The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-05-11
The DAYS Of Old.

who think there were once better iays
aud better mcu than it is our lot now
TO look upon, yet one cannot help
sometimes turning over the leaves of
those obsolete records and getting
from thcm--what comfort we NAV.
There was, once on q time, man
named George Washington, whom n
foolish orator--of course from tho be-
rightod South--snid would always be
"iirst in the hearts of his couutry.
men," never dreaming of the unborn
Lincoln or any other Ulysses than him
of Ithaca. lie was soldier who
never shed drop of unnecessary
blood. He was President who,
when house was Offered to him-not
by set obscquious turf-huntcrs,
(such never vcntured near him, } but
by q commonwealth refused it, and
who did not think that the patronage
of tho government was of unseatcl
land, on which all tho adult settlers
of his own family wero to find home.
He mover pensioned relative and
never packed court
Look at his-this Washington's--
record, we fnd some curious things as
to "rclativcs' and "judscs," which it
is rcfreshing1to read in the ligh. Of
tho present dispcnsation. Washing
ton married n widow, and we believe
had no brothcr-in.l w-ccrtainly no.
body married into the family in order
to "operate" through the connection
and, while there was about that time
a good deal Of speculation in the
fluids, none of his pet soldiers were
caught dabbling in it and dismissed
from Office. lie did not tclcct as his
advisors those who had given him tho
best douccurs. lie chose men of rcu-
sonably good character to represent
the country abroad, and did not think
it necessary, on the homeopathic
principle of "sinlilio simihbus," to
send to tho dissoluto Bourbon court of
the Escurial an adept. But, though
childlcss, be had ono who stood to
him in the place Of son-a nephew,
Bushrod Washington--who, as
youth, had fought in the battles of
the revolution, and who was destined
il later ''fc i 'iutcd by another
Presl.c.D to BE-, for more than thirty
years, nt ,hr -. !, ~ = : ~. ,,nr
shall, pillar OF lho t'c''or", dic,n-
ry. Soon after tho first Presidents
induction to office, Mr.. Washington,
n ycang Virginia lawyer, made mod
est application to his uncle to be ap.
pointed District Attorney fer tho Eas-
tern Federal District Of that thcn
unmutilated commonwealth 1t was
a moderate request, diflidently made.
On the 9th OF July, l7s9.-wo give
the date, in order that President
Grant may refer to it in case any
more of the family y arc Troublesome
George Washington replied:
"You cannot doubt my wishes to
see you appointed to any any Office of
honor or emolument in tho new gov
ernmcnt to the duties of which you
arc competent but, however descrv-
ing you may be Of the one you have
suggested, your standing at tho Bar
would not justify my nomination Of
you, in preferanco to some Of the old
est and most esteemed general court
lawyers of your own State, who arc
desirous of this appointment. My,
political conduct i'll nominations, even
if ! wore uninflucnccd by principle,
must be exceedingly circumspcct and
proof against Just such criticism, for
The oyes Of Argus arc upon mo, and
no slip will pass unnoticed that can
be improved into supposed partiali-
ty for friends and relatives"
And Washington hcsitatcd, ac1
knowlcdged tho force of just criti-
cism,' vonturcd, great and pure as ho
was, on no defiance of public opinion,
and refused. ft is only, as we are
scfd,a different sort Of people who
crush in where angels fear to tread"
SO much for nerotism 10 ancient deys!
Now for the judiciary. When o
vacancy occurs in our time on my
bench, and especially the Federal
Bench, great is the agitation Of the
professional heart. Every lawyer in
the land Of the dominant party thinks
himself fit, and every cotorio of To-
cal politics is in disturbance. If the
ohanco presents itself ut q moment, as
now, when vast pecuniary and corpo-
ratio interests are on the edge Of Hti-'
cation, new element Of agitation is
invoked, and great aggregation Of de-
linqucnt debtors take the field to in
fuencc--generaMy with success--the
appointments. How was It in ancient
days, when We were as brothcrs--"in
the brave old days Of old2" In the
month Of May, l7al, Washington
then President, o vacancy occurred in
the Supreme Court OF. tho United
States. 70 two citizens Of South
Carolna--(all honorto the memories
Of her classic times still hallowing tho
men Of sto-day)--Edward Rutledge
and Charles Cotesworth Pinekney-.
the President addressed the follewiDg
most ramarkabfa letter m y" FSt@D ~