Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-05-25
Recollections of the ate Hon. John
n GalhO1l,

!, llCCOl1CCGl GlUAo Va tAS NV ~@o&' SoA@A~
:. O. Calhon.
: Mr.. Powers, in letterYritten to friend
in the United States from Florence, is said
to have made the folloyng statement 'o-
garding the bust Of Mr.. Choun:
al have no bust in my studio which at
tracts so much attention Rs Calhoun, if |
except the ideal ones. hlny have said that
it would pass for bustIo Brutus. One
said, al should not like to be judged by
:. that man, unless my caust was good" An
other said "He is ver stern man; but
good and amiable, Notwithstanding" Nei
,, ther of these knew whose bust it WAS"
OF all the public men ,otemorary with
) Mr.. Calhoun, it so chaneectiat knew him
best. Ny first acquaintane with him dates
back as far as 1882. TWAS at Columbia,
in South Carolina, wherel was on brief
visit during the session, ofhe State Legisla-
ture He was then on hisway to Washing
ton, from Fort Hil, his residence in Pendle-
ton District.
At that time nullifcatio, ran very high.
1t was deemed by Mr.. Calhoun and his
friends to be constitutional States-right
remedy, to he applied in no last resort, to
check the Observation-Disclosures of an
irresponsible majority in Congress.
We found Mr.. Calhoun. at the interview
referred to, plainly and simply dressed, and
quite unpretcuding in his manners. Ee was
frank and accessible in his intercourse yet
earnest and animated in conversation. He
then wore blue dress coat tiwilh gilt buttons,
and dark colored pants and vest, which had
been so we'll worn on his frame, as to give
them externally rather "seedy" look.
The next time we saw MIR. Calhoun was
at Washington, in 1886. lie was then in
the Senate, and as Industrious and as active
Us ever.
He then stood very high as forcible and
argumentative debater. | heard him on
several occasions, and was impressed with
the earnestness Of his manner, close logical
deductions, and the terse brevi:y with which
his ideas were expressed. There was no
attempt at rhetorical ornament, nor was
there a waste Of words. There was moth
ing sacrificed to the applause TO be gained
by the use of rounded periods or of empty
sounds, conveyed in beautifully selected
words, destitute of ideas. Every sentence
he uttered abounded in thought, or in ideas
strictly applicable to the subject in debate,
and was expressed in just the number OF
Droner-wnrds to convey his meaning TO the
was peculiar and torcFssespect his oratory
were better when delivered Ct itn,pvre t,iarr
when written.
We did not meet Mr.. Calhoun again uu-
til the called session Of lS4l, in Tyler's Adj
ministraton. We found him in opposition
to Mr.. Clay on the question of national
Bank, and occupying, as usual, strong ground
on the democratic side oil politics.
We were at this time frequently in his
company, aud had frequent conversations
with him. We had then just returned from
visit to Europe. He asked many queS-
tions about Eng gland. He said that the in
crease of pauperism and the necessity for
its relief, was proof to him that the people
were over taxed, and that those who had
despoed them were compelled to return
portion of the money, 10 mantain them, or
to save them from starvitlon.
1t cannot be denied that Mr.. Calhoun Was
ambitious, and at times, no doubt, INDUCED
reasonable hopes of one day reaching the
Presidency but his oper rupture with Gen.
Jackson, planned and lanented by another
less scrupulous aspirant, together with the
odium which selfish political partisans at.
tempted to fix upon the 6ctriue of nuIlfca-
ton, had the effect (so much the worse for
the country of disappearing bis views in
that direction.
Notwithstanding his rilliant services in
the cabinet of Mr.. lyle. to which he had
been reluctantly on his oart called, and his
great agency in securin the annexation of
Texas, instead of recci~g the nomination
of the Democratic par, in 1914, he was
overlooked, and James : Polk, greatly his
inferior in every respec, was taken up and
elected, and mainly onhe strength OF Mr..
Calhoun's annexation nasures.
Mr.. Polk, at his iuauuration, found Mr..
Calhoun in office, andworked down to
bed Of sickness. After good deal of insin.
cerity displayed on theart of Mr.. Polk to-
, wards MIR. Calhoun an his friends, whom
he led to believe at outline that Mr. Cal
| houn would be retaine in Office, to CON-
plete the great work annexation, as well
rs important reforms had commenced
: and partially accomphed in his depart
ment, and which woulequire some months
of additional labor to fish up, (after which
he himself proposed tetire,) he was dis
y missed, and Mr.. Buchan installed in his
!, place.
: 1t was at this periode called to SEQ Mr..
T. :. Calhoun. He had Gaiully, honorably and
usefully devoted thirty forty years Of his
life to the service of country. He was
now reduced by illncfrom over e1ertion,
v and had Just been disarsed by MIR. Polk,
t and apparently desert by the country at
0 large. 1t is at such ancture that we can
best Judge of mau'se greatness of soul.
On entering his ru we found him sit
# ting M in an arm CHI and cheerful, but
' wasted and thin. Helulged in no repin-
inus, in no censure Off. Folks course, no
complaints of the peos ingratitude.
! Our conversation ohat occasion shall |
:, ~ never forget, and shabroceed to give it in
- some detail.
d His face was turnel the direction OF Il
n northern window, thear snbdued light of
$. which illuminated hisatures. His eyes,
ID naturally Of a large C, blue, beamed with
:c great brilliancy and illgence | sat ra.
II ther at one side and ront of him, which
gave me sort of fulbfle view of his fea-
=, turps After some e conversation he