Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-28
or AN EDITOK's
LIFE.
NO. VII.
How the South APP feared Fifty Years Ago.
-Professionai Men-A Phase of ocal
Politics A Noble southern Unionist
A Bold and witty Clergyman.

A Bold and witty Clergyman.
BY Thomas Hale.
To the editor of the Free Press.
Having concluded to make Greensboro,
the "Queen Village" of the rich and Ter
tile county of II lie as well rs OF south
ern Alabama, my stopping place, L will
here pause and take retrospect of my
observations while passing from Charles
ton to Alabama. and while looking about
preparatory to settling down to business.
Cotton is king was in everybody's
mouth, the South was prosperous as it
bad never been before, the price of cotton
being about II cents pound, ana the
crop abundant. One planter said to me
that he did not cafe to have the price of
cotton quite so high, as 50 extremely hi2h
a price betokened fluctuation. If 1t would
remain steadily at 10 cents a pound he
would be satisfied
SOUTHERN POLITICS FIFTY YEARS AGO.
There was but little political excite
ment in that part of the South where |
travelled and visited. The wings and dem
ocrats were nearly equally divided in
most of the States. In South Carolina
and Georgia these names were dropped,
and "union" and Estates rights" took
their places. These last named appella
tons headed the State tickets in all the
political newspapers. When the parties
were first organized the States rights
perty was in the minority. At the time
of which write, the States rights party
had gained the ascendancy in South
Carolina, under he lead of the active and
mastery mind of John c. Calhoun, while
in Georgia the parties were more equally
divided the uuiOnists generally carry ing
the day at elections The union party
was confessedly the conservative party,
and was made up largely of wings, with
spriukling of democrats Alexander II.
Stephens aud Robert Toombs were the
union leaders of Georgia, while Howell
Cobb was among the States rights lead
| ers The doctrine of Calhoun was that If
Congress enacted law that the people of
a State deemed unconstitutional and Op-
pressive, the State had the right to disre-
! gard it and nullify 1t, and his followers
were called "nulll1iers." But these divis-
| ions were obliterated after the bred Scott
! decision and the repeal of the Missouri
compromise, and the attempt to force
slavery into Kansas. The bred Scott de-
csiOp, many readers of the FREE PRESS
will remember made slavery national,
| and gave the holder of slaves the right
to take his slave property into any part
of the country, even where such property
was forbidden by positive legislative en-.
actment or prohibited by State copstitu-
tons. Under these monstrouS ideas, and
/ the INDUSTRIOUS attempts to enforce them,
the current of events drifted Us into civil
war. The leaders of the States rights
party were nearly all democrats. So vlo-
lently active were they, and 50 ardent and
| fiery of temper that many VINO were good
unionsts at heart were drawn unwilling
ly into the current after them
A NOBLE SOUTH CAROLINIAN.
While visiting Tuscaloosa then the cap
ital of Alabama, | had the good fortune
to attend social party given by Mr. and
Mrs. Scott. Mrs. Scott was native of Yer
mont being Mss Hnughton, sister of II.
O Hong hton, OF the firm of Houghton <
NJ film of Boston. She was educated un.
der the distinguished Wilbur Fisk, who
on being applied to for AZ accomplished
lady rs teacher for seminary, then about
TO be established at Tuscaloosa, recon-
mended her. After teaching for some
time, she married Il wealthy gentleman
whose name have just given. AT is
party, | was introduced to a fine looking
elderly gentleman, whose name | do not
recollec'. He was about so years of age,
and as straight and handsome rs ii pictu4 e.
He had the appearance of being at least
~ years younger. When the wine was
passed he barely touched his lips with
the glass, saying to me that he never
swallowed anything of the kind He WAS
member of the State Legislature, then
in session, his residence being in northern
Aiabama, at or near Tuscumbia, | think.
He formerly resided in South Carolina
his native State. He told me that before
leaving the Palmetto State, he announced
his purpose to leave it whenever the
States rights doctrine of notification be
came dominant. He was as good as his
word. When South Carolina elected
nt n ia IA
bic politics. he sold his real estate and re
moved to northern Alabama.
A GREAT vERNIoNTER.
While stopping at Macon, in passing
through Georgia, met DR.. Lovick Pierce
a clergyman and a physician of loca
prominence, and father of Bishop Pierre
; of the Georgia conference, whose deatl
, occurred but year or two ago Know
: ing that | was from Vermont, he spoke Il
me OF Rev. DR.. Stephen DIN, whom h,
described as the greatest preacher in al
the South, with an intellect equal to tina
of Clay, Webster or Calhoun, and h
added, had he good health, he would SUI
: pass those statesmn in the exhibition O
mont readers know, was son of the lat
!, Judge Henry Oin Of Leicester and
! graduate of Middlebury college. Hi
T. health broke down in college. although il
entered III ROBUST nealtn. lie never Ell
!. j,yed single day of good health after nj
!, graduation. He died at the head of tn
\ Wesleyan university, at MlddletowI
Il Conn, in 1851. But more of him in
future paper. ought, however, 10 stat
here, that the high testimony OF ID
It Pierce as to the ability and character {
= DR.. Oliu,is amply sustained by Others bot
d North and South, and especially by Pres
r. dent Bates under whose guidance ne graz
If uated, aud by two of his classmates, tn
}. late Hon. Myron Lawrence of Belche
|. town, Mass, and the late General jaime
d Wilson of keene. n. II.
% ANOTHER VERMONTER.
% Soon after my going TO Greensboro, AL
-e bama, | met "A DR.. Shaw, a native of Che
y sea, whose father well remembered.
T. was regarded as a very active able bus
~ ness man. | well remember a characte
~ istic remark he made in my hearing.
~, n, was Oh the point of starting for Mobile {
m some important business. 81 dislike
q, q go just now" he said, "for the yello
IN in fever is prevailing there and ii shou
"a die, 1t wi be the same to me rs if all Il
~ world died"