The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-01-15

had exhausted about all the means Of
pleasure or excitement that present
| themselves to a youth Of good health,
agreeable address, quick wit and al
abundance of money. His father, foI
| whom he was named, was planter law
yer, in Sumter, 5. &. He held his head
! high among the planter aristocracy. He
was very proud Of his boy Frank.
/ About this time the youth married.
! Every house in the county was open Ia
! him, and he had the good sense to choose
one of the talrest, and, as the event
| proved, one Of the best OF women.
! Searching for some exciting novelty,
| the young man became impressed with i
desire t. ct into politics, and he found
the way open Before him. His father
was one of the leading State Senators,
and when Mr. Plckens was elected
Governor, after a spirited contest, in
which Noses had greatly aided him, the
Governor begged him to name candI
date for any place within his gift oena
tor Moses suggested his son as tn
Governors Private Secretary. AT first
Mr. Pickens demurred, but eventually
be consented, and the young man was
duly installed in his new position. Easy
to a iapt himself to any and all circurn-
stano es, he speedily became all powerful
in the executive chamber. He held this
position when Fort Sumter fell, and was
among those who rejoiced the londest.
1t is said that he asked the Governor as
"A personal favor that he might lower the
American flag that had been left over
the fort; but this is pronounced fabri-
cation. 1t is true, however, that Moses
boosted Of some such exploit, and that he
became known throughout the South as
one of the young heroes to be praised
and petted. His name and fame were
also intensified by the success that attend
ed his father, who had been appointed as
Commissioner to the North Carolina
Legislature, to persuade that State 10
pass an ordinance of secession.
But Young Moses did not 90 to the
front He might have found hundreds
OF men ready to follow his banner into
the field but he made no effort to get a
commission. When the draft was ordered,
he became a cOnscript officer, hunting
down those who refused to serve, and
forcing them into the rebel ranks He
lost his popularity entirely among the
fiery South Carolihians. This was made
abundantly manifest when, the war
being ended, he, like very many others,
found himself beggar. His former
associates did everything possible to add
to the distress OF his situation. His
creditors harrassed him, and the public
had no longer mantle of charity for his
ollies.
But Frank Moses was not the man to
give way to difficulties. He began to
Ingratiate himself with the Union officers
stationed III Sumter, and it was not long
before the whole Moses family were liv-
ing more than comfortably on Govern
ment rations. There is a story, too, in
South Carolina, that he supplied himself
with pocket money by drawing more than
his family needed from the Federal com
missdry, and sold the surplus.
So thoroughly did Moses win the good
will of the Union officers that when the
Provost Courts were established he was
appointed the Associate Judge of the
Sumter district He made good use of
this opportunity His father was called
in to practice before him /; he had great
influence in deciding civil cases of con
siderable magnitude, and between them
they built up most lucrative practice.
MO eS was lue HISJ man 10 utCtdIG
that the negroes of the State We're DIES
tined to influence its politics, if not TO
control the Government Although he
was laughed at by his old associates and
called Eighty, he made up his mind t.
base his fortune on the idea. His posi-
tion as associate judge gave him an
opportunity to betriend and hatter the
freedmen, and it was only a short time
time before he gained great influence
among them. Early in 1867 the black
men we're enfranchi-ed, and in June of
that year the Repu blican party of South
Carolina was formed by a Convention
held in Columbia The former slave
holders could have controlled this meet
ing if they had chosen, but they stayed
at home sulking over their defeat. Elk
Associate Judge Moses, having been
elected delegate, did much to control |
the action of the Convention. In the |
fall of the same year he was also chosen |
delegate to the State constitutional |
Convention, and in this body, by his |
adroitness, fattery and appeals to the |
cupdity of the negroes, he became an |
acknowledged leader of the new party. |
He was chosen Adiutant and Inspector
stature, a provision in the new Constitu
ton suggested by himself permitting
him to hold all these Offices at once.
From this time the advance of ex
Associate Judge Moses was very rapid
AS Speaker of the Assembly his beha-
vior at first cannot be called in question,
but at the end of the two years for which
he was elected, he gave up all claims
upon the Inspector Generals Office, and
devoted his attention to the Speakership
to which he had been re elected. Then
he began in earnest a career of corrup-
ton, ''fee taking" bribery, and robbery,
which, for extent and audacity, is with
out parallel in the history of any Eng
fish speaking people. As he became
more secure he became holder. He had
absolutely no shame. He was reckless,
Darefaced to degree which almost excl
ted the admiration of the people he
robbed. And, in spite of his terrible
record, he was every day making new
friends.
An incident will illustrate the boldness
With which he operated. A bill was in
into the Legislature for the
'elief of one Of the State banks, but it
lld not pFoSIeSS. II grew uuSG staAHeu
md yellow in the clerks desk. Those
Interested grew desperate. Then some
,ody who knew the ways of the Capitol '
lsked why don't you see Frank '
Noses ?" They took the hint. A gen. t
leman supposed to have some influence {
waited on the Speaker and laid the. mat '
er before him. While he was explain &
ng the object of his visit Moses ex I
damned ''Oh, what's the use of so 8
much talk; do ou want your bill passed 6
II not ?" I
'tOf course We want it passed" was +
he reply.