The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-07-15

Convention tor this congressional dis
trict, then embracing both Craven
and Beaufort counties, assembled in
the old Court House in New Bern,
which stood in the midst of the inter-
section of Broad and Middle streets,
and opened one of the most fiery cam
paigns which ever enthused the peo-
pie of Eastern North Carolina. James
Bonner Marsh, the tather-in-law of
the writer, and one of the most intel
ligent and resolute wings of Beaufort
county, presided over that body.
Washington, Bryan, Donnell, War
rem and host of veteran politicians
adorned the ranks of the assembly,
while Clark, Carter, Marsh and 9TH
er brilliant young graduates Of Chapel
Hill, Yale and Princeton first flashed
before the public gaze as the coming
men of a later day. The writer can
never forget the impression which that
enthusiastic array of talent made
upon him. Honored by the conven-
ton by being appointed with Judge
Warren as sub-elector of Beaufort
county, we stood among the hardest
, fighters and most determined cham
pions of that High Protective Tariff
which all unseen by US was turning
the thews and sinews of the North
into iron to crush the very people who
were its blind advocates at the South
Out of the shadows of that van
ished time comes one stalwart form,
nobler and more deserving than all
the rest, the Hon. Fenno B. Satter-
thwaite, who, as elector for the Dis
trict at large, bore the Whig banner
with unfaltering arm through that
fierce and important contest. Can
the young men of that day, who are
swiftly becoming the old men of this,
forget his kingly mein, his chivalrous
manner and his popular address? He
was the very model of a canvasser
among the people. AS speaker,
while inferior in mental culture to
many others, his intellectual resources
were almost inexhaustible. His adj
dresses in that famous Presidential
campaign carried conviction and won
votes in every precinct. Full of an
ecdote, sarcasm and repartee, and
pervaded by passion and limitless en-
thusiasm, they were uttered by voice
deep, earnest and impressive, which
never failed to stir the hearts of the
people.
Out of the dim regions of that dis
tant time crowd upon the writer the
pleasant memories of his departed
friend. How polite, warm-hearted
and chivalrous he was. Once at Sar-
atoga, where he had taken his only
daughter, between whom and him
self there was very devoted affection,
a venerable gentleman from Louisi-
ana, in the midst of the splendor and
gayety of the great ball room, was
treated superciliously by several beau
tiful women present, with whom he
politely asked to dance, possibly a
stately minuet. Satterthwaite mark
ing the bad manners of the fair wo-
men from a distant point in the ball
room, and plying the stranger whom
he had never seen before, but knew
to be gentleman, led his own sweet
daughter forward anu requested the
stranger to honor her with his atten-
dance in the following dance. The
scene was a flash Of light in OBJ
scure places. 1t was one of those diff
fcult things which to him always
came by intuition. And it is hardly
necessary to say, that he won friend
under that garish lamp-1 light. and
among those silks and jewels, who
never forgot him.
How great political festival arous-
ed 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 impetuous voters
of that sterling district inaugurated a
great jubilee in the town of Washing
ton. 1t was vast concourse, an an
surpassed outpouring of Democrats.
The most beautiful girls in sthe dis
trict, richly draped, made the process
sion like an old Roman triumph.
Houses, streets, balconies, tents and
fields, were thro9ged with people. On
that day Satterthwaite was in his glo-
ry. His patriotic spirit more than
that of any other had evoked and
elaborated the matchless success. If.
ter the speaking, lumber Of his
warm personal friends sat down te
dinner at his hospitable table Among
the rest was the gallant Grimes, whom
we then saw for the last time. The
genius Of wit, colloquial feryor. par
ty friendship and courtfy hospitality
. presided over the scene. But though
all were joyful, all were hopeful, he
was the brightest of all that goodl,
company.
How be delighted to dispense q gen
er6us hospitality at his own home