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THE CARTERS VILLE CQURANT.
VOLUME 1.
For 'I nit Cot rant.
Reminiscences of the Cherokees,
By IIOC J. W. If. UNDERWOOD, at Kom*,
Cwrsfa.
CHAPTER V.
Copyrighted. All rights reserved.]
The whole of the Cherokee country,
the boundaries of which have been given,
that lay within the chartered limits of
Georgia, was organized by the Legisla
ture of Georgia in November, 1831, into
one county by the name of Cherokee
county.
Court was organized and held in May,
1832, at the place where the village of
Canton now stands—then and now the
courthouse town of Cherokee county.
At that court many bills of indictment
were found true by the grand jury.
The Hon. John W. Hoojter was the
first judge of the Cherokee Circuit. He
resided at CassviHe. He practised law
alter that term of service ended, (three
years was the length of the term) when
he was again appointed judge for a short
time.
lion. Win. Kzzard, of Atlanta, who
still lives at an advanced age, was the
first solicitor-general of the Cherokee
circuit.
In the fall of the year 1832 members
of the Legislature were elected. Jacob
Seuddcr was elected the first Senator,
and Williams the first representa
tive. At tli session of the Legislature
meeting in November, 1832, Cherokee
county was divided into ten counties.
Jacob M. Scudder fixed the boundaries
and gave names to the several divisions.
Forsyth county was named in honor of
John Forsyth, who was Governor of
Georgia, Senator in Congress, and Secre
tary of State under Andrew Jackson.
Lumpkin county was named in honor of
Wilson Lumpkin, who was twice Gov
ernor of Georgia, and once a Senator in
Congress. Gov. Lumpkin was instru
mental in causing the extinguishment of
the Indian title.
Union county was named because of
the genuine love of the ]>eople for the
Union, and of the Constitution, the safe
repository of the principles and guaran
tees of civil liberty.
Gilmer county was named in honor of
George It. Gilmer, twice a Governor, and
for several times a representative in Con
gress. Governor Gilmer was one of the
purest men who ever presided as chief
magistrate of Georgia. A native of
Virginia, and lielonged to the noted fam
ily of that State. Ho lived *to a good old
age, and so far as I know, left no rela
tives in the State of Georgia.
Cherokee, as we have said, retained the
nunc of the Indian tribe that occupied it.
Cobb was named in honor of Thomas
W. Cobb, who was a Judge of the Supe
rior Court in Qeorgia, and once a Sena
tor In Congress.
Paulding was named in honor of J. K.
Paulding, once Secretary of the Navy.
Floyd was called for General John
Floyd, a distinguished soldier and civil
ian of Georgia.
Cass county was named for Lewis Cass,
Secretary of War at one time, then Gov
ernor of the Territory of Ohio, after
wards the Governor of Michigan and for
a long time United States Senator, lie
was sent as Minister to France, and last
ly Secretary of State under President
James Buchanan. At the session of the
Legislature in 1801, the name of Cass
was changed to Bartow, as a rebuke to
the views of Gen. Cass, who advocated
coercion for the seceding States—and to
honor Gen. Francis S. Bartow, who fell
at Manassas defending the liberties of his
country, on the 21st of July, 1861.
Murray county was named in honor of
Thomas W. Murray, of Lincoln county,
Georgia, who was a long time a very in
fluential member of the Legislature, and
more than once a candidate of the Demo
cratic party for Congress.
Walker was named for George Walker,
of Richmond county, a very distinguish
ed man.
Jacob M. Sc udder, the first Senator
that the Cherokee country hud, was a
most extraordinary man. lie was born
iu the county of Wilkes, about the year
1754. His parents were people of re
spectability and lie received a common
English education. He was a soldier of
the war of 1812, in the same regiment
with Capt. Win. 11. Underwood, (after
wards Judge Underwood). lie was a
brave and faithful soldier.
After his return from Mobile as a sol
dier of 1815, he obtained a permit from
the United States government, and set
tled in the “Cherokee Nation,” as it was
then called, as a trader under the non
intercourse law of 1801. He located on
the Etowah river near a place called the
“old field ford,” now called Frogtown.
He lived on the south side of the river.
On the north side lived a half-breed
Indian named Lewis Blackburn, who
left a very numerous posterity.
After the land lottery of 1831 Mr.
