The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-04-03

bility Of the Uuion expressed, since
I have been here, than ever before
from all quarters, ! am not a des-
pairing man, and still hope we
may be- saved, The gDenoc ratio
party are true, to the Constitution.
and thereis is hopethey willis triumph,
-Four or five Wbig members OF, the
Senate will, hereafter, co operate
with nsoin the effort to save, the
Union, by. npholding, the constitn.
tional Iights of every section oof
theusUnion."a leInoa 1851; Judge
Evans opposed the secession move.
lnent, ,'and WAS elected a member
Of the State Convention. 'Inr,tbat
Convention he made "a happy
speech, which was we'll received.
and has been recently compliment.
ted and referred TO. Sab aa'ts Isduia'
In 1852, Judge Evans sss 'elec.
ted to the Senate of the United
States. I'bad the honor Of first
suggesting his, name publicly. It
WAS against his wishes, and with
great reluctance be. consented to
serve, He, said to me most posi-.
tiyely,.f | viii not be q candidate" I"
l replied, we do, not wish ,you to
be p candidate, but only say YOU
will serve. if elected. Before the
elect ion came on, l. called to see
him in Columbia, and told him I
had one more request TO make. and
that was not tospeak of the election.
de then expressed'a desire to see
COL. Ohesnut elected, who was in
the field as a candidate, with COL.
Pickens, COL Preston, and. / think.
Mr.. Rhett. After several ballot.
tings had taken place, the friends
OF the other candidates, or some of
them at least, went to Judge
Evans to know his wishes. He re.
piled that he had left the whole
matter in my hands, aud had moth.
ing to say about it. ~ -
When Judge Evans fret took
bis seat lin, the Congress of the
United States on the 4th day of
March, 1853, L was in the city of
Washington, andsaknow that he
made, during that short extra sit.
ting Of the Senate, n most favora,
BILE impression ON his, cvmpeers
and brother Senators. He seem.
ed better pleased with his new, po-
sition than he had anticipated
The day after his arrival a little
incident occurred which pleased
him. He received a note from the
wife of a distinguished citizen Of
Washington, stating that she had
just ascertained that the newly
elected Senator from South Carroll.
ma was her old school mate aud
friend, Josiah j. Evans, whom she
had not seen for forty or fifty years.
She and her husband united in
asking the pleasure of his compa.
ny at dinner with them the next
day. In the Senate, Judge Evans
did not aspire to be a leader in de.
bate. He said to me in a letter.
during the Kansas discussion of
1854: :" Our members have borne
themselves gallantly on the Ne
braska bill. Buffers speech, was
among the best, and Brooks and
Keitt have both made excellent
speeches. / was strongly tempted
to say something, but / could add
nothing to the argument. and am
too old to make a speech for Ban
combe. If / can be- of any use
here, it will he by a patient inves.
|tigations of the matters that come
before Congress, and to present
the results more in a judicial than
a forensic style, as [ have lately
done on bill which l had present.
ed from the Committee on Revo-
lutionary Claims, for the final ad-
justment Of the claims of the off.
GERS Of the Revolution. In this
way l hope to acquire some infu.
ence. and to be Of use to my coun,
try for the few years that are left
me OF life" Judge Evans did ac-
quire, in an eminent degree, the
esteem and respect of the Senate,
Even bis bitter political opponents
had the highest, regard for him as
a man and a Senator. This, was
manifested in the Senate. He was,
indeed, as one of the Black Re.
pnblicaus said, worthy Of being q
Roman Senator, for he possessed
all the high virtues of a Roman
tirmness, patriotism and incorrupt-
able integrity. os ,na ~ ~, ga s,,
His speech in reply ito Sum
ner, and in vindication of South
Carolina and her history and m:
stitutions, ,saas noble production,
worthy of the best days of Rome
and her most finished orators, 7
have no. hesitation in say ing, that
for style, temper, matter and artis.