The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-13
|EIon. the atlantic Monthly for 5uly.l

From the atlantic Monthly for July.l
osAg1oF pN ansI The LIFE +,411 Asp cHARAcrEs n or
the Society of the Aray Of the Cumberland. By GEs.
ttAL JAGEs A. GARFIELD at the Fourth Annual Be-
union Cleveland Novembe: rs 1870: Cincinnati: Rob
MEMoRfAL fasoisiAI Of THE LIFE OF j. JOHNSON PETIT
GaEW BgsdeS General Of the State; An
nj MEMO oh1AN, GENERAL STEVEN ELLIOTT; Orr;
A. Selby, State and City Printer.
We group these books, not only because they
have common interest as history, but also be-
cause they: are strikingly similar in spirit, and
from totally opposite feelings and conyictions
deal with the same great question III kindred
generosity. The two memorials by MI. Trescot
are of admirable temper, that of General Pet
tigrew especially, showing in the praise Of q
Southern soldier, sentiment which certainly
does not seem to owe its warmth to hatred of
his opponents. We have seen nothing from
either side more thoroughly purged of bitter
ness: Mr.: Trescot looks upon the solution of
question in which the logic of events, at least,
has overpowered him, not without emotion, but
in the light of analogous history, and with
philosophical selfcontrol. His oration is 8
judicious tribute to the memory of 8, mat
whom (apart from his great error) we: shodld
and abilities and it is, moreover, a very in
structive study of that South Carolina civiliza.
ton which substituted local for national
patriotism, and finally produced the war: We
do not yet thoroughly understand this at the
North, and most of US would find it difficult to
make due allowance for influences we have
never felt, though General Garfield does it, In
his Grafton on Thomas, and declares that I'VE
never shall do full justice to the conduct OF
Yirginians in the late war;" without taking
into account the fact that they, like the other.
'sottherners, had been taught to look upon
their State as their country. "Federa! hon:
ors," says Mr.. Trescot, "were undervalued, and
even Federal powers were underrated, except
as they were reflected back from the interests
and preiudces Of the State. The
fathers and mothers who had reared them, the
society whose traditions gave both re6neineht
and assurance to their young ambition, the
colleges in which the creed of Mr.. Calhoun
was the textbook of their political studies; the
friends with whom they planned their future,
the very land they loved; dear to them as
thoughtless boys, dearer to them as thoughtful
men, were all impersonate, living, speaking,
commanding in the State of which they were
children"
After these Introductory passages upon the
political and social character OF South Carol-
ma, Mr.. Trescot gives sketch OF General Pet-
tigrew's life, philosophizing its suggestive
events with a clearness and moderation which
cannot be too highly commended. In fact; the
perfect restraint of expression, the graceful
and finished style, the eloquent yet guarded
tone. make the memorial q model of its kind.
Mr.. Trescot is an ardent lover of South Caro-
lima, but he is always careful to remember that
aSouth Carolina is very small and not very
important part of the civilized world )" and in
appreciating what he believes the virtues of
her former soeial and political state, he has
rather the air of analysis than of eulogy: As
one reads his orations, so forbearing, so sensl-
Bile, so discriminating, one cannot help regret
ting that if there are many such men as Mr.
Trescot in South Carolina, we do not hear more
of them. Onall accounts it seams pity, think'
ing of such men, that South Carolina should be
the prey of Ku Kluxes and Of legislators who
cannot spell.
Mr. Tfe.cot's memorials are studies OF men
who were equal to the demands of local pa
triotism General Garfeld's eulogy presents
with equal temperance and libera!lty the enar-
acter Of man-ike General Elliott and Ger-
eral Pettigrew, q Sontherner-who rose to.the
conception of national duty; and In the ampler
destiny and greater fame OF Thomas is reflect
ed the superior grandeur of his idcaE we
can allow all the praise that Mr. Trescot be-
slows upon his heroes; we grant that theywere
brave; earnest; self:devoted men and then We
must turn with heightened admiration to the
man whose country was America and not vlr-
eiuia. It was to the Southerncrs alone that
the question of allegiance to the State or to the
nation was practically pat, and we honor such
as Thomas, while we remember IN ali hHmble-
ness that the tnettlts of no Northerner was so
severely tried, whatever were our sacrifices.
-c.ll Il lola rlxy.c yof
Thonas's career; and presents In all its mas
siveness and soldity that simple, grand, faith
full life. the sublimity of which we seemed
hardly to feel with due consciousness till its
close. "No one knew until he was dead how
strong was his hold on the hearts of the Amer
ican people," though, then, indeed, "ever citi-
zen felt that pillar of state had fallen; that
a great and true and pure man had passed from
EARTH"
As literature, these three orations are very
creditable to the widely different civilizations
that produced them, and mark vast advance
from the merely oratorical spirit in which such
things were wont to be done. 1t is curious and
interesting to find Mr.. Trescot, OF South Caro-
lima, and General Garfield, of Ohio, both quo
ting Tennyson, and showing that, whatever
were the varying social spheres that moulded
their character, the wider and more generous
influences were the same. General Garheids
grafton betrays something OF the cerelessness
of the man who must speak much and quickly
but it is as gravely, tastefully and honestly
done as the more exquisite work OF MIR. Tres
cot.
IF yon wish success in life, make perse-
yerance your bosom friend, experience your
wise counsellor, caution your elder brother, and
hone your guardian genius.
A man has just been hauled out of the
swamps in North Carolina who went there to
avoid the draft in 1864 and until he was dis