The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-09-03
THE CECIL WING.
A Sketch of its History.


of The WING, which we hope our
patrons and readers will accept as a
welcome evidence of our appreciation
of. the public favor with which it has
been received for over a half century, a
briefreference to its history as county
newspaper seems appropriate.
AT the urgent solicitation of number
Of active Wings of Cecil county,
prominent among whom was DIR. Amos
A. Evans father of tie late Hon. Alexan
DER Evans, both of wkom were devoted
admirers of Henry CLAY, Palmer C..
Ricketts, began the publication of The
CECIL WIG, Oh the 18th day of August,
IS4I. The failure Of several previous
attempts to establish a newspaper,
devoted to'the interests of the Wing
party in Cecil county, was not calculated
to inspire as young a man as Mr.,
Ricketts-he being but twenty three
years of age-with any fattering
prospect of immediate success. DR..
Evans and his associates, however, had
not mistaken either the ability or the
zeal OF the man upon whom was vested
the editorial responsibility of the new
journalistic enterprise. Entering into
the spirit of it with all the vim and
enthusiasm with which his devotion to
Wing principles inspired him, The
WING, under his management, com
manded attention and respect from the
very outset of its career. Cecil county
has possibly never produced man the
superior of Palmer C. Ricketts,, as a
clear-headed, far seeing and systematic
organizer. Although not what Is term
ed a classically. educated man, yet he
possessed a rarely vigorous mind,
backed by an unusually retentive memory
which his naturally studious habits
fortified and strengthened. He was a
natural Mathematician, endowed with
strong analytical turn of mind. He
could easily have mastered any of the
exact sciences. He thought vigorously,
expressed himself either orally or with
the pen clearly, conclsely, and to the
point. As writer, he was never
redundant; as talker, sharp and
inclsive. Mr.. Ricketts, had no superior
in his day as controversial political
writer. His editorials indicate keen
wit and scathlng sarcasm, the boldest,
invective and powerful res sources as a
political debater. Although excelling
as polemlc writer, he possessed fine
imaginative and poetic power He
was no mere poetaster, who limited his
sphere to the rhymsler's corner of a
country newspaper, but man possess
ed of nice discriminative and critical
powers as poet. AS companion he
was genial as a friend, true as steel.
1t will be thus seen that the youthful
rHHdnor, whom.~>e of the aristocrat1c
politicr time affected
to despise, had'no suCS1s s"sss-as- fsH in
the bright leAcon OF his editorial ambi =
ton. As Mercury sprang full born into
existence, so Palmer c. Ricketts, took
at bound the political leadership Of
his party in Cecil county. He became
at once the ablest newspaper exponent
of Wing principles in Maryland, and
his name the synonym OF fearless and
aggressive Editor.
1t is not our purpose, however, to
follow him In the varying fortunes of
his party, but to indicate in a limited
space, the character he stamped upon
The WHIG. 1t was not a pretentious
journal at the outset. On the contrary,
it was a very modest SIX column news
paper-just one half its present size.
No one was more; aware than its Editor,
that it was to win its way to public
favor and influence by the pure force Of
brains and management. 1t was pub
lished in the Log Cabin, in the
Hollow" a locality rich in remini-
SCIENCES of old WING days. Around
that center revolved THE WING ma
chinery, and through its columns spoke
the oracles of the party. For thirteen
years, Mr.. Ricketts, devoted to the
original WING his energy and ability
He bad made it a political influence
in the politics of his State, and an ad.
mirable medium for the business inter
ests OF the county-the increasing de.
mands upon its columns compelling its
enlargement in January, 1854. 1t
then became seven column news.
paper. The prosperity of THE WHO
was unpreceden ted in the history oil
Maryland County newspapers. In
the following year, 1855. the sentiment
of the old WHIGs-their, party organiza
ton having been Observation-Disclosures
the American party, to which Mr..
Ricketts, gave his allegiance and the
support of THE WING, and which he
maintained until his untimely death,
which occurred on the 9Th OF March,
1860.
For short period OF eleven months,
after Mr.. Ricketts, decease, THE WING
was edited by Mr.. ames S. Crawford
In the memorable month of April
1861, Mr.. E. E. Ewing became its
owner and Editor. No paper IN Mary
land or elsewhere gave the Government
s.auncher or more unequivocal sup
port. As under Mr.. Ricketts, It had
been the faithful exponent of true
WING principles, so under Mr.. Ewing
it maintained its integrity and devo-