The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-07-29
.FANOI'S NORTH CAROLINIANS
.ouE EMINENT MEN NORTH CAR
OIINA HAS PKODUCED.
~L,irh of IrnuO B. SattcrthWiItc, ESD,
Contributed by Mr. John =. Long, of
<.,I Brrne. to the w instOn Sentinel.


r. the summer Of 1852, the Whig Con
..at.yn for this Congressional district,
.... embracing both Craven and Beaufort
.utic,, assembled III the old court house
,r yaW licrne, which stood III the midst Of
r.. intersection Of Broad and Middle
.r..t-. and op ned one Of the most fiery
.rupugus which ever cnthused the people
of Eastern North Carolina James Bon
ucr Marsh. the father in law Of the writer,
and one Of the most Intelligent and rcoo-
u.e WhgS of Beaufort county, presided
over that body Washington, Bryan, Don
nu.l. Warren and a host of veteran politi-
.- adorned the ranks Of the assembly,
while Clark, Carter, Marsh and other brli-
liant Young graduates of Chapel Hill Yale
and Princeton first flashed before the pub
g,tlr as the coming men Of later day
I.r writer can never forget the impress
-H5u winch that enthusiastic array OF tai
aIt made upon him. lIouorcd by the con
yeutlon by being appointed with Judge
Warren as sub elect0r of Beaufort county,
Sc stood among the hardest fighters and
most determined champions of that High
Protective Tariff, which al unseen by us
was turning the thewS and snews of the
North INTO iron to crush the very people
gLo were its blind advocates at the South.
Out of the shadows of that vanished
time comes one stalwart form, nobler and
NOR, deserving than all the rest, the Hon.
Fcuuo B. Satterthwaite, who, as elector
for the District at large, bore the Wing
banner with unfaltering arm through that
fierce and important contest. Can the
Young men of that day, who are swiftly
booming the old men OF this, forget his
hiugly mein, his chiyalrous manner and
nj IA Il 10 no
model of a canvasser, among the people.
As a speaker, while inferior III mental cul-
turc to many others, his intellectual re
sources were almost ineNiaustibe. His
addresses in that famous Presidential
ctiupai-c -cn carried conviction and won votes
iu every precinct. Full of anecdote, sar
r.,-m aud rrpartce, and pervaded by pas
-.pu and limitlesS enthusiasm, they were
uttered by Il voice deep, earnest and I'M
prrosIvc. which never failed to stir the
hearts of the people.
cut of the dim regions of that distant
Time crowd upon the writer the pleasant
memories of his departed friend. How
polite, warm hearted and chvalrous he
EaS. Once at Saratoga, where he had
taken his only daughter, between whom
and himself there was very devoted af
lection, Il venerable gentleman from Lou
i-iana, in the midst of the splendor and
rlycty of the great ball room, was treated
,uperciIiously by several beautiful women
present, with whom he politely asked to
dance, possibly Il stately minuet. Satter-
thwaite marking the bad manners of the
fair women from a distant point in the
btll room, and pitying the stranger whom
he had never seen before, but knew to be
a gentleman, led his own sweet daughter
forward and requested the stranger to
honor her with his attendance in the fol
lowing dance. The scene was a flash of
light in obscure places. 1t was one OF
those difficult things which to him always
came by intuition. And it is hardly nee
e,s1ry to say, that he won a friend under
that garish lamp-light, and among those
silks and jewels, who never forgot him.
How great political festival aroused
him, and how his soul in great waves of
enthusiasm flowed into it After Major
Yates had plucked the First Congressional
District out of Radical hands, the impetu-
ous voters of that sterling district lnau
gurated a great jubilee in the town OF
Washington. 1t was vast concourse, an
unsurpassed Outpouring of Democrats. The
most beautiful girls in the district, richly
draped, made the procession like an ole
Roman triumph. Houses, streets, balco
ilt'S, ltulS tlllNl lltltS. NtIt ollSCd W III
people On that day Satterthwaite was il
his glory. His patriotic spirit more thar
that of any other had evoked and elabor
ated the matchlesS success. After the
speaking number of his warm persona
friends sat down to dinner at his hoSpita
bic table. Among the rest was the gallant
Grimes, whom we then saw for the las
time. The genius of wit, colloquial fervor
party friendship and courtly hospitalit.
presided over the scene. But though al
We're joyful, all were hopeful, he was the
brightest of all that goodly company.
How he delighted to dispense a generous
hospitality at his own home! Successful
is lawyer ard backed by large client
age. he always had money to make friends
and even strangers plenteously welcome
at his own tireside. His house was hi
castle, but it was also the abode OF ever,
comfort and pleasure which go to maxi
up the sparkle and cheerful fellowship o
life. A man entered through his door a
INTO the Garden Of Daphne so briillantl.
described by General Wallace in his mas
terly romance of the East. Statues ant
pictures there We're few, and none of tn
ilorld delights which overwhelm the senses
but such a warmth of friendly greeting
such a CLEAN of domestic happiness, sucl
Il luxury Of generous entertainment, tina
hi, mansion was made to shine from eel
ilr 10 garret for the delectation of hi
guests. Alas, shall we see ever again tn
ike of our departed friend, such a happ
uulon of high and noble qualities
Among all the members of the Beaufor
county bar, in those old days, he was /
the writer's Judgment the most strikln
figure. There were possibly better lawyer
in the modern meaning of the term. Their
were better conveyancers, better technica
scholars, and men more learned in prece
dents and Supreme Court reports. Blu
in profound knowledge of human nature
in depicting the motives and prejudices G
witnesses, and before a jury, he had bu
few equals in his day. This was mad
manifest in the famous trial of Wash Cal
ayan The latter was famous Primltlv
Baptist preacher, who murdered a schoC
master i'll Hyde county from jealousy
The crime was deliberate, surpassingl
cold booded, and surrounded by the mos
dramatic and tragic circumstances. Neve
was Eastern North Carolina 50 wildly eA
cited over a criminal investigation. IN
case Was removed to Beaufort county
where Bryan, Donnell and Satterthwalt
appeared for the prisoner. The seen
from first to last was worthy the we're
genius Of the most lurid school OF tn
Painters art. SatterthWalte's manage
ment Of the jury, his shrewd examlnatlo
oi the witnesses, and his mastery appes
10 the sympathies and passion of the trle1
u the cause, were truly an inspiration G
wonder. The prisoner was lost, and pei
-ahed by his own hand in the courtroom
but his defense will never fade from tn