Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-17

time, while a member Of the Legisl
ture, sir?' 1 asked.
"The largest pay bill I ever receivt
=. during a period Of twenty-five yea
in the Legislature
WAS ONE HUNDRED AND TWO DO
LARS,
The members Of this so-called Legi
. ture now pay themselves seven ,
eight hundred dollars. Our session
were always short, never extendiI
beyond twenty-five or twenty-five
working days, yet we were not presse
Il for time. Much legislation In tho.
days would nave been considered a
evil. In those days the GOvernC
was always a respectable gentleman
with a moderate salary; the LieuteI
ant Governor was the same. Tn
President Of the Senate and the Speak
er of the House Of Representative
received their per diem like Othe
members, no extra compliments o
dOnsaOns Of any sort being allowed
voted or thought Of"
"Well, ME. Huger, how do you peO
pie
FEEL TOWARD THE UNITED STATE
GOVERNMENT?
/ 1 ask that gu estiOn because there ar,
very strange opinions at the North
or at least very mixed opinions, in
regard 20 the future here"
/ I'VE have nothing to say of the
/ United States except that we want
peace. 1t is of the profigacy, cOrrUp-
/ ton and dishonesty of our State gov
/ ernment, executive and legislative,
| that we complain. They are nOtOri-
Gus, and the American people ought
1 70 know this if ever'they are to recOg-
I nize South Carolina as q State Of this
l Union"
NO taxes without representation,
in other words" 1 remarked.
Decidedly not. Give her represen-
tatiOn, give her justice within her own
I bounds, give her what other States
enjoy, and you viii hear Of no more
OUTRAGEs Or KU-KLUXEs,
excepting among the carpet-baggeTs
and negroes who now Oppress her"
"What do
YOU THINK OF GOVERNOR sCOTT?'
LET me say a word. Governor
Scott, in a public meeting at Wash
ingtOn during the winter of 1870, de-
noUnced South Carolina as q commu-
nifty in which the Winchester rifle
WIS the proper and the only law. He
came back to our soil and suited the
action to the wOrI. The negroes, but
for him and his disciples, would have
been content with their freedom. They
pE n-fTr p ~ r~r-r~r
race; bu. the Governors open abuse
Of the pardOning power encouraged
the Grim that idleuess and ignorance
induced them to commit"
'His great fault was the OrganiZa-
ton of the negro militia, was il nOt2''
"He armed the negroes thoroughly
and left the white race at their mercy
to take care of themselves, and the
sensibilitleS of cur common nature,
which 20 defend ourselves, came to
their relief That is our case, stated
as clearly as lean state it, sir, and the
HERALD, WHICH Is A GREAT POWER
for good, should know it."
'During your long life, Mr.. Huger,
you have doubtless met many of the
most
DISTINGUISHED MEN or THE sLDEN
TINE"
''True, sir. In both a social and
public relation I have enjoyed the ac-
quaintance OF such statesmen and
publicists rs John c. Calhoun, Lang
don CheyeS, lillian LOWndes, Geo.
McDufie, Hugh Legare, General
Hayne, Mr.. PetgrU, Wade Hampton,
the father Of the present Gen. Wade
Hampton; Chas. CUtesWOrth Pluck
ney, Andrew johnson, and Others
"HOu were appointed by President
Jackson to be the postmaster Of.
Charleston many years ago, were YOU
nOt-Onder circumstances peculiarly
interesting?'
'The circumstances were these: !
was a member Of the State Senate I'm
1882, when General Jackson issHed his
proclamation. 1t was proposed to de
nOunce the President for his course
with reference to nUlihCatiOu, and l
the denunCiatiOn, IN COnse- |
queuce of which
GENERAL JACKSON TENDERED TO NE
the commission Of postmaster. I de-
clined the same, and gave as my rea-
son that the then inCum bent, Mr. Ba-
cot, although a nullifier, held his Office
by virtue of a commission signed by
George Washington, and that 1 would
not be instrumental in making any
change. / may say, parenthetlcally,
that / was a member Of the cOnveu-
ton, which passed the ordinance of
nullihcatiOn IN 1882,
AID I VOTED AGAINST THAT MEAS
URE.
in the summer OF 1884,
Mr.. BacOt died, and General Jackson
again rendered to me the commission
Of postmaster. 1 did not desire It, De-
cause l had q fortune of my own, a
plantation and a large number of
slaves, and making my bread upon
my own soil and living with comfort
and happiness. Ny friends, however,
urged me TO accept the appointment,
aud l did so. From that time ] was
the postmaster at Charleston
UNTIL THE SURRENDER OF GENERAL
LEE,
through nine Presidential terms"
speaking of General Jackson, do
you think he knew perfectly well
" AAeAL " % HeAAaE DAA All 8lAaLA NeLl
during the year 1922
"MUst undoubtedly, sir. No man was
better advised than himself with refe-
renee to the situation and the persons
engaged Ia the nullihcatiOn move
ment He had a perfect knowledge
Of everything that transplred in South
Carolina / knew him well, and had
frequent conversations with him, even
as far back as 1915, when ] heard him
the battle of New Orleans. l /
also met him
IN THE DRAWING ROOMS OF NIR.BdADI- |
SON.
you are not aware that John
q. Calhoun took an active part in |
elecung General Jackson. He nomi- |
mated him in the Convention, though |
they quarreled afterWard." D."
Had General Jackson been the |
President in 1850, do you think he
would have prevented secessfOn?"
81 believe he wOuld-nOt fOTcibly;
but by pursuing a c0nciliatOry policy.
In fsct, 1 don't believe it would have
occurred had Mr.. Calhoun been
alive"
''You referred to yoBr home just
now; how many slaves had yOuT'
81 had
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SLAVES. /
Ny plantation was on the Cooper
river. Ny home was a charming
country residence, and L had every /
thing around me 10 make a farming
man happy and independent. 1 have
always been devoted 70 farming, and
every slave L owned was born Iny
property, except, perhaps, four or
i've. / never sold one save for mis-
If 3 negro made himself
offensive to me or to his fellow ser
wants / parted with him promptly;