The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-01-06
HOYT & CO., Proprietors.


politicaI tyranny and Capitalization and
lectures which. coming from the masters
of clustered colleges, might have been
7 considered theoretical distractions, be-
came concrete realities, when lite was
breathed into them from the personal ex
perience of the master "who had spoken
history, acted history, lived history =
who had been prosecuted for his political
course by the British Grown and the ad-
ministration of the elder Adams who
had canvassed the most eXcitable voters
on earth in a contested race with Egalte
Orleans for q seat in the Convention du-
ring the Carnival of the French Revolu-
ton of 1889. And on no subject was DR..
Cooper's intellect more vigorously exer-
cised than on the fundamental principles
involving the relation which the States
bore to the Federal Government of the
American Union, and which underlay the
distinction between that party which ad-
vocated strong Centralized National
Government, and that which advocated
the Sovereignty of the &ateS-the Sover-
eighty of the States, now scarce men,
toned save in derision, except as we hear
of it after the ground swell of the great
struggle of arms in the exhaustive argu-
ment of Alexander Stephens, OF brief,
vigorous letter from Barnwell Rhett, re-
minding us of the spirit and the days
when cdlida juventa he wrote the Coleton
Address. Mr.. Pickcns' position on these
great questions, and in the great strug-
gle, first of opinions, and then of arms,
to which they led, was taken then, early
IN life, while College boy; and thence
forward, to the day Of his death, he new
er swerved or wavered from that position;
and though its armed adherents won't to
the wall, and its flag went down on the
red field of battle,
sWith not man to wave it,
- And not sword to save it;
though what he had regarded as Sover-
cien States, among them his beloved Car
olina, wero given as Provinces to Pro-
Consuls, and the dire result of arms pro-
claimed that he and his great compeers
would be portrayed in the colors of "The
Gracchi of the Patricians, and not the
Graechi of the People," he ever main
tanned the same position, through evil as
we'll as good report, and denied to the
last, as tho great heroic mind ever has
done, and ever will do, "that might makes
right"
To him the abandonment of the doc
trines and dogmas of the States Rights
strict construction party, would have been
worse than political apostacy-it would
have been sacrilegc-for TO him the Sow
crcignty of the States was not an alb
straction or theory, it was a crocd,
religion. So early and so deeply was he
imbued with the principles Of the States
Rights party, that while in College no
wrote seven articles, over the signature
of "Sydney," for the Charleston Mercury,
then under the editorial auspices of the
gifted Henry T.. Pinckney. These arti-
Giles took the highest ground-asscrted
the separate Sovereignty of the States,
their right in their sovereign capacity to
nullify an unconstitutional act of Con-
gress. to relieve their citizens from its op.
Grafton, and to open their ports in def
ance of the restrictions of an unconstitu-
tionaI and oppressive tariff. These arti.
cles excited the greatest interest, and
their authorship was ascribed by the Ma
tional Intelligencer of that day, to COM
mittee OF distinguished Carolinians, sup.
posed to consist of Hayne, McDufie and
Hamilton.
he was admitted to the Bar in 1928,
and was elected TO the Lower House of
the Legislature in 1882, where his
speeches elected the warmest cncomiums
despite their differences on the exciting
topics dscussed) from Hugh S. Legare,
then Minister in Brussels, his first speech
being made ut the request OF VIM, G.
Preston, on the latters Resolutions re-
sponsive to Jackson's famous proclama-
tion on the Notification imbroglio. He
soon became Chairman of the Committee
on Federal Relations, and of the Com
mittee on the Judiciary; and in the for
mer capacity made tho we'll known re-
port on the oath to be prescribed to Off.
GERS, subject which gave rise to so much
excitement, politically and judicially.
In 1884, when 26 years of age, he was
elected to Congress, as successor of Mr..
McDuffie, and at once took high rank
from aspeech he delivered on our relations
with France. A lady of wit and fashion
at the Capital, who had been accustomed
to hear his predecessor, and the other
great orators from his State, but who now
heard Mr.. Pickens for tho first time, at
the conclusion of his maiden speech in
Congress, asked "if it were really true,
that orators grew spontaneous in South
Carolina"
He and Governor Hammond, then also
a member Of the House OF Representa-
tives, by concert, objected to the recep.
tion of abolition petitions, which the
House had been receiving and referring
to the Committee on the District of Co
lumbia; and in January, 1886, he deliv-
cred on Gov. Wise's Resolution on that
subject. one of the first arguments ever