Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 1.
LINKS TO A SKKLKT9N.
(Many years ago the Editress placed
the following in her scrap book. Then Its
author was unknown. The lines were
found in the London Museum pinned to
a skeleton:)
Behold this ruin? ’Twa a akull
Once of ethereal spirit full;
This narrow coll was life’s retreat,
This “pare was thought’s mysterious seat.
What hcautoouH visions filled this spot,
What dreams of pleasure long forgot!
Nor love, nor Joy, nor hope, nor feui*
Have left one trace of record hero.
Beneath the inoldering canopy
Once shone the bright and busy eye.
But start not at the dismal void!
If social love that eye employed,
If with no lawless fire it gleamed,
But through tli dew of kindness beamed,
That eye shall be forever bright
Whcu stars and sun are sunk in night.
Within this hollow cavern hung
The ready, swift and tuneful tongue.
If falsehood’s honey Is disdained,
And whore it could not praise was chained.
If hold in virtue's cause it spoke,
Yet gentle concord never broke,
That silent tongue shall plead for thee
When time unveils eternity.
Hay, did these Augers delve the mine,
Or with it* envied rubies shiner
To hew the rock or wear tbs gem
Can littls now avail to them;
But if the page of truth they sought,
Or comfort to the mourner brought,
These bands a richer meed shall claim
Than all that waits on wealth or fame.
Avails it Ahethor bars or shod
These feet the path of duty trod?
If from the bowers of ease they fled
To seek affection's humble shed;
If grandeur’s guilty bribe they spurned,
And home to virtue’s cot returned,
These fset wltb angels’wings shall vie
And tread the palace of the sky.
“John L. Sullivan will make a capital
minister when he retires from the ago
nistic arena,” said a gentleman the other
day. “Why,” was asked. “Because he
will be one of the greatest ex-pounders
In the world.” —Boston Courier.
A Philadelphia juryman became a
raving maniac the other day when he
was locked up with his fellowß and could
not get his usual supply of licpior. The
Philadelphia jim-jams have no regard
whatever for courts or juries.—Savannah
News.
“A young man In Sullivan county, N.
Y., drank a gallon of elder the other day,
without once stopping to take breath,”
announces an exchange. We Infer from
?his the man who owned the cider had
his back turned on the jug only for an
Instant.—Lowell Citizen.
A San Francisco policeman was bru
tally beaten and robbed of his pistol,
watch, club, star and some money while
on his way home a few nights ago.
Many outrages are committed on police
men In American cities, right under the
nose of the sleepy taxpayer.—Courier-
Journal.
The prettiest woman in Maoon is the
daughter of a mechanic. She has large
black eyes, jet black wavy hair, a form
that is perfection and n complexion like
apple blossoms. She cooks, darns and
cares for five little brothers and slstws.
The prettiest woman in Augusta will be
at the skating tournament to-iuorrow
night.—Augusta News.
Didn’t Know ••What’s a Fire.”
One day last week, when the engines
were Hying down Washington street In
response to an alarm of fire, a man
running was stopped by an eager citizen
in quest of information, who asked hur
riedly of him: “What’s a tire?” To
which the other angrily replied; “What’s
afire? Why, something in a state of
combustion, you fool. Look in your dic
tionary.”—Boston Gazette.
A Matter of Taste.
“Which is your favorite hymn, Miss
Overbash?” asked the new preacher of a
young lady at the church sociable. “Oh !
I—l don’t like to say.” “Why not,
pray, we all have our favorites and I like
to know the preferences of the young
ladles of my congregation.” “Well, If
I must tell, I rather like Sam Flanders,
and 1 don’t care who knows it.” “Oh,
ah! yes, I sec,” said the preacher in
some surprise. “You prefer the Psalms.
Well, some people do.”—Texas Siftings.
Brad In the Bone.
Two youthful politicians, one of Re-
publican persuasion and the ether a red
hot champion ot the Democratic cause,
had the following animated discussion of
the situation on Frederica street a few
evenings since. Said the Republican
lad:
“The Dlmocrats can’t be no guagers
and store-keepers.”
“Why not?” questioned the irate Dem
ocrat.
“Cause they can’t do no tigerin’, that’s
the reason.”
“Then,” responded the diseiple of
Jefferson, “I’d like to kuow who found
out how New York went Dimercratic if
it wau’t the Demercrats that did?”
This was a poser.
Ram Didn’t Do It.
