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THE GREEN BAG
ing in the neighborhood. Mr Blair reached the ground first, and made a violent speech, in which he brought many charges agains^ Crittenden's political course, and abused him personally. He was greatly excited. Ashamed of his course toward his old friend, and afraid of the lashing he knew was in store for him, he had, during the tirade, been looking round anxiously for his oppo nent, and found his flashing eye fixed steadily upon him. He closed his speech, and a rather cowardly impulse took possession of him to steal off and escape the scourging the mere anticipation of which weighed heavily upon him. He reached the outskirts of the crowd, when, hearing that voice, which always thrilled and, in a measure, controlled him, he turned back almost involuntarily and gave himself up to justice. As he found that he was not personally alluded to, he drew nearer and nearer with some feeling of security. Mr. Crittenden took up the charges with which he had been assailed, one by one, and refuted them; managed to cast, from time to time, a furtive glance upon his adversary, but did not call his name or allude to him. At first this rather pleased Blair; then, as he became convinced that " John " meant to pass him by silently, he was humiliated and ashamed. A few days afterwards Blair was seated in one of the Clerk's offices in Frankfort, when Mr. Crittenden entered; he advanced to Blair with outstretched hand and a kindly greet ing : " Well, Preston; how are you? " Blair, greatly embarrassed, stammered out a few words of salutation, and then, feeling that something must be said to break the silence, remarked, " You had a son born in your house yesterday, Crittenden; what do you intend to call him? " A cloud of mingled feelings passed over Crittenden's expressive countenance. After a moment's pause he said, " I have been thinking, Preston, of calling him by that name which you have been trying of late to dishonor." " That," with the kind and sorrowful glance which accompanied it, " went straight to my
heart," said Mr. Blair, " the fountain of my speech was dried up, and this was the only reproach Mr. Crittenden ever made me." Another story illustrating the same point was told by Judge S. S. Nicholas of Louis ville. He said that at one time he had become so exasperated with Blair for the unjust aspersions he had cast on Crittenden that he (Nicholas) resolved never again to acknowledge him (Blair) as an acquaintance. Being in Washington about this time he entered one of the departments to visit Crittenden. Several gentlemen were pres ent and among them Blair. True to his resolve the judge straightened up and passed Blair without speaking or even bowing. Crittenden greeted- him warmly and then, with some little embarrassment, turned him round quickly in front of Blair and said, "Here, Nicholas, here is our old friend Blair. I know you will be glad to see him." " There was no resisting this," said the judge; " I could but speak to Blair. As Mr. Crittenden would 'not resent Blair's conduct to himself, I could not very consistently do so." This trait won him the unfailing love of nearly everyone. He was the one man on whom all factions and enemies could unite. Men who hated each other fiercely united in loving Crittenden. But it must not be thought that he was lacking in courage to express his views or return the fire of an antagonist. He was always ready to do so, but nevertheless generally did it with such a heartfelt courtesy as to relieve anyone of the impression that he was actuated by malice or bitterness. Nature and art con spired to make him a perfect gentleman. His name has become the synonym of courtesy and gentlemanly tact. Whenever borne away by the excitement of the moment or through a love of fun he had uninten tionally hurt the feelings of anyone, he would always find a way to as publicly make reparation for the imagined wrong. On one occasion he had been retained to defend a young Southerner, a student of Transylvania University, who during a
