The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-22
/, sPECTBR FROM THE PAST.

The Romantic Story of One of the
AbolitiOnist Fanatics.
"7he Old Colonel" in Atlanta (Ga.) ConStittt-
ton.
.My name is Redpath, and l represent
the North American ReDie,O."
The writer of this sketch wheeled his
chair around and looked sharply at his
visitor He saw before him the shattered
wreck of a mana man whose pinched aud
Iyrinkled face, somber black eyes and
tremulous hands told a story of sorrow and
suffering.
James Redpathl The name suggests a
volume of half-forgotten history. Away
hack in the fifties, when the abolition
crusade was at its hight, Redpath was the
bitterest and most stalwart champion of the
movement. If there was word that Wen
dell Phillips and Garrison dared not utter,
Redpath was ready to hnrl it hot and hiss
ing into the ranks of his foes. II there was
any work too revolutionary and dangerous
for the rank and file of his party to under
take, Redpath was always an impatient vol
unteer.
On the platform. and in the columns OF
the press, this man became a power. He
talked and wrote about the wrongs Of the
slave until be fired the northern heart. He
gave himself heart and soul to the work.
The southern Shareholders soon spotted him
rs one of their most active enemies. Dur
ing the bloody free-soil and pro-slavery
troubles in Kansas he was in the midst OF 1t
all as the special correspondent Of the New
York Tribune
Out in Kansas he became the friend and
worshpper Of old John Brown. In his eyes
everything that Brown did was right.
Brown stole horses, burned houses, drove
people from their homes aud murdered
shareholders in cold blood, but Redpath
wrote him up as hero, a Christian mission
arv, a second saviour of men. AT this time
a jubilant Kansan said of him: "Redpath
is the prince of liars, but he is on the right
sidel"
Old John Brown drifted away from Kan
sas and organized his murderous raid into
Virginia Redpath did not shoulder mus
ket and join him. He Jagged behind, not from
lack of courage, but because he had some
thing else to do. He went on firing the
northern heart and giving encouragement
and aid to Brown until the grim raiders
career ended on the gallows.
Just before this, however, Redpath tried
a cunning scheme He came south, and in
some mysterious way secured a position on
the staff of the SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS.
In the course of few days the editor, Col.
William T. Thompson, found out who the
new recruit was. The colonel flew into a
towering rage, and bounced Redpath with
out any ceremony. To the last day of his
life Col Thompson never forgot this Incl
dent. He could never speak of it without
getting excited.
''To think of that d abolition emissary
sneaking into position on my paper" he
used to say, when speaking of it, 81 tell you,
sir, it was a monstrous piece OF impudence
and deviltrym
Back to the north the discomfltted ennis
sary went The hanging of his friend
Brown, and the state of public feeling made
it necessary for him to keep quiet for
awhile, but the war soon brought him out
again. The triumph of abolition ended his
lIfe-work. He struck out vigorously in
every direction, but he had lost his grip.
He travelled through Ireland as special
correspondent, and for time edited the
North Anericqn ReUielU, but he found that
he could no longer carry the public with
him. Men who had done less for the aboli-
ton cause were applauded and over
whemed with donations, but he was left to
struggle on alone.
Disease smote him with a merciless hand
Stroke after stroke Of paralysis laid him
low, but after the seventh attack he rallied
his energies by an almost superhuman effort,
and rose from his bed to walk forth like a
CHASTITY specter from the past
And what was this wan, hollow-eyed
shadow of James Redpath doing in an At
lanta EDITORS office the other days
His mission was in the interest Of book
shortly to be published, entitled "Reminis-
censes Of Geeat Confederate Soldiers"
Talk about the irony Of fatel Where
could be found more striking instances
This man i'll his days of vim and venom
would have consigned our great confederates
to the lowest and hottest hell in the uni
verse, but now broken and scattered, in his
lone and loveless old age, he is forced to
earn his daily bread by working for a book
written to perpetuate the heroism of his old
enemiesi
Possibly time and suffering have softened
James Redpaths heart and given him a
clearer view of things and better opinion
of his fellow men. 1t is to be hoped so, for
no man can look upon him now without
pity, and his most relentless enemy of the
olden time would not raise hand against
him or place an obstacle in his path. He
bef>Ngs to the dead past, and the men Of
to-day have no account to settle with him.