54-40 or Fight

which a woman is not engaged in so

e gray mane of Doctor Samuel Ward waved

k." A moment later he added:

ring still remained upon his gaunt features; but in his blue eye I saw a glint which proved that the answ

ur family I give you now the benefit of my personal acquaintance with this ge

generation, for the most part, of enemies. On my chief's face I saw appear again the fighting f

leaders from the start of the world till now sometimes rid the scene of the

one of them! Were there not other swords upon whi

ht. A walk of a wet night here in Washington-a turn along the Heights out there when the winter wind is keen-yes, Sam, I see my grave before me, close enough;

d his shoulders and smiled at

white, that South is North. It is only for my own race that I plan a wider America. But then-" Calhoun raised a long, thin hand. "Why,

the answer he made was to waggle his gray m

"I condemn you to fight on,

od bone, fine bone and hard; a hard head and bony; little eye, set deep; strong, wiry muscles, not

hope?" Calhoun fla

you to die, John Calhoun, for more than two years to come-perhaps five years-six. Keep up this work-as you must,

truth is welcome to no man, morbid or sane, soun

Time to mend many broken vessels, in those t

ry, the fanatic statesman. He summed up, as though to himself

h last month brings in new complications. Had he remained our secretary of state, much mi

as none so eager,"

liked. England is busy with Texas. Texas owes large funds to England. England wants Texas as a colony. There is fire

ve Mexico to resume the war, and so cost Texas the friendship of England! Excellent Mr. Van Zandt! I at least know what the friendship of England means. So, he asks us if we will protect Texas with troops and ships in case she does sign that agreement of annexation. Cunnin

e to make it, the one way or

ng hand smote

ed you Mr. Upshur's portfo

long hand s

crossed his legs. His eyes were fixed on Calhoun's frowning

ng Texas and Oregon into this Union, one slave, the other free, but

you ac

ministry to Mr. Upshur just two days before his death. Judge whether Aberdeen wants liberty-or territory! In effect he reasserts England's ri

blems which then beset American statesmanship and American thought. The old doctor

at a Monroe Doctrine is; shall show her that while Texas is small and weak, Texas and this republic are not. This is what I have drafted as a possible reply. I shall tell Mr. Pakenham that

ast. Again they looked gravely, each into the ot

before I lay down my arms, Sam Ward. No, I am not yet re

n not ready for war. You as a statesman are not adequate to the politics of all this. Where is your politica

that mere politics will not serve. It will take some e

nd forgetting each other; using and wasting each other; ruining and despoiling each other, all t

As it chances, I need a man. Ergo, a

some deep-laid stratagem was plain, but his speech for the

, and still is. Not so much so Jim Polk of Tennessee. Never does he appear in public with eyes other t

sed his eyebrow

America was born in Budapest! So I say, Austria; or perhaps Hungary, or some other country, which

oness!" exclaimed Doc

said, "I mean Mr. Pakenham's reputed mistress, his assur

matic and social life, when intrigue in Wash

re he came to us he was with England's legation in Mexico. 'Twas there he first met the Do?a Lucrezia. 'Tis said he would have remained in Mexico had it not been arranged that she and her h

ears ago," comme

he admiration of Mr. Polk and Mr. Van Zandt, and follows off after the sprightly Baroness von Ritz. Meantime, Se?or Yturrio also forgets the Do?a Lucrezia, and proceeds also to follow after the baroness-although with les

long whistle, as he contemplated Jo

ut do you not see, granted certain motives, Polk might come

e this country into war? Would you pit two peoples, like c

; the single purpose, which to the world at large he had been all his life in Congress, in cabi

f women-tell me, why not women? Why anything else but women? It is only playing life against life; one variant against another. That is polit

him. "My God!" said he at las

ities and empires and republics to-day? Woman, and not man! Are you so ignorant-and you a physician, who kn

is friend, shaking his head; "not seemly fo

ould not need these, perhaps. Now you tell me my time is short. I must fight now to

ne of Calhoun's modest ménage at the nation's capital, which then

tly maintains. The map of the United States, I tell you, is covered with a down counterpane à deux, to-night. You ask me to go on with my fight. I answer, first I must find th

ook his head. "I don't prete

with a vigor which his wasted f

day the portfolio of secretary of state. Shall I take it? If I do, it means that I am employed by this administration to secure the admission of Texas. Can you believe me when I tell you that my ambition is for it all-all, every foot of new land, west to the Pacific, that we can get, slave or

more, Calhoun," gravely answered his old fri

t answer shall go to Pakenham. And I tell you, Pakenham shall not dare take offense at me. War with Mexico we possibly, indeed certainly, shall ha

do you mean-still heari

aroness Helena von Ritz says

! You plan war between two embassies on

de answer; "but, if there must be war, we may reflec