The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-09-11
Deuote0 ts ]1e,,p,9ss, p9s

~S Noib bVi iSAt tShiiuiCb W odCD
marriage, but no sonqto inherit his
illustrious name, and hand IL down
to future ages. This is to be deep
ly regretted, for q name SO distin
guished in three successive gener-
stions, should not be lost, but live
in posterity. 'a9 (" f1..1 p
The character of Gov. Pickens
was high-toned and honorable. b.
nature, he was impressive and i'm.
petuous, and yet he had great
deal Of prudence and canton in
his composition. He was proud
OF his ancestry, and Justly 80; and
he was conscious of his own talents
and abilities. We differed widely
in our politics, but our social re,
lations were always most cordial
and triendly,'as will be seen by
his letters to me, both at home and
abroad. 2ft 70 ~ .n al fs
COLUMBIA, Saturday, June. 81, 1857.
Ny Dear Sir In hooking over the morn
ing paper, see an extrnct from you epeaks
Ing kindly OF me in relation to my refusal
OF the Russian mission. desire to state
briefly the reasons which induced me TO
decline il.
Judge Buffers death has thrown much
confusion into the State, and il could con.
tribute to placing South Carolina 10 close
communion and Intimate councils with her
sister States of the South, l teel that / would
be doing some good. 1t is time that she
ehnnlI hq raiau1 ahnua ha I'll
isolated views Of great questions, 10 which
the South have common interest and a
common destiny Twas in the Senate, from
Edgeheld, when refused the mission TO
England, aud, il you recollect, the Button
move was at that time made, and thought
from the names coprected with il, that IL
would be far more serious than it was when
Gov. Hammond introduced his premature
and iil.judged message, felt it my duty to
Introduce resolutions into the Senate repu.
dating the move, for which was bitterly
denounced, and even McDuffie wrote let
ter to Colcock, the Speaker Of the House,
denouncing my resolutions (; but still pass
ed them by unanimous vote, on the yeas
and nays. l was then peculiarly situated,
Tor l had. attended the great Dem.
"crat'c Convention, 1874. at the urgent re,
quest OF Mr.. Calhoun, aud had iull aud
l would address the convention at Shelby>
vile. That interview was satisfactory, a nd
l wrote Mr.. Calhoun from Dir. Folks libra.
ry, and showed the letter to Mr. Polk. and
he and MIR. Calhoun thoroughly understood
each other, and we went fully into the can.
vass The details of this interview, and
the conditions, will make a great point in
the history OF parties. IL ever published. and
they wall be. Understand Col Benton has
published part Of il, as far as he knew -
Suffice at present to say. that it placed me
in very peculiar position, and my private
honor as well as public duty. compelled
me to take the course | afterwards did. in
relation to his address on the Texas aues
uoo aud war. dc DC. and [ thought, too
1t placed Mr.. Calhoun in the same position.
But merely allufe TO it now to let you
know that this was the real reason de-
clin, the Federal Office he rendered me. /
wished to stand in the State untraumeled
30 as 10 be able TO indicate truth and prin~
ciple, even II lost position in the Stale
The history Of public events after that you
are acquainted with. Now, as 10 the pres,
ent mission which l recently refused, | was
induced TO do so just because have no
taste for Federal Office; and secondly, /
thought l owed it to my friends to stand
by them ia the struggle Tor the S.natorsbip,
which. fe.t, IL was deeply important
should be in the haud Of a uau who would
aio in placing the Stale 10 her proper r.la.
tions 10 her sister States Of the South, as
well as 10 the Constit ution aud the union
under IL .r..t .. ,.a.,. .....
The final settlement OF the slave holding
race, Is the greatest problem to be worked
out under our complicated sy stem of gov>
ernment IL will require enlarged sla;ss-
ma Ia nd h,vl,
tuiions through the conflicts that n,usl arise
IN the progress OF events What We want,
at present, is wise consideration and lho-
rough Sn"wlrdke. For the fest time 10
thirty years the South is united. U,traism.
under existing circumstances, would lead
to DIVISION, aud division will prove our
rum We have the Executive with US, aud
the Senate. aud in all probabilit the II. r.,
too Besideo, We have repealed the Mis-.
souri, Bill, and the Supreme Court, in de
cls'on OF great power, has declared it and
All Kindred measures, on the part OF the
Federal Government. unconstitutional, null
aud void. 80. that before our enemies can
re ,ch US, they must fret freak down the
Supreme Court change the Senate md seize
the Executive, aud, by an open appeal to
revolution, restore the Missouri line, repeal
the fugative slave law. aud change, in fact,
'he' "ho'e COVefDment AS long as the
Government is on our side, I am for sustain
ing 1t, and using its power for our benefit, aud
placing the screws upon the thumbs of our OPP
pOnents so as to make them feel. As long as
we are in the Union, l conscientiousIy believe
IL to be our dutyt TO discharge faithfully and
manfully all our obligations TO the Constitu.
tion and the Federal Union under It. We owe
II TO ourselves; we owe u TO posterity We owe
IL TO our power as great people amongst the
nations of the earthtn progressive civilization,
to save, If possible, the Constitution and our
as a common blessing to man
kind. These are, and ever have been, my
firm convictions. IL our opponents reverse
the present state Of things, seize the power vf
Government, change the issues and overthrow
the Constitution, then / am for war. At pro.
sent, am for standing by the Government,
and compelling them to move on the offensive.
Heretofore, we have complained Of grievances,
and when we moved that was division amongst
us, so now, when they complain, and are com
pelled to move, they must be divided. In
part, tho division now at the North, Is deep
and bitter, and IL Is between capitalists and
laborers, and as population increases, and be-
comes SO dense as TO press society down into
its different strata, this difference will grow
deeper and wider every year. On the contras
ry, we are forced to union, IL We make no ILL |
judgements. Aud the vast Increase In price
of ell Southern productions, together with the |
great unbounded value Of slave property, has |
added immensely to Southern power. The |