Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-04-24
A POUTRANCE!


est of the crowd, as erect, if not as Wig
orous, at eighty-fve, as he had been at
eighteen! What a colossal frame was
his ; what limbs, and broad shoulders,
upon which his head, proportionately
massive, was set in a naughty fashion,
beftting this uItinaus Ron1G7aoraIna, this
relic of a grand epoch and noble
society
As he walked slowly past, lifting his
gold-headed stick as if it were knightly
truncheon,, I reflected how rich must be
his experience, how manifold his memo
Ories Was he not associated with the
brightest day that had ever poured it's
meridian splendor on his native State
time of genius, of opulenee, of social
brilhancy, &c the Augustan age" of
Carolina
And now, he seemed to me like some
solitary column among ruins, scar
red by the destroying elements here and
there, but vigorous and firmly planted
still.
Years had gone by since I had seen
him last, and / felt an unwonted quick
ening of the blood, an unusual tremor
at heart, when, Fastening after him
along the noisy Charleston ebay" I
laid my hand on his arm, and asked,
"You have not forgotten me, Judge ?"
steel-gray eyes flashing under their
enormous eyebrows "why, boy, your
father was one of my dearest friends
am likely to forget his son ?" He
spoke in deep voice, and with half
reproachful air, as if some trifing slur
had been cast upon his good faith and
constancy.
A few more commonplace questions
and replies, and told the Judge that I
had come to Charleston with the pur-
pose of collecting material for biog-
raphy of the distinguished scholar and
statesman, Hugh s. Legare.
''I am delighted to hear that" he
cried, " the more SO, indeed, since /
may probably be able to help you on
some points of Importance. Lagare
and were intimates I knew him thor
oughly, virtues and weaknesses alike.
IF, then, you wish to hear about him
and his career, come and dine with me
tomorrow" Of course I gladly &C
cepted this invitation.
The next day, at the appointed hour,
found the Judge in excellent spirits,
and ready to deluge me with information.
We dined alone, so as not to be In
terrupted and that our conference was
full of interest may be inferred from the
fact that, although we sat down to. table
at an early hour, st. MichaePs bells were
Ginning midnight when L rose to take
my leave !
After my special object, touching the
biographical sketch, had been furthered
the old gentleman's conversation turned
upon the ''dreadful &c changes as he
expressed (which had occurred since
the war, not only in the political, bu
social status of the city and State.
s'Sir," said he, "the race of gentle
men is dying out A great horde o
Cloths, carpet-baggers, adventurers, anC
reckless cheUaLiers d'i1adnstTie, hav'
overrun the State, and society is being
tainted to the core. All ideas of per
sonal honor and responsibility have beel
discarded. The mass of the people ar
without dignity, courage and self-respect
Insults, once considered mortal, ar
now allowed to pass, with little NOR
notice than the shrug of shoulder, o
mere retort in words"
''But, surely, Judge" said I, "yo
don't regret the partial abandonment c
the old custom Of duelllng ?"
''I do regret it," he answered, smith
the table in the earnestness of his pro
test the duelLo, under proper restrit
tions, is the greatest conservative ager
on earth Men, even under the mos
refined conditions of society and civi
ization, are disposed to be bullies, an
there ought always to be a recognize
check to this tendency, outside the worl
ings of the law. In its absence societ
becomes brutal and effeminate. Or
must choose between the gentleman
pistol and the bowie-knife of the blacl
guard, or between a spirited resentme1
of injuries and the craven submission
cur p
you have seen many duels in yo1
day, Judge?"
Well, yes, a good many and, b