The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-06-19
:Depoteo to 1tems, polities, 1ntelliaeuce.

ooiu cuc, uuuSt HOT Ie8vo the MOTEL.
and ] would provide q room, for
him in some way. This T. did, and
we spent a delightful evening in
talking oyer the events which had
transpired since we had last seen
each other.H yiyo s7ss tss5 ssss .,-.S
From the time of this meeting
in Columbia we corresponded frer,
quently,s = and occasionally met
again. The Gov ernor was as,rong
Union man up to the breaking out
OF the civil war. He then hearti.
ly took sides with his State and
section. Alter the war was owe,
he deplored deeply the unjust and
tyrannical Legislation of Congress-,
and concurred with me In all that
! said or did on the subject of IRE.
construction. He wrote a series
Of able articles addressed to me in
one, OF the North Carolina pewspa.
pers, on the test oath, distranchise.
ment, &C., &c. asrras -
In November, 1866, I had the
pleasure of receiving from Govern.
or Swain, very long letter, nine
pages, and from which l will make
o few extracts :: "It is not very
difficult to decide the character Of
our representatives if this rule
shall be forced upon us. Let us
enquire for a moment who will be
excluded, Take yonr State for ain
example. From early life TO tho
present time, l have had opportu-
mites to know something of your
leading men. l knew Mr.. Petit
CRU personally, met himip Charles.
ton in February, 1861, correspond.
ed with him during the en,ire pc.
ROD OF the war, and to within
two or three weeks of his death.
Regarded him when living, and
remember him now that he is no
more, as one uf the ablest
and purest men / have ever
known. L cannot say that if he
was alive, he could not take the
test oath, but l can affirm with
great confidence, ttat under no
circumstances would he do it. Nv
personal knowledge of you extends
through nearly half a century,
We were schoolmates and intimate
friends in early life, and at all sub
sequent periods. / have been fa-
miliar with your. history. With
out entering into details that might
be offensive 10 your delicacy, ! can
say with confidence, that Invests
CATION will establish the fact be.
yond controversy, that from the
first avowal of Modification by Mr..
Calhoun, in his letter to General
Hamilton, until the secession of
your State, no member of the com.
mittee, not even excepting Senator
johnson, of Maryland, had ever
been placed in circumstances that
required or admitted the constant.
untiinching, hazardous devotion to
the Union, and opposition to Null
LITIGATION and Secession, which
have characterized the whole
course of your political life. Pres
ident johnson, in 1s26-27, resided
in Laurens, the adjoining District
to Greenville in your State, and
few persons beyond the limits of
Soatb Carolina are as familiar as
he, or symparhized as deeply as he
in the conflicts which you waged
during 80 many years in behalf of
the Union. You cannot take the
oath, and what / affirm in relation
to those in North Carolina who
can, will not appl, with less force
to South Carolina. You have no
honest and competent men who
can submit to a test Of loyalty,
which is. in my estimation, as
clearly unconstitutional as inexpe-
dient.
And yet we are told, no doubt
honestly on the part Of many who
say SO, that a range of contiscation,
which has no parallel in the histo
~ of civilization since the days of
William the Conquerer, is a mild
punishment for Confederate trea-
son. The descendants of Shay re.
bellionists, whisky insurrectionists.
and Hartford nrionists, can
afford to be mercitul if not mag.
We are assured more.
over, witt equal honesty and sin
cerity, thar Southern Statesmen
should consent to their exclusion
from Office with exulta:ion, as af.
tording an opportunity to open the
way to Office and emolument, 10
those, who, under other circum.
stances, would never have been
thought of by themselves or others
in connection with official station.
John Quincy Adams, yon may re-
member, entertained and express.
ed on memorable occasion very
different sentiments. Where, with
view to censure Mr.. Webster, @ |
Pennsylvania representative offer