Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-09-18
The BoDham Dinner.

scmblcd at ] ! o clock, under the cool shade
otthcgrovc which surrounds the Male Acad-
envy
Mr.. Bonham was well ,mcd in hand
some manner 10y Mr.. S. S. Tompkins who
addressed him in neat speech of n very
few minutes duration. MIR. TompllinS said
that his constituents had met to do honor
to faithful representative oftheir interests
in the National Congress; that notwith-
standing Mr., Bomham had voted differently
from the entire Southern Delegation in
Congress, with one distinguished exception
on the Kansas Compromise, his comstitu-
uents OF Edgtield not only tolcr ted, but
approved and endorsed his positions that
they did not ccnSurc any Southern member
Of Congress for voting as his conscience and
sense Of duty dictated, but that they must
be allowed to testify their cordial support
ofMr. Bonhom vote by this public demon
stration: and that it gave ;hcm especial
pleasure to afford him this opportunity of
dctcrdmg his position before the people.
After Mir. TompkiEs speech, the sub
stance of which we hope we have given,
Mr. Bonham assembled the stand, the Edge
field Brass Band in the mean time PLAYING
a lively air. The music over, Mr. Bonham
arose and addressed heaudience in speech
of nearly two hours long. lie alluded in
happy manner to the illustrious names of
those who had preceded him in represent
ing his present constituency at Washington
IN which he paido worthy tribute to the la
mcnted Preston S. Brooks He went into
an elaborate discussion of the Kansas Con
tToversy; exposing much of the trickcry
of party politics, and giving his reasons for
voting us he did He said he had formed
his judgement by the lights before him,
that he stood by it then and he stood by it
now, and that he felt sure in this, that he
had discharged his duty fairly aud honestly.
He endorsed the Administration and Gx
pressed his Willingness to 90 with the Dem
ocratlc party so long, and only so long, as
they were right. lie believed that in no
other party could We find any safety and
favored our cooperation with it as long as
it stood by the constitution and States
Rights and State Sovereignty. He differ
ed with Senator Hammond that there was
no distinction between National Demo.
crat and a States Rights Democrat, and
dwclt upon his conception of this important
difference. He signifed his willingness to
go into the National Convention of Demo-
Gratis because he believed the States Rights
party of the South should have hand in
the nomination of the candidate for the
next Presidential election and that they
could control the Convention.
He favored the dissolution of the Union
in the event of a Black Republican being
elected in 1860 and believed that such
would be the result. In the course of his
remarks he spoke in an affecting manner
of his once glorious chieftain and after
wards gallant colleague in Congress, Gen.
John a. Quitman. The speech was for the
most part an able one, and patriotic one
As regards some ofits views we cannot con
cur with him, but are willing to agree to
disagree, to entertain an honest difference
without opposition-a way of getting along
but little in vogue cspeci lily with public
men. AS this speech will shortly appear
in print we shall not attempt anything like
adctailedreport.- t.--NcmJevy C0nScyratiH,
LETTER CT COL. A. p. CALHOUN To
THE BONuAM DINNER.
FoRT ilILL, August q, S58.-GentIemcn:
regret that cannot accept your invitation
to the dinner to bc given to the Hon. NJ. l..
Bonham, on the I'd Of September. lndepen-
dent of the high admiration have for Gen.
Bonham's manly, bold, and cmincntly South
ern position invoting againstthc conference
Bal, | have The additional indnccment of
friendship, dating back to school and college
days, TO write, in doing honor to one, who
ever found courteous, brave and tried IT, in
the midst ofsuch adverse times for the South
we neglect to honor the bold, honest, and pa
triotlc representative, who fcarleSsly per
forms high duty to his State and his sec
ton, then is the South ready for the woke
friends on the other, are preparing for her
once proud but docile neck All that the
true representative of South Carolina, or any
Southern State, can hope for in honestly
maintaining Southern principles, without
looking to tho promotion of party interests,
is the appreciation Of his felow-citiaens. As
section, the Sauth is irrctricvably and
hopeessly in n minority. If true TO herself
and her own dignity. Federal patronage can
no longer be reached by any of her sons. In
the Electoral College the non-Slaycholding
States have majority of sixty, soon to be
swelled to twenty more A united South
cannot elect u President. But united
South with n few Northern States can. 10
NHsS' s' SuOi u SOii'i'atloi', VIII uo antl-SiaNe-
ry States unite with us by coming to our stan
dard of principles, or are we forced to de-
scend to their low political morality, and
limited concessions to us. That tho latter
ist the alternative presented, ca be bedemonstra.
ted by the fact, that no one can be prominent
Nationally. from the South who advocates
Southern Rights doctrines. They will meet
you on the platform of Democracy. But de-
clare yoursclfa q Southern Rights man. Meet
in Nashyilleor Montgomery, only to consult