The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-24

/ remember Hon. Sion Il. Rogers. d
Wing, who in the campaign OF 1853 de-
feated Mai. A. NJ. Lewis, the regular
democratic nominee. and 0 -Abram ".
Venable an Independent democratic an
didate. During Mr.. Branch's first term
in congress he introduced a bill in he
House of Representatives called che
Thirty Million Bill" looking &c the pur-
chase OF Cuba from the Spanish govern
ment, which amount my recollection 5
Spain was willing to take for the Queen
Of the Antilles" at that time; and the
bill might nave 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 terrltOry. II ia 1858 that
thirty million bin had passed and Cub
had been purchased to the Union with
her rich sugar estates and her slaves, The
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 70 become m~illionaires during a
single term OF congress might nave lived
honest l3ves, died happy and gone home
to heaven. But. alas, our northern
brethren who after they had imported
the negroes into this country, sold them
10 the >outherners and gotten rich n the
transaction, were getting immensely pious
about that time and couldn't bear the
idea OF seeing Cuba with all her slaves
added TO the southern end OF the Union,
50 the thirty million bill failed, though
Gen. Branch was reelected and was in
congress when in 1851 the State seeded.
nave several letters received lrOia
him While in congress which | value very
highly. ard 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 I had lost
q friend whose memory | would never
cease to cherish. Gen. Branch was for {
while president OF the Raleigh and Gas
ton railroad, indeed he was occupying
hat position when first nominated for
congress. He was commissioned a Brig
adler General at the beginning of tie
war. and but for his untimely death the
opinion was that he would have been
promoted very soon to a Major General.
said above that a little circumstance
dew me into politics which l had as
Vel explain a. it may explain some other
things. I was quietly pursuing the even
tenor OF my way publishing the Raleigh
Christian Advocate, the Live Giraffe, and
doing tie press work OF the Raleigh.
Register, etc. ard had no more idea of
being drawn into the political whirlpool
than l had OF being killed by a cyclone.
Il came this way. The town clock struck
twelve one day and all hands. editor.
printers and the devil started 10 din-
rer, but just then the bell over the mar
ket house known as the Town Hall, be-
san TO ring for 3 democratic meeting,
the object of which was TO elect dele
gates 10 4 congressional convention, 20
be he'd at Franklinton, 20 nominate a
candidate for congress, Hon. L. OBJ.
Eranch Their being the representative. As
was passing the town hall Mr.. Quertlu
Busbee hailed ne and insisted that I
should stop and attend the meeting. and
as N induceuleut II NE to stop said,
ttev wanted lie TO act as secretary. /
Welded. the meeting was called to order.
when ". B. Allen. Esq. was made prsei-