Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-14

German of Maryland, Hon. r. F. Merrick
and other prominent Democrats.
PRESIDENTS SSECRETARIES.-Priv Sec
retaries in the past have generally been po-
litical nonentities. The first private secre-
tary of whom we know anything was Tobias
Lear, who served under Washington, and
it is said that he and the great General used
to walk up and down the streets of Phila-
delphia, in daily promenades with all the
dignity in the world, but as silent as deaf
mutes. Thomas Jefferson had a secretary
named Edmund Bacon whom he was very
sorry to part with when he became bank
rupt during the latter part of his career.
But his private secretary at the White House
was MeriWether Lewis, a young man of no
especial importance and of so little note
that at this date he has been entirely for
gotten.
When Andrew Jackson came to Washing
ton as President, he brought with him his
adopted son, Andrew Jackson Donelson, to
act as his private secretary, and Mr.. DOnel-
sons wife was made mistress of the White
House. When the scandal in regard to Mrs.
General Eaton, the pretty tavern keepers
daughter, began to agitate court circles, Mrs.
Donelson sided with Peggy Eaton's enemies,
and though she received Mrs. Eaton at the
White House and treated her very we'll
there, she refused to visit her. Old Hicko-
ry eXpostulated, and on Sarah Donelson still
refusing to 90 to see Mrs. Eaton he told her
he thought she had better 60 back to Ten
with her, resigning his position as private
secretary. The two for the following six
months spent their time at the Hermitage,
and Jackson appointed Nicholas Trist, a
clerk in the State Department, to take the
place of his son. At the close Of the six
months the President pardoDed his son and
he was taken back into his old place, and
Sarah Donelson resumed her reign as the
first lady of the land.-CIereland Ledder.
A COMMON MIsrAKE.-It is a common
mistake to regard the term negro as synony-
nous with African. The word negro does
not denote nation, but an ideal type con-
stituted by the assemblage of certain physi-
cal characteristics eXemplitied in certain
portions of Africa and their descendants in
America and the West Indies. In Africa
the area occupied by the genuine negro men
with black skins, thick lips, depressed nose
and woody hair, is exceedingly small, COM
pared with the remainder of the continent.
As rule the prevalent color in Africa is
that of the Arabs, the Indian and the Aus
tralian. The true negro districts are the
Senegal, the Gambia, the Niger and the in
termediate rivers of the coast, parts Of Sou
dania, Sennaar, Kardofan and Darfur.
People, who are certainly not negroes, in
habit the whole coast of the Mediterranean,
the Desert, the kafr and Hottent0t areas
south of the line, Abyssinia and the middle
and lower Nile This does not leave much
territory for the typical negro. 1t is gener-
ally admitted that the negro intellect is in
ferior not only to the European but to that of
the lighter hued African tribes, but it is su-
perior to that of the Australians, Bushmen
and Esquimaux. That the active influences
of freedom and civilization will materially
advance the status of this peculiar race, is a
hope indulged in by philanthropsts and
statesmen. Time is the very essence of this
great problem.-AHanta Constitution.
A NEWSBOY ASKS THE PRESIDENT FOR
AN APPOINTMENT AND GETS lT.-Ihe
President had caller yesterday who was
successful in his mission, although he was but
twelve years old. Many persons will recall
a bright, active little fellow who has been
selling newspapers here for several years,
who came from Brightwood every morning
and returned at evening with the results of
his energy to help support widowed moth
er with five children. After repeated et-
forts he succeeded in obtaining an audience
with the President yesterday, and these
facts were brought out. He manifested a
willingness to work and told the President
he was capable of doing as good service as
any cOOred messenger in the treasury de-
partment. All he wanted was a chance,
and would the President help him? This
kind of talk pleased the President, and he
did not hesitate moment in giving him
a note to Secretary Manning requesting an
appointment for Master Lee, the little fel-