Scudder purchased lands from the fortu
nate drawees, (about three miles further
west on the Alabama roads, and erected
a fine house on a very high hill, where
he lived until he was about uinety yea-s
old, and died in 1873 or ’74. He spent a
great part of his life among the Indians
—was very taciturn and of a philosophi
cal turn of mind.
He kept a country inn or house of en
tertainment for travelers. Often have I
spent the night there with Wru. H. Un
derwood. He and the Judge remember
ed a very tail man who had belonged to
their regiment—being fully six feet and
seven inches high, Mr. Scudder had got
it fixed in his mind some way that the
soldier was seven feet six inches high, and
he would say : “Judge Underwood, you
remember that very tall man we had in
our regiment; you remember that he
was seven feet six inches high.” The
Judge would reply, “Yes, I remember
lie was a very tall man.”
How many times this question was put
and answered I cannot tell.
Mr. Seodde* was a great reader of the
Bible, and he insisted that Solomon ob
tained the gold for tiie temple at Jerusa
lem from California, and would read many
passages in the Bible to prove his theory.
He also insisted that Solomon was not
exactly a nice man. Twenty years be
fore either he or his wife died he had
workmen employed to chisel out two
coffins from pure marble taken from Talk
ing Itock creek.
These two cofilns were, placed away in
a church about three hundred yards from
his dwelling, which church he had main
ly built himself. lie took his friends to
see them, and when lie- died he was
placed in the marble cofliu. He and his
wife lie side by side in one of the most
romantic spots that can be found in any
country. 113 had one son, Alfred, who
intermarried with a daughter of Lewis
Blackburn, and to them were born “sons
and daughters.” They inherited the
considerable estate"grandfather,
for Alfred died some twenty years before
the old people were ready to lie down in
their marble coffins of Talking Rock no
toriety.
Lewis Blackburn was half Soot and
half Indian. lie lived fourteen mile*
from Judge Daniel’s place, on the old
“Federal road,” called “Long Swamp.”
lie raised fine crop* of Indian corn.
Drovers from Kentucky and Tennessee
stabled their stock and coralled their
hogs in his lots, while they found enter
tainment for themselves in his house.
He was a celebrated man—for talking too
much. His imagination was fertile,
while facts were superseded by his fancy.
He was recognized all through those
States as a good man, and a teller of large
tales. His reputation was so decided
that these stock drovers amused them
selves by drawing him out and then
matching his stories by some of their
own manufacture. The “fibs” never fail
ed to amuse him, and he always flattered
himself that lie had come out ahead in
the business.
A jolly Kentuckian at last concluded
that he would get up a “whopper”—one
that would certainly overmatch Black
burn. After supper, when the crowd
was circled/around the |huge. log lire,
brought out a turnip that
measured ten inees in diameter, remark
ing tlmt it took his sort of bottom land to
make such stufl. Marshall, the Ken
tuckian, cleared ills throat, for Black
burn had given him the opening he de
sired. “Why, sir, this laud is nothing.
I own a thousand acres in Kentucky.
Last June I plowed an acre of new r
ground, continuing the plowing until the
first of August. Then it clouded up for
rain, and I sow'ed my seed. No rain feiL
and it continued dry. I did not suppose
a seed would sprout, and knew no better
until time to feed my hogs in the pen.
When I looked at the field a few days
before l started the fence was falling
down all around except at the corners.
Examining for the trouble I saw a yoke
of steers come up, apparently out of the
ground, and would you believe it they
were coining out of a turnip. They had
eaten their way into the inside, where
they lodged at night and were just com
ing out again. One seed had come up
in the middle of the field, and had swell
ed the eaith until it was pushing the
tenee down.”
Blackburn was a little crestfallen at
first, but he rallied. He Hung back his
head and said, “That doesn’t equal our
land. An Avkansaw traveler came along
last Spring, and give the ole ’ooman a
bean of anew sort, which he said come
from the Crow Injun country. ‘lf it
come up,’ sez he, ‘and does well, one vine
is a plenty for any family.’ Well, I
didn’t believe all that, but we planted the
seed in tho gardin. It got up and it
growed powerful. 1 saw no beans and
got disgusted and quit a’watching. In
the last of September I went up to Bread
town, three mile from home, and found
all the squaws and children picking
beans for dinner—olTen one vine. I re
membered the Arkansaw traveler, and
on making a search found it was my vine
that had growed all the way and They had
been eating beans ofFen it all summer. I
teed bushels a’drying on the vine. I
went home, got my waggin, gathered and
thrashed out forty-three bushels and a
peek of clean, white beans—and we fat
tened hogs on them besides.”
