life AA'as in the highest degree interesting." Judge BroAvn also spoke of Mr. Ewing, endorsing fully what had been so Avell said by Judge Welch, from a life long acc[uaintance AvIth the distinguished statesman. The above is respectfully submitted by the Execu tive Committee of the Athens County Pioneer Associa tion to the friends of the late Hon. Thomas EAving, as a slight mark of the esteem in which he was held by our people, as feebly indicating the sorrow felt by us at his decease, and as a token to them that, though dead, he is not forgotten by those Avho kncAV him through all the }ears of his eventful and useful life. Thos. F. Wildes, Chas. H. Grosvenor, Leonard Broavn, D. B. Stewart, , George Putnam, Executive Com mittee. Athens, June 17, 1872. PiEllNISCENCES FROM PAPERS. THOMAS EWING. Thomas Ewing is dead. The last of that galaxy of great men, who in the Augustan age of the American Senate so charmed and delighted the civilized Avorld, O 7 has departed. Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Crittenden, Benton, and Ewing are all gone to their final rest. Cold and dull indeed must be the heart which ani mates an American bosom that will not be stirred Avith emotion at this announcement. The name of Ewing is associated intimately with those of Webster, Clay, and Crittenden; he Avas the peer of the tAVO latter, and the compeer of all of them. In intellectual scope, power of analysis and of com bining thoughts, exactitude of statement and In con centrated imagination, Mr. Webster had uo equal ; but In all of these qualities Mr. Ewing stood in the front rank of the second line. In penetrating the motives, quickening the imj^ulses, and moving the hearts of men. Clay surjiassed Ewing as Crittenden did in the dexterous use of the Aveapon at his command ; but if EAving's scimeter Avas not as sharj) as Clay's, and If he did not Avield it Avith the aptitude of Crittenden, his arm Avas stronger, and his weapon heavier, than that of either of them. 230 RE.AIINISCENCES FROM PAPERS, Y^ebster once said of Ewing that he AA'as the best- informed man he ever met — that he never conversed with him five minutes but that he Avas Aviser for hav ing done so. Ewing AA'as a man of large physical frame, and of great physical power, and his intellectual strength Avas commensurate AvIth his physical force. He was modest in his demeanor, patient in investi gation, clear, able, and convincing- in argument, and decided in his judgment. He seemed to those who knew him to be so open that there Avas in him no purpose that was concealed, and as if there Avas none to conceal ; for to human observation he had no A'ices. As a laAvyer, he Avas industrious, learned, judicious, and careful. His practice Avas extensive and diver sified. The decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States are enriched by his arguments, and he has long been recognized as one of the foremost men Avho practised before that tribunal, and as the leader of the bar " Avest of the mountains." Mr. Ewing Avas born in Yirginia, December 28, 1789. He received his early education chiefly from an elder sister. Mr. Ewing grew up Avith his State. In his lifetime, Ohio, from a AA'ilderness peopled only by Indians, has groAvn upon the sisterhood of States, and now takes rank but a little behind the most populous and flou rishing States of the Union. Hoav much Mr. EAving's energy, his example, his moral worth, and his great REMINISCENCES FROAI PAPERf. 231 Intelligence have contributed to this result Ave can never knoAA'. Thou.gh his usefulness has been extended bcA'ond the period Avhich has been ordinarily allotted to man, and he has been gathered at a rij^e age, aud Avhen his Avork Avas done, his death Avill be felt as a personal loss, and he Avill be mourned in thousands of Amer ican homes. S. [Ohio State Journal.] REMINISCENCE OF HON. THOMAS EWING. In the allusions made to the religious ojiinions of Mr. Ewing at the Cincinnati bar meeting, some doubt seemed to be indicated as to Avhat those opinions Avere. Since reading the proceedings of that meeting, I have hunted up Mr. Ewing's argument iu the great Methodist Church case in the Circuit Court of the United States, in which I find the following passages, AA'hich seem to me so pertinent and iinjDortant in their bearing upon the matter above suggested that I A^enture to send them for publication in the State Journcd : "But I may be permitted to say in conclusion that 1 deeply deplore the controversy between the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Episcoj^al C'nurch, and more especially the separation Avhich Is partly its cause and partly its consequence. There is a faith essentially of union and love, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Its union and by the united efforts 232 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. of its devoted and self sacrificing sons, has done great and lasting good throughout our land, especially among the masses, AA'ho have felt most and profited most by its influence. "The Christian religion is emphatically the philosophy of the unlettered man. It teaches him, by the direct speakings of revelation, Arhat philosophy in all ages has sought to discoA'er aud comprehend- — ^the duty of man to God, to himself, to his fellow-man ; the mystery of his origin, his being and condition here, and the deeper and darker mystery of his final destiny. The learned. In the pride of intellect, have not all and at all times been satisfied vvlth the teachings of revelation, but have endeavored to advance, by force of their own reasons, to conclusions on all the subjects ou AvhIch it has pronounced ; and, failing in this, have ended by a denial of revelation, and often by disbelief or doubt of all things, even of their oavu being, because they could not comprehend or explain them. The past century, in Avhich Methodism arose, AvItnessed their mightiest effort and its most terrible results. "It AYas not the mission of John Wesley to reason doAVu by force of logic the systems of false philosophy which had usurped jiossession of the human intellect, and let loose from the restraints of conscience the wild aud ferocious passions of men, but to explore the depths of man's religious nature, and aAvaken and disclose to him the perceptions and convictions of religious truths, known to his consciousness, which the understanding^- REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 233 cannot fathom or reason explain. This Avas his dis tinctive philosophy, exercised and enforced by the ever- present but sometimes slumbering consciousness, Avhicli he sounded the tocsin to awake. Thus armed Avith the gospels of life and truth, attended by this ever-present Avitness, he went abroad, and he sent his sons and folloAvers abroad, to prea<3h repentance, and faith, and holiness throughout the land ; and faithfully and Avell has their mission thus far been fulfilled. " I have from my earliest remembrance been familiar AvIth the onvA'ard movement of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which ahvays kept pace with the advancing population of our Western Avdds; and I have noted Avell Its social, moral, and civilizing influence, not only on those brought Avithin its pale, but beyond them in the communities in Avhich it took root. But all that Ave have Avitnessed of its achievements Avas done in union and by united efforts. Will it still go on after secession and severance, unchecked, to the consummation of its mighty mission ? We know not — God knoAveth." It Avill be observed that this eloquent statement of the nature and influence of the Christian religion cannot, consistently AvIth the AveU-knoAvn character of Mr. Ewing for candor, be explained aAvay by attributing it to the zeal of the advocate in the discharge of professional duty. We have here the direct affirmation that the Christian religion teaches man — even the unlettered man — " by the direct speaking of revelation, Avhat phi losophy in all ages has sought to discoA'er and com- 234 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. preheud — the duty of man to God, to himself, to his fellow-man ; the mystery of his origin, his being aud condition here, and the deeper and darker mystery of his final destiny " ; and that the opposers of this religion Avere the advocates of " systems of fcd.se philosoph}', AA'hich had usurped possession of the human intellect, and let loose from the restraints of conscience the Avild and ferocious passions of man." And it is further affirmed that Wesley and his followers " Avere armed Avith the gospels of life and truth," to preach repentance, and faith, and holiness throughout the laud. I remember very Avell hoAV my heart Avas moved by the eloquence and power of this statement AA'hen I first read it, and that I ventured to say to the great and good man Avho uttered these precious words that, if the}' correctly stated his convictions, I hoped he Avould not delay the duty of a more formal profesjion until, like the great Webster, he should on his death-bed regret that he had not said and AA'ritten more on these subjects. His answer was, " Well, I do believe all I then said iu regard to the Christian religion." T. C. J. HON. THOMAS EWING. extracts from my scrap-book. To TIIE Editor op The Leader : The first time I saw Mr. Ewing, Sr., Avas Avhen I w&i a boy of nineteen years of age. He was then In the meridian of his manhood, in active REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 235 practice in all the higher courts, both State and national, and, as a laAvyer, stood confessedly as the acknoAvledged head of the bar in Ohio. He was In the full vigor of his poAvers, and his splendid physical frame was surmounted liy a massive, noble head, indicating abilities of an extra ordinary character. At this time, the little old brick eoiirt-house, Avhere the Supreme Court held Its sessions, Avas in the State-house yard at Columl lus ; and I Avell remember, as Mr. EAvIng Avalked through the narroAV hall and up the Avretched, creaking staircase, he seemed to dwarf the dingy building, and make it look still smaller and more Avretched than eA'cr. When he rose to sjieak, every eye was fixed ou his noble presence and commanding form, and the court, bar, and spectators gave him the most earnest and respectful attention. Lie began his argument with apparent diffidence, and proceeded cautiously, sloAvly, but AAuth great method and exactness. In stating his case. He evidently did not Intend to exhaust his strength before reaching the rough points of the trial. So haA'e I seen a noble and stately ocean steamship move Avith almost painstaking care and solicitude at the beginning of her voyage, seeming to have scarcely motive power enough to force her huge bulk across the smooth Avaters of the harbor — a mimic sea, AvIth its bright Avaves and sparkling surface. But as the swell of old ocean began to be felt around her, O 7 and the great Avaves came rushing at her head, hoAv grandly and powerfully did she rise to meet them ! Then how the strength and the poAver [came as they 236 