Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-19
A MAN OF A MILLION.
The Venerable Original Virginia Alb
olitionist, George Rye,
TELLS ABOUT THRILLING TIMES
In the Old Dominion State, Where He
Fought Like Wendell Phillips.
PISTOLS ENOUGH FOR SLAVE DRIVERS

connected with vast amount ofthe stirring
history of the past 80 years. His name is
George Rye, and his home Shenandoah
county, Virginia. Mr.. Rye was married by
Mr.. Diffenbacher's father, Rev. j. F. Diff
fenbacher, in Woodstock, Va, IS years ago,
and might yet, if he didn't giveTit away
himself, pass for hale man of go, or even
less The tumult in his life has evidently
had little effect on his nervous system.
A visit was paid to Mr.. Rye at Mr.. Diff
fenbacher's residence at Ellsworth, Ft
Wayne Railway, and the principal parts
of his political life were cleaned from him
and from Mr.. Difenbacher, whose tradi-
tional knowledge of his guests life is almost
| co-extensive with that of the interviewed
himself.
Mr.. Rye was born in Charles county,
Maryland, and was taken by his parents to
Woodstock when he was 8 years old, so
that he is next door to Virginian. While
he had strong personal liberty leanings as
far back as the candidacy of Birney, Mr.
Rye did not break away from
HIS wHIG MooRINGs.
until Martin Van Buren jumped the track
in 1874, having voted for William Henry
Harrison in 1910. In 1881 he voted for
Hale and Julian, and since then has been
Republican, one of the oldest in Virginia
and one of the original Abolitionists of that
State.
Mr.. Rye's political troubles and active
political life began in 1887, and were
brought about in this wise: At that time
there was much agitation of the slavery
question, and circular was addressed to
the Woodstock clergymen, asking them to
preach sermons in favor of coloniza-
tion of the gentleman in the wood
pile. Rev. Mr.. Difenbacher was
selected to break the ice, the |
intention being to have the Presbyterian |
and Methodist preachers follow suit Mr.. |
Rye had been active in agitating the mat
ter, and, after Mr.. Difenbacher's sermon
had been delivered, some of the young
chivalry took offense and caused them both |
to be indicted by the grand jury. At that |
time the denial of the right of |
property in slaves was an indictable offense |
in Virginia. They were both arrested. Mr.. |
Difenbacher gave bail at once, but Mr.. Rye |
was seven days in Jail.
AFRAID TO PUSH IT.
The prosecutors, however, were afraid to
push the matter very strongly and Mr.. DIFF
fenbacher was acquitted in the County
Court, and Mr.. Rye's case was sent to
superior court, where he also was acquitted.
Mr.. Rye was arrested several times subse-
quently, but generally acquitted, as he had
strong friends among the Shareholders; in
fact he states that his slaveholding neigh
bors were generally his strongest friends.
Mr.. Rye's lite voyage was, on the whole,
comparatively smooth until 1856, when he
and Judge Underwood attended the Repub-
lican Presidential Convention in Philadel-
phia Feeling was so strong in Woodstock
against Judge Underwood that it was
thought best for him to emigrate, and he
shook the dust of that town from his feet.-
After Mr.. Rye returned to Woodstock
from the convention an indignation meeting
was called, at which the County Judge,
John Allen, presided, and Sam Williams,
County Clerk, made sulphurous speech.
Mr.. Rye concluded to brave the wrath of his
opponents, and took prominent seat high
up and close to the presiding officer. He
states that his presence had the effect to
tone down, to a considerable extent, some
infammatory cut-and-dried resolutions.
They, however, condemned him as
A DANGEROUS MAN,
and one who had no business in the Repub-
ican Convention in Philadelphia, as they
said he did not represent the sentiment of
that section of Virginia.
Mr.. Rye replied in Whig paper to the
arraignment-a paper published in Rock
ingham-stating that he represented himself
and those who agreed with him, and at the
same time intimated that the Wings, who
were the main instigators of the tumult-he
having seeded from their ranks-did not
represent very much public sentiment in
that section of Virginia either. He states
that, numerically, they were quite weak
there. In answer to some threats made, Mr..
Rye said:
''God has allotted to man three score years
and ten; but I swear, by the Eternal, that
when YOU enter upon the discharge of your
errand, you shall be sent to see your father,
the devil, before the time allotted" The
communication was addressed with special
reference to DIR. Mcfarland.
A short time after a gang came from
Alexandria, with intent TO heat things for
Mr.. Rye, but magistrate named Launts
was his friend, and, at Mr.. Rye's sugges-
ton, he
SUMMONED A POSSE
of 20, and included Mr.. Rye in it. The
latter circulated among his friends, and
secured some half dozen pistols, and an
nounced that they were ''for use and not for
show
His determined attitude had its effect on
the leaders, and they called the mob off,
Things looked squally, and that night Mr..
Rye sprang from his couch, awakened by
noise in the street, and clutohed his pistols.
His. attitude changed, however, when he
heard the crowd yell, "Hurrah for Rye
may he live foreverl'' The tide had turned
and he spent the next four years in compar-
ative peace.
Having, along with 16 other men in
Shenandoah county, voted for Abraham
Lincoln in 1860, that section first became
frosty, and subsequently very warm, for
him; and on February 2, 1861, he concluded
to fold his tent and quietly steal away. Some
of his neighbors were quite inquisitive to
know where he was going; but he put them
off by stating that he proposed to take
little ride. Similar evasive answers were
given each inquirer, until the train was
under such headway that no sprinter could |
catch her, when Mr.. Rye called back:
'T'm going to get behind the guns of my
country"
He went to Washington, and securing a
clerkship under Gideon Welles, stayed
there until the war was. over.
THEN HE WAS HoNoRED.
After the war, Mr.. Rye, accompanied by
tDr. Irwin, went home, and, securing writ
of election, organized a county government
and elected officers and set things running,
In 1851 Mr.. Rye was summoned as a grand
juror, and was one of the jury that indicted
Jefferson Davis in Richmond. General R.
E. Lee was a witness before that grand iury.
After the Court adjourned Mr.. Rye was ap-
pointed Treasurer of the State of Virgins
by General Scho6eld, and acted until 1859,
when he was elected State Treasurer for two :
years.
Mr.. Rye states that Shenandoah county
has gone Republican several times of late !
years; but the party is not very we'll organ
The fact that Senator Riddleberger has
something to do with the management of
the party in the county may account for its |
un-eliability as q Republican stronghold.
but on this point Mr.. Rye is retlcent