The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-07-03
ElRLY CiRPET-niCGERS.

George 5. Boutwell,, ex Seereta.
~ Of the Treasury. was euconnter.
ed on the street today. lie tells
a very interesting story about
Charles Sumner which has never
seen light. 1t is quite apropOs of
the Wheeler controversy in the
House. Briefly it is this: At a
dinner given to Baron Geroldt,
then German Minister, the coDver
satiOn drifted into a channel rather
embarrassing to Charles Sumner
and Mr.. Boutwell,. The early his
tory of Massachusetts was highly
extolled. Ii was only short time
before Summers death, but he was
in one of his most cheerful moods.
Possibly, by their silence as well
as by their cOuntenances, the two
Massachusetts statesmen showed
their satisfaction at the flattery
shOwered upon their Common.
wealth. Mr.. Joseph Kennedy, an
intimate friend of both men, out of
a pure spirit of banter, took the
opposite side Of the controversy.
He declared boldly that the early
history of Massachusetts was filled
with disgraceful episodes. Mr..
Kennedy cited the way in which
the carpet.baggers from New York
overran it during Gov. Edmund
Andros's administration, aud cap.
ped the climax by quoting from
memory Nathaniel Byfeld's words
regarding that dignitary; lie
came from New York to the colony
of Massachusetts. and brought
some bad men with him lie was
finally arrested by the outraged
people of the colony, and nearly
escaped in female clothes, but that
his cavalry boOts showed him OFF,
Tho scene that followed Mr.. Ken.
nedy's remarks was memorable.
Mr.. Sumner believed himself thor.
oughly informed on New England
history, and did not recall any
such episode. Meanwhile the
laugh had been started by some
Southern guests who were pres.
ent. They began to rail Sumner
about the way in which Massachu.
setts had resented the intrusion
of carpet.baggers, and one gentle.
man went so far as TO declare that
some Massachusetts man who
knew about Andros's escapado
had started the scandalous fiction
about Jefferson Davis being
caught in womeD's apparel.
Mr.. Sumner never lost his goot
humor for an instant. "Look here
Kennedy" he said, "you have NJ
evidence for that statement abou
Andros. | mean about the femal,
disguise. He was a pretty tougl
man, but he wouldn't have put OF
a petticoat. Come now, own up.
"If | don't convince You, Mr.. Sum
ner, and everybody here With
twenty minutes that ] have th
/ best authority for my statement,
will stand dinner for the party,
| replied Mr.. Joseph Kennedy, the
thoroughly on his mettle. Tn
matter had gone too far to b
. laughed down, though nobod
was in bad humOr. 1t was a ties
of memory between Kennedy an
Z Sumner. The feast was suspend
+. ed. Mr.. Kennedy went to hi
. carriage, drove rapidly to hi
: home, and from his library carrie
t back the account of the late revC
D luton in New England, written b
| Mr.. Nathaniel DyIield and publish
| ed IN 1851. There the chapter IN
= paragraph were quickly fount
4 Mr.. Sumner was satisfied. Bu
Y from that day to his death lie q
3. ways avoided the carpet bagge
r Issue. He became q great de;
n more sympathetic toward th
4 Southern people. If the people {
Q Massachusetts couldn't stand th
a animal why should the people
r the Southg After hunting II
}. these old pamphlets and verifyin
o all the references, the most r,
1 markable and curious feature {
:. this incident Is that during I'll
0 twenty years in which this grei
o Southern question has been 6
h0tly discussed no Democrat
T member has sprung this ghastl
!, record against the living descen'
I ants Of the sturdy colonists VIII
Il revoted under the arbitrary ru'
r of the Carpet. Bagger Edmund Al
:. dros.
/, --p-e---a -----
u David Van Nostrand, we
II known New York publisher al
importer of scientific books, die
June ii, in the 10th year of h
age. He was first employed IN
city bookstore when 10 years oil
,, and subsequently became acquai
ted with many military and scie
u tific men, who gave him ordei
{ for books, relying upon bis goC
e Judgment for their selection. II
Q thus, as well rs from the natur
: bent of his tastes, developed
VI / tbu linn .