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. were needed ; and Avith Avhat majestic dignity and grandeur would she OA'crcome all opposition, meeting and defying the mightiest Avaves, and dashing before and behind her AvIth iiiAdncible poAver all opposing obstacles ! As Mr. EAvIng Avarmed AvIth his subject, he seemed to carry conviction to all his hearers, aud poured forth, Avithout apparent effort, his Avonderful knoAvledge of laAV, science, literature, philosophy, and art — everything that could illustrate, support, or strengthen his case In the realms of learning or logic was ready to his hand ; and to me, the boy of nineteen, he seemed a prodigy of learning and the greatest man I had ever known. Mr. Ewing Avas a member of Congress, a Senator of the United States, a Cabinet minister, and, for nearly half a century, Avas in active public life. But office could add nothing to the dignity of Thomas Ewing, or advance him in any manner in the respect or good-will of the people of Ohio. His high character, great talents, prodigious and 'varied 'learning, and commanding abditles, AA'ere every- Avhere acknoAvledged, and he Avill long be knoAA'n and remembered as one of the foremost of American scholars, lawyers, and statesmen. To the mass of mankind, AA'ho held no personal rela tions of Intimacy with Mr. EAving, he always appeared cold, austere. But I am told by those who kncAV him best, and who shared his confidence and regard, that this Avas Avholly a fixlse estimate of the man. An old friend of his once told me that Avhen at home, REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 237 surrounded by his family and grandchildren, it was delightful to Avatch this great man, as, AvIth the most affectionate solicitude aud unselfish, childlike devotion, he gave himself up to entertain, amuse. Instruct, and gratify them. Here he Avas surrounded by those Avho kucAV and loA'cd him, and here, like Sir Walter Scott, he AA'as cheerful, light-hearted, vlA'acious, and, Avith his younger grandchildren, frolicsome and jocose. His father Avas a Revolutionary soldier, and, becoming greatly reduced In circumstances, in 1792 settled upon Avhat is now the toAvn of Athens, Ohio. Thomas, a huge, bulky, vigorous boy, was taught to read by an older sister. Llis love of knowledge Avas intense" and untiring. While Avorking upon his father's farm, at the age of seventeen, he learned that twenty miles away there was a copy of Yirgil ; and he rode on horseback through the AVOods, Avith only a blanket for a saddle, to borrow or to buy it. He succeeded In getting the precious volume, and absolutely mastered its contents by studying during the daytime every leisure moment, and at night pursuing his labor of Ioa'g by the light of a burning pine torch. At the age of tAventy, he worked as a laborer in the salt-Avorks at KanaAA'ha, and here he Avas able to obtain for himself a little money to pay his expenses at college. In 1815, he gradu ated at the University of Athens, and received the first degree CA'er conferred by an Ohio College. He Avas ad mitted to practise law in the year after, and rose, as 1 have said, to the highest place in the profession. 238 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. At the time of his death, he probably had as pro found a knowledge of laAA', the classics, histoiy, sacred aud profane, poetry, the arts and sciences, architecture, aud belles-lettres as any man living; and all these vast stores of learning were classified and arranged Avith such consummate order and exactness in his brain that to each special professor of some branch of learning, Avheu called upon to discuss that jiartlcular subject, he ap peared as though he must haA'e devoted the larger por tion of his life to the acquisition of knowledge upon that particular subject only. He was a poet of more than ordinary excellence, and could. If occasion offered, recite for hours almost a A'olume of poems, AvhIch he had Aviitten and committed to memory in his earlier days. Mr. EAA'ing lived during a most remarkable period of the Avorld's history, and but little of Avhat was passing escaped his scrutiny. His earliest home Avas the avIIcI frontier ; and he heard In childhood the wild hoAvl of the Avolf and the still Avilder Avhoop of the savage, and saw the primeval forests fall under the axe of the hardy pioneer. Schools, neighborhoods, churches, colleges, and the ath'antages, and Avays, and means of civilized life, Avere in his early days almost unknoAvn to him ; and the log- cabin, AvIth its rude surroundings, Avere the architectural structures to which his eyes Avere accustomed. He Avas four years old Avhen Louis NYI. and his beautiful wife, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded by the French people. He read by torchlight the stirring and brilliant speeches of the younger Pitt, Avho died when young Ewing Avas REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 239 seA'enteen years old. With all the details of the history of George HI., Avho died as late as 1820, and his still more profligate son, George lY., Avho died ten years later, he Avas as familiar as with his own history. He welcomed Lafayette on his visit to this country, and passed a high eulogium upon his character at his death in 1834. He read with glistening eyes and palpitating heart the speech of Robert Emmet, Avhen in 1803 he Avas so illegally and unjustly condemned to death. In his day lived Goethe and Schiller, with whose AVorks he Avas perfectly familiar. He Avatched with intense solici tude the march of events during the Avonderful career of Napoleon the Great, until It closed In a lonely death, in 1821, at St. Helena. He survived to tell his granci children the story of the second French Revolution ; AA'hile in his old age he sat in his easy-chair and read the story of Sedan aud the destruction of the French Empire. In his clay, Sir Walter Scott wrote his first and last volume of the " Waverley Novels," and they were eagerly read by Mr. Ewing as they came, one by one, to America. He lived almost to Avitness the invention and perfection of the steam-engine, and to see the lightning, originally caught by Franklin, " harnessed by Professor Morse." He saAV Ohio rise from a barren v^ilderness to an empire of tAvo and one-half million souls. He saAv slavery, permitted if not sanctioned by the Constitu tion, become so great that its poAA'er spread all over the land, and dictated to Presidents, Cabinets, Courts, and National as Avell as State legislatures. He saAV 240 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS it crush the spirit and degrade the manhood of four million of our people. He lived to the close of the great CIa'II Y"ar, and saw freedom and equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution to every human being in our Republic. He saAV the nation, • iu his day, a small and scantily settled country Avith thirteen States. At the time he died, the Union consisted of thirty-six States and forty millions of people. Well might he exclaim, "What wonders God hath Avrought !" His knoAvledge of the public men of America Avas perhaps more extensh'e than that of any man who has lived in our country. Living under every admin istration inaugurated iu the United States, and Avitli tnost of them as an active and influential friend or opponent, his opportunities for personal acquaintances Avith men were Avide and various in the extreme. He Avas thirty-seven years old Avhen Jefferson died, aud knew him, Madison, John Jay, John Marshall, Wil liam Wirt, Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Pinckney, Hayne, the Adamses, Benton, together Avith nearly all the Presidents AA'ho for fifty successive years presided over the -destinies of the Republic. Perhaps no man who Avas a mere spectator took a deeper personal Interest, or felt a keener solicitude, in the result of the late Civil War than Mr. Ewing. Every step taken by our armies was watched by him, and he had a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the plans of the different campaigns, and discussed them with the most intelligent, and sometimes astound- REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 241 ing, sagacity, as to their results. When General Sher man Avas attacked for Avhat Avas charged upon him as a military blunder during the Avar, he sprang eagerly to the rescue, and Avith a bold and vigorous pen, and full knowledge of his subject, defended successfull}' General Sherman and his military action, Avith the same freedom and knoAAdedge as though the science o o of warfare had been a study Avith him from his youth. Mr. Ewing died during the close of the first ad ministration of General Grant, and Avent to his grave laden Avith many years, surrounded by his family and friends, and taking with him to his honored rest the respect and esteem of a nation Avhich he had served Avlth earnest zeal, and the profound regard aud friend ship of all Avho had ever come Avithin the scope of his Influence. REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS EWING— HIS EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETIC SPORTS. A correspondent of the Ohio State Journcd AA'rItes: "I was born in the old village of Franklintou, Avhich was the seat of justice for Franklin County until 1825 or 1826. In my boyhood, I was a frequent attendant in the old Court-house during the sessions of the Court, where Avas often gathered the best legal talent of the State. 242 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. " I well recollect the first time I saw Thomas Ewing, then a young laAvyer, not yet having much business or making much of a mark. I was struck with his large head and generally massive and muscular but rather awkAvard build. It Avas summer-time, and the Court had adjourned early in the afternoon. Several of the lawyers remained, and the conversation turned upon athletic exercises and feats of strength. Among those present was Joe McDoAvell, a brother of Abram and John. He declared that he was so swift of foot that he had never been beaten in a race of one hun dred yards, and he belieA'ed he could not be beaten, and offered to bet ten dollars he could beat any one in the croAvd. Finally, Orris Parrish took him up, and they went out on the green. It was not yet determined aa'Iio Avas to be McDowell's competitor ; but Avhen the ground was measured off, Mr. Ewing, aa'Iio had taken but little part in the conversation, and whose demeanor had been A'ery modest and retiring, offered himself to run the race, and to the surprise of all, for none supposed he could run. Judges and stakeholders Avere appointed, and I avIII ncA^er forget the gleam of Ewing's eye or his air of resolution as he stripped off coat, vest, and shoes, and took his place. The Avord ' go ' Avas given, and the young athletes sprang off Avith an CA'en start; soon, however, EAAung began to gain, and came to the winning-post well ahead of McDoAvell, Avho Avas so chagrined at the result that he began to find excuses, and said he had REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. --±0 tripped and stumbled, or otherwise he would have Avon. Ewing smiled and said: 'Well, if you are not satisfied, let us try again.' They did run again aud McDoAvell was beaten vA'orse than before. Other sports and trials Avere made — standing-jumps, runnlngjumps, shouldering stones, throAAung the axe and the maul — In all of AA'hich Mr. EAA'ing proved his superiority; and finally the high jump over a stretched string Avas tried. Mr. Ewing made no attempt at this, until Mr. Mc- DoAvell, who proved the best, challenged him to ' beat that.' EAAdng replied : ' Well, let us see your best ' ; and AA'hen McDoAvell Avas done, Ewing put the string four inches higher, and ste^qDlng back a few feet, came at it Avith a curious sidelong swing and motion, and over he Avent amid the cheers of the crowd. " Some tAA'enty years ago, Avhen serving on the city School Board Avith William Long, we were one eve ning Avaiting for a c[uorum, Avhen our conversation rauged over some of the men and incidents of our early settlement. Said Mr. Long:. 