of the first colored man ever appointed to the Railway Mail
Service. This was soon after I entered the House of Representatives
in 1869.

Perhaps I may as well add in this connection that I believed
I recommended the first married woman ever appointed postmaster
in this country, shortly after I entered the House.

When Colonel Chenoweth, who had been on General Grant's staff,
a most brilliant and able officer of the War, died in office
as Consul at Canton, China, to which he was appointed by President
Grant, I urged very strongly upon Grant the appointment of
the widow to the place. She had, during her husband's illness,
performed a great part of the duties very well, and to the
great satisfaction of the merchants doing business there.
I told General Grant the story. He said he would make the
appointment--to use his own phrase--if Fish would let him.
But Mr. Fish was inexorable. He thought it would be a very
undignified proceeding. He also urged, with great reason,
that a Consul had to hold court for the trial of some grave
offences, committed often by very bad characters, and that
it was out of the question that a delicate lady should be
expected to know or to have anything to do with them. So
the proposal fell through.

Daniel W. Voorhees of Indiana served in the House with me.
I had with him there one very angry conflict. But it did
not interrupt our friendly relations. He was a man of a good
deal of eloquence, very popular in his own State, and said
to have been a very successful and able lawyer, especially
in arguing cases to juries. His political speeches in the
Senate were carefully prepared, very able statements of his
side, and very severe denunciations of his antagonists. But
he was a very kind-hearted man indeed, always willing to do
a kindness to any of his associates, or to any person in trouble.
If he could not be relied on to protect the Treasury against
claims of doubtful validity, when they were urged by persons
in need, or who in any way excited his sympathy, it ought
to be said in defence of him, that he would have been quite
as willing to relieve them to the extent of his power from
his private resources.

Bainbridge Wadleigh of New Hampshire succeeded to the Chairmanship
of the Committee on Privileges and Elections after Mr. Morton's
death in the summer of 1869. He was a modest, quiet and unpretending
man, of stainless integrity, of great industry in dealing
with any matter