Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-02-12
From the Charleston Mercury.
Sketches ofthe Delegates to the Great
Ringed-Streaked.a and-Striped
THE EDGEFIELD DELEGATION.

R. B. Elliot-negro-is regarded by the
white people of EdgeGeld as the head centre"
of the delegation from their district to the
Club House assembly. He halls from Mas.
sachuse!ts, where be claims to have been a
lawyer, and he also asserts that he is q part
ner, in Charleston, of C. G. Bowen. He did
not appear in the district which he honours
by misrepresenting until the summer of 1861.
He was commissioned by the Union Repub-
lican party 10 organize the clubs in that dis
trict, and created for time, among the ne
groes, quite .tuuore, BY the boldnesS of his
defamation, the splendour Of his elocution,
and the extravaganza of his promises and as
sumptions. He made sundry speeches, swag
gered insolently and talked largely, with the
hope Of provoking the attention Of the white
people and failing in this, subsidized into the
dusky crowd of freedmen, and has not since
been heard of above the surface. In the
zenith of his importance and glory, he took
unto himself wife, in the person of an aban-
doned mulatto woman, OF notorious habits
and character, repudiated even by the ne
groes. To consummate his matrimonial hap
piness, he borrowed from his friends and ad.
mirers various sums of money, which he has
failed to replace. Among others, he mulcted
Paris, the barber. at the courthouse, for thir-
ty dollars. Paris is very reputable and
worthy mulatto, who does not belong to the
club" or affiliate otherwise with the party.
but it is presumed that he was overcome in
this instance by Elliot's hattering and lasci'
mating address.
Prince Rivers (coloured), formerly a coach
man of Mr.. Henry M. Stuart, Of Beaufort.
who was refugee in Edge6eld during the
war, is the next most promising fellow among
them. Lie is a fine specimen of q full-booded
negro, and was remarkable, when slave, as
being good boat,nan and an accomplished
whip. When he made his FIRST appearance
upon his coach-box you were at u loss which
to admire most-thc polish of his horses, the
polish of his manners, the polish of his skin,
or the resplendent polish of lis shirt collars
Prince had O. taste for letters, and he learned
to read and write. This latter accomplish
ment brought him to grief on one occasion.
Then he exercised lis genius in writing passes
for some sable damscls, emitting at the same
time 10 put his own signature to the docu'
ment. This performance brought him un'
der the notice of that awful tribunal the town
courcil os Beaufort from whose judgment so
few prisoners ever escaped, as it was looked
upon as crime by that august body to be
even brought before it.
During the war Prince became dissatisfied.
Like Young Norra: "he had heard Of wars
and longed to follow to the field" He &C
cordingly borro,red his masters horse and left
for the coast He passed through the Con-
federatc lines and Joined the United States
army. He subsequently visited New York,
where he was lion. He addressed meet
ing in that city, and. be it said to his credit,
he gave the most correct and truthful state
n,ent Of slavery as it existed in the South
that his audience had ever listened to. We
know nothing of Princes military exploits.
We do not think he was at Olustce, and we
are very certain, from his presence in the
ecunvrnrivr,, ho rvs,s nnt 1T Honey Hi
Prince was sent to Edgetield as register,
which paved the way for him as delegate to
The convention. What kind of Solon he
will make is doubtful. He has shown his
wisdom thus far by holding. his tongue. Will
he have the wit to continue to do so? lie is
frightiu!ly black, ignorant and impudent--
talks like low country " gulla niger" he
has been devoting himself, since his discharge
from tue army, entirely to politics, and is
very consequential member OF the Union
League, app:ars to be bird of passage,
here, there and everywhere, except IN his
proper sphere, with currycomb and horse
brush, or on the box of some genteel car
riage.
Dave Harris, q mulatto shoemaker and
Methodist preacher, is really the only one OF
the DELEGATION who belongs 10 Edge6eld. He
was Goa Gilman of Mrs. Harris, Of Abbeville,
for o number of years, and had been practi-
cally free since her death, sometime before
emancipation. "Snce freedom" he has kept
himself aoof and in sullen antagonism to the
whites. Is president of the Union League
Clubat Edgefeld yillage-not very mouthy'
and obtrusivc. g.
Frank Arnin, as be is Familiarity called by
the negroes OF his acquaintance, has had his
name in print before on several occasions,
and in fact those of our readers who interest
themselves in the proceedings OF the United
States Court for the District OF South Caro-
lima, will recoiect him as the individual who
was fined the small sum Of $4,000, for vio-
lation of the Internal revenue laws by the
illicit distllatlon OF whiskey. Unfortunately
the fine was remtted, and his example re-
mains great temptation to the people of his
nciphbourhood to take short cut to fortune
by Cheating Uncle Sam Of his lawful dues
Arnim is o PruSsian adventurer, Who became
captain Of company in the United States
volunteer forces during the late war; lie ii
as ignorant of the English language as o
English law, and in this respect is a mos
suitable member of the Club House assem-
bly, where nine out of ten members laooul
under the very same disadvantages.
John Bouum--Is Charleston negro, as
black as the ace Of spades, and on what prin
ciplc of the law of elections he was chosen tt
represent Edgefeld District it is difficult tc
IMAGINE. Bonum was born and raised here
and was, before the war; the slave of MIR. l.
Hawley. q halter on king-street. Since the
war he has kept sort of chicken and variety
store, in John street, near King street,. anc
dabbled in various other little speculations
One of these was being on the Finance Com
mittee of the first riuged-strcaked- -and-strip
cd convention that ever met In Charleston
There were two others on the committee
Poinsett was onc and we think, though W.
are not sure, that Ransicr was the other
These three "gcntlemen of colour" were in
trusted with the funds Of said convention fo
various purposes and among others to pa.
for the publication in pamphlet form of ut thu
proceedings of that, then, queer body. The,
made an arrangement with certain printing
establishment, any more exact description O
which we omit from regard to the proprietor
to have the minutes printed as desired for tn
sum of $3.50 The job was performed accor
ding to contract, but the printer declined t.
deliver the work without the money. Ih
committee complained that the money ha'
not been oil collected which was due them
but agreed to pay $75 on delivery of half tn
: number of pamphlets, and to settle for al ant
take the remainder in short time. Th
printer consented. but he waited for it 81
: iong that he was glad to dispose of the clain
to another party at sacrifice