The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-15
Alfred Huser.

Calhoun and Jackson, IS ueau. iuey Paese'
earlier from the scene OF their victories ant
their defeats. It was his poor privilege II
lInger witness of the gradual overthrow
the symmetrical fabric of constitutional gov
ernment. and 10 behold valiant and gener
GUS people thrust under the foot OF the po
lltical mercenary. Stoutly though he bor'
the weight of eIghty.thIee busy years. th'
active brain grew weary; and the generous
heart, worn with Indignant throbbing, hal
ceased al last to beat. But when the grant
council of the patriot dead assemblies beyont
the grave, there will not be found, In th'
mighty throng of orators, historians, counsel
lors and statesmen, spirit more worthy
the amaranthine crown than he whose rescue
from the sea of worldly cares South Carolin'
| mourus to-day. In him were Joined thu
memories of the present and the distant past
The Constitution Of the United States was ra'l
fed by South Carolina In the year that he was
born. There remained In his mind fain
recollection of the visit of George Washing
| ton to Charleston. The war of 1872 was one
| of the events of his early manhood. While ln
| the prime of his life the fierce storm of Multi
dcalion arose and fell. Sixty winters mao
passed over his head when the Palmetto regi.
ment won Its laurels In Mexico. When the
war between the States began, Mr.. .Hnger was
approaching his three score years aud ten
vet he lived TO see the disastrous end OF the
.truggle, and the worse sorrows which were
Its result. In him were centered the memo
res of four score years of American history;
,is life began with that OF the Republic; he
mad watched by It's cradle, and feared to stand
| oy Its grave. In him were united the best ele-
ments of the old civilization. Times mao
Changed and ancient manners we're gone; bnt
ne, towering above his fellows, lived repre-
sensitive of that highest order of nobility
which, being Itself above suspicion, gives TO
IN antagonist the need OF confidence and
trust. From the moment when he was struck
with paralysis, on Saturday. the 4th lust, there
was only faint hope OF Mr.. Hugers recovery.
he grew slowly weaker, and died at hie resi-
dence in Calhoun street at Two o'clock y,ster-
day morning, retaining his Consciousness to
the last.
Mr.. Alfred Huger. the son of Mr.. Jno. Huger,
was born on November 1st, 1888, In the old
house at the corner of Mazyck and Broad
streets, Charleston, which was destroyed In
the great fire of 1861. he was first educated
at the old Grammar School at Strawberry
Ferry, but subsequently entered Princeton
College, where he graduated with distinction.
Returning home he established himself az a
planter upon his estates In st. Thomas and St.
Dennis, and in 1922 was elected Senator from
that parish, his service In the Legsla' ure
covering period of about ten years.
Soon after his graduation he married Miss
Sarah Ann Rutledge, the daughter of Char
cellor Hugh Rutledge. In 1882 Mr.. Huger was
appointed Postmaster at Charleston by Presi-
dent Andrew Jackson, which office he held
until 1861. Upon the organization of the Con-
tederate States Government he was at once
re-commissioned as Postmaster; 80 that he
occupied the position for more than thirty
years. For twenty years he was director of
the South Carolina Railroad, only rssigning
when, In his own frank words, he felt that his
place could better be filed by q younger
man. This Is the brlef record of life
as honorable and as useful as 1t has been given
10 man to spend.
In speaking of the public and private char
acter of Mr.. Huger we can only hope 10 give
the bare outline, which may be completed and
made perfect by the loving recollectlons of
the people to whom he was unshrinkingly and
unswervlngly loyal to his very last breath.
he was honored becanse he proved that de-
votiou to the Union was compatible with the
staunchest fidelity to his native State. He
was honored for his conservatism In what was
pure and good, and for his wise liberality In
promptly accepting the modes ofactlon which
altered conditions forced upon his people. He
was honored for the splendid uprlghtness
which made him truest when the popular
clamor was loudest against iim; for the un-
selAshness ofhis whole life, and for the alacrity
With which he responded to every call made in
suffering people. And he was loved; loved by
the young and the old, by those who only
knew him when the locks were gray and the
step was feeble, as by those who were his COM
panions in the better days when Alfred Huger,
physically and morally, was as noble man
as ever trod the legislative hall, or adorned
by knIghtly courtesy and stately grace the
homes of Southern chivalry.
Mr.. Huger was opposed to ,nulllacatIon and
10 secession. In his own brave words, "tne
Union was his inheritance" and early In his
public life he ranged himself on the side of the
opponents of dIsunlon. In the Convention
which met at Columbia In November, 1882,
and passed the ordinance of notification, Mr..
Huger voted with the minority; and he Was
equally outspoken when President Jackson
issued his proclamation against the nullifiers.
Feeling ran very high, and 1t was proposed In
the State Senate to adopt resolutions denounc-
Ing the President. Mr.. Huger, however, rang
ing himself with Legare, Petigru, Poinsett,
Grimke, Memminger aud others, threw all his
influence on the side of concIliatory measures.
The powerful speech which he then delivered
In the Senate incensed his constituents, who
requested him to resign that they might chose
a representative more ln sympathy with their
views. His reply was WORTHY remonstrance
against the dangerous fright of instruction"
Mr.. Huger recognized the right OF bis constitu-
ems to demand his resignation II he We're
morally or intellectually incapable of discharg-
ing his senatorial duties; but he could not con-
sent to yacate his seat, where his voice and