New-York tribune., 1871-05-04
A MARYLAND RAMBLE.

noyAI RELICs-PAsTIMEs OF TIE PEOPLE.
cussrERTowN, April e8.--Canada, says1he Lon
don Times is all frontier Tho Eastern Shore OF Maryland
q, all shore The nine Cecil Dorchester,
Kent Queen Anne, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomioo, anu
worcester called tho Eastern shore because they o on
the eastern side shore Of Chesapeake Bayeem hoaT
ing about between bays rivers and ncts or nsecurey
anchored TO the peninsula which itself but feeby fast
ened TO the continent No part Of the Republic 40 wen
watered 90 abundantly provided Win nafufa lines
Communication with the great Bay, ana hence ~i'' '
ocean and the wide world Every county ooh'"'n' W
bordored by pavigable rivers, or Is wasnou W uo'p
cts or broad bays Tho great Chesapeako' iroiA io
40 miles wide and long, bears ships 10 he soroS VI
seyen OF those nine counties. and to every district or
township of the southern counties OF Accoao
and Northampton which belong TO Virginia. and form
tina tail OF the beaver peninsula Of whioh Dea
ware forms the back and the northern county OF
that State tho head There are but Two pays
on the coast OF North and South America
which approach In extent the Chesapeake Delaware Bay
and the Bay OF Fundy. 1t ia remarkable TACT that
while Delaware Bay has but two rivers emPtylng INTO
and good Earbor and the Bay OF Fundy put 'ree
rivers and three harbors Chesapeake Boy has 80 nsy
gable rivers and 90 harbors which viii feat and shelter
the largcst fleets Tho rivers OF the Eastern Shore sur
prise one by their breadth and plaody and seem more
like estuares than rivers The Nantcoke Chep'ank ana
Chester for upward Of Is miles from their mouth Arc
frem two and one-haf to five miles wide. ana are haV
gable from 80 10 10 miles They are without percept
Bile current and their waters seem as quiet as park
pond The waters Of the Eastern Shore rivers owing TO
their slight fall and the action of the tides are bracksh
or salt Thus wo nd not river In the ocean, hko the
Gulf stream but salt rvors from the ocean, flowing far
inland meeting and imprognatng the waters from 'he
creeks and springs so miles from the Bay and III the
case of the Chester River. 300 miles from tho sea-
Notwithstanding the advantages Of natural canals,
productive soil and productive streams anu Days.
abounng fish, with beds Of oysters richer than Dods
of iron or coal the progress Of the Eastern Shore has
boon slow since the first settlement on Kent Island OIL
most two centuries and o half ago. The population OF
the nine counties by the OF 1870 Is but 57oi; IN
eluding the two Eastern Shore counties Oh virginia,
1a5709 The entire peninsula formed by the state OF
Delaware and these counties contains popuia
ton about equal to that OF Chicago. Inc
largest towns arc barely above the grade OF
villaqea She may name or reasons be-
sde a lack OF Western energy for this slow growth
Except chrome and iron in very limited quantities, the
Eastern Shore has mineral resources It's timber is
neither abundant nor of superior quality The hfss sou
tiers of Maryland were Roman Catholics, who are not
ordinarily overzeaous friends OF education. They be-
gan Ly selling whito schOomasters, brought from En-
gland as indentured servants and ended, under that
system Of African Slavery, by selling their daughters anh
granddaughter for purposes of prostitution. after lead
ing them from the common Jail in chains to the sham
bes. Maryland was not fortunate in Its founders.
Brokcndown raes ana sycophantc courtiers were not
tie best material with which to found repubos Lastly,
the Eastern shore has suffered from the d0yasta0ns OF
war-from inroads by Lord Howe in 1r77, by Admiral
Cockburn in 1913, and by Sir Peter Parker In 1874
This placidfaoed people have not the energy which
makes rich. the ambition which makes tloin
great and material progress century behind tho
age The Eastern Shore produced not one great man,
either during the revolutionary period or sinco The
best names are the GoldsborougAs Hicks Peace Chanl
bers and Cresswel and the reputation OF some OF these
local rather than national But this region abounds
in localities of natural beauty and is filed with places
hallowed the presence OF great and the occur
renee historic To this quaint and quiet old
Chestertown, in Kent County, George Washington,
Thomas jefferson and John Marshall were frequent Wis
itors. Tho chief of the Revolution. 50 many OF
whom belonged the Old Dominion, were in the habit
Of following the Eastern Shore route to Philadelphia and
New York to attend the sitngs OF tho earliest Con-
resses and Constitutional Conventions. The villagers
still feel the inspiring influences OF the traditions which
historic and holy they draw water from the old
Ohestertown spring, which is as pure and spark
ling it was century ago, when Jof-
ferson was wont to fill his bottle at it
and drink from this uplfted temperance vessel as he
trudgcd along horseback thinking out the philosophy
OF freedom in the immortal Declaration.
Washington, tradition says, always tarried 30 quench
his thirst at this spDg when passing through Chester
town and, coming down after the fatigue OF laying the
cornerstone OF Washington College, which stin stands
on the hill overlooking the town. ho drank to the pros
pcrity the institution lust founded with the solemn
dignity peculiar to the first founder of the republic The
people of CheserOwn still drink at this fountain, but
not at the fountain of knowledge on the h for from
lack OF refreshing showers OF guneas or grace the col
iege has sunk below the rank OF good academy and
contains only 25 pupils But Washngtons so guineas
were not given vain, for the chief OF the PENN
al hnra N.tf fhn tod
OF its students George Alfred Townsend, whose
boyh0od was passed on the Eastern Shore
Chesterown is the home OF Senator Yickers OF Mary
land who, 1t will be remembered, hustled out Of
bed at O'Clock at night, and hurried of TO Washington
by special boat to save the official life OF Andrew John
son. This superservioeahe alacrty Johnsons saliva
ton At homo, Gen. vickers Is held in high estimation
for his social qualities and rreproachabe private lfe
He Is enjoying the comforts Of ideal country home
the fruits OF forty years successful practice at the
The Hon. James A. Pearce lived and lies buried here.
The proud Maryland Senator was stricken down by
death just his slaves whom he had struck down often
in anger with brutal blows lifted to freedom IL
seems strange that naughty, and polished, and
scholarly, should have his resting-place marked by
plain slab, ds6gured by inscription which begins and
abounds IN bunders and ends with a msquotation.
The opposite VI Senator Pearce Gov Hicks, who is
buried in the hot, sandy cemetery near Cambridge.
Holiday Hicks his neighbOrs called him, q
"peOple's man." He was farm-boy and farmer all his
life, man OF education, but with an intutive
knowledge OF tho springs and motives which moved
men, HIS manners were familiar and fascinating, and
it Ia sald he could win the most
prejudced political opponents by the strange
magnetism Of his personal presence ana voice.
With lofty loyalty he held his State steadast in her place
in the Union and thus changed the whole field II not the
issues of the war He sacrificed his slaves and died
solvent Maryland has erected monumental statue
costing 5000 to his memory 1t is the most hideous
marble monstrosity ever behed. 1t would not be
idoatry TO worship 1t, for 1t Is unlike anything In the
heavens above the earth beneath In the waters
the earth The very birds flee from this spectral
hideousnes and sit IN the neghborng groves and weep.
flno fn