It is unnecessary to say the Kentuckian
subsided.
Judge John W. Hooper was a consid
erable lawyer, he had learning and abili
ty, besides he was a most conscientious
person. His oath, in accordance with
the law of the land, made him protect the
Indians under their occupant title—in
their lands and dwellings. Because of
this conscientious conduct some land
speculators sought to have him impeach
ed. The eflort inglorious’y failed, and j
as party excitement rau high, his victory !
was most triumphant. In those days
party strife was much mixed with a
greedy sjfirit and sinful desire, that made
these speculators sometimes violate the
seventh commandment, and to disregard
to some extent the eighth.
William Eazard was a man of equable
temperament, with sobriety, industry
and fair ability. He prosecuted vigor
ously but not vindictively. He was born
in 1799, and read law with W. H. Under
wood at Ruckersville, Elbert county in
1821-3; was admitted to the bar in 1823.
lie was once elected Judge of the Coweta
circuit, and presided fairly and impar
tially to the entire satisfaction of the
people. He still lives —an honored and
respected citizen. He was eminently
fitted for the office of tax receiver of Ful
ton comity —in the most populous county
in Georgia. May peace and happiness
attend him!
CAETERSVILLE, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1885.
Cwen 11. Kenan was the second judge
of the ’Cherokee Circuit; a man of sin
gular disposition, of strong and warm at
tachments, with fierce passions, and a
, good hater.
He- excellent traits of character,
fulfilling all contracts to the letter; a
good neighbor and friend. lie was a
great admirer of fine stock—horses and
cattle —had a passion for “pure blool”
in stock. lie made a considerable for
tune buying and selling lands—openly
and fairly in the market. He never op
pressed the poor. During the time Judge
Kenan presided in the Cherokee Circuit
he often carried with him large sums of
money. Then, as now, there were attor
neys-at-law who could boast of the num
ber and size of their fees.
The country was rough, the roa‘ls bad,
the people generally poor, and the ac
commodations very inferior. The Judges
and lawyers traveled from one Court
House to another on horseback, with a
few clothes and papers in “saddle-bags.”
Court week was a great time with the
people in that new country'—which was
designated as the “New r Purchase.”
There was little business; a few in
dictments for assault and battery, or
simple larceny, generally covered the
docket. But the people collected to see
each other, and to catch a good look at
the Judge and lawyers. Court rarely
lasted longer than three or four Jays.
On the first day it would meet at 10 a
m. The Judge would advance into the
court room, take his seat, and call out in
a very dignified manner: “Mr. Sheriff,
open court’” The shariff, generally a
tall, raw-boned athlete, would proceed to
the principal door and cry out at the top
oft his voice: “Oh, yes! oh, yes! oh,
ye?! the Honorable Superior Court of
the County of Union is now’ met accord
ing to law, God save the State and tiie
Honorable Court!” Then he would turn
with a stately tread and go back to the
pulpit where tiie dignified Judge sat with
his hat on, the personification of legal
dignity. After a little Irtish, the Judge
would cast his eyes down to tho depths
below him, where sat a common-sized
person clad in a bran new suit of blue
jeans, and vould arouse him with : “Mr.
Clerk, call the venire of the grand
jury.” The clerk would rise, pi 11 out a
paper, (out of his hat) and commence
the call. If one failed to answer, the
Judge would assume an awful mien,
and roar out, “Mr. Clerk, mark those
absentees.” The Clerk would halt long
enough to affix a cross to the absent ju
ror’s name. When twenty-three per
sons had answered to their names, they
were organized into a grand jury. The
judge would announce, “Gentlemen,
you will retire to your room, make choice
of your foreman, and when that is done
present yourselves to the court for quali
fication.”
Then came the organization of the
petit jury. They were sworn into
panels Nos. 1 and 2. The grand jury
were sworn next. When the Judge de
livered his charge to the grand jury, it
was done with his most imposing man
ner.
I have never known a presiding Judge
who did not have some hobby upon
which he would dwell with great force
and earnestness. If I can I will try to
recall some of them :
When Judge Dennis F. Hammond,
now r of Atlanta, was the Presiding Judge
of the Tallapoosa Circuit, he came to
Rome to hold court. I had never seen
him before to know him. He was a
large, athletic person, with fair skin,
blue eyes, and large head and face. He
was broad across the shoulders and a lit
tle stooped. Ilis voice was clear and
sonorous, and when a little excited he
coined words with immense rapidity.
