The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-23
THE BOWEN BUSINESS.

In the celebrated Bowen libel suit be-
fore Judge Reed in Charleston in 1875,
Captain Dawson was the defendant. This
suit ranks among the causee celebres of the
State, and at the time of its trial attracted
almost universal attention. Able and
distinguished counsel were employed on
both sides of the case, and the evidence
brought out on the trial was voluminous.
Captain Dawson was of great assistance
to his counsel in preparing the case for
trial, and succeeded so well in striking the
most salient points at issue that before
the case had ended he and Bowen had
changed places-he was the prosecutor
and Bowen the defendant on trial for
murder. Although the jury failed to
agree upon verdict, the trial and its re-
suits may be regarded as great triumph.
It brought out Bowen in his true charac-
ter and struck blow at the Vaccinations
of those who would infringe upon the
liberties of the press and the wholesome
old doctrine of free thought and free
speech.
Mr.. Dawson has taken. a prominent
part in the politics of this State ever since
the war, and has pursued consistent,
conservative course. So anxious has he
at all times been for the peaceful arbi-
tration of great political questions, that
he has frequently fallen under the dis
pleasure and censure of the extreme men
of his own party, who have said many
ha-d things Of him to their own discredit
and to the injury of the cause. eff q
house be divided against itself, that house
cannot stand" In 1868, Mr.. Dawson
favored 'the opposition" against Scott;
in 1870, be sustained the Carpenter-But-
Ter fusion; in 1872, he gave his support
to the Boilers movement, and in 1874 to
the Green ticket. He belonged to the
Taxpayers Convention of 1871 and in
1874 when he constituted one of the com,
mittee to memorialize the President and
Congress on the condition of things in
this State. He advocated the organiza-
ton oftax unions as necessary to the pro-
lection and preservation of the rights and
interests of the property-holding citizens
of the State. During the Green cam
paign in 1874, Dawson violently opposed
Chamberlain's election, and wrote q Sc
ries of articles very damaging to the
good fame of the man. Hewas convinced
that Chamberlain's promises of retrench-
ment and reform were as brittle as glass,
and that his election would be disastrous
to the State; but upon his election and
his subsequent good and statesmanlike
conduct he gave the Governor his cordial
endorsement. In the Charleston NUM-
cipal elections of 1875 he supported the
Cunningham combination against the
Wagner faction Of the conservative party,
and carried the election. When the leg
islature elected Moses and Whipper to
the bench, Mr.. Dawson raised the alarm
which has been taken up by every honest
man in the State, and, indeed, over the
whole country, and which has set the
people moving. He now favors the COM
plete and thorough organization of the
Democratic party, and is surging upon the
people the extreme Necessity of united
action. He is a member of the State
Democratic Executive Committee, and
had something to do with preparing its
recent admirable address to the people.
Mr.. Dawson has been twice married.
the first time in May, 1867, to Miss
Fourgeand, of Charleston, and then in
January, 1874, to the youngest daughter
of Judge Thomas Gibbes Morgan, of
Louisiana, who still lives. The issue to
this second marriage is one daughter.
In such sketch as this it is impossible
to tell all that the man has done. Suffice
it to say, that Captain Dawson is one of
the most accomplished gentlemen we
have ever meta ready writer, an elo-
quent speaker, a jealous, conscientious
politician, man of the letters, mettle and
morals ..f .-