The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-22

brought UP many old incidents of the
ante-bellum period, of which the world
will never hear unless they are written
up very soon. Gen. Branch YVES one OF
the few men in my young days in whom
/ had implicit confidence and whose cug-
gestions 1 was always ready to ACCEPT
and act upon.
little circumstance Unexpectedly drew
me into politics in 1858, and Gen. Branch
at the time was the party leader. He
was partisan, that is, held tcnaciously
to party creed ard stood sQuarely on It's
platform: yet he was as fair and as con
scientious in debate, and as just to en-
opponent as a sacred regard for the gel
den rule could make him. | was honored
In my young days with his confidence
during a heated campaign, but l do net
remember that / ever heard him utter q
word of unkindness about any one, how
ever sharp the contest between him and
those who opposed him, and beng
thoroughbred gentleman he had no pa
thence with the sharp tricks of the willy
politician who often resorted to harsh
words, short cuts, and to means that
were unfair. He seemed to think that
all men, like himself. were gentlemen
and were entitled to the respect due to
gentlemen. He represented the metro
q politan district in congress, following as
/ remember Hon. Sion H. Rogers a
Wing, who In the campaign of 1853 de-
feated Maj. A. NJ. lewis, the regular
democratic nominee, and Hon. Abram w
Venable an independent democratic can
didate. During Mr.. Branch's first term
IN congress he introduced a bill in he
House OF Representatives called che
Thirty Million Bill" looking to the Dur
chase OF Cuba from the Spanish govern
ment, which amount my recollection IS
Spain was willing to take for the Queen
of the Antilles" at that time; and the
bill might have been passed and the
trade been effected but for the strong
abolition sentiment, north. which was de-
termined that slavery should not be
strengthened by the acquisition of any
more southern terrtory. If in 1858 that
thirty million bill had passed and Cubs.
had been purchased to the Union with
her rich sugar estates and her slaves, tire
civil war might have been indefinitely
postponed, and the bloody chasm, which
has not yet been entirely leveled up, might
never have been dug Monopolists and
low bred money kings, who now lord it
over the poor. might never have gotten
higher in the financial world than gam
blers and thimble ringers, and the states
men who by some kind of hocus pocus
manage TO become milhonaires during
single term of congress might have lived
honest lives, died happy and gone home
to heaven. But, alas! cur northern
brethren who after thev had imported
tho negroes into this country. sold iheIu
/
transaction, were getting immensely pioas
about that time and couldn't bear the
idea of seeing Cuba with ali her slaves
added to the southern end of the Union
so the thirty, million bill failed, though
Con. Branch was reelected and was in
congress when In 1861 the State seeded.
| have several letters received froin
MIN While in congress which / value very
highly, and when the news came after
the battle of Sharpsburg that he had been
killed, felt that one OF the bravest and
truest OF men had fallen. and l had lost
a friend whose memory l would never
cease to cherish. Gen. Branch was for a
while president of the Raleigh and Gas
ton railroad, indeed he was occupying
that position when first nominated Tor
congress. He was commissioned a Brig
adler General at the beginning of Ike
war, and but for his untimely death the
opinion was that he would have been
promoted very soon to a Major General.
I said above that a little circumstance
drew me into politics which I had as
we'll explain as it\may explain some other
things. l was quietly pursuing the even
tenor of my way publishing the Raleigh
Christian Advocate, the Live Giraffe and
doing the press work of the Raleigh
Register, etc. and had no more idea of
being drawn into the political whirlpool
than 1 had of being killed by a cyclone
1t came this way. The town clock struck
twelve one day and all hands, editor,
printers and the devil started to din
ner, but just then the bell over the mar
ket house known as the Town Hall, be-
gan to ring for a democratic meeting,
the object of which was to elect dele.
gates to congressional convention, 20
be held at Franklinton, to nominate q
candidate for congress, Hon. L. Oh
Branch then being the representative. AS
was passing the town hall Mr.. Quentin
Busbee hailed me and insisted that l
should stop and attend the meeting, and
as an lnducement IT, me to step said,
they wanted me to act as secretary. |
yielded, the meeting was called TO order
wren W %. alien, Esq. was mace prSSE
dent and l requested to act as secretary.
For few moments it had the appearance
OF being very uninteresting affair, as
no one seemed inclined TO maze a move
although the house was full and the
strongest men of the democratic party
town and county were there. From the
the city were Ed. Graham Haywood, A.
M. Lewis. Judge Cantwell, Moses A. Bled-
see, Quentin Busbee, George W. Brooks,
Frank l. Wilson and Others whom | do
not now remember, while a host of the
Nnterrihed from the country were in
attendance. After good deal of wills
perlng and undertone conversation he'd
here and there in the hall, a move was
made to the effect that cit is the sense of
the meeting that the delegates chosen TO
attend the Franklinton convention shall
60 unrestricted, and vote as they please
in the selection of a candidate" That
motion opened-the ball and the fun corr
menced IN earnest. The friends of Mr.
Branch were determined to instruct the
delegates to vote for him for second
term, for the twofold reason that he