Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-07-16
coNcLCrED NEXT WEEK.
From the Pittsburgh Gazette.
Sketches Of the Public Men OF the u. g.
i've spot.
BY ERASTUS BBOoKS.-No. III
JOHN C.. CALHOUN.

JOllN y. CALHOUN
We need not say that the public history Of the
country is cminenlly identified with the name o
JoHN CALDWELL CALHOUN. Few men have been
longer in its service, ond few have received great.
er marks of public confidence. United al times
with both of the leading parties of the country,
in some of the great questions which have aga'
ted the nation, he has in this shown desire to
identify himself with the good of all. Mr.. Cal
houn was slxty.fve years of uGe on the 18Th Of
March last. lie was born at Abbeyi.le, IN South
Carolina. His father, Patrick Calhoun, emigra-
I'd 10 Pennsylvania, from Ireland when n child.
From Pennsylvania the family wen, to Virginia,
from whence they were driven by the Indians, az.
tCr BrllIock's defeat, to South Carolina, and to
a settlement sllll owned by the family Of youn.
Ror brother Of the distinguished Senator. The
molhcr was Virginia lady, and her worthy son
the youngest of five children. The patornuI and
maternal families were both Of the true Wing
stamp of the revolution; and frequent and severe
were their conflicts with the Indians and Tories
who were the common enemies of the country,
One uncle was murdered in cold blood by par.
~ Of Tories in sight Of his own house. A sec.
ond wus taken prisoner by the English, and re-
mained in the dungeons of ST. Augustine for nine
months. The third fell in the battle of the Cow
pens, with thirty sabre wounds; and the father
had as many hair breadth escapes as, in times
less savage and exciting would have distinguished
him from all men around him. On one occa-
sion he was one of thirteen men who had fierce
encounter with a large body Of Cherokee lndi.
ans. Seven of the thirteen were killed before
the rest rclrcated, and wCnty-lhrcC Indians per.
iahcd in the same fight.
Scenes like these, aud in times when, from the
sparseness of the population, every man had TO
b. his own protector, naturally infused something
Of lawlessncss into his character. At least We
presume this to be tho fact, from an occurrence
N his life, when, with his neighbor5 he marched
armed al all points 10 the nelghbOrhood Of Char
lesion 10 exercise a disputed right Of franchise
lie opposed The Federal Constitution, upon the
ground that it allowed oIher people than Carroll.
mans TO TAX Carolina; and this he called viola.
ton Of the Declaration of Independence. For
thirty years this man represented the people of
his noghborhood in The Legislature, and during
all his life appears TO have had their confidence
and respect
The early advantages Of John c. Calhoun
were few. Most Of his boyhood was passed up.
on the plantation, and in securing the small priv.
Ieges OF country life. In TWO years after com.
mcnclng the study Of Latin, he entered the jun.
u class at Yale College, and, inIwo more, rocev.
ed one Of the highest honors Of his class. Pres.
ident Dwight, Of Yale College, was charmed with
the ability Of his young student, and predicted
That he would one day bo President of the Uni.
ted States. In the Law School Of old LltchdeId,
where he passed eighteen months, he also acqu.
red great distinction, and equal fame at home,
both in closing his legal studies aud in the com.
mencemenI oi practice, at the bar Of his native
district, where he at once took high position.
shur period found him member Of the Leg.
sialure, aud one Of the leading members Of the
body. lle sided with what is caled the "Repub.
lican parry" in his State, aud became one OF its
most distinguished members. lie soon interest.
ed himself in the national politics, and the attack
oi the English lrgate Leopard, upon the Chesa.
peake, inAamed his own mind, as well as that Of
the whole American people. The bar was soon
forsaken for the forum; and, in 1911, at the frs,
session of the Twelfth Congress, Mr.. Calhoun
took his seat as one Of the Representatives from
the State of South Carolina with William Lowndes
and Langdon CheeVcs-namcs renowned in the
history OF the State. This was the war Congress
hnd the war session. The second place upon
the Commrlee on Foreign Affairs was awarded
70 Mr.. Calhoun--Peter B. Porter beingthe Chair.
man, and John Randolph, Felix Grundy, aud
Philip b. Key, his associates. contest ensued
at ouce, and the Commucc were divided upon the
intensely exciting question which then agitaled
the country. Poner and Grundy were united
upon one side and Randolph and Calhoun upon
the other. The withdrawal OF Mr. Porter soon
made HIM Chairman Of The Commlree, and as
such, he brought forward and defended all the
war measures of Congress. With Mr.. Clay and
Mr.. Webster, he defended the enlargement ol
.Ibe Navy, aud contributed to mako this branch
o. lss public dsIsnce popular.