egrity and lofty
character. This was early exemplified when as still very youthful he
was sent to represent his county at a political caucus in Baltimore.
The question of raising money for the approaching campaign came up,
and he was asked in his turn how much would be needed for his county
of Somerset. He arose and said: "With all due deference, Mr.
President, _not one cent_. We can carry our county without any such
aid!" There was a general laugh, and Robert Goodloe Harper, who was
present, said, "Very well, young gentleman, you will tell a different
tale a few years hence." He went home and related the proceedings to
his constituents, who applauded his answer, and that year Somerset was
the banner county of the State.

The early years succeeding the marriage were years of peace and
prosperity.

The young bride won all hearts by her beauty and the sweetness of her
disposition.

In time a lively group of children filled the old Hall with life and
gayety.

Thomas King Carroll, like many another Maryland planter, was fully
convinced that in itself slavery was wrong. The early settlers of
Maryland would gladly have excluded it, but the institution was forced
upon them by the mother country, the English monarch and his court
deriving large incomes from the sale of slaves and canceling every law
made by the early settlers to prevent their introduction into the
colony. Slavery had now become a settled institution, on which the
whole social fabric was built, and individual proprietors, however
they might disapprove of the system, could see no way to change it.
All that Thomas King Carroll knew how to do was to seek as far as
possible the happiness and welfare of his slaves, and slavery showed
itself on the Kingston plantation in its mildest and most attractive
form.

Not much money was made usually upon plantations, but everything was
produced upon the estate that was needed to feed and clothe the great
group of dependents. And this was the state of things at Kingston
Hall.

There was Uncle Nathan, the butler, whose wife was Aunt Susan, the
dairywoman; Uncle Davy, the shoemaker; Saul, the blacksmith; Mingo,
the old body servant of Colonel Carroll; Fortune, the coachman, etc.,
etc.--all very powerful men.

Every trade was represented upon the estate. There were blacksmith
shops; there were shoemakers, tanners, weavers, dyers, etc. All the
goods worn by the servants, male and female, were manufactured on the
place.