“My dear sir,” said a venerable old
gentleman to a convict in the peniten
tiary, “it grieves me to see you here.”
“It grieves me to be here,” responded
the convict with feeling.
“The world is full of opportunities tor
intelligent young men like you if you
would but avail yourself of them. If
you had let rum alone and applied your
self to business you wouldn’t be here
now.”
“I never drank a drop of liquor Id my
life. In fact, it was too close application
to business that brought me here.”
“Ah, no,” said the old man sadly;
“that is hardly possible. What waa the
uature of your buslueas?”
“I was a burglur, sir.”—Buffalo Ex
press.
Carry your prescriptions to Curry’s
and have them filled by W. E. Miller,
the most skilled pharmacist in North
Georgia.
THE CARTERS VILLE CGURANT.
Far las COOS*ST.
Reminiscences of the Cherokees.
By HO V. J. W. H. UNDERWOOD, of Rome,
Georgia.
MAJOR KI DOS.
CHAPTER IV.
Copyrighted. All rights reserved.;
The Cherokee Indians, in 1835, divided
into the “Ross party," and the “Ridge
party.” (We made cur readers familiar
with Ross in our first chapter.)
Ridge was a full-hlooded Indian, while
Ross was the son of the Scotchman,
Ross, who married a full-blooded Indian
squaw. Of these particulars you will
find more explanation under tlie “Treaty
of the Cherokees” in 1835.
Major Ridge was a full-blooded Chero
kee. He lived about a mile and a half
from where the Court House in Rome
now stands, on the east hank of the
Oostanaula river. He was a large and
powerful man. He had great bodily
strength and mental vigor. He was as
brave as Jackson, and as virtuous as
Washington; a man of the highest and
purest integrity, without deceit or dis
semination, or the arts of the dema
gogue. Born In the grand old woods
and forests that waved so majestically
around the “Three Rivers,” bis nature
imbibed from the surroundings the maj
esty and beauty, as well as the honesty
and purity, of his native home and
place of his birth.
He was early trained to athletic sports
and the use of the rifie. He was not
treacherous and stealthy like some of his
race, but from earliest manhood he mani
fested his friendship for the white man
who was called “Unako,” in the Indian
language.
The Cherokee Nation at that time, was
a sort of lawless country. Horse thieves
and murderers could secrete themselves
In the wooded heights and- defy justice.
Ridge did not tolerate this class of law
breakers.
Major Ridge aided General Andrew
Jackson to chastise the Creek Indians in
the “Battle of the Horseshoe,” on Talla
poosa river, and was promoted on the
field for gallantry and bravery.
In old Pendleton District of South
Carolina, there lived Col. James Blair,
who had been a soldier in the Revolu
tionary war. He was also the last com
mander of “Oconee Station,” and had
served as one of the constables of “Olu
Roundabout.”
Colonel Cleveland, of Revolutionary
fame, was called “Roundabout” from the
name of the farm on which he was born,
on the Yadkin river in Nortli Carolina.
Blair came into the Cherokee Nation
In search of two horse thieves who had
stolen two very fine horses from Benja
min Mosely, who lived near “Oconee
Station.”
Blair was a man who was born insen
sible to fear, but he was not ignorant of
the habits of the horse thief. He felt,
however, that he could capture these two
single-handed wherever he overtook
them. To travel expeditiously he rode
one horse and led another, riding them
alternately. He had spent twenty years
of his life in fighting and hunting tories
and thieves, and many villains had met
their last fate after James Blair ad
justed the rope to their necks. A big
gate at the entrance to the home of Col
onel Benjamin Cleveland served for a
gallows. WheTever he went James
Blair carried a holster of pistols, of large
size, called “horseman’s pistols,” on his
saddle before him.
lie got on the trail of- the two horse
thieves before mentioned, and followed
them four days and a part of four nights.
He finally got in sight about three-quar
ters of a mile from tle residence of
Major Ridge.
The thieves had halted at a spring near
the bottom of a steep hill. The road
run around between the spring and the
woods, and had been dug down and
washed by rains so that Blair could not
regain the woods before he was seen.
He was thus compelled to go forward or
retreat. As quick as thought, one of
them raised his rifle and presented it to
cover Blair'S approach. They were all
acquainted, for Blair knew them both,
and they knew him well by sight. Their
names were Wiley Hyde and Thomas
Phillips. Blair realized hie danger. He
knew that no child’s play would char
acterize that interview. Their guilty
souls understood Blair’s pursuit, and the
settlement of the difficulty they knew’
was overhung with blood, and maybe
death to all concerned. To attack them
single-handed, under the circumstances,
meant death to Blair at once. A retreat
would not relieve him, for he would cer
tainly be shot without mercy, as both
were well armed with rifles. Advancing
with a smile, he called out: “Hello!