'It was, I think, somcAA'here about 1814, Avhen I Avas a chunk of a boy, that my father sent iiie in search of some horses that had strayed aAvay. We Avere then living in Ross County, and I had gone up into the eastern edge of Pickaway, looking iu the rich range of that region for the missing horses, Avhen, ^crossing one of the natural grassy prairies, and listening for the sound of the horses' ])ell, AA'hich Avas familiar to me, I found a coAV-bell in my 244 REMINISCENCES FROAI PAPERS. path, Avhich I fastened to my body, and amused my self with its clatter as I walked along. At some dis tance, I perceived a man coming in a direction that Avould soon intercept my path. As we approached, I noticed he was dressed in a hunting-shirt and buckskin breeches, and intently reading a book. As Ave met, he stopped suddenly, and thrusting the book Into the bosom of his shirt, he said abruptly, 'Where did you get that bell V 'I found it back here,' I replied. ' Well,' said he, ' it is my bell, and I mean to have it.' I replied, ' If you are stronger than I am, you can get it.' Lie immediately seized me Avith a hug like a bear, and attempted to crush me doAvn. I AA'as strong, active, and Aviry far beyond my looks, and, after a severe tussle, he suddenly let me go, and, breaking into a hearty laugh, said : ' You are a better man than I took you for; what is your name?' I replied, 'My name is William Long; VA'hat is your name?' 'Tom Ewing Is my name,' was the reply. " Lie enc|uired the Avay to the Scioto salt-Avorks, and, after a fcAv minutes' conversation, Ave parted, he pulling out his book aud reading, and I rejoicing in the clatter of my coAv-bell. Our next meeting was in the Court-house iu Franklinton, years afteiAvard, AA'here I had been summoned as a juror. " I mention these incidents noAV, I trust, without impropriety; for I believe it Avas the early physical training Avhich Mr. Ewing received that enabled him not only to ccmpete successfully in all athletic sports. REMINISCENCES FROAl PAPERS, 245 but gave him also that capacity of endurance that his great brain-power required. We all know AA'hat an Intellectual giant he became, and that in his death Ohio has lost her foremost man, one Avhose memory she Avill cherish and delight to honor hereafter, when the mists and prejudices of parties and of politics shall have cleared away." RECOLLECTIONS OF THOMAS EWING. After an active campaign of the summer of 1859, having distributed OA'er three hundred copies of my bust of GoA'ernor Chase to his friends and admirers, I returned to Columbus to engage in other commissions. Meeting Governor Chase one day, he said : " Whom do you propose to model next ?" I replied : " A bust of the Hon. Thomas Ewing." The GoA^ernor very kindly remarked : " I am happy to hear it, and Avish you a decided success; for Mr. Ewing has by far the grandest head iu Ohio." While proceeding to Lancaster, just tAveh^e years ago this month (October), over the old stage route, up hill and doAvn dale. It is needless to say that I approached my prospective subject with more than ordinary diffidence ; for it Avas there I was to meet a ripe scholar, a gentle man and statesman — a man that was revered by the public, and almost "time-hallowed" AA'ith age. The weather Avas delightful, and the jileasure of our journey Avas much enhanced by the dreamlike and 31 246 REMINISCENCES FROAI PAPERS. golden haze of the atmosphere of an October afternoon, and the infinite variety of tints and colors of the autumnal leaves, forcibly reminding m3 of Fosdick's beautiful poem commencing, " When Indian summer, like an Indian queen," etc., Avhich has not its peer iu our language. Descending into the Hock-Hocking Yalley, it AA'as not long before Ave could see in the distance the dim outlines of the city of Lancaster, and, to the left of us, the ever- Avelcome sight to every returning wanderer from a O J n foreign land — the bald and rock-ribbed front of Mount Pleasant, croAvned Avith its chvarfed and yellow pines and mountain laurels. Arriving In Lancaster in the eA'ening, I presented myself at the old family mansion of Mr. Ewing, AA'here I Avas courteously received, and their generous hospi tality tendered me during my sojourn iu their beautiful city. I most gratefully thanked the Hon. Mrs. Ewing for her proffered generosity, at the same time informing her that I Avas an old bachelor of incorrigible habits, but, Avith her consent, I would remain .at the Talmadge House. '¦ Well," said Mrs. Ewing, In a playful manner, " I presume we Avill haA'e to let the old bachelor have his owu AA'ay," at the same time modestly Informing me that she had ordered apartments prepared for me previous to my arrival. I could only thank her again, and bless my stars for having made the acquaintance of a lad}'. REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 247 as I subsequently learned, of innumerable Christian graces. Mrs. EAvlng was a remarkable Avoman, and In the heyday of youth she must have been very handsome ; and, even Avhen I saAV her, there Avas a charming grace about her " beyond the reach of art." She AA'as truly a AA'orthy companion of so noble a husband, beloved by her neighbors, and adored by her family and friends. The old family mansion Avas, and is yet, a tAvo-stor}' brick house, built on a hill. It had a broad hall in the centre, with sitting-rooms and parlors ou either side. There was A-ery little about the exterior of the anticpiated residence to command admiration ; but it Avas plain, and, like its possessor, A'cry substantially built, and that Avhich pleased me most was the quaint finish of the interior. Not far fi'oni Mr. Ewing's family residence Avas a little brick office or study. It was there he mastered the Spanish language iu a marvellously short space of time. He had a real estate case In St. Louis that involved several hundred thousand dollars. Nearly if not all of the old original records or title-deeds Avere Avritten In the Spanish language. Lie at once saAV the great Importance of a thorough knowledge of language as Avell as facts. He shut him- o o o self up for six weeks in his little brick study, as he him self told me, and at the end of that time he Avas able to go Into court and translate those Spanish documents or records AvIth the best of them, and gained his case. I secured agreeable apartments at the Talmadge 248 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. House, Avhere I was to receive sittings from Mr. Ewing Avhenever It suited his convenience, and those sittings Avere numerous and A'ery far betAveen, Avhich gave me ample time for study and much reading of rare books furnished me by Mr. Ewing and his kind friends. After several interviews, I found Mr. Ewing all that he had been represented, and more too ; and saw before me a man of majestic form and of giant mind, Avliose rays of thought, like the summer's sun, Avere created, as it Avere, to enlighten and bless mankind. Mr. EAvIng reminded me more of Daniel Y^ebster than any man I had ever met. Neither of them had any of that chit-chat about them 23eculiar to General Taylor, but much of the facetlousness of CorAAun and the animated conversation of Henry Clay. Both Webster and Ewing Avere great thinkers, Miltonlc in their thoughts, Avith all of the profundity. of a Bacon. Mr. EAving always spoke of Henry Clay Avitli enthu siasm, of Daulel Webster with a depth of emotional feeling. Llis anecdotes of Mr. Webster, and poetical quotations included, would fill a large volume; and yet there AA'as not the least ostentation in his allusion to great men or the classics, for both had been his most In timate companions for years. Soon after my arrival at Lancaster, I had my model ling-stand and clay set up for active labor. To make assurance doubly sure in so important a work, I first made a preparatory study of a cabinet size to ensure the proper pose for the finished model. REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 249 During Mr. Ewing's first sittings for his bust, his con versation very naturally turned upon events of his OAvn, and the early history of Ohio, that were so graphically portrayed by an old friend of his In the Dally Commercial of the 27tli ultimo. Now, like old Prospero, Avith the magic Avand of mem ory, I am compelled to conjure up other scenes aud Inci dents that have not already appeared In print, at the same time, I hope, to the entertainment of your nume rous readers. About this time, Mr. Ewing left for Washington for a fcAV Aveeks, and I Avas left at liberty to amuse myself as best I could. O'a the return of Mr. Ewing from Washington, the social relations were again complete ; for without his pre sence in Lancaster, there was a void — something Avas Avanting — ^llke a grand historical statue that had long been the pride, emulation, and Inspiration of the resi dents of their beautiful city. He Avas in the humor again, at our first meeting, to entertain me Avith anecdote aud story, and events of his early experiences in the primeval forests. The naivete of manner In which he told them AA'as always delightful and instructlA'C. Nothing seemed to have escaped his Avon derful memory of persons and things, and his accumu lated thoughts and suggestions were a world of his own. He never despised the day of small things, for these were the nucleus, or nebulae, upon Avhich he built greater and grander structures. Lie had a mind to comprehend 250 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. at once the beginning and the end. Like all great men, if ever deceived at all, it was by himself and not by others ; for the Impetuosity of genius knoAVS no bounds, and they alone are responsible for the result. '' I cannot avoid relating one of the many incidents of his early experience, as told by himself: " While a party of young people AA'ere out horseback-riding one Sunday, and passing through a heavy-timbered forest and dense underbrush, they heard a sudden shriek of pain and alarm. "The company halted, and soon learned that one of three boys had been bitten by a