C. Bancroft Davis and the Honorable William
A. Richardson, I am venturing upon the task of giving a sketch of my
experiences in life during three fourths of a century. The wisdom of
such an undertaking is not outside the realm of debate. A large part
of my manhood has been spent in the politics of my native state, and
in the politics of the country. For many years I have had the fortune
to be associated with those in whose hands the chief powers were
lodged. I have been a witness of, and in some cases an actor in,
events that have changed the character of the institutions and affected
the fortunes of the country. Those events and their consequences must
in time disturb, if they do not change, the institutions of other
countries.
In the course of this long period I have had opportunities to know
some of the principal actors in those important events. In a few
cases I am in possession of knowledge not now in the possession of any
other person living. These considerations may in some degree justify
my undertaking.
On the other hand I have not kept a record of events, and I have had
occasion often, especially in the practice of my profession, to notice
the imperfections of the human memory. Much that I shall write must
depend upon the fidelity of that faculty, although in some cases my
recollections may be verified or corrected by the public records.
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