The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-08-18
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 1S, 1852.

among the members of the S. family
Some demur now arose. Some of the
persons concerned growing imprudent as
the chances of recovering the money ap-
peared to multiply, thought it would be
wrong to send the deed of release before
the money had been received. But the
solicitor had not learned, in the practice of
hls profession, to form so low an estimate
OF human nature. lie considered conf
dence in this case to be synonymous with
Prudcncc,and at any rate resolved to take
upon himself the entire Responsibility of
complying with the wishes of the Ameri-
cans. lie accordingly drew UP the neces-
sary document got it signed by as many
as participated i'll his views, and sent it
across the Atlantic, without the slightest
doubt or hesitation. There had been
something i'll the rough, blunt honesty of
MIR. B--'s letter that inspired the man
of law with the utmost reliance on his
faith, though during the interval which
elapsed between the transmission of the
deed and the reception of an answer from
the States, several of his friends exhibited
disposition to make themselves merry at
the expense of his chivalry. But when
we consider all the particulars of the case,
we can hardly fail to perceive that he ran
no risk Whatever; for even if the debt haG
not legally lapscd, the people who had
retained it i'll their memory through three
| gcneratlOns-who had from father to son
practlscd strict economy in order to relieve
themselves from the burdcn-who had.
with much difficulty and some expense,
sought out the heirs of their creditor in q
distant country, could scarcely be suspect
ed with any inclination to finish off with
4 fraud at last
| Still, If there was honor on one side.
there was enlarged confidence on the
other; and in the course of few months.
the American mail brought to London
the famous fGOO due since before the
War OF Independence. The business now
was to divide and distribute it, OF Ofcoursc,
each OF the creditors was loud in cXprcs-
slons OF admiration Of the honor of the B.
family, whose representative, while for
war'ng the money, asked with much SIM
pllcity to have n few old English ncwspa-
pers sent out to him by way of acknow-
ledgmcnt. For his own part, however, he
experienced strong desire to behold
some OF the persons to whom he had thus
paid debt of the last century and he
gave n warm and pressing invitation to
any OF them, to come out and stav rs
long as they thought proper at his house
IN Charleston. Had the invitation been
accepted, we cannot doubt that Brother
Jonathan would have acted as Hospitality
IN the character of host as he behaved
honorably in that of debtor. 1t would
have been pleasure, we might indeed say
4 distinction, to live under the same root
with such man whose very name carries
lis back to the primitives of the colony,
when Charleston was Il city of the British
Empire, and English laws, manners, habits,
and feelings regulated the proceedings and
relations of its inhabitants. 1t is to be
hoped, therefore, that the London solicitor
Will some day drop in quietly upon his
trend in Charleston, to smoke n cigar, and
discuss old times with him. He will in
that case probably fancy himself chatting
with a contemporary Of Rip Van Wnklc.
Doubtless there are thousands of such men
IN the States, where frequently everything
that is estimable in the English character
Is cultivated with assiduity.
How the property was distributed
among the S. family in England, we need
not say. Each surviving Individual had
his or her share. The solicitor was only
connected with them by marriage; but
with good old English ideas of upright
ness and integrity, he was fully able to
appreciate the Charleston lawyers senti-
mcnts. lie would have done exactly the
same himself under similar circumstances ::
and, therefore, had the sum been tens of
thousands instead of hundreds it could not
be said to have fallen into bud hands,
Whether the transaction above noticed
has led or not to continued correspond
cncc between the families, we ale unable
to say but we think the creditors in Eng
land would naturally have felt pleasure
in exchanging intelligence from time to
time with their worthy debtors in Char
lesion. These things, however, are pri
ate, and therefore we do not intend to
trench upon them Chambers EdinJurg
Journal, Juiy 10.