The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-03
LOVE AND POLITICS.
uzY COL. SAMUEL EVANS NEVER
MARRIED.

Andrew jackson the Rock on Which
ua and His Betrothed Split After a
cav and Happy Wooing-A Romance
ofthe Long Ago.
From the Pittsbatrg Dispatch.
1TN1oNrowN, Feb. 25.-The late Samuel
x7,,ors was a striking figure in the life of
+his community for three-quarters of a
aorturv. In that time he saw three gener-
lions grow to manhood and womanhood,
Lrt in his loneliness neither wife nor child
sTor came to comfort him. and when he died
+a left the bulk of 81, OO0, 600 to collateral
heirs.
IS him except as a confirmed bachelor who
Sad never felt the passion, love. And yet,
Long wears ago, in the dawn of his promising
rn6lic career, there swept through his prac-
ticaI brain a vision of beauty and loneliness
that set his heart on fire, and, if we are to
take the word of one of the old mans life
long friends, there never was more ardent
lover than Col. Samuel Evans.
The romance of Col Evans life is a
Grange blending of love and politics.
Rebecca Hamtrammock, a beautiful South
arm girl, was the heroine, and Gen. Andrew
Jackson was the rock on which their course
of true love grounded.
In 1S3- Judge Thomas, prominent
Georgia politician, came to the mountains
of Fayette county TO spend the summer, &C
companied by his niece, the fair Rebecca of
the story. Shortly after they were Joined
bv the latter's brother, Maj. Gen.
Hamtrammock, a dashing officer in
the regular service, and with him
came troop of gay companions. 1t was
a merry party gathered at the old Noun
tain House, not many miles from here,
where Col Evans was frequent guest. He
soon became one of the gayest members of
the party, and Rebecca and he drifted quite
naturally together. After series of moon
light walks and long drives over the noun
tains, in the Colonels carved and ponderous
carriage, the finest in the country in those
days, everybody said it would be match,
and every body would have been right, for
once, if it hadn't been for Evans unswerv-
ing devotion to President jackson and the
principles he represented.
The world smiled on Colonel Evans then.
He was handsome and stately; his position
at the bar was enviable; political honors
spread out before him; his popularity was
great and increasing; he enjoyed the close
personal friendship of General Simon Cam
eron and other prominent public men;
added to all this, his wealth was great The
naughty Southern girl had met her equal.
The Hamtrammocks had their carriage,
too, with a slave for a driver. Rebecca was
wondrously beautiful With the fairest of
compilations and the darkest of eyes and
hair Her family was one of the proudest
representatives of the ancient Southern
regime. Col. Evans abhorred the institu-
ton of slavery, but it had been made re
putable by years of legislative enactments
and legal protection. Obnoxious as 1t was
to his Northern ideas of justice and equality,
more hateful to him at that time appeared
the States rights heresy of Calhoun and his
cratic followers. Gen. jackson was his
idol, and he enjoyed the personal friendship
of the great Democratic leader.
And here was where the trouble began.
Judge Thomas was one of Calhoun's trusted
lieutenants, and it is said that his particular
mission North was to spread the State
rights and free trade theories, and especially
TO undermine Jackson's popularity among
the yeoman Democracy of Pennsylvania
and other Northern States. All the power
of specious argument and States rights lit
erature and money, too, for that matter, ht
expected to bring TO bear to crush jackson
in his strongholds and pave the way for the
triumph of Calhoun's ideas in government
tai affairs Thomas was an able exponent
of the political doctrines of the South. He
had placed himself in communication with
the party leaders in the North, and had haC
more than one bout with Col. Evans, whose
faith in a strong central government he wa.
not able to shake.
Who knows but that foolish love quar-
rel upset these tremendous plans and sem
Judge Thomas back South again with hi.
mission unfulfilleda
One evening, nobody knew just what hac
happened, but when the carriage deposited
the fair Rebecca at the gate, the Colonell
leave-takiug was cold and formal HI
stepped into the carriage again, and the
door closed with a bang Rebecca cast 1
single defiant look after the vehicle as i
numbered away, and then walked swiftly
into the house. A hot dispute had evidently
passed between the imperious Southern
beauty and her strong willed lover. L
marked the end of Col Evans first and las
love affair. He returned no more during
the Southerners' stay, and few days Later
they packed up and departed.
Years afterward the old man said one dal
to the friend from whom got this story:
do you remember Rebecca Hamtram
mockp
Very well, was the reply.
u came near marrying her." remarked
the colonel quietly.
How comes you never didF boldly in
CURED his friend. 1t was question he hat
never dared to touch before.
On, we 'quarreled about General Jack
son, be replied with a smile. Wasn't sh
pretty girlF continued the old man re
hectlvely, IS il recounting the past, ant
wishing it were different.
All hopes of a reconciliation died within
MN. Colonel Evans remained bachelor
ana the Hamtrammocks never came back