Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-07-30


to give US the glorious maxims Of olden times,
let him not mutilate them Let him give them
to US in their full and solemn import; let HIM
tell us" de mortuis nil, nisi Jonum atque rs.
rum :" no thing of the dead but what Is good
and true. When next he is moved to speak
upon this floor, let him speak to us OF ooth
goodness and truth. God knows, MIR. Speaker,
that it is not my province to point out to Inc
member what he should do but hope that, III
asking him TO speak in both goodness and truth,
am not asking too much TINT am not lmpo-
sing upon him luxury, which his scan'y means
will not afford.
Mr.. Speaker, it is recorded in q treatise on
physiology, as an evidence of the power Of the
Imagination, that poor water-carrler once
dreamed that the king had conferred upon him
patent Of nobility, and that he arose in The morn
ing lunatic, weeping over the stern Necessity
of dYorciny from the instincts of his nature and
the habits Of his life. Now, Mr.. Speaker, it
the words of the holy seer have come TO pass !;
if we have fallen upon the days when the wo-
men of Massachusetts prophesy, when the men
of Massachusetts" see visions and dream dreams
if the member from the Suffolk district has
dreamed that lie can speak what IL Dolh gooa
and true of the living or OF the dead. trust, sir.
that in his waking hours he finds the reality no
violence offered to his nature, or no burden TOO
heavy to be borne.
Now, sir, | have 10 perform the last act in This
Legislative ceremony. A majority in this House
has passed resolution of ccnsure upon me-
For what? Because did not turn public in
former Informer against whom? Against my
then colleague, Mr.. Brooks against my friend
my bosom friend. and, as the black republican
journals have charged completely on my partand
conspiracy, will say, inforner against my
State What, sir turn public informer against
my colleague, against my friend, against my
State Sir those who wishto be galvansed into
walking sa,ires upon honor and dcccncy and fidel-
i!y NAV turn informers !; ! never shall. And turn
informer in favor Of whom! A man who has
slandered my State and one of her most dlStis.
ruished and trusted sons Judge Butler.
Sir, ! knew that my colleague intended to
punish the Senator from Massachusetts Mr..
Sumner unless lie apologised. l knew he
would punish him, for he told me So and he al.
WAYS performs what he attempts. ] did not
know, however, when or where the punishment
would be inflicted; and did not anticipate It's
inhiction in the Senate chamber Had ant!cl.
paled that act of justice there, should have
been still nearer the scene Of action than was.
Sir, the Senator from Massachusetts Mr..
Sumner1 had slandered South Carolina and one
of her distinguished Senators, Judge Butler J
Sir, he had slandered 4 man dear TO my State,
Judge Butler man whose name is interwo-
ven with her history 4 man in whose veins flow
only patriotic blood, and whose family escuche-
on is bound with laurels won on many field.
Sir, when this man was slandered-lhis man,
distinguished by dignity and usefulness by his
service and reputaton-this man crowned with
all the honors Of we!l-spent lifr--wlcn he was
slanderpd in his absence, is it strange that the
blood of kinsman should run swiftly, and boil
up with Indignation against the slandcrer! SIR,
had my colleague acted otherwise than he did,
he would have deserved contempt.
There are wrongs, sir, for the redress of which
no appeal can be made to human tribunal.
Wounded honor can never be redressed by an
attorney F; nor can manly pride be weighed in
leral scales. Nv colleague redressed wrong
10 his blood and his State, and he did it in fair
and manly way.
Sir, in the ieudal code of chivary--the only
code of chivalry the wit of man has ever con-
structed-,he churl was never touched with the
knighty sword his person was mucted by the
charterstatf.
Sir, what spectacle has this House presented
to the world The adherents of Mr.. Sumner
say: We hold a mans person sacred, but his
on the other hand say that character is sacred,
and without it mans person is not worth pro-
tecting. Sir, let us 60 to the country on this
issue: Sanctty of character on the one side,
aud impunity to SANDER on The other
/ ask, again, sir. did this House expect me to
turn informer? Informer, sir, against my COL
league and intimate friend and that, TOO, in
favor of slandcrer. Sir, of all characters, save
that of the nformer, the slanderer is most des-
pcable Even after he shall have breathed the
supreme breath of his hidcous fe-fur cold
booded and measured slander is moral hideous-
ness-evcn from the worms, ftly battening on
his disgraced remains. even after The flesh that
wraps him shall have dissolved away and mingled
with The tainted earih-even then will history
select his name from among the dishonorcd
names of earth and condemn it, in sereoyped
infamy, to live amongst her most wl'herlng re-
cords. Sir, whoever wishes TO be Pillored in
dishonor may turn informcr-ncver will ]. II
the constitution only protects the sanderer, it Is
worthless ii lis eyis is only thrown around a
mans body Of flesh, while his character, whchi>
immortal, is lett TO be blurred, and stained, and
sullied by obscenity and slander, thea the light.
ming Of an indignant people should blast and
consume it. Sir, never will submit, to slander,
or will betray confidence.
For the Individual opinion of those who have
passed the resolution Of censure upon me, !
care nothing. For their official opinion, formally
recorded have proper Scnsi:veness From
this recorded act OF 4 majority here, almost ell
tirely black republican and abolition shall up.
peal TO my constituents. shall appeal to those
who hold character sacred, and among whom
honor is maintained. | shall appeal TO a con-
s,ituency to whom are given our revolutionary
records, as the primer of learning is given to H.
fancy, 10 turn over its leaves like those Of an
illustrated volume; for those who have mas
tered the hornbook of fame aud The y! phabel Of
patriotism may decide upon The character Of an
act
have only now TO add that / have placed my
resignation in the hands of my colleague, Gov.
Aiken,) to lake effect when | make The an.
nouncement npon this floor, and that he has a
ready transmitted it 10 the Governor of the
State of South Carolina wish only to say.
in justice to the chairman (aIr. CaInphelD of the
special committee. that have no complaint to
make against his conduct in this mailer.
row derlare, sir, that am no longer men,
Der, of the Thrty-fourth Congress Of the Uni.
ted States.
EXECUTION OF n II. CHANEY.
This unfortunate man convicted at the lasi
snr;,o fnrr, IF our Tnprt nf ppYrn on