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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 (CONCH*JbED ON FOCSTH PAGE.;