rattlesnake, and the other t^vo Avere carrying him home Avith all possible speed. " My young lady friend very modestly removed one of her garters, a\ Ith Avhich we bound up the Avounded boy's leg, to prevent too rapid a circulation or progress of the poison. We gave all necessary directions in such cases — guupoAvder-tea, etc. — aud proceeded on our journey, aud subsequently learned that our patient Avas happily pre served. " About forty years after that event, as I Avas return ing in a carriage from Columbus to Lancaster, the wea ther being very Avarm, I stopped at a farmhouse by the roadside to give my horses some Avater. The farmer's AvIfe, for such she proved to be, very kindly handed me a Avater-bucket, with Avhich to help myself at the aa'oU. " While Avatering my horses, I noticed that she scruti nized my face rather closely for a stranger, and Avhen I REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 251 returned the Avater-bucket Avith thanks, she enc|uired, ' Are you not Mr. Ewing ? ' I answered in the affirmative. She was silent. ' But Avhy did you ask ? ' ' Well, I see you have forgotten me.' ' Indeed ! ' ' Yes ; but you cannot haA'e foi'gotten the young Avomau that gave you the garter to tie up the rattlesnake-bitten boy's leg.' ' I do remember that incident A'er}^ AA'ell. But io it pos sible that you are that Avoman ? ' ' Yes,' she replied, ' and I have lived on this farm almost ever since.'" It was very natural for such a man as Mr. EAving to indulge in the classics of his youth, and he not unfre- c[uently alluded to Homer, Hesiod, Yirgil, and Llorace. Horace Avas one of his great faA'orites, for he told me he generally read him through In the original once a year. Not being familiar Avith the originals aboA'e named, ]Mr. Ewing would very kindly give me a feAV free trans lations, and did it api")arently Avith all the pleasure and enthusiasm of a youth. With all of his love and enthusiasm of the Latin poets, he did not overlook the English classics, from old Chaucer doAvn to Byron. The poetry of Milton and Dryden were especial favorites of his. With the ¦-^erdlments of either he gave little heed, for he Avas too much of a Avelbbred gentleman for that. It Avas the art, the music, and the soul of the better man that received his aj^iprobation. Mdton's " L' Allegro," " II Penseroso," and " Mask of Comus" Avere great favorites of his, and, for the music 252 reminiscences from papers. and harmony of our language, he recited a passage from Byron's " Parisina " as a fine example : " It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard; It is the hour when lovers' vows Seem sweet in every whispered word ; And gentle winds and waters near Make music to the lonely ear. Each flower the dews have lightly wet, And in the skies the stars are met. And on the wave is deeper blue. And on the leaf a browner hue. And in the heaven that clear obccure. So softly dark, and darkly pure. Which follows the decline of day. As twilight melts beneath the moon away." Nothing could exceed his recitation of such beauti ful gems, so full of pathos and feeling ; and to me it Avas a double pleasure, the grand subject before me, iu full play of thought and sentiment, Avithout the least restraint or exaggeration. Y^hen in the humor, Athenseus, Plutarch, Montaigne, and Cervantes came in for a full share of his admira tion. One thing I liked about Mr. EAving — he never professed to have any knowledge of authors and books that he had never read, and Avell digested, too. No branch of science or art seemed to have escaped his attention. One day he would indulge in all the A'arious theories and mysteries of geology. The next day, perhaps, he Avould ascend from earth to heaven, aud give a brief but beautiful history of astronomy. reminiscences from papers. 253 At another sitting, perchance, he AA'ould take up the subject of mechanics, and seemed to dwell Avith all the pleasures of an enthusiast on the intricacies and construction of all manner of steam-engines and manu factures of CA'ery description. Like a Avell-bred gentleman as he Avas, he ver}" rarely alluded to religion, politics, or private aftairs. He Avas ahvays ready to entertain, instruct, or to amuse, but never indulged in saying anything in the social circle that might give offence, and that which Avould be proper and much better expressed elsewhere. I never made an allusion to poetry, or attempted a quotation, but Mr. Ewing would recite the whole pas sage, if necessar}'. His familiarity AvIth most of our modern poets Avas extraordinary. One morning, I remarked that I thought Byron had Avritten some of the most beautiful, as Avell as delicate, shades of human expression of all our poets. Said he : " Let me hear them." " He who hath bent him o'er the dead . Ere the first day of death is fled — The first dark day of nothingness, Tho last of danger and distress (Before decay's effacing fingers Have swept the lines where beauty lingers), And marked the mild, angelic air, The rapture of repose that's there " — ¦ " A very nice discrimination," said Mr. Ewing, and recited the balance of the paragraph, some twenty-nine lines, in his happiest manner. 32 254 reminiscences from papers. Another point he had not OA'erlooked. That AA'as that Byron had AA'ritten the most beautiful description of anticpie and modern sculpture of any on the subject, in ancient or modern times. It is true that old Homer, of " Scio's rocky isle," had set the example In his description of Achilles' shield, proving conclusively that the art of sculj^ture Avas iu a high state of culti vation before Homer or the Iliad. The British drama had many charms for him, par- ticulariy Gay's Beggars (^pera: " How happy could I be with either, Were t'other dear charmer away ! But while ye thus tease me together, To neither a word will I say; But tol de rol," etc. At times, at a single sitting of a morning, he would give me a free translation of one of Moliere's plays. ^loliere Avas an especial favorite of his. Mr. Ewing Avas A'ery rarely surprised by being asked a question on any given subject. One morning,' I ventured to ask him Avhether he Avas acquainted or familiar v^Ith an Irish character In Shakespeare ? Lie very promptly said, " There is no such character iu Shakespeare." " Pardon me, Mr. EAving, Avlth all clue deference to \'our literary lore, you will find an IrLsh character in ICmg Henry the FlftlC "Let me see it, sir." Taking up a volume of Shakespeare, and turning to Third Act, Scene Second, at the same time handing ' ' O hrai the book, he read the Avhole of the scene between REAIINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 2o.) " McMorrls" the Irishman, " Jamy" the Scotchman, and "Fluellen" the Welshman. On reaching ni}^ studio one morning, Avhile the streets AA'ere laid Avith ice and slightly concealed with suoay, I said, "Mr. Ewing, you had a fall on your Avay," seeing that the snow still adhered to his overcoat, from his shoulder to his feet. " Yes," he replied, " but no harm done, I hope." Sure enough, and fortunately, too, no harm had be fallen him, a man of almost gigantic projDortlons, for he was over six feet iu height AA'ithout his boots, weighed tAvo hundred and sixty-four pounds, and "was seventy years of age. Physically and mentally, for his years, he had not his peer In Ohio at that time. Lie Avas as straight as an arrow, and walked Avith a firm and decided step in coming to my room or Avhile returning to his oaa'u residence. While in Lancaster, many anecdotes Avere related to me of his physical prowess in his younger days. The high leap Avas one of his be.st efforts iu that line. Take two men, full six feet in height, and let them elevate a tape-line to the extreme height of their hands, and Mr. Living would clear it at a single bound. o o I very rarely essayed to indulge In any freedom or passing compllme'nt to Mr. Ewing. One day, however, I asked him his ethnological descent. He replied : " I believe I am of Norman-English origin." "I doubt it, Mr. Ewing." " How so ?" he enquired. " I believe you are of Etruscan descent. You doubtless remember. 256 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. Mr. Ewing, that the Etruscans Avere the first Inventoi's of the dome; and as you have the finest dome I haA'e CA'cr modelled, you will, I hops, permit me to give you a place among the Etruscans." There was one thing I loved about Mr. EAving above all others : there seemed to be no malice or envy in his composition. He never expressed anything but appre ciative kindness of all his professional brethren. East, West, North, or South. It is only your little minds that Imagine the great are envious, and they are ahvays look ing out for the lion In the gate. The society of Lancaster was very superior. There Avere no cliques or clans to disturb the harmony of the social circle. As there were no concert-halls or theatres at that time, except those in progress of erection, the citizens generally depended entirely upon their oavu accomplishments for their amusements. When holidays came about, then each one vied Avith his or her neighbor in contributing to the entertainment and pleasure of all. Private theatricals, tableaux-vlvant, music and dancing, the elephant and the dwarf orator, AA'ere sources at times of Avild delight to the youno- masters aud misses of the occasion. In all of those innocent amusements no one partici pated more readily, with his presence aud approbation, than Mr. Ewing. There are many of his accomplished friends and neighbors I would like to name in commem orating those happy socials. Mr. Ewing himself Avas not thoroughly comprehended REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS'. 