Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-29


JACKSONVILLE, June ga correspondent
Of the AdUdnce Gazette, of Pensacola, who
signs himself Justice protests against the
structures Of Potomac" who, in a recent let
ter from Washington to your paper, painted
the character of Rev. William Watkin Hicks
in rather lively colors. Justice must be one
of the many dupes of the arch impostor Hicks,
or he must be utterlF ignoraQt Of the estima-
ton in which this worthy either" is held in
Florida. IL Justice" will take the trouble to
trace the career of this humbug in Charleston.
S. G where he first made his appearance after
the war as the editor of one OF the most stall
wart Democratic fre-eating magazines ever
published in the South, then follow him to
Augusta Ga, and from that point to Dade, St.
Johns and Duval counties, in this State, he can
gather reams of evidence to satisfy him that
he is far le:s of a saint than sinner In Ma
con, Ga, he also edited a Democratic paper,
and the writer has seen him hand and glove at
a Congressional district convention with the
delegates OF that party, in the cid capitol
building at Milledgeville. When he reached
Florida the Radicals were in power, and it re-
Quired no effort on the part of this loved
pastor" at once to fraternize and Craze with
the black sheep Even here among his newly
found Republican friends he was regarded
very much in the same light as was Friar Tuck
by the rollicking archers Of Robin Hoods
band. ami his associates always looked upon
him as one of themselves. To these comrades
he was Billy Hicks" without the prefix of
REV" and was hail fellow, we'll met at
all OF their gatherings He assisted in all their
schemes participated in all their councils aud
was familiar with all their villainies. man
Of great versatility, he was ever ready at a
moments warning to make a stump speech
boss a camp meeting, lead at a negro love
feast, or form one of a social symposium. He
was big man, was Billy, during the Radical
regime, and fumed and swelled and strutted
with the best of his compeers
But the tide turned at last, and his light was
extinguished. ALI the bright dreams OF politi-
cal distinction vanished into thin air, and the
charming possibilities of ever becoming a
and forever dissipated Billy sought new
fields. and discovered at Washington fresh
simpletOns who have erected a church and
placed him in its pulpit. He has pretty we'll
boxed the religious compass already, having
been since his debut in the South Lutheran,
a member of the Southern Methodist then
Northern Methodist, and Ia now, as we under
stand it here, sort of an independent evan
gelist.
His lecture upon Abraham Lincoln was
adroitly altered after he came South to an
eulogy upon General Lee, ana this effort first
commended him TO the sympathy of the
Southern people. His want OF fixed pur-
pose has been his ruin. Unstable as water thou
shalt not excel, is entirely applicable in his
case, anu ne changes WIN GQual FACILITY his
religious, political and social vestments.
Just in his present position as Guiteau's
Brother Hicks" his cup of vanity is full, and
his love OF notoriety is gratifed He is now on
a boom. The papers are ablaze with his name,
and if his client. through his efforts, can only
be induced to assert his penitence for his
crimes, and ask for forgiveness. Brother Hicks
fame and fortune are secured. and his admi-
rers will, at once, be forced to enlarge the tab
ernacle You may be sure that Guiteau's
Brother Hicks" will make the most of this
great opportunity, and that he will achieve
Tame II 1t be even necessary to link his name
assassins
The editor of the Advance. Gazette. in his
comments upon the letter of Justice" after
remarklng that the article was published in
consequence "of our high regard FOR the wri-
ter" accompanies the same with these fine and
artistic touches:
I'VE never knew to what extent a sacri.
legious use of the Holy Scriptures could be
put until we heard this hero of Christianity on
the stump. We never heard man appeal to
the baser passions of his c0lored hearers with
greater JUNCTION than this same basphemous
divine. We never saw a man who pretended
to be Christian minister, the type of charity
to all mankind, Witty his neghbors, accusing
them or having committed scores Of political
murders, and similar talk to the same unchris-
tan purpose with greater disregard for the
truth than this model of every Christian vii.
tue"
Guiteau's Brother Hicks got angry with the
writer of this, a few years ago, and Instituted
q suit Tor damages TO the amount of twenty
thousand dollars, which he never dared to
press to trial. The touching, beautiful. pa-
tnetic and searching" prayer of Billy Hicks
next Friday. on the scaffold, will be a model Of
English composition. Every word has been
carefully weighed and adjusted. and it will be
a classic piece of word-framing. In the
sketches of the scene by the various artists
Brother Hicks will be one Of the central fig
ures, and will draw, in point of interest," next to
Brother Guiteau himself.
A marked advance in our city is noticed in
the erection OF a large grain elevator, OF the
of 100000 bushels. This shows a
great increase of business in this direction.
The next thing to follow should be steam
cotton press. When we have the road through
TO Pensacola next winter and IL or 20 feet OF
water secured on the bar, it will not be unrea-
sonable to expect large shipments OF cotton
from the West. When the cotton comes, buy
ers will be found, and this city will figure as
one of the points for the expectation of the
feecy staple. Jacksonville intends to utilize
every possible advantage with which she Is
favored to the utmost extent. She Is q young