The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-10-02
"REMINISCENCES
PUBLIC MEN.
BY Ex GOVERNOR B. F. PERRY.
ICoNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. I
SAMUEL EARLE.

I mentioned this gentleman very
briefly in my "Reminiscences of
Greenville," and | now propose to
give a more extended notice of
him as a public man. He was an
elderly gentleman and was a boy
when our acquaintance commenc
ed. / saw him frequently at my
fathers, and often at my uncle's,
Robert Foster, between whom
there was a very great Intimacy
and friendship for more than half
a century. l was also frequent
visitor at his house for many years,
an the latter part of his lite. | had
fDr him very high regard and
great respect, and I believe he en-
tertained the kindest feelings 10.
wards myself. l read law three
years in the office of his Son, Judge
Earle, which further increased our
intercourse and intimacy.
| believe Mr.. Samuel Earle was
born in Virginia. His parents
moved to Spartanburg District in
the early settlement Of the upper
country. His education was such
as one could receive in those mes
at the common schools of the coun.
try. | know that he regretted, in
after life, his detective education,
and determined to give his sons
all those advantages which were
denied him in his youth. In the
commencement of the Revolutions
ary war, in the Southern States,
Mr.. Earle espoused with great
spirit the cause of his country, and
received tho commission of Cap
tain in the regular army. lie was
appointed to command company
OF rangers, in the upper country,
which caused him 10 traverse over
and over again the entire country
above Columbia. He told me that
at the close of the war he was per.
sonally acquainted with every
landowner between Columbia and
the mountains. He was elected
member of the Stat, Convention
which framed the Constitution :;
and he was also member of the
State Convention which adopted
the Constitution of the United
States. There was, at that time,
in South Carolina, considerable
opposition to the Federal Consti.
tuition, but Mr.. Earle voted for its
adoption. He was afterwards
elected a member of Congress, for
the Districts of Greenv:lle, Pens
dleton, Laurens, Abbeville and
Spartanbrrg, as the successor of
General Pickens, who, | believe,
was our first member of Congress
nnder the Federal Constitution
After serving one or two terms,
the General declined re election,
and Captain Earle, his compeer in
arms. was chosen to sncceed him.
Whilst a member of Congress, Mr..
Earle devoted himself to the i'm.
provement Of his mind, and pur-
chased, a well selected library Of
standard works General Wade
Hampton, ST., was in Congress
with Mr., earle, whose niece Mr..
Earle had married. He told me
that one morning, as he entered
the House of Representatives, he
met General Hampton going out
to attend the races in Philadel
phia. He jestingly said to him :
Il will go Your halves to day, Gen.
eral," and thought nothing more
OF it. In the evening Gen. Hamp.
ton handed him a hundred dol.
lars and said, "That is your share
Of my winnings to day" Mr.. Earle
declined to receive the money, and
said that. he spoke in jest. The
General replied it was no jest with
hun, and il he had lost OH the races
he should have made Mr.. Earle
pay one half. This taught Mr..
Earle to consider how he bantered
afterwards with the General. ~r!
After serving a short time in
Congress, Mr.. Earle resigned his
seat in the House of Represents
tives. He was on his way to Phil"
adeiphia, and was taken sick IN
Virginia. When he recovered. he
returned home, and did not attend
that session of Congress at ALL
That gloomy despondency which
hung over his after life as black
cloud, had overtaken him, and be
mad no taste or love for politics..
Whist in Congress, he belonged
to the Federal party, and formed
a very unfayorable opinion of Mr..
Jefferson. / once heard him ga,
that he thought Jefferson "a hol.