Furthermore,  I  then  held  the  office  of  United  States  Sena-
tor from  Mississippi — one  which  I  preferred  to  all  others.  The
kindness  of  the  people  had  three  times  conferred  it  upon  me,
and  I  had  no  reason  to  fear  that  it  would  not  be  given  again,  as
often  as  desired.  So  far  from  wishing  to  change  this  position
for  any  other,  I  had  specially  requested  my  friends  (some  of
whom  had  thought  of  putting  me  in  nomination  for  the  Presi-
dency of  the  United  States  in  1860)  not  to  permit  "  my  name
to  be  used  before  the  Convention  for  any  nomination  what-
ever."

I  had  been  so  near  the  office  for  four  years,  while  in  the
Cabinet  of  Mr.  Pierce,  that  I  saw  it  from  behind  the  scenes,  and
it  was  to  me  an  office  in  no  wise  desirable.  The  responsibilities
were  great ;  the  labor,  the  vexations,  the  disappointments,  were
greater.  Those  who  have  intimately  known  the  official  and
personal  life  of  our  Presidents  can  not  fail  to  remember  how
few  have  left  the  office  as  happy  men  as  when  they  entered  it,
how  darkly  the  shadows  gathered  around  the  setting  sun,  and
how  eagerly  the  multitude  would  turn  to  gaze  upon  another  orb
just  rising  to  take  its  place  in  the  political  firmament.
