Evening journal., 1907-08-21
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
FOURTH ARTICLE
By Washington Hastings

FOURTH ARTICLE.
But, TO go back to my story
Along 1858 the ominous rumbing Of the distant
thunder Of Calhoun Davis Toombs Wigfa and others i'm
the south which had long been heard began
panied, now and then by, fash of lightning And
II was met half way, and perhaps sometimes by
e ueuant attitude and fierce denunciaon of Garrison.
Philips Greeley Beecher Seward and other pronounced
and unrelenting Abolltonists And day
when the keepers of the house shall rembe strong
men shall bow themselves" appeared TO be approach
ing IN the political history country As the year
1890 the eliminating period apparently of long years
ana take sides on tho slavery question and all that that
question implied The Conservatives the John Crit
enden type In the South and OF the type
IN the North began TO assemble under the Of what
IN the ensuing campaign became the Union Party
the Constitution and the Enforcement Laws"
radicals" or "Blacl Republicans" they styled
followers OF Greeley seward Giddings Beecher and
iorth whose party platform, while longer than that Of
the Union Party could almost be expressed
words was In It's vital and important part the preser
walton OF the Union entire at all risks and all hazards
opposition to tho extension of slavery opposition
fugitive slave law, the abolition of slavery the Dis
~. ~, iDi,' t' "n" 50 On Inc democrats We're as
they had always beon they Democrasl Jefferson
democrats" ii you please and their rallying
60. St-oii IL we c'ii nave u Witnout ohenulns the
South free trade absolute States rights
ence with the laws of State, whatever they may be-
on open your mouth on the slavery question except TO
eondone the Institution and the Democratic
not pad Democratic doctrine to-day with the exception
OF the slavery plank
our men Of THE Club" considerably perturbed in
spirit, and good deal mixed up" They wanted be
Repubcans--some Of them-but they did just know
about it; they were somewhat like some politicians
OF to-day IN political crises They wanted TO see which
way the cat jumped" before they jumped Mr. clayton
was getting old and in feeble heath he could not make
up his mind and as the custom had been for him to
make up his mind and then make up .hor minds for
them they were left In good deal Of uncertainty for
But Il happened Clayton before the cam
paign Of 1856 was well opened and each fellow in THE
Club was left TO himself jump whichever side OF
the fence that seemed to afford the safest landing place
And jump they did and quickly
John Wales promptly Jumped first; his sympathies and
Leonard r. Wales like dutiful son, went with his
father. n. NJ Rodney, being assured that If Mr.
Clayton had lived would have been a Republican
which many people doubted-folowed the Waless as he
usually had done the past My employer William
McClees and his brother. Edward came out promptly
and heartily for the Republicans. George B
potcy upset politically; he had spent much of his early
manhood in the South Theodore Crawford his lot
with the Democrats, did Joseph P Comegys nephew
Mr. Clayton after sampling" the "tnion" marty for
short time. George r. Fisher another nephew Joined
the Republicans; Samuel Biddle joined the Bell and
party ard so one after another each going tho
road which bis inclinations his convictions led
up. but not before / had received my primary
political education, all the same which served me in
good stead in the political conflicts and that
engaged in--mosty FOR fun"-in after life.
Tiers were several expedients devices IN the po-
itcal those days resorted TO by men princi-
pally limo Nhigs who could not or would not he
Democrats and were reluctant TO be known Republ-
cans chiefly for fear of being called ngger Worship
pors;" which was one OF the choice enitbets annliad
20 the Republicans by the opposition And mare of these
formed themselves into what known the Amer
lean or Know Nothing party; so-called because
member was allowed TO tell who belonged IT, where It
met or anything whatever about it, except its
belief; and this was in part as l remember, that
foreigner should become naturalized citizen of the
United states until he had lived here for twenty-o
years. and foreign-born citizen should over hold
Office In the country; that should be eligible
10 the Office of President OF the United his
father had been born in this country, going
iar as to make his srandfather-these were dubbed
the grandads' All this and other such ridiculous
sense. But strange TO say, this party gained a large
but eventually died peaceful natural death
as evidently, IL was destined from its birth do To
the credit OF the Democrats be It said that but of
them ever took any stock in it, Whether want OF
inclination because they better drilled
ed know not Here, in Delaware, our tmid brethren,
to considerable extent "balked" at the Know Moth
ing party they couldn't just swallow it with relish. so
they organized what was called "rhe Peoples Party;"
epaiu aal OF thS soou Coz good deNl variety which
hovered for while between life and DEATH and then
turned up its toes and departed the shades OF oblivion
ana iorgetfnnoss about simultaneously with the Know
Nothngs' 10 sleep the sleep of the useless. and
even 'perchance to dream"
Looking back to those old days In the Ffties try to
recall the old lander the time men-some
OF the weishty men of that day-who occupied them.
And invite such OF my elderly fellow citizens who
to-day are, like myself diving time per-
maps or soon WIN pe TO take stroll with me up Market
from bridge bridge we cannot shake hands
with them at least, waive" TO of old
Hlelus OF tne past AS we cannot walk on both sides
of the at the TIM let the and
look across. walk at the other side; and
sionaly take glance east and west ON town
street and how many Of the old we used to
know and love-many OF them-we shall meet
So aongi old fellow traveller down towards the
dark river whore the grim ferryman that poets
is patiently waiting for us, let us take the walk it viii
do you good and make you feel young again. even though
you know that you are not young any We will
start at Market bridge the Christiana;
we meet Nhares warner wood and coal ana the packet
line 20 Philadelphia; John G. Yates tailor Thomas b,
Rice. grocer; John Aiken, grocer; James c. Aiken,
grocer Iheophus Jones' leather Mrs Rebecca sharpe,
Sharpes tavern, where the stage line down the state
used to start from day Francis Barry shipchandler;
ELI Todd, grocer; William G. Lowe. tailor John Hedges
ropes Mrs Mary Riley chairs; Zeph c. Faivre tailor:
f. A. Stimson and T.. J. Buckley lottery tickets; Finn
and Mccoy tailors; William X McClees. hardware;
Edward and Thomas Darlington grocers The Bank OF
Wilmington and Brandywne is still there, but shall
not see George Bush, George w. Sparks or William s.
Hagany, John Perkins, harness; they used to call him
Bully" Perkins he addressed everybody by that cog
nomen; John II. Adams stoves; John McClung dry
goods; James A. Saunders dry-goods; Sam" Miller
hotel; Washington Jones' dry-goods; Henry Ban
ming, hardware; Spencer d. Ewes dry-goods; John J..
Haad.n sLoNo. John A nnncan harnMare. Lnhn EaLLar