257 or understood by the public. Like his own grand and lofty Mount Pleasant, Avith its bold and rugged front, Avhlch is inaccessible, AYith its wealth of sunshine and shadows ; and yet there Avas, like that same beautiful mountain, an approachable side of his generous and noble nature that could be reached by the lovA'lIest and humblest, the infant child, the loving maiden, and ster ling manhood. That the great State of Ohio is most fully represented on the " roll of honor " no one will dispute ; and among those honored names, there is no one that stands out in bolder relief, in private and public estimation, for his many transcendent virtues, than the late Thomas Ewing. T. D. J. [CitizBa and Gazette,] SCHOOL-BOY DAYS OF THOMAS EWING. BY ED. L. MORGAN. The events of yesterday are not so fresh or legibl}' stamped upon my memory as the recollection of ni}' first day at school ; and I presume it Avas the first day for Tom Ewing and my elder brother, but Thomas had been previously taught to read in Dlhvorth's Spelling-book, his oldest sister being his instructor. It was a beautiful morning in the spring, I believe of 1799, my father as guide, in company Avith his charge, Thomas Ewing, my brother, John M. Morgan, and 258 reminiscences from papers. myself, aged between five and six years, set out for the ncAV school-house Avhich I have just de scribed. The distance from . home was about tAA'o miles. Our path, for the most jiart, lay through a thick wood, and avc had to cross one fork of Short Creek at about half-Avay. When we reached the creek, my father took a great deal of pains to shoAv and in struct us how and AA'here to hide from the Indians, if Ave should happen to see or hear them AA'hen ou our way to or from school. On arriving at the school-house, avc Avere duly In troduced to the "master," AA'hose name Avas John Chambers, a Scotch Presbyterian, an eld bachelor, and a strict disciplinarian, both in school and in church. Soon after our arrival, the master called " books " Avith a loud, shrill voice, and the scholars, Avho AA'ere mostly out at ]day, came pitching in, bare foot and bare-head, seated themselves on the rough benches, and began reading In a loud A'oice; for that Avas the fashion then, and he aa'Iio could make the loud est noise, either in reading or sjielling, AA'as considered the best felloAv. Our school-book Avas Dihvorth's Spelling-book, and Ave all could read some in that book, Thomas having been taught by his sister, and my brother and I by our mother. At noon the master read to us the rules of the school, and In formed us of the different kinds and amount of pun ishment that Avould surely folloAV a wilful breach of these rules. Lie also exhibited his Instruments of tor- REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 259 ture, AvhIch consisted of a number of common whips, of different sizes, Avhicli had been cut from the branches of trees and thoroughly roasted In the hot ashes to make them tou.gh. In one corner Avas the " dunce block," and over it, against the AA'all, hung the "dunce- cap " and the leather spectacles. A seat ujion that block, Avitli cap on head and spectacles on nose, Avas punishment for the lazy, Inattentive sluggard AA'ho came late to school, and had no energy to learn Avhen he got there. To one of the joists, immediately over the centre of the floor, Avas fastened a strong cord. This Avas used only in extreme cases. Those Avho have used Dihvorth's Spelling-book avIII remember that it contains many short quotations from Scripture. The foUoAvIng is one of them : " The AA'icked flee Avhen no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." One evening, on our return from school, Avhen aa'c had got in sight of home, Thomas ran forAA'ard and called out, " Uncle ! L'ncle ! I have turned over a uoav leaf" " Have you ?" said my father. " Yes," said he, " I have turned over a leaf, and have got to the Avickecl fteaT And he- strutted round as proud as a peacock. It AA'as one of the happiest days of his life, as I have heard him say forty years after. One night that summer, there fell a heavy rain, and the next morning, my fiither, knoAving the creek AA'ould be so high Ave could not cross it, directed us to ride an old gray horse Avhich he had, and keep him at the .school-house until evening, when Ave could ride home. 260 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. My brother, AA'ho Avas supposed to be the - best rider took his position before; I, being the youngest, AA'as placed In the middle, and Thomas behind, to hold me ou. Thomas took the dinner-basket on his arm, and we started on our journey to school. (If I had a cor rect photograph of the old gray horse and his riders, it Avould cost something to buy It.) We had got across the creek, Avhich AA'as belly deep to the horse, Avhen we discovered, as Ave supposed, that we had for gotten our dinner. We Avheeled to the right-about, crossed the creek a second time, rode up to the door, called to mother, and told her Ave had forgotten our dinner ; when, on coming out, she saAV the basket of dinner hanging on Thomas's arm. My father's library at this time consisted of but fcAV books. The most prominent among them AA'ere the Bible and Testament, the History of Greece, Ho mer's Iliad, Sandford and Merton, History of England, ^Esop^s Fables, etc. By the time the next Avinter had come, Ave had all made considerable progress in learning. Thomas and my brother had both got to be good readers, and one or the other always stood at the head of the " spelling class." They spent much less time at play than is common AvIth boys, aud Avere almost constantly en gaged in reading or studying their lessons. When the long nights of Avinter came on. It Avas necessary to have artlflcial light. In order to continue our studies of evenings. For this purpose, on our return from REMINISCENCES FROAI PAPERS. 261 school in the eA'ening, aa'c Avould each collect by the A^ay and carry home an armful of bark, taken from the "shell-bark hickory," Avhich, being put into the log fire of the cabin iu small quantities, made an ex cellent light, by Avhich all in the house could see, Avhether they Avere employed in reading, Avriting, spinning, or picking cotton. My two schoolmates always spent the Sabbath in reading the Scriptures; for my parents AA'ere A'ery strict about the observance of that day, and AA'ould not allow us to read any other book on Sunday. Ou a certain Sabbath, Thomas and my brother, not Avanting to be disturbed or in- terrujjted by me AA'hile reading their Sunday lessons, enticed me to go out Into a lot AA'here stood the corn- crib, and, after oj)enIng the door, they showed me a large ear of red corn, and urged me to go in and bring it to them. As soon as I got fairly into the crib, they closed the door, and locked me In. I re mained in j)rison for some time, and, after several fruit less attempts to make my escape, I called several times to my father before he heard; and Avhen became to my relief and heard my story, he got a good Avhip, and hurried to the house, determined to give the of fending boys a flogging; but on his arrival, he found them reading, In a solemn manner, verse about In the Old Testament. This ajD^Deased his Avrath in some measure, and they got off' without bodily punish ment. About the year 1802 (I am not certain as to the pre ss 262 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. else time), Thomas EAvIng.went to live with his father's family on Federal Creek, Athens County, Ohio, and Avorked upon the farm for some time. He afterAvards went to Avork at the Kanawha salt-works. There, by the light of the furnace fires at night, he pursued his studies. After his father's farm was paid for, and he had laid by a few dollars, he entered the college at Athens. A short time before he went to college, he paid a visit to my father's family on the Pan-Handle, and con sulted his uncle and aunt about the propriety of going- there. They advised him to go if he thought he could pay his way by his oavu labor, as his father, now in his old age, could not assist him. He had been but a short time at Athens, Avhen his funds gave out, and he again went to Avork at boiling salt. In this way he managed to get through college, and was, I believe, the first graduate of that institution. Shortly after he finished his studies at college, he commenced the study of law AvIth Phile mon Beecher, at Lancaster, Ohio, and that place AA'as his home ever after, until the time of his death, In October, 1871. Soon after he had finished the study of law (which I think was in 1816), he made a visit to my father's fam ily, Avho then lived on King's Creek, a few miles north east of Urbana. He was In search, of a place to com mence the practice of his profession, and had a consulta tion AvIth my father about the propriety of locating in Urbana; but, as we had llA'ed but two years in the vicinity of that place, my father was not sufficiently REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. 263 acquainted with the country nor with its Inhabitants to give a satisfactory opinion. My father being unwell, I accompanied Mr. Ewing to Urbana. I had but few ac quaintances there at that time. We "put up" at the tavern of James Roblson, stayed there and about toAvn all day, and went home in the evening. The next day, Mr. Ewing concluded to go back to Lancaster, as he got no encouragement to locate at Urbana. When he set out on his return, I accompanied him to Urbana, and he stayed a couple of hours at the tavern, Avhen he set out on his journey home. There were a goodly number of the citi zens assembled at the tavern on the last day that he was there. Among the rest, I remember tAvo Avho were prac tising lawyers and one law student. William Bridge, Avell knoAvn to all old settlers, was also present. After Tom had mounted his horse and rode oft', the wise men of the company present began to criticise his character and appearance. Many were the sarcastic remarks about his personal appearance and his coarse, home-made apparel. It was agreed by nearly all present that he would never haA'e talent enough to earn his living by the practice of the law, and that he Avould do better to return to the salt-works. The law student, who of course considered himself the wisest man in the company, said that any person of common sense could tell by the appearance of his head that he was, and ahA'ays Avould be, nothing but a conceited "booby." At the close of the conversation, William Bridge, Avho had thus far been silent, made the following quotation from Burns : 264 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. " There's many a ragged colt been known To make a noble aiver ; So he may some day fill a throne, For all your clish ma claver." It Is true he never filled a throne, but he occupied stations of far more Importance to the American people. From this time forward his history is Avell known. I haA'e in my possession a number of letters written by Mr. Ewing, some to my father, and others to me. I have UOAV before me one directed to my father, and dated Lancaster, August 4, 1818, from which I make the folloAvIng extract : " I am still pleading law in Lancaster, and find it a tolerably good business. My tutor. General Beecher, Avlio Is our present member of Congress, is a candi- (kate again at the ensuing election. Should he sue- O O ceed, he Avill throAV all his business Into my hands, Avhich will establish me in a very lucrative practice. You may conclude, therefore, that I am somewhat anxious for his success. But aside from this, he is a man of great talents and unimpeachable integrity, and of political principles AA'hich you would not disapprove. I hoi3e you Avill give him your support. My loA'e to aunt, sister, and cousins ; and believe me, Avith resjDect your nephew, T. Ewing. 11 It Avould be hard to make many of the citizens of this county believe that at that time the countle? REJIINISCENCES FROJI PAPERS. 