The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1876-08-02


time came, you were elected a full Colonel,
but like Gallo OF old, you then cared for
none Of those things. You could moi COM
nalid, you said, men who were soldiers
by conlpulsioE. You must have free
troop or none ut all You therefore re-
signed and came home. Again good for-
tune had favored you. Thus far tho cur
rent Of popular feeling had been strong
against The Federal Government tut at
that point there was change Just as
that feeling received its flrst shock, the
Confederate Government made men eol>
diers by conlpulsion and afforded 10 ypur
tender sensibiiities excuse for stepping Dat
81 current filnts ftst~tsss cod and
muddy. was carrying yoa adit intp ~, NM
known sea ! Your race us an Ins,irgeil.
was run.
Time rolled OH. Mr. Lincoln mt last
succeeded la quelling " the iilsurrcction."
The current had by this time turned IN
the opposite direction, and flowed with
sucll violence that II was like arushing,
raging, mountain torrent But tIie first
thing recognized OH the tumultuous
waters was the CHEEKY bark Of THOMAS
SETTLE gliding on 80 calmly and smoothly
that even had it held that POOR girls un-
fortunate babe, its slumbers would have
been undisturoed. The people who for
four years had made war upon you. the
same people against whom four years be-
fore, you had so valiantly taken up arms
were now triumphant. The winning side
that for four years had been marching, OH
was actually here at last and no mistake
and sou were again jubiIant.
A Convention, so-called, assembled and
you were one Of its prominent members.
IL met in tina. same Commons Hall where
you told the cl,aste and pathetic story of
that poor girl. In TINT same Commons
Hall, for the Canby Constitution had not
then changed its name, it was again my
fortune to be present when you made
another celebrated speech. that IN which
you confessed yourselfa conscious traitor
10 your iiag and 10 your country. But,
though conscious traitor, yoa denied that
you had been willing traitor. You de-
clared that when you stooi by the dying
bed Of your honored father, no greater
agony wrenched your soul than that you
felt when YOU adorned the old flag. You
did not repeat the story about The poor
girl, but IL Is needless 10 say Iwas forcibiy
reminded OF the lime when heard you
confess aud recant your treason 10 the eold
Democratic party. stood and listened
10 YOU that day, my face burning with
shame that such words could beutteied
In such place and no man dare make a
reply! Yet 80 II wa-. That speech will
never be forgotten Captain TIaitur Settle!
The people Of North Carolina do not love
traitors. Bur still yon lhrived. You were
made Speaker Of the Senate and you
were again elected Solicitor for district,
and as you went from county to county
you LEFT strife and discord In your wake,
neigLbor against neighbor and brother
against brother. You becamea merci.ess
prosecutor and relentless prosecutor Of
those who, like yourselfhad fought against
the old flag
Time rolled on. You were now loyal
man. though not yet Radical. In the
fall Of 1867 convention Of your new
brethren was held In Tucker Hall In
Raleigh aud adopted such extreme views
that a division was inade and Tor y short
time there was hope that few would re-
turn TO their senses. IL was 80 frequently
reported that you were opposed TO ka'ii-
caIlsm, and that the smell Of the negro
was offensive 10 your aristocratic white
nostrils, that I looked with some conti-
dence 10 hear your thlrl recantaiion. But
the threatened division failei, for colored
suffrage came aud ofcourse you and the
negnws then joined the Radical party.
Reconstruction and Radicalisin were
then jubIiant and so were you. "Ex-
celsicrn was your motto. Upon the
sweaty hacks of yuur sable brethren, you
who lad only been Solicitor, mounted to
a seat on tile bench Of tile supreme Court
of North Carolina. Nor might you be
blamed. 1fa negro could he voter,
might not traitor be Judge7 Your
Judgment aud foresight were admirable
IN matters political, and why might not
you a. readily forrsee the winning side in
legal contest rs the winning side IN u
political contest? And then, too, Tour
oEE had induced the Convention 70 abol-
Ish all that legal lumber about pleading,
and law and equality, OF which the head
Of GAsroN, and HENDERSON, and RUfFrN
used 70 be 10 full. Aud 10 II was With
arlslocraiic instinct you ut once got above
the common negro herd. Nor we're you
out uf place. for when SETTLE became
Judge, party became law, PEARSON also
and politics were ono and inseparable.
RopMAN loo aud RgADE were always
ready 10 obey partizan behcats' You
were no worse than tile rest--and no bet
ter
Time rolled on. The terrible Kirk war
........ -. aud sxifb Ia ssnrna Aha cruWuinr