Wiley, Tom! mates, do you take me for
a deer or turkey ? Take down your gun,
Wiley, and let me get down to where
-you are and we will take a drink.”
Wiley hesitated, the rifle still pre
sented. Blair continued : “Why, boys,
you like a good drink, I know, and I’ve
something stronger than water.”
Wiley looked at Phillips. The latter,
after a minnte, said: “Let’s us let him
come down here, and as we’s two to his
one, we can manage him anyhow.”
Blair alighted and tied one of his
horses to a little white-oak sapling and
turned the other loose. Taking out his
bottle of w hisky from his “saddle-bags,”
he walked down as bravely as if he w-as
going to a picnic until he stood beside
the spring. He shook their hands, in
quired for their health, and raising the
bottle said: “By the Lord, mates, the
worst thing you can do with a man is to
kill him; don’t you know it?” Passing
CARTERS VILLE, GEORGIA, APRIL 2, 1885.
the bottle, he added: “Let’s take a hear
ty pull.”
His manner was irresistible. All par
ties took a drink —and then another
drink, but Blair gauged his pulls at the
bottle so as to find both the thieves well
under the influence of the liquor before
the bottle was emptied, while be took but
little. The woods rang with their ribald
joke*, their oaths and drunken songs.
When they were maudlin with the whis
ky they grew so boisterous as to attract
the attention of a hunter, who was no
less person than our Major Ridge, who
was out in the woods seeking wild tur
keys. Creeping close to the brow of the
hill, he Imni'i a witness to their drunken
antics and gathered from their conversa
tion the attitude of the persons toward
each other.
“Now, by God !” cried Tom Phillips.
“I want to know Blair, what'you are
after?”
Blair replied: “How do you know,
Tom, that l did not come to join you. I
am getting old, and still poor. Do j’ou
BCe that gray I am riding? Maybe I
started with one and picked up another.
I have got two —two good ones, too?”
Tom’s eyes took on a greedy look,
when, seizing Blair by the hand with
every demonstration of pleasure, cried
out: “Now, Colonel, if I thought you
was in earnest, intending to join us, I’d
give you old Mike, and lie’s as gaid a
one as ever saddle strode.”
Wiley Hyde said but little, and listened
attentively. At length he spoke: You
be d—d ! What a fool! Tom Phillips,
you are a fool; if you go on at this fool’s
rate, Jim Blair will have holes in our
hats before morning! Tom, don’t you
know there’s no use in fooling with
Blair any longer. He is our’s or we are
his’n.. Get that rifle, stand by me, and
we will make quick work of him. We
can knd will shoot him l ight hero. The
river is close by. We can throw him in
and nobody will be the wiser.”
Tom straightened himself and the two
raised their guns. Just then Major
Ridge called out, “Hold on there!”
Hyde pointed his weapon without heed
ing the call, when Major Ridge’s rifle
cracked and echoed through the resound
sng hills, and Ilyde tell to the ground,
his gun still cooked.
Blair clutched it as Hyde went to the
ground, and turning, presented it toward
the drunken Phillips, who was stupefied
with whisky and stunned by the sight of
fallen comrade, so that he was helpless.
“Drop your gun or you are a dead
man,” cried Blair. Phillip had still
sense enough left to drop it and surren
der.
Blair collected the horses —his own,
and the two stolen- ones—and after pre
senting Major Ridge with the two rifles,
he turned for home. Ho strapped Phil
lips on one of the animals, tied a loose
horse to each bridle rein, and thus .mane
the journey to the Tugalo river.
The meeting between Major Ridge
and James Blair was a thing long to be
remembered by both. The one was the de
liverer of the other from a bloody, cruel
death, and the crack of Major Ridge’s
rifie was as unexpected to Blair, as the
explosion of the- dynamite under the
Tower of London. Words could not
coHvey the gratitude of the one, nor the
kind attentions of the other. Both are
gentlemen of knightly instincts. One
would not receive pay for saving the
other’s life, and the other could not bid
him.farewell without some testimonial of
his obligation and gratitude.
