The Memories of Fifty Years: Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent in the SouthwestSparks, W. H. (William Henry)
History
The Memories of Fifty Years: Containing Brief Biographical Notices of Distinguished Americans, and Anecdotes of Remarkable Men; Interspersed with Scenes and Incidents Occurring during a Long Life of Observation Chiefly Spent in the Southwest
Sparks, W. H. (William Henry)
Georgia -- History -- 1775-1865; Southwest, Old -- History; United States -- Biography
It was doubtless this triumph which secured the second election of
Troup. Personally he was unpopular with the masses. His rearing had
been in polished society, and though he was in principle a democrat, in
his feelings, bearing, and associations he was an aristocrat. He
accorded equality to all under the law and in political privilege, but
he chose to select his associates, and admitted none to the familiarity
of intimacy but men of high breeding and unquestioned honor. In many
things he was peculiar and somewhat eccentric. In dress, especially
so--often appearing in midwinter in light, summer apparel; and again,
in summer, with a winter cloak wrapped carefully about him. When he
appeared first before the assembled Legislature, and many of the first
citizens of the State, to take the oath of office, it was a raw, cold
day in November; his dress was a round jacket of coarse cotton, black
cassimere vest, yellow nankeen pantaloons, silk hose, and
dancing-pumps, with a large-rimmed white hat, well worn. In his
address, which was short and most beautiful, he made his hat
conspicuous by holding it in his right hand, and waving it with every
gesture. In person, he was below the middle size, slender, though
finely formed; his hair was red, and his eyes intensely blue and deeply
set beneath a heavy brow; his nose was prominent and aquiline; his
mouth, the great feature of his face, was Grecian in mould, with
flexible lips, which, while in repose, seemed to pout. His rabid
opposition to those engaged in the Yazoo frauds, and his hatred for
those who defended it, made him extremely obnoxious to them, and
prompted Dooly to say: "Nature had formed his mouth expressly to say,
'Yazoo.'" Its play, when speaking, was tremulous, with a nervous
twitching, which gave an agitated intonation to his words very
effective.
The form of his head, and especially his forehead, indicated an
imaginative mind, while the lines of his face marked deep thought. He
was strictly honest in everything; was opposed to anything which wore
the appearance of courting public favor, or seemed like a desire for
office. His private life was exemplary, kind, and indulgent to his
children and servants, and full of charity; severe upon nothing but the
assumptions of folly, and the wickedness of purpose in the dishonest
heart. In every relation of life he discharged its duties
conscientiously, and was the enemy only of the vicious and wicked. He
continued to reside upon his plantation in Lawrence County with his
slaves, carefully providing for their every want until his death. He
had attained the patriarchal age of threescore years and ten, and sank
to rest in the solitude of his forest-home, peacefully and piously,
leaving no enemies, and all the people of his State to mourn him.
CHAPTER XI.
POLITICAL CHANGES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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