Hon. Thomas Corwin, Of Ohio

Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, for 35 years past prominently enguged in po litical lifa and the na:ional service, was strioken down with parnlysis ou the 15th instant, aud, alter a paiuful illnees, died ou Monday at Washington, having just fulfilled his three score and ten years. His public career is familiar to almost every reader ; and a sketch of his character and peculiarities will be found more interesting in this connection tluin would any mere repetition of hm public services. For those not acquaiuted with the details of his career it will be enough to eay that he wijs born in Bourbou county, Kentucky, July 29, 1794, and was selfeducated ; that he entered public life as a member oi' the Ohio Legis'ature in 1817 ; was a motuber of the Lower House of Congress from 1831 to 1840; was Governor of Ohio from the latter named year uutil 1842 ; was elected Senator from Ohio in 1845, and held the position until appointod in 1850, by President Fillmore, Secretury of the Treasury ; that he was elected to the ïhirtysixth Congress, and was chairman of the Cotrmiltee ou Foreign Affnirs ; was reelected to the Thirtyseventh Óougress, but resigned to accept the misaion to Mexioo, tendered him by Mr. Lincoln ; that he voluntarily abaudoned Mexico on the establishmeut of Kaximilian's empire in the capital, leaving his r,on a3 Öhnrgo d'Affaiies, and tbat ho bao since been practising his professiou ia Washington city. Mr. Corwin's remarkable eloquence uid not require the stimulus of excitement, tbough something of its fire was paled on ordicary occasions. His language was always elegant and refined, full of au imagery that largely partook of the poetry of the East. His very dark complexion was often made the subject of jokes by Corwin and his frien'ds. Thomas F. Marshall, of Kentucky, (who had a very red complexion himself, and who used to frequently relate a story conneoted therewith, which, like many details oí the Strong divorce case, will not bcar pub lication), once told an adventure which he had with Mr. Corwin, at Lebanon, Obio, Mr. Corwin's place of residenco. Marshall had stopped at Lebanon over night, aud had registered himself at the hotel as " Mr. Marshall, of Kentucky." While sitting in the public room iu the eveaing, he noticed a neally dressed colored man enter the hall, and, approaching the register, begin to read it. When he had reached Marshali's name he read it aloud, aud asked the clerk if " Mr. Marshall was in the ho tel." The clerk replied by pointing him to the gentlemen in question The colored man approached Man hall, saluted him very respeotfully, and asked if he belonged to the Lexington family of Marshalls Marshall was, as he expressed it afterwards, " somewhat put out by the familiar manuer of the ' culled gemmau;"' but answered civilly that he was. The colored man delighted to hear it. and to meet him, " I had," he said, " the honor and pleasure of serving with Mr. Thomas A. Marshall from 1831 to 1835." Mr. Marshall, thinking he had met one of the old family servante who had " ruu avvay " frons Kentucky to freedom in Ohio, was about to ply him wilh questions, but foand no opportnnity of " getting in a word edgeways." The colored man asked in rapid successiqn after the vaiious members of' the family, spoke foeliugly and familiarly of old Humphrey Marshall, the head ol the ld Kentucky Marshall family, and at laet asked if tho gentleman was acquainted with Mr. Henry Clay, On Mr. Marahall replying in the affirmative, the coli.'red gentleman began to teil, in a voice intendeel for the littlo crowd of listeners who gathered arouud, somo retniniseencea of Henry Clay, one of which he began by the remark. " When I wus in Cougress witb Mr. Clay. " You in Congress with Mr. Clay ?" interrupted Marshall - " You iu Congress V" " Yes, sir ; yes, sir. My name is Tom Corwin." " Tom Corwin!" exclaimed Marshall. " Excuse me, sir, but damned if I didu't thiuk you were a free negro." Only the lingering " last leafs," of the past geoeration will personally ri-niember Tom Corwin in bis great character as the "Wagon Boy." Tbe sobriquet was gained rather curiously. In the memorable politieal campaign of 1840, when Harrifion changed his "log cabin" for the White House," when the Whig oattle-cry was "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." Tom Corwin was the candidate for Governor of Ohio, aud ran more on the merits of Harrison than his own. To elect Harrisön was to elect himself, and Corwin turned out to stump the State for the Whig President ial candidate. It was in this canvass that n e won not only the sobriquet of the " Wagon Boy," but his reputation as the " most iaseinating stump speaker west of the mountains." Though Mr. Corwin's reputation was chiefly due to his gift of oratory and powers as a special pleader, his forco did not consist in these alone. He was adnrrable in an argument, quick at repartee, and parlicularly distinguished for his discrimination in the citation of authorities ; but these traits were but the reserve forces of his greater powers, and are only remeinbered as secondary to them. He has been described as a dramatic speaker, possessing in a high degree the three Dernosthenian essentials oi an orator - first, action; second, action ; tnird, aetion. His power as an advocate was his fortune. His reputation as an earnest pleader was kuown all over the country, and caused him to be retaiued for the defeoce of some of the most desperate crimináis. It used to be a eomimm remark among criminal hiwyers thïit to give Corwiu tlie clösing speech in defence of the vilest criminal, was to give hiin ihe f.ase, and was equivalent to an aqquittal. Criminal trials were his forte, and vet he was not a " tragic " lawyer. His humor would " orop out " on the most serious occasions, and ofteu produced, in spite of the orator, an anti-climax whioh would injure his case. An nstauoa of suoh a result to ono of his grand pathetic appeals occurrod a few yoars ago in a Western court. It will be remembered that Corwin, in the tíenate of 1845 or 1846, arguing soriously against the morality of the projeoted war against Mexico, pcrmitted his appreciatiön of humor to lead him into the extravagant expressioD, " If I were a Mexican, as I am an American, I would welcome you with bloody hands to hospitable graves." A few years after, whon this expression bad been quoted by the newspapers until it had beoome as familiar as " hovtsehold words," Mr. (yorwin was rctained as counsel for a man chaiged with murder, and who he claimed acted in self-dbfence. In his closing speech to the jury, Corwin pictured the condition of his cliënt as eudeavoring to avoid the diffioultv, portrayed the murdered man as forcingit upon hitn, dogging his steps, denounoing him a-coward, and at last tbrcatcp'ing to strike him. " What," he exelaiuied, " would you have done in such eiaeroiscy ? What, eiv," turoing to tho proseouLÍDg alterne;', " ;v.t would ycu have done ï" " Done,'' replied tho attornoy, with great gravity; "dono - I Would havo welcomed him with bloody hanís ío a hospitable gravo." Mr. Ccrwin was in persen about five feet eight iuches iu height, and at the time of his cieath did not look over fifty vears of age. He was soüdly ar.d robustly built, with a full, round and jovial face. He was escusdiugly genial and companionable ; and it wiü be remetnbered witb painful interest that it was while surrounded by his friends, engaged in recalüng recolleotions of his times and telling anecdotes of hig con lemporaries, that he was strickon with the disoase which teruiiuated his existence.