265 of Fairfield and Champaign, the toAvns, noAV cities, of Lancaster and Urbana, Avere then included in the same Congressional district; yet such is the truth. I Avill now give a copy of another letter, dated thirty-eight years later, and after he had retired from the arena of politics : '¦Lancaster, Oct. 24, 185G. "My Dear Sir: I have yours of the 20th, and, like von, I am sIoav to learu the tricks of our new political parties. I cannot vote for Buchanan nor Fremont, for reasons Avhich you avIII readily appreciate ; nor can I vote for Fillmore, for, although once a Whig, he has abandoned the Whig party, and become a KnoAV-Nothing, of Avhich I know nothing that Is good, and much that is evil. I will therefore give no A'ote at the coming election. " I am very truly yours, "T. Ewing." The last time I met Mr. Ewing Avas on the cars at Urbana. He Avas ou his Avay home from Indian apolis, and it so happened that we both entered the same car at the same time, but at different doors — one at each end — and we eyed each other pretty closely, each being doubtful of the identity of the other. When Ave met near the middle of the car, I ventured to hold out my hand, and say, " Tom Ewing, I belieA'e." He replied, "It is; and I believe this is Ed. L. Morgan." He said our meeting reminded him 266 REMINISCENCES FROM PAPERS. of a couple of Irishmen, Avho, soon after their arrival in America, happened to meet one day, and each sup- ])Osecl he kncAv the other; but they soon found they Avere mistaken, and had never seen each other before, AA'hen one of them said, "I thought it AA'as you, and you thought It AA'as me; but, by jabers. It is neither of us." Salem, November 20, 1871. MISCELLANEOUS. The following, from a Washington correspondent, Is the only printed notice I have retained of the draping of the public buildings : "The Late Hon. Thomas Ewing. — As a mark of respect to the memoiy of this distinguished statesman, Avho died at his residence in Lancaster, Ohio, on Thurs day afternoon last. In the eighty-first year of his age, the executive departments of the Government in this city Avere yesterday closed and appropriately draped in mourning." O The extract below, from the Ciaclunati Commercial, I preserve, as it gives evidence that, iu conformity with the Scriptural admonition, he avoided both poverty and riches; and, although commanding the means of Avealth, he yet occupied his heart in the pursuit of higher aims and pleasures : "The estate of the late Thomas Ewing amounts to about a hundred thousand dollars. A fcAV years before his death, he distributed liberally among his children, the homestead falling to the share of his son, Thomas Ewing, Jr., AA'ho has since greatly improved it by remodelling the dwelling and beautifying the grounds. About one-half 268 MISCELLANEOUS. of the estate Avas invested In stocks and bonds, and the residue in real estate, chiefly in the coal and salt regions of the Hocking Yalley." As a matter most interesting to us, their children, and to our children and our children's children, I here with give copies of the marriage record of father and mother : [Copy.] Ewing I ^lo hereb}' certify that, on the 7 th Jan'y, to 1820, I solemnized the marriage of Thomas ^°^^^' Ewing and Maria Y^ Boyle. Edward Fenwick, P. G. — Record of Marriages, Fairfield County, Ohio, No. 1, p. 179. [Copy.] " Thomas Ewing and Maria Boyle Avere married on the 7th day of January, a.d. 1820." The above is from the family Bible, in father's oavu bandAvriting. — E. E. S. The articles given below, from the Catholic Telegraph, need no introduction from me : Death of the Hon. Thomas Ewing. — We learn AvIth heartfelt satisfaction from the newspapers, East and West, the exalted esteem in Avhich the life, A'irtues, and MISCELLANEOUS. 269 services of the late Hon. Thomas Ewing, of Lancastei', Avere everywhere held, and the splendid tributes ren dered to his memoiy by the most distinguished men and bodies of men iu the nation. Equal In ability to his compeers in the Senate of the United States, it is no disparagement to them If Ave avoAV the truth of his having surpassed them iu personal merit. Not one of them has left such an example to be admired and imitated by young men aud old, by the private citizen and the public functionary ; no one whose record is, in every respect, so bright. Mr. Evving, as his letters iu our possession prove, always declared his conviction of the claims of the Catholic Church to be the one only true Church of Christ. In her communion, he beheld all the means of sah'atlon instituted by the Saviour. To her he ac knoAvledged our indebtedness for the only true civiliza tion. In his admirable AvIfe, he had daily before his eyes for fort3'-five years the type of every womanly Christian grace and excellence ; and to her, unnamed In his eulogy, Ave believe he Avas greatly indebted for much of the suc cess he achieved in his glorious career. The book AA'hich Mr. EAving read AvIth most pleasure and profit, next to the New Testament, Avas the Folloiv- Ing of Christ, by Thomas k Kempis, of Avhich the Arch bishop, years j)ast, presented him a copy, and from this pure fountain of Catholic devotion he derived lessons of heavenly Avisdom noAvhere else better taught. In his funeral oration, the Archbishop expressed the 34 270 MISCELLANEOUS. AAdsh that every young man would read and ponder on the biography of Mr. Ewing, Avhich, he said, deserved to be AA'ritten In letters of gold. We repeat the wdsh, and recommend the obituary contained in one of our city papers, the day after his demise, to be inserted in our school-book? for the instruction of youth. Hon. Thojias Ewing. — The last great act of this truly gi'eat man Avas his profession of the Catholic faith and reception of the Holy Sacraments. It might seem to some who knew him not as his children and his Intimate friends knew him, that this step, because so long deferred, Avas at last hastily taken. But this is not so. It Avas the subject of serious meditation, especially after his marriage, fifty years past, Avitli his late admirable Catho lic wife. During that long interval, he frequently de clared his conviction of the truth of the Catholic religion. And yet, from an exalted, perhaps we may say an exaggerated, sense of his responsibility to God and man for his final determination, he still lingered on the threshold of the temple — still anxiously disciplined his mind and feelings before his solemn approach to the altar. Last December, when Archbishop Purcell went to Mount Yernon, Ohio, for the marriage of his son. General Charles Ewing, to an elegant and accomplished young lady of that city, he addressed a letter to Mr. Ewing, urging earnestly and respectfully his entrance into the one fold of the one Heavenly Shepherd. To this letter, written by the Archbishop, as he stated In it, MI3CELLANE0U.?. 271 after Mass, after placing his forehead iu the dust, on his knees on the A'igll of the festival of the unbelieving and believing St. Thomas, Apostle, he received the following reply : " Mount Yernon, Dec. 20, 1870. " Most Reverend and Dear Friend : " I regret that I cannot accept your suggestions, but I have difficulties which you, educated in the faith from childhood, can hardly appreciate. " I am satisfied that the Christian religion Is the greatest boon, moral and social, that ever heaven be- stoAved on man. This is to me the highest evidence of its truth, AA'hich Avould be lost if we repudiate the Catho lic Church, by AvhIch it Avas originally taught and has l^ieen transmitted through ages. "Its doctrines and their proofs have been for some years, and are still, my study ; but my convictions are not as unwavering as I could desire them, and I must be sin cere before God and man and have full faith before I make avowal. " With sentiments of the highest respect and esteem, I am, " Your lifelong friend, " T. Ewing. " Most Rev. Archbishop Purcell, present." The second paragraph of this beautiful letter covers the entire ground. The light so long sought and so fre- 272 MISCELL ANEOUS. quently implored AA'as granted in his last hours, aud he died a true believer. COMVIUNIOATED. " WeSTERN CHRISTIAN AdVOCATE " OF 15th November. — The Late Senator Ewing. — The editors of the Catholic Telegraph charitably Ignore, as a general thing, the scurrilities of the Western Chris tian (Methodist) Advocate. Here is a sample of one of these scurrilities not to be overlooked. Alluding to the High Mass by Rev. Mr. Young, and the sermon of Arch bishop Purcell, at Mr. Ewing's funeral, the Advocate says : " It may not be so generally knoAvn that the occasion Avas employed to eulogize the Romish Church, to the shameful neglect, if not positive insult, of the memory of the distinguished citizen, over whose senseless, body mummeries were performed and statements made that in any rational hour of his former life he v/ould haA'e spurned Avith contempt." "Nema," whose name is signed to the foregoing, forgets, if he CA'er knew, that Mr. Ewing, seven years past, " in a rational hour of his former life," Invited Archbishop Purcell, not to perform Avhat the Advocate impiously calls " mummeries," but to offer the adorable sacrifice of the New Law over the remains of his saintly wife, and to preach her funeral' sermon, at both of which Mr. EAving reverently assisted, far from spurning them with contempt. In using this vile language, the Advocate MlSCELLANEOUe. insults at once the virtuous living and the honored dead of Mr. Ewing's family. Will the Advocate atone by publishing Mr. Ewing's letter of the 20th December, 1870, to Archbishop Purcell \ Hon. John A. Bingham, of Ohio, has been kind enough to alloAv me to copy an interesting letter AAdiich my father addressed to him iu 1870 : Washington, May 7, 1n70. My Dear Sir: I thank you for the book you were kind enough to bring me. I am familiar Avith the Avorks of John Stuart Mill, aud think him one of our most profound thinkers and able logicians. In this Mr. Buckle has done him no more than justice. The passage to which you specially called my attention — the proof of the immortality of the soul deduced from our loA'c of family, associates, and friends AA'hile they live, and remaining after their death — has always had much Aveight Avith me, though It Is an argument resting on feeling rather thin reason, and is used by poets much more than by philosophers and theologhans. Campbell embodies it In these brief lines: " If faith unite the faithful but to part, Why is their memory sacred to the heart ?" Another argument deduced from our common nature, 274 MISCELLANEOUS. and wholly Independent of direct revelation, or creed, or forms of faith. Is the universal feeling of Immortality In all men, AA'heresoever found and in whatever age. Peo ples and sects differ Avidely as to the state of the soul after death ; but all agree as to Its existence. The Buddhist and the Egyptian priest belieA'ed in its transmigration ; the Gheber In its absorption into the divine essence ; and the Arab, as represented by Job, that after death in our flesh Ave shall see God. But forms of belief are unim portant to the argument ; the feeling is and always has been universal, whether in hope or fear, and is wholly beyond the range of reason. It Is in man as in the Insect — a blind, unreasoning impulse, such as impels the worm to wrap itself iu Its cocoon preparatory to its resurrec tion as a butterfly. And surely in all that concerns us, in v/hich bur reason cannot guide to truth or lead to error ; in all things Avhich reason cannot grasp, we are in the hands of Gocl as fully as the meanest things in creation, and are as sure to be truly informed by our feelings as they by their instincts. My Individual feeling on that subject is too strong to leave a doubt. I can no more conceive a possibility of my future than of my present non-existence ; and I do not fear disaj)pointment, for as to the general fact of a future state, it is certain I can never know myself to have been mistaken. If AA'e analyze the feelings of men AA'ho profess to be unbelievers, Ave Avill find in their unpremeditated ex pressions enough to prove a feeling of their own im mortality. Byron, suffering under his own wayward MISCELLANEOUS. 