▁moving ▁to ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁he ▁taught ▁school . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁State ▁inspect or ▁of ▁public ▁schools ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁At ▁an ▁early ▁age ▁he ▁began ▁writing ▁for ▁the ▁press , ▁and ▁was ▁connected ▁with ▁some ▁New ▁York ▁papers ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁and ▁was ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁Department . ▁He ▁studied ▁law ▁at ▁Columb ian ▁University ▁( now ▁George ▁Washington ▁University ), ▁and ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁bar . ▁While ▁in ▁Washington ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁newspaper ▁correspond ent . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Char l eston , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ▁and ▁became ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁Cou rier ▁after ▁which ▁he ▁assist ed ▁in ▁establish ing ▁the ▁Char l eston ▁Republican ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁He ▁also ▁was ▁secretary ▁to ▁United ▁States ▁Senator ▁William ▁A . ▁Buck ingham , ▁of ▁Connecticut ▁from ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁ ▁Car p enter ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁to ▁the ▁Fort y - third ▁Congress ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁vac ancy ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Robert ▁B . ▁Elli ott ▁and ▁served ▁from ▁November ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁to ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁un success ful ▁candidate ▁for