The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-14

elicited the warmest encomfums. despite their
| differences on the exciting topics discusseo)
| nom Hugh S. Legare, then Minister IN brus-
sells his first speech being maze 81 Ias IEvs
rasnonsiye TO Jackson's famous proclama-
lion on tho Notification imbroglio. He soon
bacame chairman Of tho Committee on feder-
al Relations, and of the Committee on the Ju-
dietary and in the former capacity MADE the
well known report on the oath to be prescrlDeo
to officers. q subject which gave rise 10 SO
much excitement, politically and ludicially.
In 1884, when twenty-six years OF age, ne
was elected to Congress, as successor OF MT.
McDuffie, and at once took high rank from
speech he delivered on our relations Win
France. lady Of wit and fashion at tne Capl-
tai who had been accustomed 10 near MS pre-
decessor and the other great orators from nus
State, but who now heard Mt. Pickens lor .ne
first time. at the conclusion Of bis maiden
sneech In Congress, asked "lf 1t wero really
true, that orators grew spontaneous IN soutn
Carolina"
he and Governor Hammond, then also
member of the House of Representatives,, oy
concert, objected to the reception OF aDoiltion
petitions, which the House had oeen reGslvahs
and referring to the Committee on tne OlStrlot
of Columbia, and In January, 1886, ne deuVeI-
ed. on Governor Wise's resolution on that SUD
Iect, one OF the first argum tnts ever maue III
Conrress against the constitutional power OF
the Government to abolish slavery IN tne DIS
trict of Columbia, and forcibly portrayed tne
mower of the aboltionists amid confictlng
ppolitical parties. and the causes which would
inevitably increase that power, and demon
strated that from holding the balance OF power
they would finally control the destinies or tae
government. TT Is OF no avail, SAID he 10
close our eyes to passing events around us IN
this country and in Europe. Everything pro
claims that, sooner or later, we snall nave 70
meet the strong and the powerful, ana con
tend over the tvrnbs of our fathers for our COZ
secrated hearthstones and housenoid gooS,
or abandon our country to become oiacK
colony. and seek for ourselves refuge In the
wilderness of the West. 1t iS In vain 10 avoiu
the contest" How significant are these pre-
dlctlons OF 1896, when read by the light OF tae
Presidential canRass or 1850, anu tne iui'a
glare OF all that AAs followed In Its wake
his SD .ech on the Fertilization blu, insMay,
1886, attracted much attention from the vlgo-
rous exposition Of the real nature OF the
changes going on In the government, wnlch
he contended we're virtual alterations OF the
nature OF the government Itself. Al tnls Gay
1t has high additional value rom its predlc-
tlons, since realized, as TO tne cnanges M Mnlcn
would be produced in naval warfare by the ap-
pllcation of steam power. During the same
YEAR he was among the first who advocated
the independence Of Texas, In oppositlon 10
the views expressed by Governor McDune,
and others OF the dominant party IN South
Carollna and elsewhere; and In 1887 made one
of the first speeches In Congress In favor OF
the independent treasury scheme.
A series of speeches delivered by him from
this time to l8ll, on the relation OF the gov
ernment of banks and the banking system,
and on the subject Of exchanges, excited wide
spread comment and admiration IN the great
commercial and financial centres OF the Union,
and may bo read at this day With pleasure ana
profit. The report made by him as chairman
OF the Committee on Foreign Relations. In
1910, on the burning Of the steamboat Caronne,
and the demand made by the British Minister
for Nc. cod, exhibited his views OF our 10 eign
relations, ald created sensation Doth here
and In England.
He continued in Congress, an active partict-
pant in all leading debates: till the 4th Marcn,
| 1913, when he was elected TO NIL the unex-
pred term of Major Jeter in tho State Senate.
he was q member of tho state Convention OF
| 1852. and drew its ordinance affirming tho
right Of secession, reported By committee
COMPOSED of Chancellor Wardlaw, Robert w.
| Barnwell and himself.
| On the election Of Mr.. Buchanan TO the
Presidency. he accepted the mission TO ST
| Petersburg, having previously declined tho
mission to france, rendered him by President
Tyler, andthe mission to England, rendered
| hin by President Polk During his residence
| as American Minister In ST. Petersburg, he
| lealously guarded the honor and dignity OF mis-
country, aud vigilantly watched its interests,
so far as these came, or conld come, wit.iln
tho scope OF his duties OR powers, aud the lesl-
ton was the seat of an elegant hospitality,
embellished by all that female grace ana inse-
nifty could devise TO remind American vlsl-
tors to the Ice-bound carital of all tho Russias
| of tho delights Of oUr own more temperate
| cline.
But his heart amid oil the ostentatlOn and
gaiety of diplomatic life, was With his nome
and people In the sunny south anu tne Sonn
| Brown raid, the disruption OF the Democratic
party under the bold lead of Yancey, in which
narty Mr. Pckens had long thought was tho
| last hope Of Constitutional Union, and the IN
creasing excitement ofdomestic politics admon-
| lshed ali who blleved with him that .hclr prl-
mary allegiance was due to their state ana no'
| to the Federal Government; a; that tho prologue
| which had lasted for thirty years was nasten-
| nr rapidly to Its close; that the black curtain
which had shut down like a pail between tho
secr-like eyes Of Calhoun and the future was
about 10 be raised upon the first scene OF the
grand drama whOse denousment no mortal
could toretell that the conflict Of opinions
which had descended from Jefferson and Ham
| ilton TO Calhoun and Webster, to Plckens and
| Fessenden, was now belng debated Tor inc last
| time as conflict Of opinion between Wlglail
and Johnson; and that beyond the Atlantic was
no place for them whose solemn duty and high
privilege it was to be where, If other conflict
succeeded the conflict of opinion, they could
meet their enemy OF the gate--he resigned
his position as Minister to Russia, came 10
Washington, settled his accounts with the
|. department, and reached Carolina amid the
excitement which prevailed in November,
1850.
The times were darkening, and events, more
unrnistakabe than the flttlll beating OF the pub
lie pulse, proclaimed In tones too audible to
be misunderstood, that those who had Just
been chosen by the people Of Carolina to select
q ft occupant for the Executive chair, were
called upon to make that selection under cir
| cunstances moro momcntOus, and ut time
more big with fate, than hEd ever fallen to the
| lot OF the representatives Of the people.
Names OF good men and true, OF civil and
military fame Of national as well as State repu-
| totion, were presented, but the loud voice or
| popular acclaim, on the 18th December, 1860,
| four days before the State formally sunder-
ed the bonds which bound her to the Ameri-
| can Union, waited the returned minister
| from Russia Into that high Otf1oe which then
REQUIRED tor the discharge Of Its hercu-
lean duties and responsibilities faculties not
second to those which. In times almost
90 dark and perllous, had vlndlcated the
claims Of John Rutledge and Robert Y. Hayne
to the same exalted position. How tho solemn
| trust conflded to him was executed-h0w well
how wisely-how flrmly-how dauntlessy-
with what oeaseless vigilance for the honor