He could talk faster than any man I ever
saw. It strained anybody’s brain and
mind to keep up with him. He rattled
away like hail-stones on a roof. He bad
proceeded with liis charge to the grand
jury about county affairs, until his lungs
had become inflated, when his voice be
gun to ring and roll like a great barrel
organ. His chest heaved like the throb
bing of machinery, and his talking ma
chine was doing its level best. When he
reached the criminal law in his charge,
he cleared his throat with a tremendous
“Hem! Hem!! Thus he roared:
“Gentlemen of the grand jury, there
is the crime of carrying concealed
weapons, iu consequence of which hu
man life is continually put in jeopardy.
(Hem! hem!! and little louder.) When
you see a man going about the country
loaded down with dirks, bowie-knives,
sword-canes, pistols, guns and blunder
busses, and matters and things of that
nature, kind, character and description
and tendency; (hem! hem!!) gentle
men, you may set it down he is an arrant
coward and has a streak of cowardice
running down his backbone as wide as a
fence-rail; and this court charges you,
that this is the law of the land, gentle
men. Patch him all over with bills of
indictment. Find enough against him to
make a suit of clothes, and let,
him be like Noah’s dove, have nowhere
to set the sole of his foot, and this court
charges you that this is the law of the
land, gentlemen.” Pardon, this anec
dote is a digression.
I had mentioned the fact that Judge
Kenan always carried with him a large
amount of money, while the Bench and
Bar travele 1 from court to court on
horseback, with saddle-bags. At noon
the court stopped and ate its lunch on
the road. It was forty miles from Blairs
ville, Union count}-, to Elijay, Gilmer
county. It required an early start to
make the trip in a day. The party on
one occasion consisted of Judge Kenan,
Malcolm J. Walker, John 11. Jones, J.
A. E. Hanks, William Martin, Gqn. An
drew Hansell and J. W. 11. |Under
wood (tiieu a very young man, please re
member). All were fond of a practical
joke. It was agreed upon by all bauds*
except M. J. Walker, who was not en
lightened as to the plqt, to borrow all of
Judge Kenan’s money, and then raise a
conversation as to the amount of fees re
ceived at Union court, nu eouipel a
showing of funds. Gen. Hansell was
appointed to begin and carry on the in
vestigation, and Judge Kenan was to
dispute the statements and call for a sight
of the money, claiming that the business
iu that court would not justify any such
fees.
The party stopped for lunch at noon,
forming a circle around tiie various bun
dles of eatables, and as Jones was open
ing them, Gen. Hansell began:
“Well, boys, now did you find busi
ness at Blairsville/”
“Capital, first-rate, very good,” was
heard all around.
Turning to Hanks, Hansell asked:
“Hanks, how imufii did you receive in
fees ?”
“Let me see,” sail Hanks, pretending
to study and calculate in his head, “Two
hundred and seveniy-five dollars. Pret
good for a young n£n, eh! General?”
“Very good,” said Hansell, “aiid Ma
■jw Walker, how did tou cfltne out?”
“First-rate,” Walker.
“But how much cash?” persisted Ilan
sell.
Walker looked as if thinking deeply
(which he was doing undoubtedly) and
then answered, looking up, “Three hun
dred and twenty-tivif dollars—but, Gen
eral, ten dollars of that was paid on an
old fee.”
Judge Kenan grunted, “Ugh!”
“How much is your pile, Jones?”
Hansell continued.
“One hundred and ninety-five dol
lars,” was promptly replied.
“Now, Martin, it is your turn. How
much did you make; how much did you
lift the boys out of?”
Two hundred and ninety-five dollars,”
said Billy Martin.
Kenan blowed hi* nose. “What do
you say Underwood?”
“One hundred and ninety dollars, and
a diessed deer skin with the hair on,”
said Underwood.
‘/Well, boys,” I got two hundred and
fifty, and twenty pennyweights of gold
in a vial, but Major Walker has beat us
all.”
Judge Kenan sprang up, looked in
dignantly incredulous, saying, “By
Jupiter, boys! I don’t believe there was
such an amount of cash fees got at that
court; it only lasted three days.”
