The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-10-27
BY DAVIS s. CREWS
Iron. tie Southern Field and Fircside.
JUDGE O'NEALL'S NEW WORK

ceptlon, from the publishers in Charleston
Of several advance sheets of new work
by Judge O'Neal, soon to issue from tn,
press of the Messrs. Courtenay.
The work will make two volumes O
500 pages, comprising about one hundred
aud fifty geographic sketches Of eminent
judicia! and professional men Of South Car
DINA. The work is handsomely gotten
up, and will prove valuable addition
to all professional and private libraries.
We extract from the pages furnished
US, the following sketch of Chancellor
Hugh Rutledge. There are few briyhte,
names in any State than Carolina boasts
IN her Ruted yes; and Tile Southern
hetd and FTrc>ide scizes with alacrity this
opportunity Of holding forth, for the en-
ulat,on Of Southern youth, one CT the
three brothers who have made tha. name
llIustrious. The three brothers, John
Edward, and Hugh, were model gentle
men and patriots. They have made the
name OF Rutle'lge the synonym Of private
worth and civic virtue. Carolina may
well be proud of it:
Hugh Ru,ledge, younger brother
OF John Rutledge, in the Spring of '76,
under the constitution Of that year, WAS
appointed Judge of the Court Of A,lmi-
ralty of South Carolina. After the fall of
Charleston, he, with his brother Edward,
Governor Gadsden, and many Others were
sent as prisoners to ST Augustine.
In ~, Hugh RutIedye WAS Speaker of
the Legislative Council, and so continued
until l7th Of October,l77s. In 1882, lie
became Speaker Of the House Of Represen.
tatives, and SO continued to 1885.
In 1900, the Constitution Of the State
was adopted. The first section Of the third
article declared, that the judicial power
shall be vested in sucl: superior and inferior
Courts Of law, aud Equity, as the Lr!!is!;,-
ture shall from time to time, direct and cs.
tabIish." Under this it may we'll be
doubted, wcther the term" Chancellor -
was any longer proper designation, and
whether, i'll strictnesS, such an officer should
not be called, as he was before '2+, "a
Judge Of the Court Of Equity"
On the 10Th of Fchuary, 1901, and after
the Act to establish Il Court Of EIni,y had
been passed. anl his brother John had
been elevated to the off e OF Chief Justice.
Hugh Entlcdse WAS appni:.tcl II Jud re "i
the Court Of Einty. Ue experienced the
neg ect of hi, Court by the Legislature in
not filling the places CT Mathews and Hunt,
(whu had bceu elected ia tI.e place Of
llutson, and who died in few months, J
for two ycars-daring which time he WAS
single Judge Of Il Court, then consisting,
according to law, Of three members. |
Tee it WAS graycly doubted, wether the
Court had not ceased to cxs! but a match.
less argument Of L.. w. Dvsarss,:re, after.
wards the Chancellor, showed conclusivelv
that it had not, and perhaps also served
to remind the Legislature Of their
duty.
Chancellor Rutiedge di-d in January,
i
1911. His talents are said to have not
been go "br!iliant, nor of SO distinguished Il
cast rs those Of his brothers, John and Ell
ward-but for so!i'l.ty of judgement, and
strong mani y sense, he was not inferior to
either Of them" AS Il firm intrepid pat.
riot, lie was pre- eminen:y distinguished bv
the cheerful performance Of every duty to
his country
The following account Of Chancellor Rut
ledge, from the pen Of al honored citizen
Of Charleston, does him full justice {:
There are many reasons why the author
Of this sketch should feel embarrassed by its
preparation but there are many more Willy
every vrtuous man i'll society should desire
to have justice done to those who have
preceded US in good works.
No movement has ever peen made in the
formation Of our national character, where
the name Of Rutledyc is not found. The
first Congress, which met at New York in
1865, has been not Improperly, called the
''Ovum ReipubIice." Nine colonies only
represented, and South Carolina among
them, with Thomas Lynch, Christopher
Gadsden, ard John Ruledge fully author.
lied to pledge their constituents for "weaI
or for Woe" In this year Patrick Henry
earned Immortality for himself by that Gel.
ebrated speech in Virginia, which put the
ball Of Revolution in molten.
Again we find what was called the Asso.
citation, assembled at Philadelpha in l774 :;
and in the proceedings we see the "Scal
Of our State supporting aud sustaining tie
cause" with two members of the Ruiledse
family acting for us. And in 1910, when
that great proclamation" was made to the
world, who can ever read the most impor
tant document, now extant, without ad-
Al n