Major Ridge had a beautiful and ac
complished daughter, Miss Sally, who
was educated at Mrs. Ellsworth’s school,
at Princeton, N. J. Blair took oil' his
valuable gold watch and presented it to
her, which she accepted with becoming
thanks.
M;*jor Ridge told Blair he had first
examined the horses. He saw from the
caparisons and saddle-trappings that one
set belonged to gentlemen and the other
to thieves. He then crept to the place
before described and witnessed the tab
leau at the spring. The drunken Hyde
raised his voice, and Major Ridge became
assured that Blair would die in a few
minutes without some relief from the
outside. The thieves had the “drop” on
Blair, and with a courage born of a high
and honorable resolve, he shot from the
thicket with the result as stated.
John and Washington Ridge, (called
Watty) his two sons, gave all the aid in
their power to help Blair prepare
for his return to South Carolina.
Hyde, the creature who was arrested
by Major Ridge’s rifle from committing
murder himself, was buried about a hun
dred and fifty yards below the spring,
quite near the branch.
Blair reached “Old Pendleton” in
safety, conveying his prisoner. Phillips
had a regular trial, was convicted and
hung.
The fame of Major Ridge extended all
through that country, because his noble
nature was shown in his disposition to
punish crime, and at the same time he
evinced such lofty integrity and friend
ship. When he fought so bravely at the
“Battle of the Horseshoe,” and was bre
veted by Gen. Jackson, everybody felt
the honor was worthily bestowed and
would be gracefully worn.
In 1535, Miss Sallie Ridge was married
to George W. Paschal, then of Lumpkin
county, Georgia. Paschal was born and
educated in Oglethorpe county, and be
came a practicing lawyer after reading
law in the office of Joseph Henry Lump
kin, the first Chief Justice of the Su
preme Court oi Georgia.
When the Cherokee Indians gave up
their titles to these lands and emigrated
to Arkansas, Mr. Paschal and his wife,
nee Miss Sallie Ridge, also went with
them in the year IS3S.
There were troubles in that country,
the result of feuds that begun in this
i part of their possessions, growing
out of the signing of tlie treaty and the
.bitter feeling engendered in the hearts of
those who refused to sign the treaty of
1835.
The persecution of the Ridge family
! in Arkansas, itlnced George W. Paschal
i to remove to Texas. There he had no
; difficulty arfM£**sueeess was so great in
i the Lone Star State that ho was made
; one of the Srfbreme Court Judges for
| Texas. Sallie. the accomplished daugh
ter of Maj. Ei-Tge, died shortly after
■ ward, leaving one son, “Ridge Paschal,”
who, I am informed, is doing well, and
has become a promising lawyer himself.
Major Ridge .and John emigrated to
Arkansas al o. On the 23d of July,
( both of them, with Elias Boudinoj,
were assassinated. Major Ridga was
waylaid on Ui* ?o*d forty or fifty miles
from home, and shot. John met his fate
at home—was*tak-m out of his bed and
butchered wiHiT*ives.
Bfludiuot waJEkilled near his home.
In another pac* Ou will see why his
enamies enraged with the
Ridge famiLyfc chil li finally ended in
such a bloody'tnigedy.
It is relate** Ah at Major Ridge was
known in eadtfSwith as the “man-who
walks-along-tht-mountain-top.” An and
those of us who knew his history from
his own |H'i soiial life, are ready to agree
that he walked-,"along the “mountain’s
top” in regard high resolve,
and purity of efrtftider.
[CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.]
For The tWBANr.
JION. AMOS. T. AKERMAN.
A Biographical Sketch.
BY 34US. R. A. FELTON.
- CHAPTER 11.
In this chapter we shall devote our
selves to the political aspect of the times,
in which Col. Akerman was actively en
gaged ; not to revive the controversies or
to engender strife, but to show the pa
triotism and honesty of the man. To
this task wee*- ‘bring but little personal
knowledge effriier than the year 1571,'
but the autograph letters, official docu
ments and corroborative testimony are
sufficient to edrer tho ground, as we be
lieve.
Col. Akerman was the leading spirit of
the constitutional convention of 1869.
The people oi' the State, for the first
time, began to have an understanding of
his legal capacity and foresight in legis
tion. Dr. 11. V. M. Miller, of Atlanta,
a fair and impartial critic, is reported as
saying: “I first appreciated the intel
lectual strength, the lino intention and
the purity of character which distin
guished Amos T. Akerman, in the sit
tings of that convention.” Tho legal
points of the constitution were almost
entirely his work, and we doubt if it is
ever impr ov a < V’pon to any great extent.
