The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-03-17
Gle Cecil ll)l)ie.
FOR PRESIDENT,
EDWARD BATES,
OF MISSUC RI.

was announced last week. was the founder of
this paper. Previous to that time every effort
to MAINTAIN Wing PAPER in Cecil county had
met with failure. and a similar fate was con.
tilrntly predicted Of the enterprise in which
Mr.. Ricketts, embarked. The idea that a
hcardl,ss youth, fresh from country tolls. and
n country life. and who had scarcely seen the
ms 'de OF printing office, could succeed in
an undertaking winch editors of undoubtcd
ability, and publishers of long experience had
abandoned, was regarded rs f,olhardncss.
But the gentleman, who was most active in
that enterprise, the late DR.. Amos A. Evans,
knew tie man for the place. He had seen
yourg Ricketts, during the campaign Of 1910
| and mis- accurate knowledge of men at once
led him to tie conclusion that this was the
man for the diflicult post of Editor of Wing
paper IN Cecil county At the urgent soici.
tation of this gentleman, Mr.. Ricketts, agre, d
to engage in the publication Of the paper, and
on the ! tn day Of August ISL, issued the
first number. Without the advantages OF
classical education, he NJ vcrl hvlcss cultivated
II bnld, clear and slriking!y original style Of
| writing. His editorials were chiefly upon
political subjects. and always bore the evil
dcnce of master hand. HIS practical good
sense drove right to the leading points o f the
in earnest. There was no useless vc, biage.
no turg,d adornmcnt the beauty of his style
was that Of the massive structure, which Goes
up stone after stone until at last il presents 4
perfect whole--g graceful, compact and com.
plete in all lis parts, needing no frippery gild,
ing. His satire was keen as steel, his nrec-
tive bitter as death, and he used them, and
| every other weapon Of which he was master.
without mercy upon every foe whom he en-
conntercd. In view oChis natural vchrlnence
his caution was extraordinary. lie possessed
the rare faculty Of seeing the end of every con.
truversy frum the beginning: he took in all
the points at a. single glance, and to this.
| more than ANYTHING else, is to be attributed
his eminent success as a controversial writer.
lie went INFO every battle with the conclusion
| lorcgone that he was 10 be successful and
| once engaged he pressed everything into his
service took every advantage, needed no cry
| for quarter, and never ceased until his oppo-
ncnt was unable to cry at all. speak o him
in This connection only as a controversial wri
| ter : Of how far his personal feelings were
effected BY these thing. shall take occasion
to speak hereafter.
In the lull Of political excitement he would
| frequently devote his pen to more peaceful
! He loved to tear hus self away from the steam
| and whirl Of business and politics. and out in
| the vernal sunshine. or the autumnal haze, by
the creeks and through the woods to renew
| his boyhood' s love ofnattIrc and his accounts
Of these ramhles were full of genuine pathos.
| Many Of these were written as cnnnunica-
| tons for lis own paper, and others for the
| column Of Small talk" to which there were
! IN ibr,to hat C,u 1
him as their author Few readers of the Uhis
supposed as they read these touching dcscrip-
tons Of country life, that they were written
by the editor. An incident illustrative Of this
phase OF his life occurs to me at this point -
During the spring Of 1852 he went to BAti.
more to take charge Of the Daily News He
usually returned on Saturday. to spend the
Sabbath with his life, wno remained IN Elk
ton. One balmv spring day he came home,
and after remarking upon the beauty Of the
the cars. nc saw the sunshine laying 80 snr,
and warm or the fields, he put out his hand
to fec! if 1t were the same genial sunshine
that chccrcd his hoyhood. for. added he
there is no such sunshine in that great city. ~
| Almost Immediately on assuming control of
the Wing he took position MS the leader of the
whis party in this county. With HIM. poll
Tics was never game of chance but great
stern reality. a matter Of principle. In tins
| light, and this only. his acts as politician
are to be viewed. He bent every energy of
mind and body to the success Of his party,
| because his party was entirely right and ITS
opponents entirely wrong. lis friends were
| his friends, its enemies his enemies. The
man who could be elected, and thus give his
party triumph. was. for the time being, the
idol of his worship, and a successful cand.
date for the smallest Office was instantly in.
vested with the admiration which he felt for
the party and its principles. No qualica ton
| for Office no amount of merit, or party service.
or talent could avail an aspi ant for nomina.
ton, if he failed IN that one essential ability
to lie elected Such an one might be as elo-
uurHt as Cicero, as learned as Paschal, as
moral as Plato but the incxorahie question
was, can he be elected and it, with his vast
knowledge of the county and the people, he
thought the asprant lacked this one reoui-
site he must be thrown aside to make room
for the man who could get votes. He knew
| the county thoroughly, and every man in il
with the slightest claim to popular favor. inst
how large that claim was, and how far it
could be made available lie was CHARGED
with being a manager. No pol,,ician ever
deserved it less. He regarded the success of
the Democratic party AS Catholic does the
success of Professionalism, nav. more as 3
Christian does the success of intidelitv. and To
prevent this success, ne sought always TO