The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-14
IN RE NJ o Il L 4 N e.
Francis w. Pickeps.
BIZ LEROY F. YoCMANs.

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Carolina. For three generations it has held
prominent station In the roll OF her puDilC nen'
Andrew Pickens the elder, was worthy coiu-
peer OF the great Wing chiefeainS OF inc Tow, ',
luton: and with the ''Game Cock sumner, unu
the WSWamp Fox Marion, composed tnaC Ia,
mono tria nj the nartisan leaders of the unpaid
gentlemen Of Carolina, whose fame wlii al
WAYS live In ''song and story" In the old ral-
metto State, whatever complexion her desuny
NAV assume His conquest Of the Cherokees,
the wound in the breast which he received IN
the thickest of the fight at Eutaw, and nus gal
liant ssrvices at the marlborough baIIe OF inc
Cowpens, for which Congress votea nun q
sword, would be kept alive by tradition, even
were they not indelibly impressed on tne
brightest pages OF the Southern chapters OF
the history Of that great struggle. de was d
General In the war OF the revolution, was SUD-
seouently elected to Congress, decnneo re.
election. and was afterwards solicited 10 accept
the of6ce or Governor OF TIC HIa1e, WIN" N0
also declined. .-o, 4,
His son. Andrew Plckens. the younger, was
also distinguished, both IN military and clvu
life. In the war of 1872, our second war OF IN
dependence, as it has been not inaptiy Termed,
he was Colonel OF the l0th Regiment Onlteu
Sfates Rerulars, stationed on the Canada from
tier. and was afterwards appointed to the COM
mapd of one OF the two regiments raised Dy
the state for the defence of Charleston In lSi4:
1non the return Of peace, he was, In 1915,
elected ons of that long line OF llustr1ous G0s-
ernors of South CaroLna-the cnolce Oh sie
white men OF the State-whlch commenceu IL
l776 with John Rutledge.
known than either sire or grandslre-more
widely known, indeed, on the day OF nis oeatl u
than any living Caroinian, after high offices neio
In ntimes Of feverish excitement, ana long anu
eventful public career passed amlu the STORMS
of State-has but lately breathec MS lasl, ~
of amid thd pn6Aar-
menfs OF domestic lie, and with cbildren's
faces round his bed, but leaving no helr male
TO transmit TO after generations tne name
which has been so long and SO much nonoreo
Tina last Pickens, though his services as aid
to Governor Hayne In the stormy days q NULL
fication. and his course us Governor OF South
Carolina in the two first years of the great civil
war In America, gave NO unccrtsln promise
that. as were the sire and grandsire In military
afYairs 40 would be the son, won his laurels III
that civil arena, for which ne eylnceo from
boyhood o passionate proclivlty
aPolltics," says the last OF the British pre-
miers-a man who mas perhaps M iVeu a @Jr0 I1;na ~
and for The world Of politics than any hVing
statesman-.,politics i5 q branch OF study cer-
tainly the most delightful in the world, Dut
for q boy as certainly the most pernlclOuS.
Here we have followed the practice, ratner
than the theory, OF Mr.. D'Israeli; the hiSnest
goal of honorable ambition Is TO acquire great
renown by great public services, ana AMBITIOUS
vonth naturally aspire to political distinction.
Nr. Plckens' early education was well adapt-
ed TO form an orator and statesman. He WAS
an earnest student Of Aristotle. the most 2cule
of human intellects, whom he justly considered
the most profound OF all who nave trealeu vi
: government; and throughout life was lono OF
tracing In modern authors, repeated, varied,
and disguised, those fundamental Ideas OF tue
science which the greatest Of philosophers
Taught the greatest of conquerors. Az III
craftsmanship his master was Inc lounuer oi
the science oil politics, so in orat0ry his master
was the greatest orator who ever SPOKE.
"Whose resistless eloquencc
Welded at Will that fierce democratic,
Shook the arsenal and fulmined over greece"
So attached indeed was he to Demostnenes,
fbat he could repeat in youth the whole OF the
transcendent oraton on the Crown, and woulu
often In later life quote striking passages ot IL
with unaffected Admiration.
Under the able tuition OK his father, De stu
died and memorized Burke's great speecnes on
the taxation and concihation OF the colonies,
Sherldan's famous Begun speecn on tue Gcie,
breted trial of Warren Hastings, ana Lord
Ncnsfield's ablest efforts in the House OF Lords,
and to these and the other bravuras OF Brltisn
oratory he constantly REQUIRED with the great
est pleasure.
But his heart, like Lcgare's, wes In the clas-
s,cs, and It might bs truly said Of him, IN inc
beautiful language OF Solese laienc, ,.I'ss- ss
nirant fer high Office, who had the sar tastes
With himself, that he s1drank deep al drank
often of the precious waters OF those virgin
fountains which were unlocked In Naitres
first known cycle"
These studies, begun at home under tho iu-
ftion and example Of his father, We're Iostereu
and cultivated to the highest degree when nc
.ho S.ortt, rnrOItnn C0llpOp --ignO he
fore and long afterward, the nursing mo
ther of Southern statesmen and orators -
no unwilling or laggari pupil, but ''conspicu-
ous among the Youths Of high promise who
( sat at the feet of the great teacher VINO then
enunclated, with consummate ability auo SIN,
gular force, doctrines Of political economy anu
the philosophy OF government, 5, l WHICH coon toUA
er,s political Life was one continued struggle
(, aqalnst all forms OF political tyranny and cen
tralizatlon: and lectures WHICH, coming from
the masters of cloistered colleges, might have
been considered theoretical distractions, be-
came concrete realities, wnen lie was
breathed into them from iSa personal expert
ence OF the master 'who had spoken history,
acted history, lived history" who had been
prosecuted for his political course by the BIZ
I. fish Crown and the administration OF the ell
der Adams; who had canvassed the most eX-
citable voters on earth In q contested race With
Eoslite Orleans for seat IN the convention
diiring the carnival oil the French revolution OF
Ts9. And on no subject was DR.. Coopers In
tellect more vigorously exercised than On the
fundamental principles Involving the relation
which the States bore to the Federal Govern
mert of the American Union, and which un-
derlay the distinction between that party
which advocated strong centralized nation
Al government, and that which advocated
the sovereignty Of the States-the soyer'
eighty OF the States, now scarce mention
cd save In derision, except % Wo near
of it after the ground swell OF the great strug-
ole of arms In the exhaustive argument ol
alexander Stephens, or brief vigorous letter
s from Barnweli Rhett, reminding US OF the spl-
r .rit and the days when calida jive''t0 he wrote
the Colleton address. Mr.. Pickens' position
on these great questions, and in the greai
struggle first OF opinion and then OF arms tc
which they led, was taken then, early IN lie
while q college boy; and thencetorward, TO tke
day Of his death, he never swerved or waveree
from that position; and though It's armed ad
here It's went to the wall. and lis fag ven
& down on the red aeld Of battle,
.sWith not man TO wave il,
And not sword TO save IT,
thouxn what ha had regarded as sovereign
States. ameng them mis- beloved Carolina, were
qfven as provinces TO pro-consrls. and the dlrS
result Of arms proclaimed that he and Ills grea
compeers would be portrayed In the colors o
ivThe Graechi of the Patricians, and not tnt
Gracchi of the people," he ever maintained tnt
same position, through evil as well as gooC