He Opposed the displacement
of Gov. Jenkins, and a private letter to
his wife testifies to his deep feeling on
the subject. lie, like Gov. Brown, the
Messrs. McWhorter, Bigby, Parrott,
Shropshire and others, advocated the re
construction measures, which were so
unpopular at that time. In a published
letter, in the year 1874, Gov. Brown de
fended himself thus:
“I was one of the first public men in
Georgia to take position in fayor of ac
quiesenee in the reconstruction measuies
adopted by Congress. I did this because
I foresaw that the South, as a conquered
section, would be compelled to submit to
these measures.”
Col. Akerman, in our opinion, was not
moved by exactly that motive. lie be
lieved them right and proper, or he
would have resisted their adoption. lie
never followed any idea to save himself
ostracism or persecution. Therefore, he
remained a republican to the end. Had
he abjured his political allegiance to re
publicanism when it became so unpopu
lar here, he might have also obtained
high offices in Georgia, but he consist
ently followed his faith through evil as
well as through good report.
While the Constitutional Convention
was sitting in Atlanta, we find a letter
dated Feb. 2d, ISGS:
“I have just come from church —Mr.
Porter’s. I usually go to his church be
cause it is near, and he does not preach
polities. He preaches well. To-day he
said that somebody had sent him an un
signed letter requesting him to preach on
the times. He said it was his habit to
preach on the times only in their reli
gious aspect, and he would to-day preach
on the times. Accordingly, he took for
a text,‘What must I do to be saved?’
and preached a close religious sermon.
The times look gloomy. The conflict at
Washington between the President and
Congress is approaching ahead. Vio
lence may grow out of it.”
Again, on Feb. 6th:
“I will tell you a secret. I have se
rious thoughts ot resigning. The con
vention has passed a villainy under the
name of “relief,” which disgusts me to
the point of quitting. A motion ia pend
ing to reconsider, and I ought not to de
cide until that is determined. Friends
urge me to stay, saying I am useful here.
I am willing to sacrifice something, but
not everything, to the public good. * *
It seems so long since I left you. I am
getting so anxious for home. If you get
auy Atlanta papers ■take good care of
them; I want to keep them as a memo
rial of my service here—a hard and prob
ably a thankless effort to do good to our
stiff-necked people.”
The “villainy” alluded to was'a prop
osition to insert in the constitution cer
tain repudiating clauses, which would
wipe out all previous indebtedness. On
February 9th, he wrote:
“Let me tell you privately, there is an
alarming amount of selfishness here.
The signs are now, that 1 will have to
oppose the constitution. Certainly I
shall, if certain things that have been
passed are not reconsidered. It is disa
greeable to be in a body whose work I
expect to oppose. On the other hand,
men say lam useful here. Sometimes 1
aid iu inserting a good provision, but of
tener in defeating a bad one. While this
is flic ease they argue, I do good to the
State by staying. There are many kind
people here, and some of them treat the
delegates with much respect. The cold
looks that chill ns at homo arc seldom
encountered here.”
Thi* is the only allusion we have found
where his feeling in regard to these
“cold looks” is set down. He remem
bered them, not on his own account, but
because his beloved wife was made to
suffer for his .political opinions. Once
she was ill for twelve long weeks —her
infant also very ill—and. excepting one
lady, not a prominent citizen darkened
her door to inquire if she were dead or
alive. One day, the servant failing to
answer her mistress’ call, Mrs. Akerman
crept on her knees to the foot of the
stairs to gather wood that she might
warm her almost dying babe into life
again. Madam Roland’s apostrophe to
Liberty will ever live as a model of he
roic fortitude, and we would ask, “What
wrongs to innocence and goodness were
not perpetrated in that season of section
al hate and anger?” While the “cold
looks” were beneath his notice, as affect
ing himself, it stung a tender, loyal
heart to see his wife a sufferer. •
Obi. Akerman left the convention some
days before adjournment, and urged the
people to vote against the constitution
tiecause it contained provisions that li
censed fraud in those repudiating arti
cles. When Congress revised the con
stitution these articles were stricken out.’
Mr. Akerman headed the electoral tick
et for Grant, in Georgia, in his first race
for President. One of his speeches met
the eye of Gen. Grant, who appointed
him District-Attorney, which ollice he
could not accept until his disabilities
were removed.