275 Avildness, and " the stings aud arrows of outrageous fortune," says, or makes his Giaour say for him, " I feel a wish within my breast For rest, but not to feel 'tis rest." And elsewhere, iu speaking of death, he calls it " That sleep the loveliest, for it dreams the least," but carrying with It ahvays the feeling of an ever- existent Ego, to enjoy the rest and sleep the sleep. So the sceptic Mirabeau, after, a strong and impassioned life, breathed out these word,s, the last that he ut tered : " Now I sink to eternal sleep." And the I, the self of Avhich this eternal sleep is pre dicated, must be also eternal, or the expression were a paralogism, of A'l^hlch this master of language and logic Avas never guilty. All these seem to me to in dicate, not an opinion, but a feeling of personal im mortality. Horace, one of the Avisest and most genial of the Romans of the Augustan age — a gentleman Avith whom Ave Avould like to take a dinner and a social glass of Avine — claims for himself immortality; he says: "Non omnis morior; multa pars mei, Vitabit libertinam." Though he grounds his claim to immortality on thoughts 276 MISCELLANEOUS. AvhIch he had already uttered, it Is he, Llorace, that is immortal. And Mr. Buckle is right iu saying that the burden of proof rests on those Avho deny the Immortality of the soul. Y^e knoAV of Its present existence by more Immediate evidence than we know of the existence of the material world. We have our knoAvledge of the soul from self consciousness, and of the material Avorld through the cognition of the soul. Y^e feel and knoAV that the soul is living, and no man ever saAV or knew It to die. The philosopher, therefore, Avho affirms must prove it to be mortal. I sat down to Avrite you a letter, and I have AA'ritten almost a treatise. I send the book to the Library, and am, Yery truly yours, [Signed] T. Ewing. Hon. John A. Bingham, House of Representatives. The letter Avhich follows Avas addressed to my brother after father had read, at his request, Mr. J. Huntington's admirable book, Grcplngs cfter Truth : [Copy.] Y^ASHiNGTON, May 3, 1870. Dear Charles : The strongest evidence in my mind of the divine origin of Christianity is Its eftect on the civil- MISCELLANEOUS. 277 ization of the countries In Avhich it prevailed — its full effect — the Institution of families and the emancipation of Avom.an, and her elevation in the social scale. This distinguishes Christian civilization from that of all other peoples and religions, and it evidently had its origin iu the dogmas of the Catholic Church, the Yirgin Mother, and the Holy Family. These pro duced their full effect within the first fifteen hundred years of our era, before Luther, or Calvin, or Henry the Eighth lived, and Avas too Avell established for the moot potent of them to reform it. And this was not due to the degree of civilization but to the institution of Christianity. At the time of the Crusades, the Mahometan populations of Asia y?ere, as compared Avith our rude ancestors, in a high state of civiliza tion, and women Avere toys or slaves, and denied im mortal souls. Indeed, under all other systems, the advance of civilization failed to improve, aud generally made Avorse their condition. In the age of Homer, they Avere more elevated and honored than in that of Socrates and Plato ; but from the earliest ages of the Christian church doAvn to the time of the Crusades, their condition Avas elcA'ated and honorable, aud during the ages of chivalry they Avere objects almost of adoration. " On Heaven and on your Lady call." But the sober judgment of the church corrected excesses and still held the family tie sacred and the 35 278 MISCELLANEOUS. sex in due honor. We OAve, therefore, to the Catholic Church the institution of families and the elevated social condition of woman. This is omitted as an ar gument in the little book you brought me. Your loving father, [Signed] T. Ewing. Gen. Charles Ewing. Among the early missionary priests to Avhom my brother makes reference in the correspondence Avhich folloAvs, I Avell remember Fathers Martin, Miles, and AUemau}', of the Dominican Order, the second of whom died Bishop of Nashville, and the latter Is uoav Arch bishop of San Francisco. Dr. Munos, a Spanish priest, Avas a most interesting and learned man, Avhom my father entertained in early days, aud often cpioted iu later ones, but Avhom I do not remember. The memory of a Rev. Mr Llill Avas also cherished in the family. He had been an officer in the British army, and, being converted to the faith, he abandoned all, and devoted his life to missionary labors. In later years. Rev. Joshua M. Young, a native of Maine and a convert, and Rev. H. Laiige Avon our love and reverence as devoted pastors, and enjoyed the high esteem and most affectionate regards of my father. They, too, have gone to their rcAvard, the former having been appointed to the see of Erie some years before his death. AIISCELLANEOUS. 279 Lancaster, O., March 5, 1872. Most Re'v. J. B. Purcell, Archbishop of Cinclnncdl : My Dear Sir : I have already told you that only a feAV days before his death, my honored father expressed to me his earnest desire to leave some token of his appreciation of the services of the early priests of the diocese of Cincinnati in assisting, by Instruction and example, in forming the character of his children, and bringing them up In the way they should go. This thought Avas much in his mind, and very often, in the last fcAv years of his life, he gave expression to his sentiments of esteem and regard for this pious, self sacrificing, and accomplished body of priests, with Avhom he had been brought in contact, and many of whom had often beeu his guests, and Avere endeared to him by the associations of the most intimate social intercourse. It happened, as you know, in the good providence of Almighty God, that Father Dominic Young, almost the very last survivor (except your honored self) of this estimable band, came a welcome messenger to minister to him In what alone was needed to add to his lifelong exemplification of all the natural virtues, and prepare him for the supernatural life that was opening before him. He expressed some embarrassment in designating the specific object to Avhlch to direct the donation that he contemplated, but finally directed that it should be placed In your hands and left to your discretion. 280 MISCELLANEOUS. I hope you Avill not deem It presumptuous In me to suggest that I think I but anticipate your oavu decision, aud feel sure jon will respect his vIcavs and Avishes, if it is applied to the use of the Seminary for the education of priests to, succeed the good fathers in grateful memory of whom it Is bestoAA'ed. Enclosed please find a draft for one thousand dollars, being the amount designated by my father; ,and I add In the name of the family a draft for one hundred dollars to cover the expenses of your visits to Lancaster on the occasions preceding his death, and for the funeral ; Avhicli kind attentions are, I assure you, remembered Avith heartfelt gratitude. With most affectionate and dutiful regard and esteem, I am, my dear Archbishop, Your son, P. B. Ewing. Cincinnati, Ohio, March 7, 1872. Honored and Dear Friend : Your much-prized letter, Avith its valuable contents, reached me on the 5th inst. I have handed the thousand-dollar check to the Presi dent of the Seminary, AvIth directions to have a solemn Mass of requiem oftered at the ' Seminary for the repose of your honored father's soul, his name inscribed on the seminary tablet as a special benefactor, and his descendants gratefully commemorated In the holy sac rifice. MISCELLANEOUS. 281 The one hundred dollars so generously destined for me, AAdth your permission, I shall send to our A'enerated friend. Rev. Mr. Young, Avho Avas the happy chosen instrument, in the hand of God, to bring your lamented father into the church, on whose threshold he had lin gered so long, and toAvard Avhose altar he had so long Avistfully looked. This disposition of the one hundred dollars, I think, is most acceptable to your dear father and to all the family. Profound respects to Mrs, EAving, and blessings to the children. Kindest regards to all. Yours, sincerely, J. B. Purcell, Archbishop) of Cincinnati. The letters given below Avere written at a time when father was stricken suddenly ill iu the Supreme Court room at Washington, and thought to be beyond hope of recovery. As the perusal of them touched his tender heart, and warmed it toward the Avriters, I cannot refrain from giving them a place here : LETTER FROM " OCCASIOlSrAL." (The foUowing letter will appear in tlie Philadelphia Pre«s to-day.) Washington, October 22, 1869. Thomas Ewing, one of the last of the old-school states men, has just been struck down in the Supreme Court 282 MISCELLANEOUS. of the United States, and may not live over the night. If he had chosen the place In which to close his honored career, and the manner of his fareAvell, he Avould proba bly have selected the scene of so many of his noblest triumphs. He was prostrated In the midst of an argu ment on an important land question. As I write, he lies in one of the rooms adjoining the chamber of the Court — that chamber to AvhIch, nearly forty years ago, he was sent as a United States Senator by the Legislature of Ohio, and In Avhich for seven years he served as the contemporary of Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Silas Wright, Thomas H. Benton, W. C. Preston, George Poindexter, John Forsyth, Martin Yan Buren, James Buchanan, W. R. King, Richard M. Johnson, James L. Southard, and others, all of Avhom have gone before. He lived to a greater age than any of these. Born on the 28th of December, 1789, he Is on the A'erge of eighty, having lived longer than Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Wright, Ben ton, or Buchanan. He preserA'cd his faculties to the last, and the scene in the Court this afternoon, as described by one of his eminent associates In the words AvhIch are subjoined, must have been extremely impressive. He has fallen literally in the harness. Time has dealt avou- derfully Avith him. Up to the last, he took a deep interest in public affairs. The extraordinary vigor of his mind is proved by the fact that he was contending in the most trying of all theatres, AAdth the ripest minds of his profession. Within a recent period, he has contributed to the ncAvspapers on public questions. The kindest of MISCELLANEOUS. 