Hanks rose, “Now, fellows, come to a
showing, and let’s convince the old
hoss.”
“ That’s exactly right,” retorted Kenan,
“come to a showing right now.”
Underwood, with affected dignity,
counted out his pile. Kenan looked
amazed. One by one they proceeded to
count, until Major' Walker’s turn.
Walker sCemed to *lk tiie re was some
thing about Ills sadt. A' that needed atten
tion, and moving off he blurted out:
“If you can’t take my word for what I
made, you can think as you please.”
The story lasted all over the north end
of Georgia,, and it put a quietus to brag
ging on fees for a time.
Henry L. Sims was Solicitor, while O.
H. Kenan was Judge. He was admitted
to the Bar in Augusta, Ga., and was one
of the most promising young men in the
State. He commenced practice as the
law partner of George Walker Crawford,
who was the senior member of the firm
of Sims <fc Crawford. Mr. Crawford was
for many years member of the Legisla
ture from Richmond county, while An
drew J. Miller was Senator.
Mr. Miller was also many years
President of the Senate, while Mr.
Jenkins was speaker of the House of
Representatives.
In 1813, Mr. Crawford was elected
Governor, defeating Matthew Hall Mc-
Allister, of Chatham county.
In 1849, Mr. Taylor, President of the
United States, appointed Mr. Crawford
Secretary of War. He retired when
President Taylor died. He was a mem
ber of decided ability, great promises and
force of character, discharging every
duty in every station to which he
was called with dignity and fidelity.
He has been dead a good many years,
and is remembered as one of the purest
men of his age—a fit example of
the Empire State of the South.
When the younger Judge Un
derwood was elected Solicitor-General
of the Western Circuit, he went to the
Executive Department for his commis
sion. After a few days delay, as he was
anxious to get home,'The Governor said,
he must get from the Comptroller-Gen
eral of the State, a certificate that he was
not a holder of any public moneys.
Cok Samuel A. Wales, who was pres
ent, a man of genuine wit, immediately
said, “Underwood, when you get that
certificate, to qualify you properly I will
give you one that you are not the holder
of any private moneys.”
The certificate was giyen, the oath of
office administered, and tiie commission
signed and delivered.
Sims removed to Gainesville, Ga., and
was elected Solicitor-General in 1535,
and now lives in Whitfield county, Ga.,
at a very advanced age, and like Presi
dent Madison, is serving Ins neighbors
as Justice of the Peace.
In IS3S, Turner H. Trippe, then re
siding at Clarksville, was elected Judge
of the Cheorokee Circuit. He was a
man of \ery fair ability, having served
in early life two terms as Solicitor-Gen
eral of the Western Circuit. -He w-as a
fine presiding officer as Judge, a man of
modest deportment and dignified de
meanor. He and Judge W. 11. Under
wood were bosom friends. Judge Trippe
lived many years near Cassvilie, Ga.,
was a leading citizen and left a large cir
cle of friends atjd relatives. He lives in
the memory of the people as an honest
man and a useful, upright citizen.
[continued next week.]
For The Covrant.
HON. AMOS. T. AKERMAX.
A Biographical Sketch.
BY MRS. R. A. FELTON.
CHAPTER 111.
Having given two chapters, mainly of
the political history of the times in which
Col. Akerman lived and participated, it
is our purpose now to deal with the so
cial, literary and religious aspect of his
life and character. The material is am
ple for an extended biography, and tiie
longer we examine the diary and corres
pondence in our preparation for these
brief shetchcs, the more are we impress
ed that a full biography will be made at
some future time by some one who is fit
ted by nature and leisure for the pleasant
task.
We become also more and more con
vinced that the world should, for its com
fort and instruction, understand the mo
tive power that brought this poor New
Hampshire boy into the full enjoyment
of high legal and official positions, and
who adorned his religious professions
with such a clean, honest Godly walk and
conversation. • liis Christian humility
was at last the crowning grace of his
life—the capstone to a finished character.
It beautified his learning, it sweetened
his home life, and gracefully adorned
what might, under other conditions, have
become cynical and misanthropic.
In this diary, reaching up to four days
of his death, there is a total absence of
ill-speaking, of censure for others, of
uncharitable expressions. If obliged to
differ, his own opinion is modestly stated
as if he regretted the difference.
