John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[486] always inclining to be eccentric, and a lawless humor for which nothing was sacred except his own independence, he yet possessed such fresh and peculiar wit, such originality of style, such resources of out-of-the-way reading and learning, such unexpected and surprising views of every subject, such comprehensive notions about news, and such ability to direct the collection of news, and to employ those able to organize and push that business, that he made himself the most influential journalist of his day; and in spite of enmities and animosities and contempt such as I have never seen equalled towards any man, he built up the Herald to be the leading newspaper of this country, and, indeed, one of the great and characteristic journals of modern times.

Mr. Bennett was a Scotchman, and always spoke with a strong Scotch accent. He was a tall, spare, blond man, with a long and rather thin face, a Roman nose, small, blue eyes, and he was cross-eyed. This gave to his face a peculiar, sardonic expression. Yet there was such intellectual power and such an intellectual elevation in Bennett's face that it was always impressive and compelled the respect of those who were not certain whether he was going to befriend in the Herald the cause or the interest for which they were endeavoring to engage his support, or whether he would tear it with his criticism or wither it with his satire.

The last time I saw Mr. Bennett was in the summer of 1868, when I paid him a visit in his house at Fort Washington. He was not very well, and was no longer taking a very active part in the conduct of the Herald, which had been handed over to his son, who was still aided by Mr. Frederick Hudson, for so many years Mr. Bennett's faithful and most efficient lieutenant. I found Mr. Bennett lying on the sofa, with an immense pile of newspapers that he had just read scattered on the floor. He told me that he had them brought up to him from the Herald office every day, and that he found no other amusement so attractive as their perusal; “and yet,” said he, “they are mostly domd fools.” He got up and showed me around the place, the garden, the grounds, and pointed out every striking view. I stayed to lunch with him, and was