The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-08-28

lsneo, anlaole gentleman in, his
manners and department. I once
bad the pleasure of making the ac.
quaintance of q daughter, of the
ColonePs, lovely and beautiful
young lady, then in her teens; and
the association of father and daugh.
ter, may have had some agency in
my estimate of his graceful char
acter and manners. ~tE7 Ell
In 1851, l wrote Colonel GRAY
son a letter as to the result of the
election in Greenville for members
OF the State, Convention. In re.
ply, he wrote me the following let.
ter, which, for it's beauty and truth,
deserves being read now, twenty
years after il was written. 1t will
give the reader some idea of his
happy and graceful way of express.
ing himself on all occasions
CHARLEsroN, Feb. II, 1851.
My Dear Sir: | have Just re
ceived your letter of the 18th in.
slant, and congratulate you on the
happy result of the Greenville elec..
ton. The District stands like the
angel Abdiel among the first re,
voting spirits of misrule. faithful
found amid the faithless.n Per.
haps it would be more proper to
call our people the thought!ess
than the faithless. While the old,
the grave, the prudent. stand apart,
tho fortunes of our State seem to
be entrusted to young men vino
appear to be governed more by
vanity than any other principle.
and who seem utterly incapable of
forming an adequate opinion on
the true nature and consequences
of civil war.
Our election here was decided
by one.tourth of the votes of the
Parishes ofSt. Philip and St. Mich
ael; and, although the absence of
any contest may have kept away
many persons, yet it is quite Ger.
tain that a great many refused to
vote because they disapproved of
tho whole proceeding. 1t would
have been more respectful to the
people, and a better test of their
wishes and opinions, to have sub
mitted the question of Convention
or no Convention to their direct
vote. ....
l am very much gratified by
your assurance, that I have been
in any way instrumental in aiding
the cause of order and law, and If
l can assist you in the great work
of which your paper must be the
champion, it will be most grateful
to me.
With best wishes, your friend
and humble servant,
w. T. GnArsoN.
B. F. PERRY, Esq.
The expression of Greenville
standing like the angel Abdiel
among the first revolving spirits of
misrnle, faithful found amid the
faithless," reminds ine of an ex.
preston of James L. Petigru, near.
ly twenty years before this letter
was written. The people in Charles.
ton were very much excited by the
returns of the elections all over the
State, on the question of nullifica.
tioD. District after District had
gone over to the Nullifiers. Mr..
Petigru was disheartened by the
news, and one of his nallifying
friends jeered him about the re.
sult of the election. He remained
silent a moment, as IL in medita~
ton, and said, gravely, But
Greenville seems to stand very
staunch." This was the only con-
ISOLATION he had, and he could not
fOrbear to. mention it.
In 1852, my friend, Major S. A.
Townes, thought of writing and
publishing a work entitled "The
Lives of Distinguished Carolini
ans. "in which would appear sketch.
es of all the eminent men Of South
Carolina. He requested me to as.
sist him in procuring help for his
book. | wrote to Colonel Gray.
son, asking him to write the life of
William Lowndes, whose Congress.
sional District Colonel Grayson
represented for several years, in
the House of Representatives, af
ter the death Of Mr.. Lowndes.-
Governor Hamilton was the i'm.
mediate successor of Mr.. Lowndes,
and when he declined q re.elec-
tiop. Colonel Grayson was elected
to represent the District in Con.
gress, Tho following letter wss
received in reply; 771l
OaARLEsroN, July 80, 1852.
Mr. Dear SIR 1 received your
letter of the 25th lost. yesterday,
with the circular Of Major Townes.