The impression left upon our mind by
this unvarying fairness for others is,
that he penned every line as if for eter
nity. He seemed to bring his mental de
eisims up to the bar of eternal judgment,
leaving outside the passions and preju
dices of the hour. For the time being he
was alone with God, in a sense not cov
ered by private devotion or religious re
flection. Weighing all his actions in
reference to his surroundings, he set
down simple facts, without extenuation
or malice. He endeavored to train his
private reflections into an acceptable ser
vice to God. A record of forty years
will not and does not deceive us. lie
being dead yet speaks the words of truth
and soberness.
In the zenith of liis promotion, when
surrounded by flatterers, by the crowd of
sycophants, lie never lost liis balance.
•Shortly after he became the Attorney-
General of the United States, lie wrote
thus to his wife:
“I asked Mr. Ashford to send you the
papers that discoursed your husband,
that you may read a great deal about his
good and bad qualities. My vanity leads
me to believe the good and disbelieve the
bad that they say i a species of discrimi
nation that does not wound self-love, but
perhaps does not show a correct judg
ment.”
That he did not feel elation in an offen
sive or even in a pardonable sense, an
other letter will show:
“I am seeing the pleasant part of the
appointment. Congratulatory calls and
letters are frequent, but the unpleasant
part will come soon. I must pay the pen
alty of notoriety. Brady has photograph
ed me, and I suppose my ugly face will
soon be in Harper, and thus the country
will find out what an ill-looking husband
you have. Remember me to and
to . Please be careful to show atten
tion to those who were kind to us when
others were unfriendly, but I know you
will be guarded everywhere. An acci
dental slight would now be attributed to
airogance, a quality which will never be
admitted to my Matty’s breast. Last
evening I dined at the President’s, with
four Senators. I had the honor of at
tending Mrs. Grant to the table and of
sitting next to her. She is intelligent,
lady-like, and particularly pleased me
by speaking of her husband as ‘Mr.
Grant.’ It is in fine taste to keep up the
plain address of their obscure days.”
The following letter “particularly
pleased” us, and will explain itself, al
though it has no connection with the
foregoing. We are seeking to show the
probity of liis character without reference
to dates or places.
Atlanta, April, 1870.
“I have just come from the Baptist
church, whither I went on invitation of
my friend Milledge. It is anew and
beautiful building. The sermon was
good, all the exercises interesting with
one exception—the grand one hundredth
psalm in Watt’s version was sung for a
voluntary, to a tune one could dance by.
Court adjourned late yesterday evening.
For two days it has been occupied with a
case of habeas corpus, against Gen. Ter
ry. I represented the general. The
final decision was against me. On all
the great questions the judge was with
me, and I could have got a different
judgment by taking a technical advan
tage of a legal presumption which would
have been contrary to the fact. But this
I would not do, and admitted the fact.
The judge sustained the constitutionality
of the reconstruction acts fully, but held
that those acts did not authorize Gen.
Terry to arrest in this particular case. I
suppose the newspapers will pounce on
me. Indeed they have already begun to
scold. But I am satisfied with my course,
and so is my client, the general, who, by
the way, is a very nice man.”
This is what he said of another gen
eral :
. Washington', July 2, IS7O.
“Last night I had a call from one of
the sprightliest and pleasantest talkers
' that I have ever met. And who do you
think it was? General Sherman, that
| terrible 'vandal” of whose atrocious
i march through Georgia you have heard
!so much. If all vandals are like him,
| they are agreeable in the parlor, whatev
er they may be elsewhere.”
J One more extract from his social life in
Washington, and we will get nearer to
liis home life:
Washington City, P. Q, )
April 30th, IS7L j
“How are my wife and children to
day, are they at church or at home? Are
they in a group, she telling and they
listening to some scripture story ? The
minister preached an excellent sermon
this morning, on “Whatsoever things
are pure,” etc. lie laid great stress on
“Whatsoever tilings are lovely,” and
urged it a Christian duty to maker our
selves lovely to others. This brought to
mind a set of sour, self-conceited, med
dlesome persons who infested New Eng
land in my early life, whose habit it was
to thrust themselves upon others in the
most offensive way ‘in tiie name of the
Lord.’ Last evening 1 dined at the Pres
ident’s with the diplomatic corps. All
the persons present were foreigners ex
cept the President, Mrs. G-iant, Mr. and
Mrs. Fish and ni3 r self. Tnirty-six were
at the table. My station was between
tiie French charge on my left and the
Japanese charge on my right—the Japa
nese talking English better than the
Frenchman. I gave the most of my at
tention to Japan. The charge (not of
the party whose hospitality I enjoyed on
Friday, they were visitors, he is a per
manent diplomatic representative) I
found to be an intelligent, bright-minded
man. He had been in England, but not
in other parts of Europe. There is some
thing solemn, yet exciting, in my inter
course with this people. In my boyhood
the school geography represented them
as a strange people, hostile to foreigners
and having an accursed custom of tram
pling on the cross. Now I meet them
here and find them quick in adopting our
measures and apparently to take many of
our political notions. I did not feel at
liberty to talk to the charge about reli
gion, yet I had an intense anxiety to
learn his views on that subject.”