About this time sectional violence
reached a height in Georgia that was ter
rible. Col. Akerman put up at a tavern
one night, ordered his horse to be fed,
and next morning the animal was led to
the door, shaved from head to tail and
striped with paint like a zebra. The
crowd gathered to witness a scene, but
the owner left them without an angry
word, remarking he had not delivered
such a looking animal to the landlord
and he declined to accept the one before
him. No wonder he felt the service hard
for such a “stiff-necked people.”
His appointment as Attorney-General
was made in IS7O. For awhile he had
easy work, in regard to general satisfac
tion and the summary of eases which he
argued, establishes his industry and fidel
ity to trust. He, however, found a
stumbling-block when certain railroad
interests discovered his honesty to be in
their way.
Time would fail us to state the griev
ance in its detail, but the argument of
the railroad and the decision of the At
torney-General are both before ua. The
Pacific railroad intended to grasp an im
mense subsidy of land under a fraudu
lent construction of the charter made to
these roads by the government. The
Secretary of the Interior, Columbus De
lano, referred the case to the Attorney-
General. The Attorney-General denied
their right to these land grants, and ad
vised the secretary to reject their claim.
Precisely such a claim has now brought
a scandal ou Secretary Teller, and Co
lumbus Delano should have been im
peached, then and there, for making
fraudulent grants against the decision of
the legal adviser of the United States.
One clause in Attorney-General Aker
man’s opinion we will copy, and we wish
we had time and space for the full argu
ment :
“The bounty tendered by congress at
that time (in 1862 and 1864) was quali
fied in both acts with a reservation to
congress of a right to amend, alter and
appeal, at any time.
“Faith is never broken by the recall of
a revocable grant. Congress may have
disappointed the company, but congress
alone is competent to aft'ord relief. The
head of a department should not dispose
of public lands or issue the bonds of the
nation in aid of any enterprise, however
meritorious, without an unequivocal di
rection from the legislature. Not finding
such direction in this case, I am of the
opinion you should reject the claim in
question. Very respectfully, your obe
dient servant,
AmosT. A KERMAN, Att’y. Gen.”
This decision raised a “howl” among
the followers of Jay Gould and Hunting
ton. The corrupt crowd in congress,
that Huntington has since exposed, put
heavy pressure on President Grant to re
move Mr. Akerman.
S. C. Fomeroy, of bribe notoriety,
wrote to Col. Akerman to reconsider,
which letter lies before us. Columbus
Delano, through his assistant, insisted
on a reconsideration, but finally Delano
himself wrote that he had decided to
grant the request of the company, and
Mr. Akerman need trouble himself no
more on the subject. Delano was ready
and anxious to give away the public
lands and issue the bonds of the nation
without authority, and henceforth he
worked to ruin tlie honest man, who
would net enter into the fraud and get
him out of his sight. His dishonesty
was constantly rebuked by Mr. Aker
raan’s probity. It was the old story of
Ilaman and Mordec&i. At that time Co
lumbus Delano owned the Baltimore
American, and his organ opened fhe on
the upright officer who had not become
a tool of the lobby. Unfortunately, any
abuse abroad was copied at home, in
! Georgia, and Mr. Akerman was left to
the “satisfaction of his conscience alone.”
Before Columbus Delano decided to take
the law in his own hands, the railroad
r company approached a friend of Col.
Akermfui’s to know if fifty thousand dol
lars would cause him to reconsider, and
the friend advised the corruptionist to
lay aside any such hope. Failing to im
press Gen. Grant with their evil tongues
during the summer of 1871, it was left to
the Credit Mobilier thieves, in congress,
backed by Delano’s henchmen, to put
pressure ou the President, in December
1871. after congress met.
It lias been Gen. Grant’s misfortune to
be easily led by those he calls his friends.
His financial disasters are the fruit of this
often misplaced confidence, and he was
always the last to be convinced that the
destroyers of his fame were these trusted
friends in his official life. At last lie be
came so impressed by the howl of the
lobbyists, the plausible arguments of the
Secretary of the Interior, ami the abuse
in the newspapers of Georgia and else
where, that he decided to displace Col.
Akerman.
Cn Dec. 13th, IS7I, Gen. Graut wrote
the following autograph letter, marking
it confidential:
Executive Mansion, )
Washington. D C.
Hon. A. T. Akerman, Att’y. Gen.
