Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-04-10
The liunder- Pulling.
From Georgia Scenes. Character and Inei-
dents In the First HaIf Centurr OF the
Republic" BY Native Georgian
Judge L0nsstrset9.

81. Louis Repmblic.
in the year 1898 / resided in the
city Of Augusta. and. upon visiting
the market house one morning in
that year, my attention was called 10
the following notice. stuck upon one
Of the pillars Of the building:
reimbursement.
'Thos WOO wish To be Inform
hearof. is hearog notyfide that edwd.
Prator viii Civ a gander-pullin, iis
this side of harrisburg, on Satterday
Of thes presents munth to All WOO
mout wish to partak tharof.
''e Prator, thos wishin
TO purtak will cum yearly, as the
pullin will begin soon. G. p."
If am asked why ''jis this side
Of harrisburg" was selected for the
promised feat instead of the city OF
Augusta, answer from conjecture,
but with some confidence, because
the ground chosen was near the GEN.
tral point between four rival towns,
the citizens of all which ''mout wish
to partak tharof;" namely, Augusta,
Springfield, Harrisburg and Camp
bellton. Not that each was the rival
Of all the others, but that the first
and the last were competitors, and
each of the others backed the pre-
tensions of its nearest neighbor.
Harrisburg sided with Campbellton,
not because she had any interest in
seeing the business of the two States
center upon the bank of the river,
nearly opposite to her, but because,
like the ''Union Democratic Repub-
lican Party ofGeorgia, she thought,
after the adoption of the Federal
Constitution, that the several towns
of the Confederacy should no longer
be separated" by the distinction of
local party; but that, laying down
all former prejudices and jealousies
as a sacrifice on the altar of their
country, they should become united
in single body, for the mainten-
ance of those principles which they
deemed essential to the public wei
fare.
Springfield, on the other hand,
espoused the State Rights creed.
She admitted that, under the Federal
Compact, she ought to love the sister
States very much; but that, under
the Social Compact, she ought to
love her own State little more: and
she thought the two compacts per-
fectly reconcilahle to each other.
Instead of the towns of the several
States getting into single bodies to
preserve the public welfare, her
doctrine was, that they should be
kept in separate bodies to preserve
the private welfare She admitted
frankly that, living, as she always
had lived, right amid gullies, vapors,
fogs, creeks and lagoons, she was
wholly incapable of comprehending
that expansive kind of benevolence
which taught her to love people
whom she knew nothing about as
much as her next-door neighbors
and friends. Until. therefore, she
should learn it from the practical
operation of the Federal Compact,
she would stick to the old-fashioned
Scotch love. which she understood
perfectly. and ''go in" for Augusta.
live or die, hit or miss, right or
wrong. AS in the days OF Mr.. JEFF
ferson the Springfield doctrines pre-
vailed, Campbellton was literally
nullified; insomuch that ten years
ago there was not a house left TO
mark the spot where once fiourished
this active, busy little village.
Those who are curious to know
where Springfield stood at the time
of which | am speaking, have only
to take their position at the inter-
section of Broad and Marbury
streets, in the city of Augusta, and
they viii be in the very heart of old
Springfield. Sixty steps west and
as many east of this position will
measure the whole length Of the
Jeffersonian republican village,
which never boasted of more than
four dwelling houses; and Broad
street measures its width, if we ex-
clude kitchens and stables. And,
while upon this subject. since it has
been predicted by man for whose
opinions / entertain the profoundest
respect especially since the pre-
diction,) that my writings will be
read with increased interest a humid
red years TO come, and as / can see
no good reason, If this be true, why
they should not be read a thousand
years hence with more interest,
will take the liberty of dropping q
word here to the curious reader OF
the year 1893. He will certainly
wish to know the site OF Harrisburg