Life was too serious for this serious
minded man to enjoy frivolity, and we
doubt if there was another at the table
who cased a snap for tiie religion of the
rest.
In the years that followed his Wash
ington experience, he was an exceeding
ly busy man at the law. lie was regard
ed as the leader of the bar North of At
lanta, in all constitutional law. Ilis
practice grew constantly and he was ab
sent a great deal from home. But the
father and husband never forgot his
home, and among his letters we find one
to his oldest son, that is a model of its
kind. We have rarely seen so much in
so little space. As it demonstrates the
inside life of Col. Akbrman vve copy it
here.
Augusta, Jan sth, 1873.
“My Dear Sox Benjamin : Here at a
ho{,pl on a S ihiiath day my thoughts go
to my home, and particular fix them
selves on my oldest son. Perhaps what
I now write may be of some benefit to
you in the future, when you get old
enough to understand and apply it. I
write not only as a parent, but also as
one who has had a great variety of expe
rience in life, and who, therefore, may
be qualified to advise a young person.
“Love God. Remember that you are
a sinner. Seek forgiveness through the
atonement which Christ has made and
S 3ek sanctification from God’s Holy spir
it. Study the bible. Try to learn what
it means. It contains difficult passages.
Some of them I have never been able to
understand. But do not let the difficulty
or impossibility of understanding some
parts of it, keep you from perusing and
practicing such parts as you can under
stand. In other matters we do not dis
regard the intelligible on account of the
unintelligible, that is often associated
with it, and the same practical wisdom
should be followed concerning the Bible.
Perhaps God will, in Ilis Providence,
make light what is now dark. However
that may be, we should use such light as
we have.
“Love and obey your mother. Love
your brothers, be kind to them, bear
with their provocations. Though they
should impose on you, you, the oldest
and strongest, can afford to be forbear
ing. Your influence and example will
be powerful upon them; for they will
naturally follow their oldest brother.
Lead them aright.
“Be friendly and accommodating to
other persons. Xever do wrong to please
others, but oblige others as much as you
can without doing wrong. There is
much in a pleasant manner to carry one
through life. Especially be kind to the
afflicted and needy, but never show kind
ness in a condescending way, for this is
an offensive assumption of superiorly.
“Xever despise or ridicule others on
account of deformity of person, weakness
of mind, or any other providential mis
fortune.
“Abstain as much as possible ho n cen
suring others. A fault-finder is a disa
greeable character. One who looks for
faults will find plenty of them, for hu
man nature is a very faulty thing. But
it is not your business to judge others.
Love your country. Bea true patriot.
Should she need your military service,
when you are old enough, render it
cheerfully, and face the danger bravely.
But peace is the best state, and I trust it
will be the actual state of the country in
your day. Understand public questions.
Ask what is right, not what is popular.
When you have ascertained the right try
to make it popular: but cleave to it, pop
ular or not.
“Aim to live by some honest private
calling. Choose it, following your taste
and opportunities, and then pursue it
steadily. Be not eager to be rich; but
strive to be independent.
“There is nothing new in these pre
cepts, but perhaps you will value them
as from your loving father.”
A. T. A KERMAN.
NUMBER 10.
All! what a precious legacy was this!
The precepts may not bo new, but they
are priceless in the light of that loving
father’s devotion to himself.
If time allowed we would be delighted
to eall from his large diary the many
aphorisms and precepts that are found
therein, but we must hasten to the close.
In a letter to bis wife, from Savannah,
he thus speaks ot Daniel Webster.
