The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-08-10
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From the Southern Patriot. e,
Lives of Eminent South CaroJiniana

w call the altentl0n OF Pnr readers
to the following circular 8 Of 3 Major
Samnel a. Townes. It9wIll8 bst
seen that he proposes to publish o.
book which shall contain the IiYss OF
the eminent men of South Carolins;
and for that purpose he seeks the IS
assistance Of gentlemen tlrDughont
the State. We sincerely hope that,
this laudable effort Of Mai. Iownse.ss;
will be successful, and that an interest
will be taken in his proposed work bYi;sll
every one who feels a pride ia sthagg
fame OF South Carolina. lt;scme one
or two gentlemen in each district and
parish Of the State will undertake
to collect the material for the lives Of
tho distinguished men of their re-
spectife section, and send tile same Ia
Major Townes, his book will be one h
OF great interest and value SYeas
have long thought that such work
was g great desideratune in South
Carolina,
GRkEsyrLLE, S. c., 1852. Il
DEAR SIR: Perhaps no State in the
Union has produced SO many men e1Ii-
inent for genius, patriotism and
learning; as South Carolina; and yet it
is remarkable how little we have Of 3
Biographical dclineation of the dis.
tinguished dead md living men who
have SO long illustrated the annals 5of
the State, and made South Carolina. 3
although geographically one Of. the
smallest States in the national group
confesscdly, "Me bright particu,
lar STAR OF the Confederacy. With
q view Of rendering JUSTICE to
the memory ofour illustrious dead and n
living men of distinction, and the. 81
promotion Of the honorable o,ame Of
our beloved State, it is proposed q
to write very brief sketch Of the
history of the State, from its earliest
colonization to tho present time, and
tho lives Of all her distinguished mel.
during the same period. 80 gS5ss s
The undersigned does not feel him.
| self competent, alone, to perform this
great act Of patriotic duty to his
native State, but, on the assurance Of
aid from several distinguished gen.
tlemen in, this and neighboripg States,
first being had, he proposes to is.
sue, immediately thereafter, a Pros.
pcetus for q work to be entitled aLiyes
of Eminent South Carolinians."
To give character and confidence in
the enterprise, ! respectfully and
earnestly beg permission to state thas
have been honored with your pro-
missed assistance. If you have tho
kindness to assent to my request, YOU
will greatly oblige by addressing me
at this place, and by designating
the lives of those it may be youf
pleasure to write.
1t may not be amiss to add, thas
the proposed work is expected 10 be.
comprised in one volume, pstavo,
Of 400 or 500 pages, and to enbraes
the lives of a great number of pers
sons-that, therefore, brevity VIII be-
Indispensable, and that, as editor oe
the book, must necessarily reservetq
myself the privilege of adding to
or curtailing the contributions Of my
numerous friends.
In preface to the hook, proper
Acknowledgements will be made, aud
the names of those who aid me bE
their kindness and talent gratefully
recorded. OF course the namo pe
no contributor will be given to tho
public where wish to the cont rary il
indicated.
Trusting, sir, that I may bs
permitted to add your name to
the list Of those who have already
thus honored me, and thereby give ads
dtional certainty TO my proposed
enterprise.
am with very great respect, ag.
Your obedient servant, ..
SAMUEL a. TowaEs.
FASHIONABLE MANNgRs.--T There
is o set of people whom I eannos
boar tho pinks Of fashionable pro:
pricty-whose every word is precise,
and whose evory movement ID pnex,
ceptionablc; but who, yerscd in all
the polite catcgorics of polite behar
vior, have not q particle Of soul or of
cordiality about them. We allow
that their manners may ba abund-
antly correct. There may be els;
gance in every gesture, and grace.
fulness in every position, not as smile
out Of place, not a step that would not
bear the measurement Of the sever
est scrutiny. This is very fine; but
! what | want is the heart and gaiety
of social intercourse-th the frankness
that spreads animation around it,.
the eye that speaks affability to AN,
that chascs timidity from every boz
som, and tells every man in the com.
pany to be confident and happy.
This is what l conceive to be tho
virtue Of the text, BE courteous,
and not the sickening formality Of
those who walk by rule, and would
reduce the whole of human life TO- q
system Of misery and constraiht.
[Dr Ghaealsrs,