Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-08-22
Bowen's Reception by the Edisto ISL
and Is. CD Negroes.
From The Chariestoa News August 10.

From the charlestOa News August 10.
The belligerent Bowen has again assumed
his war paint and feathers, and Is on the var
path. His>plan of campaign Is to lure the
credulOus cOlOred masses TO retired gruyes
upon the islands Of the sea by such devices rs
the seductive ginger cake aud the exuberant
root beer, aud having exhibited to them such
dainiies, 70 inaict upon them speeches from
imprOvised and rustic platforms, where in he
lays his hand upon his heart, aud begs 20
know If they, his audience, whom he Is glad
to see, and proud to call his brethren, can be.
ieve Of him, who thus addresses them. the
scandalOus aud wicked tales that are spread
broadcast by those malicious emissaries Of tho
Evil One, by which he begs to be understood
as meaning the Democrats, whose hearts are
deceirful above all things, and desperately
wicked! Whereupon his dusky audience,
with lively sense of ginger cake to come.
respond with shouts of "Hear, hear % Xxi
vi! "Bress de Lamb" and 10 divers other
I0cOherent and irrelevant manners, express
their hearty reverence for the gentle Bowen.
aud their high appreciation Of the bovine bar
becuc. \ love feast Of this character took
place last Saturday night at the camp ground
on EdistO Island. 1t is described with yush
ing enthusiasm by some Of its attendants. and
tr"m all accounts, it must have peen a sort of
cross between \ cOlOrcd camp meeting and
NOudOu incantatiOn. The ambitious Bowen
exhOrted and exPOstulated, berated aud be.
sought aud pumped the excitement in his
shouting audience up to fever heat. He ar
gued aud they aPPIaUded, he gcsticulated and
they roared, he danced and they Prostrated
themselves in conVulsiOns Of delight, until the
audience resolved itself into n Dromiscuous
s4uirmiDg, perspiring mass Of Odoriierous en-,
thusiasm. Men shouted aud women howIed.
the little pickauinnics lost their ginger cakes
by being crushed To Nubian jeilies in the
seethlng mass the satuInaIian echoes resoun
ded from the trees aud scared the solemn owls
down from their resting places, who circled
round the scene aud gazcd with big eyed
wonder. Next rush was made for Bowen
by the elusive shades, who refused to be
pacihed except by shaking hands with their
new apostle. They hustled him of the Mat.
tOrm, aud, stretching their numbers out in
two long lines, the shaking Of hands began.
The martyred orator passed down the centre,
his arms on either side working up and down.
as seized by the dusky gauntlet, aud looking
Ike the levers OF an cratic lump. Old blind
men, tOOlhless and totteriug came and nut
their hands upon him because they '.wanted
to see dis man Bowen )" women jOstled out of
the line by the stronger men, reached their
us tIIOuSh the ranks, pIucEed the hem OF
BoWens garments, aud shouted with rapture,
Il touched um!" | touched 'um!" and moth.
ers brought rags aud handkerchief, laid them
up against their new found Moses, aud took
thcm away to lay their sick babies. In
fact. the dusky muss did everything that gush
ing idiots could do under the strongest stimu>
liant OF excitement, and then the cakes aud
beer suPervening, they devoured them with
eager avidity, until, with the disappearance of
the last ginger cake, aud the squeezing OF the
last beer bottle, they weuded their devious
ways back to their various dens, making
night hidcOus as they passed with crazy
shouts Of Bowen for Governor! Oh let nv
people CO."