J/'/ Bear Sir: Circumstances convince
me that a change in the ofliee you now
hold is desirable, consulting the best in
terests of the government, and I there
fore ask your resignation. In doing so,
however, I wish to express *niy apprecia
tion of the zeal, integrity ana industry,
yoir have shown in the performance of
all your duties, and the confidence I feel,
personally, by tendering to yon the Flor
ida judgeship, now vacant, or that of
Texas. Should any foreign mission at
my disposal, without a removal for the
express purpose of making a vacancy,
better suit your tastes, I would gladly
testify my appreciation iu that way. My
personal regard for you is such that I
could not bring myself to saying what I
here say any other way than through the
medium of a letter. Nothing hut a con
sideration for public sentiment could in
duce me to indite this. With great res
pect, your obedient servant,
LT. S. Grant.
Col. Akerman promptly tendered the
resignation, to take effect at the time re
quested by General Grant, the 10th of
January, 1872. He declined all foreign
missions, as he did not think he would
be useful in the diplomatic service, and
he (reclined also the judgeships as he pre
ferred to keep 1 1 is family in a healthier
locality.
lie never lost respect for Gen. Grant,
because he believed Him to be influenced
in a way, of which the President was not
fuliy apprised himself, and therefore he
remained Gen. Grant’s friend until his
death. Another autograph letter from
the President lies before me, in which
he-reiterates his personal regard for Col.
Akerman’s high qualities and the respect
that was entertained by all the members
of the cabinet.
Mr. Delano’s organ, the Baltimore
American, could not restrain a shout of
triumph, however, that the honest At
torney-General was out of its way, and
the following appeared in its issue of
Dee. 18th:
. WIIY MR. AKERMAN RESIGNED.
The resignation of Mr. Akevman is
said to have been asked for by the Presi
dent on the representations of Messrs.
Boutvvell and Delano, who Informed the
President a fortnight ago that they could
not conduct the business of their depart
ments with him as the legal adviser of
the government. It is also understood
that members of the Supreme Court have
also advised the President that the inter
ests of the Supreme Court will be served
by dispensing with Mr. Akerman’s ser
vices. It has been observed that Mr.
Justice Davis lias-left the bench when
ever Mr. Akerman rose to address the
court. The appointment of Mr. Wil
liams seems to give general satisfaction.
See how the corrupt crew exulted in
their work ! See the hate that oozes out
and you can almost smell the taint of the
lobby in Mr. Delano’s organ.
This ebullition was not exactly the
thing Mr. Delano intended should greet
the eyes of the public, so he hastens to
deny his part of it in a confidential let
ter, and this letter Mrs. Akerman keeps
as a reminder of the hate that gloated,
when villainy had triumphed.
Laundalet Williams, of Oregon, a
creature supposed to be owned by the
Pacific railroad companies, took the place
of this honest legal adviser, and Georgia
newspapers crowed with delight, forget
ting they were stoning a friend and re
buking honesty. To do them justice
they had but one single idea at the time
—namely, to crush out all political oppo
sition in the State, and they walked heed
lessly over the slain, who were then
breasting the powerful foe which threat
ened to engulf the finances of the nation.
The mote of republicanism completely
blotted out the beam of Credit Mobilier
thievery, and hence all our woes, hence
all the bribe money that disgraced con
gress in the opposition to the Thurman
bill, ami hence all the stain that still
attached to corrupt decisions in official
circles in Washington.
Col. Akerman had long been aware of
this evil design. He was not taken una
wares. On August 30th, he wrote the
following:
* * “In a few days I shall be able
to determine on my own movements. I
want (and this is a close secret with you)
to learn something of the dimensions of
anew effort which lain satisfied is
going on to oust me from office because 1
will not subserve certain selfish interests.
If nobody hut myself is to be aftected,
I should feel no concern; but I have a
delicacy on the point of exposing the
President to annoyance and perhaps the
censure and dislike of powerful interests,
on my part. I am right In my princi
| pies of action on the subjects in question,
NUMBER 9.
| and I believe I am right in my views of
the law, yet, if the combination is se
rious in its strength, I have a disposition
to get out of the way by resigning. It is
enough to contend against political oppo
sition, but to be lighting for one’s own
foothold against the machinations of
professed friends, is too hard a life. In
some aspects, the change at this time,
would be to my disadvantage, but 1 am
rather unconcerned about that, except
on the account of you and the children.
Let this be your secret. Perhaps a short
time will clear the course of action.”
From August to December, the plot
ters toiled in their plan—but it took all
that time to induce (Jen. Grant “to go
back.” on liis honest appointee.
