The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-11-07
From the Philadelphia Episcopal Recorder.
Mr.. Calhoun's Dying Moments

Mf. Calhoun's Dying Moments.
In the New York Churchman, as well as
several of the secular papers, we meet-in all
cases without comment-a very extraordinary
sketch Of the dying hours of Mr.. Calhoun,
which, whatever pleasure it may give to those
who look with contempt upon the solemnities
of religion altogether, or may have some par
ticular reason for qualification at its humilia:
tiou in this special instance, cannot but case
unmixed pain not only to the sincere admirers
of Mr.. Calhoun, but to that still larger class
who regard the sanctions Of the next wplld as
indispensable to the economy of this The
statement in question purports to emanate
from Mr.. Scovil, Mr.. Calhoun's private secre-
tary, and it commences by saying that during
Mr.. .C.lhoun's illness the Rev. Dr.. Butler, then
the chaplain of the United States Senate, and
the rector Of the church of which Mrs. Cal
houn was COMMUNICATE, called upon Mr..
Calhoun, when the following conversation took
place:
l (Mr. ScovilD told him Mr.. Calhoun was
very ill-"too III to see any one." Mr.. Butler
replied:
THAT is the very reason why he should see
me- Will you have the goodness to announce
me, and tell him wish 10 converse with him
as minister of God, in reference to his siua-
ton p
hesitated an instant, and then remember.
ing that Mrs. Calhoun was.a communicate in
the Episcopal Church of which Mr.. Butler was
pastor, concluded, If wish to stand we'll in
her future regard, had better forego my de.
termination Of sending off Mr.. Butler, and so
said, swat Il moment, and left him stand
ing at the front door while returned to the
bedside Of Mr.. Calhoun.
God bless his glorious soul | see him now
as saw HIM then-his head propped up by
pillows, his pale, emaciated, but stern and com.
manding eyes, piercing as all eagles, andfixed
upon me-as entered the room. He knew |
had been to see some one who called.
"Who is it :" he asked.
Mr.: Butler, sir" : s,
"Why did you not bring him in at onces-
Il is his right as my colleague
"It is not Senator Butler, sir.'' y
"Bulers / don't know any other one
who is he?"
"It is the cha plain of the Senate, sir-Rev.
Mr.. Butler"
WNaC QOeS ne Whit
"He says that be has heard that you are
very low, and considers it his duty to come
and talk to you about serious matters"
"Send him off about his business. To come
to talk to me about his nonsense, and at such a
time as thisr'
| went to the front door and informed Mr..
Butler that Mr.. Calhoun was too i'll to see him.
.. " You certainly must be mistaken Does
he know it is me2"
cut the matter short with decided" Yes
sir, he does; and he says he don't want to see
you, and l won't disturb him by going again
with your name"
Rev. Mr.. Butler left, and when returned to
hs @ the ys %ss Of c6ssS ths S aaafn
broken sentences such as "to call on me for
such purpose r. "Young man not half
grown p "Subject thst'I have thought Of all
my life"
According to Mr., Scovil own statement,
therefore, he thought it not unbecoming to carl
cature the message left by DR.. Butler. by CIV
ing it when delivering it to the dying man to
whom it was addressed, first disrespectlul
aud then a ludicrous turn. If his irreverence
and his looseness Of memory were such as to
permit him 20 take such liberties as this, both
with the truth and with the emiLent statesman
of whom he was the attendant, we cannot but
be pardoned for supposing that still greater
license has been exercised by him in giving Mr..
Calhoun's reply where he has had SO much
more margin as to time and SO much less as to
responsibility. And independently of this,
those who know Mr.. Calhoun's great personal
sweetness and unselishness of temper will lie
10th to- believe that even under the influence Of
the unfeeling speech which Mr.. Scovil blurted
out, he would have given way to language SO
coarse and so unworthy of his own lofty and
gentle temper as that Mr.. Scovil details. That
Dr.. Blu tier called upon Mr.. Calhoun during his
illness We have no doubt That Mr.. Calhoun
was unable to see him and was perhaps impa'
tient at being disturbed is very possible. But
that Mr.. Calhoun's reply given to us by Mr..
Scovi is as much the production OF the latter
as was DR.. Buffers message to Mr.. Calhoun
is presumption about which those who either
knew Mr.. Calhoun, or have read Mr.. Scovil's
statement can have little difficulty in consider
ing conclusive. And this opinion is by no
means weakened by the discovery that Mr.. S.
who, during his illustrious cheftain's life, Gin
order to stand well in Mrs. C.'s regard" took
up Dr.. Buffers name after Mr.. Galhuun's death
has not hesitated to so far forgot his desire "to
stand well" with that noble and true hearted
lady as to inact from pure wantonness, upon
her widowed feelings. blow perhaps the most
CALLING which they could possibly receive.
Such, indeed, is the temper and such the Fl.
deity as to facts which mark the assaults Of
skepticism upon the religion of Chris' And
we have been induced to notice the passages
now for this very reason. 1t is by weapons
just of the temper as this-just as poisoned