The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-13
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Friday Morning, February Ii, 1857.
Letter from Charleston, y. G..
coRaEsPospEsc FrHEprsrarcH

q n 4 II
CHARLESTON, February 10. 1857.
The melancholy fate of Mr. Taber, the able edi.
tor Of the Charleston Mercury, whs fell in . dssl
some months ago, has led to general discussion of
the subject by the clergy of this city. TWAS made
the theme OF discourses lately from all the pupts
one Q, which was repeated by Request. and hsd
the pleasure. upon its repetition, of hearing it
The preacher was the Rev. Mr.. Winckls Of the
Baptist Church. and the sermon was ono of great
power and eloquence.
One Of the Baptist congregations of this citv has
lately built q new and handsome church aud in
collecting funds, . leading member promised that
whatever sum the congregation might contribute
be would put down an equal amount on his own
account. Ine amount raised by the congregation
was seven thousand dollars. and he immed steIv
subscribed seven thousand more noble exam.
pie of liberality
Al one of the Methodist churches in this eitv.
tKev Mr. Wlghtman's. one of the purest and most
eloquent of South Carolina divines) saw larger
number of negroes than ever before saw gath
cred In any but an exclusively black congreRation
Both galleries were literally crammed with the sons
OF AFRICA There are two negro churches 10
Charleston (Episcopal and Presbyterian but it is
against the policy here to encourage African
churches The Rev. Mr.. Wightman's church has
two thousand negro communicates There are
nfEeen thousand negroes in this city of whom more
than hve thousand or one-third of The whole negro
population Of the city are members of the Retho
dist Church. The adult slave and free negro pop
ulation of South Carolina, is hundred and seventy
hva thousand OF these. forty.fve thousand, or
about one-ttird OF the whole are members of the
Methodist Church.
The remains of the lustrious Calhoun liein 81.
Philips Churchyard in this city, with nothing but
plain slab to mark their res ing place. Il is TO
be hoped that South Carolina viii not long permit
this seeming neglect of her most Distinguished son.
One OF the most Interesting. as well as the most
splendid structures of Charleston, is the Orphau
Asylum noble monument of the liberalitY, be-
nevolsnce and good taste of the people of this cy
It Is an institution of sixty six years standing In
Its architectural beauty, and adaptation to it's
benevolent purposes, 1t is unsurpassed if equalled
in this country. II has valuable library and
fine chapel, in which the clergy of all denomina,
tions ofciate in regular rotation Sunday after
noon. Distinguished boys of the Asylum NAV be
translated by the Commissioners to the High School
of Charleston, and then to the Charleston College
for the gratuitous completion of their educa-
tion
The State also has provided for the education
and maintenance of one youth annually at the
Columbia College, and once in four years, two
youths to be educated At the Military Schools -
Other boys are aPprenticed to various vocatons
and girls to mantna makers. mllners &C. and
| some OF them are educated for Instructors in the
| schools. Two thousand children have been sup
ported In this school during the &c years of its
| istence The present number is 2T5 The annual
expenses vary from $4,000 TO SEQ, coo. The re
| sources public and private funds. The former
amounts to about Sl5000O. and its income TO about
&c 800. The private fund amounts to S65 000.--
Mr.. Memmipger, one Of the most distinguished cit-
ZeDs of South Carolina was educated here Capt
7. H Stevens distinguished officer at the vicio.
rv of Lake Erie; Capt. Thomas H. Gedney, also
of the Navy, who discovered the best and deepest
channel to the barbor of New York, the Geduey
channel; John X Campbell Esq a talented Dis
trict Attorney of the United States in Florida and
Solomon Heydt nfeldt, one of the most eminent
Judges of the California Supreme Court, were
among the large number of the inmates CT the
Charleston Orphan Asylum. many Of whom have
attained high rank In the law. pulpit, halls of le
gisaton, the medical profession, scientific and
classical instructors and officers of courts Miss
Agnes Irving the present Principal of the School,
deserves great credit for the efficient and syste-
matte manner in which the education of the chill.
dren s conducted.
In the Orphan House yard stands q statue OF
William Pitt, the history Of which was to me both
new and interesting 1t originally procured
in pursuance of an act of the Commons House of
Assembly of South Carolina, in 1866 in honor of
Mr. Pitts noble assistance towards repeating the
Stamp Act During the siege of Charleston, in
1880, British cannon bali carried off Mr.. Pitts
right arm. The statue WAS afterwards taken
down and thrown into the Orphan Houss lot,
where it lay covered with dirt until in 1908 il ~
again erected on a pedestal, in the Orphan House
yard. The pedestal bears the following inscrip.
ton:
'Iu Grateful Memory of his Services to his Coun-
try In Esnesl and to America 10 particular Con-
mons House Of Assembly of South Carolina. unsni-
mousIy voted this Statue of the Right Honorable
William Pitt. Esquire. who slorieusIy exerted him.
self IN DEFENDING the freedom OF the Americans,
the true Sons Of England, by promoting repeal OF
the Stamp Act In the sar 1866. Time shall soonsr
destroy this mark of their esteem, than ersss from
their minds their just of his psrioti; vir.ues
The Orphan House is built in the Italian style,
is 236 feet long by rs feet wide, With an extension
In the rear 90 feet long by 81 feet wide The main
building is five stories high. The portics consists
Of Corinthian pillars. between which are arches,
supporting . CorintLian entablature and balus'
trade On each side of the central section are
wings, rising the whole heighto the building. The
height of the belfry ia l46 feet from the ground
The structure Is worthy Of the noble charity, q
charity which reflects the highest honor on the
munifcence and benevolence of Charleston, and
its warm hearted and generous people.