Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-26
Hon. James L. Orr.


Hon. James L. Orr
On taking leave Of Hon James L. Orr
as our Representative in Congress, (his
term Of service having expired on the 18th
instant) we feel it due to him, to ourselves
aud toa number of our readers. for whom
we know We arc at liberty to speak concern
ing his public course since he bccamc our
Representative, to express the deep regret
we feel in parting with him, and to as. ure
him of the continuance of that confidence
and esteem which hisstrct attention to du
ty and wntchtul defence of the interest of
his section inspired in the very beginning
of his public career.
W Mhatcrer others mny say. we are pre-
pared to maintain the opinion heretofore
expressed by us that his political life has
! been as consistent and fearless, as that of
amy who have shared with him the repre-
Scntaion OF our Statcin the halls or nation
al legislation. Few men have risen more
rapidly in public fi,vor and this of itself
was sufficient ground fora charge of trcu.
son to the interests of this section" with
a certain faction in our own State. who
seem to think they have n :" right divine"
or having fallen heir to what they call Tho
once boaStcd chivalry of South Carolina"
that they have, therefore, the right TO s,.y
who shall be great, and worthy of conf
dcncr, and who shall he branded and nut
down as &" trucking politicians, design
ing wirc-pullcrs,' and traitors No man.
| however anNicus he may he for the rood
opinion of others, whoholls position which
subjects his words and actions TO public
scrutiny, can scarcely hope to cscro cen
sure aud misrepresentation but fearless
and independents course is sure to bring up.
on him the violent displc;suro and bitter
denunciationS of those whose dictations he
! has refused to follow, and whose threats he
has disrcgardcd. Col. Orr has had his
share of dcnuncintion and abuse from these
whose mouth. piece he refused to be. and
whose sentiments did not accord with his
| own sense of right and of duty but he has
come unscathcd through it ALL aud has to-
/ day II larger number of warm and admiring
/ friends. both i'll the State and out of it, than
ever before.
1 Entering Congress six years after he
! gained his majority, Col. Orr took an active
and leading part in its deliberations up to
/ the time OF his election to the Spcakcrship
in December, 1857 The ship of State
since he went on board to assist in guiding
ITS course, has wcathcrcd many storms, and
he has been by no means least conspicuous
in his efforts to save it, without an unjust
sacrifice to the fury of the storm, and to pre-
serve it's chart and compass as they had been
handed down to us by those brave patriots
OF tho revolution, who under threatening
skies and upon stormy deep, launched
this ship, freightcd with their liberty and
their rights, eighty three years ago.
Col. Orrs course in Congress, and the
high esteem in which his talents and zen.
erous qualities of both head and heart were
held by those who had ample opportunity
to test and to know them is too well known
to our readers from the frequent evidence
with which we have furnished them, to ,c-
quire any other mention at this time. But
not alone in Congress has he shown that
manly scf-reliance and staaght. forward
purpose, which we have been commencing.
but as one of the first to throw himself into
the breach against the separate secession of
South Carolina, and against the wild spread
OF the Know Nothing movement, he is cer,
tainly entitled to more sogacity than fsfIs5
to the lot of most men, or is to be consii.
cred as having most signally vindicatcd his
title to that independence and fearless a.
yowaI of his own convictions which We
have claimed for him.
We do not desire however, to appear as
the champion or defender of Col 0ir's po.
l.tical life; he is fully prepared to take care
OF himself, and only meant in beginning
this article to express our docp Sense IS
the loss our Congressional District has ox-
pcrienced in being donicd a continuance Of
| his services as our representative '4sF