The Tupelo journal., 1906-03-09

Maj. Blacks daughter. The Ma
jor was a high strung Soutl
Carolinaian by birth and raising
coming to this county in the lat
forties or early fifties. He was
and always had been a grea1
friend to Eli, and was himself
very much disturbed on account
of coming in conflict with him in
this way, but he told Phillips al.
though he was a good friend ano
admirer of his he would be boune
to sue him for the thousand dol
lar penalty for such cases provi-
ded. Eli said, alright Major,
but one thing | wish above al
things and that is that this law.
suit shall not interfere with oul
friendship. That is dearer to me
than money. To this the Ma
jor agreed, but told Phillips he
might look out for the suit right
away as he had retained Russ
Beene to file suit and it would be
forth coming. Major Black was
another one of the old fellows
who did not think any one could
attend to a law suit like Russell
0. Beene. Phillips was well a.
ware of Maj, Blacks weakness
for anything and everything in
favor of South Carolina, and so
he had his little son Sumter to
memorise a patriotic piece of
poetry in relation to the war,
which was just then coming on,
in which South Carolina was
given the preeminence in her
stand for the south land. The
next time the Major came to
town Phillips again reminded
him of the fact that their friend
ship must not be broken on ac-
count of the lawsuit, but never
for one moment intimated that
he did not want the suit brought.
Eli said, now, Major, to show
you that we are still friends and
that we propose to remain so,
come on and take dinner with
me as you have been doing when
in town. So the Major went to
dinner with Eli and he was treat
ed as he had been before, and af-
ter dinner was over the little son,
who was quite sprightly, and
clever, was dressed up in a be-
coming manner for the OCCASION.
having a small South Carolina
flag, and Phillips had him to get
up and speak the poetry, louding
South Carolina and her action in
seceeding from the Union, to the
skies. When he had finished
Maj. Black seemed wonderfully
and after waiting awhile
he requested that the boy repeat
the speech. When he had re-
peated, it, Black slapped his
hands and stamped his feet, and
Said Phillips, I'll swear that's
a clever boy" After some time
spent at the residence of Phillips,
they returned to the court house.
and the major repeated several
times that he hated to bring a
suit against an old friend and a
Carolinian, even if he were a
North Carolinian, as Eli was,
But, Eli, said, THAT makes no
difference, Major, you will never
find me falling out with a friend,
and especially you, for doing
what he conceives to be his duty"
When Black got ready to start
home that evening he told Phillips
to tell Beene to hold up on the
suit until he heard further from
him.
AS he went on that evening
toward home, with his thought
on old South Carolina and the
little son speaking so eloquently
Of her glory and renown, it was
too much for him, and he stopped
on the way and wrote note to
Col. Beene and ordered the suit
at once, and he and Phil
lips were the best of friends so
long as the Major lived.
Phillips held the Probate clerk
ship all through the war, but ne
was showed enough to know it
would never do to run against
an old manned confederate sold
ier; so he changed his tactics and
offered for Judge of Probates,
and made a fine officer. His Judge.
ment was good, and when a legal
proposition was placed before
him, and he had time to examine
it, he made as few mistakes as
any one who was not a lawyer,
and he was entirely impartial.
Had he been trained in his early
manhood he would have made q
good lawyer. When he had served
his time as Judge of Probate, he
was elected to the lawyer branch
of the Legislature and served
one term, but never offered for
reelection. In all he held office
continuously for thirteen years,
was never defeated, and retired
voluntarily.
No man ever had a more kindly
nature than he, and during the
war he did as much to accommo-