Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-17
Letter Of Gen. Hamilton.

publicly, whether, it elected TO the, Senats
of the United States, would serve. The
terms OF this call are 50 kind and cnmpli.A
nentary, that dclicacy forbids my being
iustrumcntnl in making it public. The
parti,lity of other friends has also brought
my name before the good people of South
Carolina, in the columns of your paper and
the Charleston Courier, as a lit successor TO
the lamented Butler-a vacancy more eas;-
ly filed than his place can be adequately
supplied
Believing that the Kansas complication
may precipitatc on the country moment
Gus Issue, coniuncture of circumstances
may arise, which in the service of the
State, would involve an obligation equally
imperative as her defence in case of 4 pub
lie war. To avoid all misconstruction of
my position, if the State thinks proper to
elect me to the high aud honorable post in
question, shall feel it my duty to obey
her mandate.
beg leave, however, to avow, that, re-
garding the Office as one that may be DE-
clined, but never solicited, / will, under
no circumstances, make myself candidate.
| will solicit no mans vote; | Will oppose
no nau's election. [ enter into no car
vass, no combination, no confederation with
Others / simply stSnd in position OF
entire quicsceucc and neutrality, ready to
obey the unsolicited wishes of the j4egislsl
ture, if it calls upon r,c to represent tie
sovereignty of South Garolina in the great
council of coufsderAtod eossfsighs in-,.
which event Will repair to MY post with
all possible despatch, prepared with I'M
compromising zeal and fidelity to promote
her intete IS and sustain her hoRor. If
my past history I'm connection with. the
public affairs of South Carolina, alta crisis
of intense interest and public peril, giycs
me no 'cl;iim TO be trusted, then ] must
submit to the verdict of public sentiment,
and remain in a retirement in which have
many private duties to perform, and many
! sources of contcntmcnt, to cultivate. /
think it due to candor however, to declare
that have no desire to serve beyond the
remaining term of the late incumbent. l
! should 30 into the Representations d the
State under belief that tie issue must
como up within the next three years, wllcth-
er the South can, consistently with her im-
terests and honor, remain in the Union.
This question being practically solved, L
would then seek retirement so we'll suited
to my own Indications, penetrated with
deep and neXpressiblc feeling of gratitude
to my native State, which in tines past,
has layished ~ on ne 50 many OF her pub.
| lie honors, andwhat is of farnore inapDre.
! ciablcyLlue, ,lnuch of her public confidence
belong to past gAnaration--td con.
fcderacy of men who have passed from tho
stri;es ard conteutions of this fitful and te-
t,N IS
ness. When think OF those coa~plniu
of ny then comparative youth. and as oai-
ates in glorious st,ug slo, "my he lrt grows
loud as | write, and could poar it ous
like water | hope that /, the humblest
of the tbrong,- nlaS@ba permitted to place a
poor garland on their graves. They rise
| unbidden to my memory i'll all the strong
lineaments ofiite.
There stands Calhoun, in all the grand
eur of his genius aud the solidity of his
immoyable integrity, What inscription of
praise does he need beyond the utteranoe
Of his nameY
There stands Hpync, in all the mild ra-
diauce of his character-with an ability of
the highest possible compass, with ali mis-
transceiidant powers for government and
9dninistration--pure, spotless, aud undi-
mayed.
| There stands McDuf6e, with his robust
intellect and stern honesty, exerting powers
tof analysis aud argument which made him
ono of the first dhllocticians Of Of his is time,
and witlra Roman patriotism which burned
even in the cavcrns of the tomb.
/ There stands Turnbull, whose head was
as giganticias his heart was iucorruptibie-
who, with his fine Grccian face, disclosed
the great qualities of the race from which
he sprung burning enthusiosm, intense
genius, and nduueonqucrable courage.
Thcre stands Harper, q bright enlanation
of that intelligence which God coheers ON
tho most gifted Of his creaturcs---simple,
artless, with5a subiuga.ed solf,iove.
.0ftho leaders Of t,tho; Old Qtsafd,' but
two OF US afe left. Preston, and the hum.
BILE individual who addresses YOU Prog-
ton, who having been sor6lN smitten by
the hand of iuirnity, survives thanlS CtDd,
In renovated health and usefulness. Its
was said By distinguished c0temporaYy,
that cur association contained aigreat and
, extraordinary variety of talentI--a place fer
every man, and every man suited 10 his
Npluce aud that no county was ever better
prepared for revolution than South Cerol-
ma IN the efficiency of her'pnblie agcnt-,
Preston was eiapliatically olr onltar, aud
! was the first orator OF histilne TheSari,
egatcd richness tof bia Imagination
purity of his taste liis powct of arsusneuh
as f he Ind never cultivated atatgi1i b,,t Axe