•‘lt was thirty years ago, this week
(May 1877) that Webster was in Savan
nah. I saw and heard Dim. Of those
active in the reception, all, or nearly all,
have passed away. The young men who
looked on with admiration are now old
men, and have lost with experience
much of their faculty of admiration,
learning that the great men of the world
are not great enough or good enough to
deserve unmixed admiration. Webster
was a great mind and a very useful pub
lic mind, lie had great weaknesses and
they clogged him. A little more of real
courage was what he wanted. But why
do I write you about Webster ? Our hoys
are more to us than Webster, Washing
ton, Wellington, Bonaparte, Ca'sar and
all the rest of mankind. God help us to
rear the dear boys well, for private or
public life, as their fortune may be, and
above all for the life beyond this.”
In a later letter lie thus alludes to Dick
ens: “A great man in some sort —hut
not the highest sort—not of the highest
sort of novelists even. lie was abler to
wound than to cure, readier to find fault
than to praise, spiteful towards the pros
perous and a terrible scourger of their
faults. He did good, hut not all the
good of which he was capable. This last
clause startles me, now that I have writ
ten it. Is it true of all of us? Why
blame Dickens for a shortcoming that is
universal? But I have fallen into preach
ing, which is not my trade.”
For the sake of those who are so se
riously disturbed by science in religion
we will copy from a letter dated Atlan
ta, Dec. 14th, 1872:
* * * “The preacher this morning,
a stranger to me, had something to say
about the godliness of the age, referring
to what is sometimes called scientific in
fidelity. The subject is serious, for
science is attacking much of the belief
hitherto termed scriptural, and is making
cowards of some and disturbing the
minds of others. I have faith that all
that science really discourses will he
found to he consistent with all that the
Bible really teaches. The accepted in
terpietatiou may he found to he wrong in
some instances, such as the meaning of
file word “day” in Genesis, but science
will not overturn the true meaning of the
Bible. The recent discoveries are start
ling, but not alarming. To prove, that
the sun is a mass of molten iron or mag
nesia or any other such substance, is not
to prove that God (lid not eall It into
being, for he could as well have made it
of such substauces as of any other.
These scientific men overlook the facts of
religious experience. These are as much
facts as the revelations of the Orbs.
The peace that comes after penitence is
as real a fact as the light that comes in
the morning.”
In retrospecting Col. Akernian’s pub
lic life, as criticized some years ago by
the public press, it is difficult to under
stand why his religious feelings were not
more generally appreciated.
In a letter from Savannah there is a
little light on the subject, as indirectly
applied to himself, and it is among the
very last letters of his life, a3 he was not
alive a month thereafter.
Savannah, Nov. 28th.
• * * * This is Sunday, 6 p. m., a
mild, damp day, more like the usual Sa
vannah climate than the cold weather of
the last few days.
This morning I went to church—the
Presbyterian [he was a Presbyterian
himself] and heard a good sermon from
Mr. McFarland on the love of God. At
the close he announced that the newly
elected elders would be ordained and
they came forward. To my surprise one
of them was our friend Wilson.
It is a mark of improvement in politi
cal feeling when so decided a Republican
can be chosen to an ecclesiastical office.
The world moves. Twenty years ago
no one would have thought of politics in
connection witli a church relation; but
our late experience raises surprise when
we see that the church does not proscribe
a worthy man whose politics are unpopu
lar. I would have gone out to the cem
etery this evening had not the walk been
too long. That cemetery holds the
graves of many whom I once knew, and
of some to whom I was once warmly at
tached. As we grow old we think of the
friends of our youth, and with this sage
remark I will drop the subject, lest I fall
into another habit of old people—gar
rulity.”
This letter tells Mrs. A. that lie is not
well. The handwriting also shows
weakness ot the nerves. We presume
the seeds of the illness which so soon car
ried him off were then settling on his
strength—as he came home sick and ex
hausted. His diary states he was unwell
most of his stay in that city—reaching
home December sth.
Ilis last entry is on December 14th,
and he died on the 21st of the same
month. Mr. Akerman joined theohurch
in Ilanover, New Hampshire, when he
was young, perhaps not twenty. In
1845, he bemoans his barrenness. “I
can point to no person who has been led
to Christ by my instrumentality, yet I
sometimes think that I experience reli
gious blessings.” Rev. Mr. Goulding
was a much appreciated pastor in Rich
mond county.
On Sunday, October 11th, IS4G, he
united with the church again. He says:
“It was an interesting and solemn sea
son. Ministers who see sinners converted
under their preaching must- have a
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