newspaper correspondence in the place from which it was
dated. It came to pass that about three weeks after this retribution
overtook the _Bulletin_, for it also published a review of an opera which
was not sung, but I meanly passed the occurrence by without comment. When
a man hits you, it is far more generous, manly, and fraternal to hit him
back a good blow than to degrade him by silent contempt.

The Presidential campaign between Grant and Johnson was beginning to warm
up. Colonel Forney was in a cyclone of hard work between Washington,
Pennsylvania, and New York, carrying on a thousand plots and finely or
coarsely drawn intrigues, raising immense sums, speaking in public, and,
not to put it too finely, buying or trading votes in a thousand tortuous
or "mud-turtlesome and possum-like ways"--for _non possumus_ was not in
his Latin. Never shall I forget the disgust and indignation with which
the great Republican champion entered the office one evening, and,
flinging himself on a chair, declared that votes in New Jersey had gone
up to sixty dollars a head! And I was forced to admit that sixty dollars
for a Jerseyman did seem to be an exorbitant price. So he went forth on
the war-path with fresh paint and a sharp tomahawk.

It often happened to me in his absence to have very curious and critical
decisions in my power. One of these is the "reading in" or "reading out"
of a man from his party. This is invariably done by a leading political
newspaper. I remember, for instance, a man who had been very prominent
in politics, and gone over to the Democrats, imploring me to readmit him
to the fold; but, as I regarded him as a mere office-hunter, I refused to
do it. _Excommunicatus sit_!

There was a _very_ distinguished and able man in a very high position. To
him I had once addressed a letter begging a favour which would have been
nothing at all to grant, but which was of great importance to me, and he
had taken no notice of it. It came to pass that we had in our hands to
publish certain very damaging charges against this great man. He found
it out, and, humiliated, I may say agonised with shame and fear, he
called with a friend, begging that the imputations might not be
published. I believe from my soul that if I had not been so badly
treated by him I should have refused his request, but, as it was, I
agreed to withdraw the charges. It was the very best course, as I
afterwards found. I am happy to say that,