Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-06-03

of his native District.
On Monday Morning the first day Of June,
large meeting of the people Of the District was held
in the Court House pursuant TO notice. The Hon.
F. W. Pickens was called to the Chair, and COL A.
Smkins and En,met Seibles, Esq, were appointed
Secretaries.
Upon taking his seat the Honorable Chairman
introduced The subject-matter Of the. meeting in u
most feeling and eloquent address. We regret that
we have been unable to obtain copy Of these re
marks. From notes taken-at the time we present
the following imperfect sketch of them:
Death, said he, is under all circumstances we'll
calculated to awaken the deepest feelings Of ma
ture and to startc us from the repose OF ordinary
life. But when the avenging arrow falls upon one
the most prominent amongst US, whether us TO pos
iion, age or u i!ness, upon one enleared TO US BY
all that can bind man to his fellow men, then does
the event indeed draw forth the most solemn emo
tons Of our nature Eminently is this the case in
the death Of ANDREW PIcKENs BUTLER The fayorite
son of old Edgefeld, Identified with her in feeling
aud in interest for the last forty years, is no more
lie is gone forever.
If know myself desire to utter not a word of
extravagant eulogy on this occasion. But think
can most truly say that no man has ever lived and
died in South Carolina who had more personal
friends, more strong attachments clustering around
him, than the lamcntcd dead whose memory we
this d1y meet 10 honor And rs fur as the people
i I'll,
is u man in it WIN did not look towards him with
that kind of 1--we and respect which the members
Of every virtuuus family feel for its most prominent
representative. True, in that brliancy Of genius
which dazales from its power and splrndor others
have ranked above him but in all that attaches 10
manly, vigorous ntellect-n every thing that belongs
to heart devoted to truth, justice and every social
and public duty, there never lived his superior
knew him well, intimately for many long years,
having been identified with him by marriage and
thus brought into constant and close contact with
him, assert that in all the relations Of domestic life,
in all the tenderest ties Of existence never knew
his superior cannot however trust myself to say
more on these sacred associations.
1t is in his public life that we find abundant ma
terial for thought and for admiration. think may
say there is not valley not hillside in this State
from which the sighs Of sorrowng people will not
ascend in view Of his death, borne gently up BY
the breeze that itself seems fraught with melancholy
lie was, and would have been in any age, marked
man. If he had been Roman (and Roman he was
,1, ba hod tivod, in bof oc Do
man power, when Cato and Cesar, and their distin-
gushed contemporaries enacted their several great
parts in the tremendous drama Of the day, he would
have been, even amongst them, marked man and
when say this, compare him with men who have
chiselIed out for themselves, high up on the granite
column of Fame, names which allthc circumstances
of chance or change can never oberate. 1t was
the noble attributes of his moral nature much more
than his strong mental endowmens, that placed the
deceased in this elevated grade Of humanity. What
was il that made Brutus one OF the most admired
names Of antiquity was it his eoquence, or any
brilliant manifestations Of exalted intellect No.
it was his heart, his moral power his devotion to
right. What gave John Hampden his high claim
to Immortality OF fame? Who was he? A farmer
"a plain man-with no pretensions to extraordinary
mental ability. But he loved the liberties of his
country, and his soul was given up to their defence
Such as was Hampdcn, such as was Brutus, such
was ANDREW PIcKENs BUTLER. lie would have
met any event, or have faced any array of Difficult
ties in the path of patriotic duty, like a man. ]
speak within the bounds of strict truth. And here
let me say that his character was formed under the
SIMPLE stern teachings of revolutionary integrity
He was blessed with mother, than whom trucr,
trmer, purer, better woman never lived. To that
mother he yielded degree of fuI pety seldom
equacd among men From her he received The
early impress Of that high virtue which guarded and
guided his path through life. And know that, to
her last days. lie obeyed her as never son obeyed u
parent.
There are indeed peculiar circumstances about
this remarkable family, which we are seldom per
milted 10 see in life. There was matrou, with
four children around her. all Of them (at nearly
the same time) in the most prominent public connec-
tons: One of them, the illustrious man whose
death convcncs us to-day, in the Senate OF the
United States: Another, Governor Of South Car
olina, and soon after covered with glory on the
fatal field of Churubusco third, the representa-
tive in Congress from the Mountain District Of our
State: And the fourth "a daughter) the wife of one
who had also represented the State in Congress and
was afterwards our Minister to Mexico. And now
they are ALL all gone, entered the portals Of purer
life. In the family battle-ground where We the
other day deposited tn. remains Of the last survivor
Of the FOUR two Of the three brothers are now
sleeping together, their bodies hidden from us in
the tomb but their virtues still living amongst us
and ever to be remembered. Let The fathers Of
families in old Edgelirld send their sons to these
graves 10 learn ,he'cssons Of honor and orhigh-sou
e., devotion to truth. Then indeed will their less
present rich return Of good 10 our people, which
will continue to bear fruits years anil years after
their bodies shall have moulderei into dust.
In conclusion ca only say once more: AN
DREW PIckENs BUTLER is forever gone. He me,
the last struggle, as such men always do, firmly and
collectedIy he fell upon the neck Of his mother,
the State, and died as he had lived, true to himself
and to his good name.
Col. j. P. CARROLL then rose to offer resolutions
of respect and prcfaord them with a speech Of
unusual beauty and propriety. The secretaries re-
gret that they have been unable to procure 4 copy
of this speech, as it would have been priced part
of the record Of this occasion. They hupe that its
author will yet prepare it for publication, aud there
fore abstain from using the meagre notes before