Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-24

parts Of the earth. But alas, these
! are no moro. A new class Of men
occupy their places without filing
their positions. How strange the
contrast-Jacl1son and Grant, Taylor
and Butler, Webster and Sumner,
Clay and Wilson, Calhoun and Bout
well, Story and Hoar, Marshall and
Swaync, Crawford and Robson.
John Bell, one Of the last lingering
survivors Of this bright galaxy Of
American statesmen and patriots, was
born near Nashville, Tennessee, on
the 18th Of February, 1877. His
fathcr was farmer il moderate cir
cumstanccs, who gave hisson Il liberal
education ut Cumberland College,
now the University Of Nashville.
Mr.. Bell was admitted to the bar in
1916, and was elected to the State
Senate from Williamson county, where
he had settled, in 1SlS, before he was
81 years old. Having scr;cd out his
term he declined y reelection, and
devoted himself for the next lime
years to his profession.
In 1926 he ran for Congress against
Felix Grundy, who had the powerful
| support Of Andrew Jackson, himself
thcn q candidate for the Presidency
against John Quincy Adams, and,
after 4 most exciting canvass, Mr..
Bell was elected by q majority OF one
thousand votes. lie was subsequent
ly reelected. anal served in Congress
fourteen consecutive years. During
his service in Congress he Was cs-
tccmcd ono Of lis most able, efficient
and industrious members. lie was
III carly III! q w:.l'l aim;rcr Of Mr..
Calhoun, and strongly opposed TO
what was then called the protective
system. Upon ir;s question he sub
sc1ucnt|y changed his views, and
adopted Mr. C!:.v's great American
system. Opposed to al indiscrimin-
ate system Of internal improvements
BY the General Government, he lent
his powerful aid to such particular
works as, from their character and
position, gave promise Of general ben
eft to the whole country. lie was in
favor Of q United States Bank, but
voted against its rc-chartcr in 1892,
because he hnlinrad tho subject WAS
then brought up, four years before
the expiration Of the charter, for po-
litical purposes, and merely to defeat
the election Of General Jackson in
the ensuing Presidential election.
Mr.. Bell broke with the administra-
tion Of General Jackson on the qucs-
ton Of the removal Of the deposits
and ceased to act with that party af.
terward. In 1884 he was elected
Speaker Of the House of Representa-
tives over james X. Polk, aftcrward
President. In 1885 he declared in
favor Of Hugh l.. White for the Pres
idency, and in the subsequent canvass
i'll Tennessee lent the whole power of
his influence and talents in favor of
that gentleman. Tennessee cast her
vote for Judge White and Mr.. Bell
was reelected to Congress from the
Hermitage district by as large a
vote as ever. In 1898 Mr.. Bell voted
against the celebrated Athcrton rcso-
lutions, which caused his conduct to
be sorely criticised by the extreme
pro-slavcry sentiment in the Southern
States.
In 1911 when President Taylor was
lnauguiatcd, he invited Mr. Boil to
accept tho War Department., which
he did, and with tho rest Of the Cabi-
net, Mr.. Webster only accepted, he
resigned Office on the separation Of
the Tyler administration from tho
Wing party i'll the autumn of that
year. The Tennessee Legislature.
largely Whig, at its next session ten
dcrcd Mr. Bell q seat in the u. S.
Senate, which he declined in favor Of
Ephraim II. Foster, who Mr.. Bell
thought entitled to the position. IIo
was elected to the State Senate in
1917, and during his term was elected
to fill vacancy in the U. S. Senate.
In 1858 he was again elected to the
Senate; his term Of Office expiring
March 4th. 1859.
In 1860 ho was nominated for the
Presidency by the American party,
and while the popular vote which he
received was very large, owing to tho
popularity of our system his vote in
the electoral college was small. Well
would it have been for the country
could tho result have boen otherwise.
During tho war, although opposed to
secession, ho remained truo to tho
South, and suffered tho loss of his
entire property on account of his
Southern sentiments. At the close of
the war, broken down in health and
advanced in years, he found himself
deprived of large property and