The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-06-28
Deuote0 to ne1ps,

died three years ago. That testi.
mony standsto-day uncontradicted.
One step further. and / am done,
80 far as that record ia concerned.
One year ago she rpointing in the
directionsof his wifel enclosed her
money to the clerk of that court,
and obtained a copy Of that de-
cree, and'on that copy she got mar.
ried. ~ -rr =. 5. ,r,S
Ifthe record in New York was
wrong, it is the fault Of those men
and the way they do business there.
l am now done, 80 far as. the
record is concerned. <
Outside of that, the act of Con-
gross, which / had seen and read,
and whiclrI had shown toiaw ers,
there was but one. universal opin-
ion in regard to it. They all said
that that covered the case. az
Much was said about my aban-
doning the woman in Augusta. If
1 could have opened my mouth. /
could have shown perhaps why the
abandonment or desertion took
place. Butmy month was closed !;
so was hers. Twill say this much:
/ would have been willing to have
had her open her mouth upon that
question. Whatever may have.
happened in 1S52---the' difference
between us at that time / do not
plead as any extenuation-a boy
of eighteen and a mother Of thirty
II say do not mean that. Work,
ing for living, toiling every day,
was l to sit down there in that
little town and starve to death9
When / went was she to 90 with
me2 If she did not 90, whose
fault was it2 This could have
been shown. / made every effort
that could make in 1852. I made
what might be called the last-I
sent a messenger TO her, trying to
settle this difficulty. 1t was pat
into her hands, though when the
messenger went and knocked at
the door, he was told that no such
person lived in tho house. After
persistent inquiry he found per
son who said her name was Fran
ces Hicks, and that perhaps the
letter was intended for her. When
che was told that the letter was
from me, and that ] was stopping
at a hotel in the very town, she
said: stake the letter back; /
want nothing more to do with him !;
tell him to send me no more mes.
sages." Tie next day Isent again,
and with q similar result. That
is the testimony in this case. The
District Attorney says that I could
have found the woman; that I
could have gone to her at Argus
ia. Grant that I could, but had
l any encouragement at any time,
after that, that / would meet with
any better reception? Was I to
SO there and force myself into the
house2 Nay, no. But time pass.
ed on, and as / say in 1865 the
divorce wrs granted. l troubled
myself no further. / did not sc :.
crete myself. / did not run away /;
but within 100 miles of that wo
man | sat down in public | fe, and
she Mrs. Hicks) nor any. of her
friends can to, day say che ever
made an enquiry that she ever
opened her mouth, notwithstand.
ing newspapers were filed with
my name from day to day, being
twice elected to the position which
Il had the honor to Eli on the hill.
the Capitol) This woman never
opened her mouth at this time
When | made up my mind to get
married, tlIe newspapers heralded
IL all over the country. 1t was
shown that no one had any claim
npon me, for no one said q word.
They oil stood mute; and when
enquiry was made Of the very man
who took that stand, (Hatcher,)
when enquiry was made OF him,
he denied to the counsel in Au.
gusta that he knew anything about
it. And here let me cay that 80
far as malice aud prejudice are
concerned, I do not wish to cay
anything about that, though / could
say much. But suffice It to say
that this prosecution If you are
pleased to call it that-grew ont
of this, and this alone. / stood
in the way politically of some one.
l must be gotten ont Of the way.
In few moments more the scene
viii close, with head bowed, evi-
dently much affecteds) So far as
politics is concerned, that is at an
end They did not 60 to this wo-
man at the commencement of this
prosecution. They traced up some
one else. They came here and got
an indictment. II made but little
difference npon what I was con.
victed, 90 long as / was gotten on,
of the way. Ytaa