The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-12-06

William J.. Yancey was, for sew
eral years, a citizen of. Greenville,
lived here, married here, and own.
ed the farm where William Bates
now lives. He was the son OF
Benjamin Yancey, who stood for
many years at the head of the bar
in the upper part Of South Carroll,
ma. lie was q native of Maryland,
and the protege of Robert Goodloe
Harper. He first entered the ma.
w, and then read law, and settled
at Abbeville Court House. He
married the daughterat Col. Byrd.
Of Georgia, who had-removed
there from Virginia. Benjsiain
! ancey WAS elected n member of
tho Legislature from Abbeville,
and took very high position in
that body. Although very young,
he came within few votes of be.
ing elected o judge OF the State
Ills talents, eloqneuce and high
character induced Judge Huger,
who was then a member of the
House and practicing law in
Charleston, to offer him q partner
ship which he accepted and moved
to Charleston. Judge uuger was
very much attached to him, aud had
q very high opinion of his talents
and ability. Many years after the
death of Benjamin Yancey, Judge
Hnger was holding court at Able
vile, and asked me to take q walk
with bin. We came to a little
brick office, then occupied by, Gov
ernor Noble and Judge Wardlaw.
Judge lluger stopped and looked
at it with great Interest and said to
me, "That was the office of my
lamented friend and partner, Ben
jamin lancey, before hIs removal
to Charleston" lie then spoke in
most affeclionate terms of him, and
gave me an account OF his meeting
MN in the Legislature, and how
much lie was impressed with him.
Not many years after his removal
to Charleston, Mr.. Yancey died
on his way to Abbeville court, to
attend To a great, land ~ case.
which was then ready for trial.
| have heard Chancellor Thump>
son ana many others, who were
contemporaries OF Yancy, speak in
most extravagant terms of his ef.
forts at the Bar and in the Lesis.
lature. .@H
Some years after, the death of
Mr.. Benjaman Yanecy his widpw
married The Reverend Mr. Beemah,
a distinguished Presbyterian min
istcr from the North, WHO was then
living in Washington, Georgia. -
He returned to the North and car
ried with him lis wife and his step.
children. William L. Yancey was
there educated, till be was seven.
teen or eighteen years old, when
hc-returned to South Carolina TO
make his permanent home, though
Georgia has the honor OF being lis
birth place.
This gentk man is justly entitled
to the distinction, no cinatter in
what light that distinction may be
viewed by tho world, OF having
broken up, for a brief period, the
American Union, and involved the
country ina great sectional war,
which cost the sacrifice Of one mil.
lion Of human lives, tue dcsoiation
OF tho Southern States, their loss OF
civil liberty, and the establishment,
Of a military despo:ism! There
may have been others who labored
longer and more cffeciually to pre-
pare the publ;c mind for this TER
rible result, but to William
Lowndes Yancey is due tho awfuI
responsibility Of having applied
tue match which produced this
bloody explosion lie concoctec
The Alabama Resolutions which
broke mp tire Cbarleston Demo.
cratic Convention, and severed int
iactions the great Democratic Per
ty OF the United Statcsi This Sc
cured the election of A brahan
Lincoln by a minority scctiolla
vote, and the secession OF Soufl
Carolina, which was ilnmediatei,
followed by that OF the othe
Southern States Tho war eusne,
with all its horrible es.iltsi
MIR. Yancey read law I'm m,
Office two or three years, and W
were for . much longer period o.
terms Of great intimacy I kne,
him well and loved him most al
fectidnately Hc lad many rar
and noble qnalitios Of both hea,
aud heart. Hs was full of gen u
and talent, and endowed with big