It seems to us that such ingratitude
would have cruelly shaken our alle
giance to even such a man as Gen. Grant;
but Col. Akcrman never wavered. lie
always contended that he was the typical
man in the Republican party. The last
political convention he ever attended in
Georgia he advised the nomination of
Gen. Grant, but bis enemies in his own
party rebuked him and refused him a
delegate’s place to Chicago.
His foresight and judgment were so
tine, that had his counsels prevailed, his
party would have been successful until
yet. 110 became very tired of the tricks
and confusion among the Republicans in
Georgia, and once remarked-to a friend,
“l wish L had a decent party here to in
vite my friends in other parties to join.”
But to Republican principles, to the
platform which the party adopted, in re
gard to tariff, finance and education, he
was a consistent Republican up to his
death, ile never thrust his opinions on
any listener, hut he never declined to
state them when requested. ITe was too
upright to do otherwise, and too sincere
to wish to he misunderstood.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
ECUOES FKOM NEW MEXICO.
Dear Couraxt : As there is an end
less variety of people in this world, and
as most likely the greater part of your
readers belong to this sublunary planet,
maybe it is not a reckless conclusion for
me to hope that they will be in
terested in a few items from this West,
even though many unappreciative peo
ple back East seem to imagine that New
Mexico can boast of little else than broad
plains and barren mountains, where the
“Jack rabbit” sports and the coyote
howls; mining camps and railroad towns
where the beer bottle and whisky flask,
the shotgun and revolver, about every
new moon hold high carnival. This ter
ritory and that of Arizona make a sort of
lie-bet ween land. On the East are the
great middle, Atlantic and gulf states;
on the West the land of gold, fruits and
flowers.
Derning, the town from which I
write, is in Southwest New Mexico, and
is situated in the center of a great plain,at
the point where the great “Sunset Route”
intersects the great Santa Fc railway
system. It is nearly equally distant from
San Francisco, Kansas City, New Orleans
and the city of Mexico. Like most of
these Western towns and cities, it is a
place of sadden growth. A little over
two years ago, when this writer was
droppeu off here, it seemed little more
than an extensive mining camp, but the
hammer, saw and trowel were busy day
and night, Sunday not excepted. It did
not escape the vices that characterize
Western towns. Among the first houses
to go up were the whisky shops and
gambling saloons, and where these flour
ish the devil will at least appear to get
loose now and then. Whisky, and the
evils which go hand in hand with it, arc
pioneers in this West, and true to their
history everywhere, they have been
blighting forces. They were the chief
and almost sole agents which directed
the shotgun and pistol with which cem
eteries were begun. Our cemetery has
been called the “Boothill” cemetery,
from the fact that for some time no one
was buried there except such as “died
I with their boots on.”
The population of all the towns and
cities in the territory is much mixed.
Often a dozen nationalities are repre
sented in one small town. The German,
with his beer and lax Sabbath ideas, is
here in force; the Irishman, with his
communism and multitudinous Saints’
days is here, rejoicing in American free
dom. The native, of course, is here with
his miserable filth and constitutional la
ziness. The Chinese are here, and are
among our best behaved and most indus
trious citizens.
Not all the features of our Western life
are bad. Good influences are rapidly
gaining ground. Protestant churches,
schools and colleges are springing up all
over the territory. Benevolent, temper
ance and missionary organizations are
here and increasing. Our climate, by
common consent of all who have tried it,
is unexcelled. The atmosphere is pure,
dry, exhilarating, and so clear that our
skies outshine those of Italy in their
greatest splendor. Already this is be
coming a great resort for asthmatics and
consumptives, and the fame of some <>f
its wonderful restorations has gone
abroad over the land. Indeed, if there
was no violence and none but well peo
ple came here, there would be but little
occasion for graveyards.
The elevation of the towns and cities
vary from 3.000 to 7,000 feet. There
being but little rain or snow during the
winter, that season ismiid and delightful.
The greatest rainfall usually occurs in
August and September. In Summer
(especially in the South) the heat regis
ters high, still it is never more oppress
ive than your North Georgia climate.
The nights are alwaj-s cool. The most
unpleasant feature we have are the “saml
storms,” which prevail during the
spring, and occur about often enough at
other times to remind us of the “sweet
spring time,” yet these are not so disa
greeable as your rain and snow-storms,
and are but innocent play-things com
pared to the cyclones which now and
then wake up your parts.
P. L. Stanton.
Deming, New Mexico, March 21,188a,