283 fathers, he Avas blessed In his children, four of Avhom came to his couch when he Avas carried from the Court. FeAV public men have lived so useful aud so illustrious a career. He escaped the usual infirmities of old age. Good health, undlmmed intellect, and a keen enjoyment of his great profession, he may be classed among the for tunate. If the story of his life Is a grand lesson to his countrymen, the close of that life wdl add to the rever ence Avith Avhich his memory avIII be cherished. Occasional. Lion. Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, AA'hile arguing a case bef >re the Supreme Court of the United States yesterday, fainted from nervous exhaustion, and, though partially recovering, is uoaa' lying in a dangerous condition at the Capitol. Mr. EAving Avas addressing the Court In the case of Tyler and Maguire — a Avrit of error to reverse the judg ment of the Sujoreme Court of the State of Missouri, Avhich came on by special assignment to be heard on a motion to refuse the mandate; Messrs. Curtis and Phil lips for the motion, Messrs. Ewing and Carlisle contra. Mr. Ewing had taken part In the argument of the case iu April last, which resulted in a judgment establishing the right of his clients, and the object of the motion was to modify that judgment. This iuA'olved a revieAV of the case, in which Mr. Ewing felt great interest. Yesterday, Mr. Phillips opened for the motion at 11 A.M., addressing the Court until 1 p.i:., being folloAved by 284 MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. Carlisle In opposition, Avho spoke until 2 p.m. Mr. EAvIng then rose and spoke about fifteen minutes in a very clear and particularly animated manner. At the end of that time, he remarked to the Court that he did not feel so strong as he thought he Avoiild be Avhen he commenced, and the Chief-Justice told him to continue his argument sitting. Mr. Carlisle placed a cAiair for him Immediately facing the Chief-Justice, and Mr. EAving Avalked around the counsel-table, and sat down. He had just begun to read from his brief, AA'hen, at the end of a sentence, he paused, and his head gently fell upon his shoulder. Mr. Carlisle at once saw that he had fainted, and rendered assistance, along with several of the judges on the bench, who came down for that purpose. Mr. EAvIng recovered in a few moments, however, and told his colleagues to continue the argument. He himself, hoAvever, after a fcAv minutes, rose to resume, but his lips refused utterance, his throat gave a nervous tAvitch, and he fell over. Medical aid Avas at once summoned — the Court adjourning — and Dr. C. M. Ford was the first to respond, Drs. Dove, Bliss, aud Thomas Miller quickly folloAving, rendering all aid In their power. Mr. Ewing's family Avas also sent for, he being removed In the mean time from the court-room to the private room of the judges. His tAvo sons. General Thomas and Charles Ewing; his daughters, Mrs. General Sherman and Mrs. Steele ; General Sherman, and Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren, soon arrived at the Capitol, and assisted as far as possible in alleviating his condition. Toward evening, he partially MISCELLANEOUS. 285- aroused from his lethargic state, and Avas conscious of the presence of those around him. It Avas deemed too dangerous by the physicians to remove him, and he re mained at the Capitol all night. At 12 o'clock last night, his condition Avas much improved, and he had fallen Into a sound sleep. His two sons, Thomas and Charles, Deputy Marshal of the Supreme Court Tisdale, and Dr. Miller Avere present with him. General Sher man left a few minutes before midnight. His friends hope he avIII be sufficiently recovered to permit of his removal to his residence this morning. [Special Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette.] HON. THOMAS EWING BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT— HIS SUDDEN SICKNESS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT SCENE. Washington, October 23, 1869.. The scene in the Supreme Court-room yesterday, Avhen Thomas EAving lay before its bar, surrounded by the Court, his children, and many of his. legal friends, all of Avhom believed him dying, Avas most solemn and impres sive. It seemed as if the curtain Avhich hides the past had been lifted, and events and persons long passed off' the stage had returned. And when the first shock was over, there came to all Avho Avatched beside the uncon scious old man thoughts of the days Avhen, in the room AA'here he lay, Webster, Calhoun, Benton, Clay, Buchanan,, 36 286 MISCELLANEOUS. Yan Buren, Preston, Sdas Wright, and King sat with him as senators nearly forty years ago. With poAver often, Avith brilliancy, AvIth Avit, Avith fluent and eloquent tongue, for many years he had played no common part among them ; and uoaa', on the veiy scene of their great efforts and renoAvn, his death Avas calling back their times as no event has clone since the Avar dug its great gulf between those days and these. With the exception of the Chief Justice and Justices SAvayne and Miller, the Court, either in years or belief belongs rather to the old times than the present. And Judge Curtis, Avho, In the case before the Court, Avas opposed to Mr. Ewing; Avas himself on that bench In the days of the Dred Scott decision. Mr. Ewing's associate, Mr. Carlisle, as Yerger's counsel, is pleading before the same tribunal for aid to roll back the ucav tides to which the Avave gave motion. In the main, the scene Avas one of the past Avhen Mr. Ewing rose to speak; for no one sits long at any time in the stillness of that court-room Avithout having visions of the old senators. And except two or three laAvyers of the new time, those around Mr. EAvIng belonged to the old, and in their presence it Avas easier to recall those former days. The case was one AvhIch interested him deeply. He Avas acquainted AvIth every element of It, as he had folloAved it as principal .counsel for tAA'cnty-fiA-e years. Those who preceded him yesterday had occupied much time — much more than he had expected ; and the old man, full of his subject, and hoping to end his case successfully after a quarter of a MISCELLANEOUS. 287 century of effort, rose at length, and, under his pent-up excitement, Avent on Avith a force and brilliancy that had caused those In attendance, Avho remembered his prime, to remark that his former strength in argument and his old eloquence had returned. The strength and elasticity of maturity seemed to return, and he held his command ing figure for the moment as if in the enjoyment of full physical strength again. Thus he continued for near half an hour. It Avas Avhile all eyes Avere on him that he sank exhausted. Old age settled over him again, as from his chair he continued his argument. And then a pause, aud old age seemed to have yielded to death. Hastily piling cushions in the area before the bar, they laid him down upon the theatre of so many years of labor. The Court adjourned and gathered around him, and for a time It was supposed that he was dead ; and then for hours, although consciousness had returned, there seemed no hope of long sustaining life. Y^ithln an hour, quite an extended circle of family friends had arrived, to gether with Avell-known surgeons and physicians of the District, and, Avith some of the most prominent members of the bar, all watched for several hours around the bed. The doors were closed, the room lighted, and there In the old Senate-chamber they AA'alted for the old Senator to die. Amono^ those most affected Avas Gen. Sherman. In his person the present had its representative In that solemn scene ; and while the j)ast was for the hour so vividly recalled, he seemed the embodiment of that great army 288 MISCELLANEOUS. Avhich had driven the chariots, of Avar OA'er it, and whose shoutings of victory had celebrated the birth of the new time. For four hours there Avas no perceptible pulse-beat as this company watched, and iu all that time only a few Irregular flutterings of the heart, though conscious ness came at times, AA'hen he could recognize his children and his associates. In the evening, hoAvever, the rigorous measures used to restore brought him back from the very door of death, and at midnight he appeared almost out of danger again. At midnight he Avas sleeping quietly, and most of those who had Avalted till they could feel assured that he would recover from the attack left the building. That midnight walk Is one to be remembered by all who took it. The long, still corridors and the shadoAvy rooms ever brought back the Senate of half a century ago ; aud then the course of the sleeper as Secretary of the Treasury, as organizer of the Interior Department and its first Secretary, and then the long war, which settled so many of the questions which agitated the nation when the men of those days were in their prime, would croAvd the mind. Coming out of the building, the long lines of Avhite columns, still draped in mourning for Rawlins and for Pierce, looking still blacker In the moonlight, as If fresh shadows from the kingdom of death had fallen upon the drapery, and deepened the effect of the Avhole. Those who left felt, hoAvever much MISCELLANEOUS. 289 they diftered from him, that, if he Avere to die, it Avas fitting he should be carried from the old Senate-cliamber to his tomb. [Washington Correspondont.] The many thousands of persons throughout our Avide re])ublic who were grlcA'ed a fcAv months ago on learning that the venerable Mr. Thomas Ewing, ex-Senator aud ex-Secretary, had been suddenly stricken doAvii by dis ease, never, as it Avas feared, to rise again, Avill be grati fied to learn that his stahvart form and noble and lie- nlgnant countenance are again familiar among us, and that his clear mind aud vast store of information and gentle amenities are still the charm and delight of his legions of friends. C0ni:ltist0n. Dearest and best, tenderest and truest of earthl}- fathers! thou friend of my mortal life, to AV'liom my heart ever Avent forth In unselfish, absorbing devotion ; Avhose loA'e has cheered my every hour, and is Avith me still ; smile now upon my accomplished task as thou wert Yfout to smile upon me here ! No word or act of mine Avas ever deemed too Aveak for the kind, appi'OA-- ing glance of thy SAveet eye; no Avilful, AvayY'ard ex pression e'er exhausted the fund of thy patient, loving forbearance. Engrossed by childhood's joys or pastimes, allured by youth's delusive pleasures, or Aveary Avith the cares of years, a child of thine found ever symjiathy and comfort on thy dear bosom. Thy hand rested upon m\' head In benediction, or Avas held forth to guide aud support. Thou wilt not return to me, but I shall go to thee. Thy loA'e greeted the dawn of my existence, and my soul Avill meet thee as it goes hence to its Creator ; and there. In the day of resurrection, I shall again be hold thy face, Avhose glorified beauty cannot express more than has ever been for thee the desire of the heart of thy child. r i 7 Jf 1 /J y / » .1 . ll . Jl. 1 I ¦ ¦« I • 1 ' * I'l ^41^ f^.. I #v 5? :::" "5- ^ 1 ti'