The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-12-18
"REMINISCENCES ~
PU B MIC MI IL N
Continued yrons last Week
ny Ex GOVERNOR D. v. PERRY.
JAMES L. PErIGRU.

"hu oS''o'hPiiobSh 10" O' III iiiS
United States, and he, was so re-
garded by many others, who were
more capable of Judging OF his at
tainments than myself. | have
never known a more noble hearted
gentlemen, agmore, sincere friend
or a more charming companion !;
and this is the estimate ot all WIN
knew him. AS a statesman and a
politician, he was not'equaltom many
others. His great talents and abil
tiles were devoted, almost exclu
sively, to his profession. He was
"a Federalist of the oil school, and
had no very great confidence in
popular or republican institutions.
In other words, he did not believe
that the masses of people had vi:tuc
and intelligence enough to govern
themselves wisely and properly for
any length of time. Like Wash
ington and Hamilton, he doubted
the experiment the American peo-
pie were making in self govern.
nent, aud was afraid it would not
be permanent. But like them,
also, he would have been willing
to lay down his lite in defence of
the effort the people lIad made to
administer themselves their vwn
government. y a.. .'-'.."
Mr.. Petigru came to Greenvi!le
i'll the GUNNER of 1925, whilst |
was reading law, and was frequent.
ly in Judge Earle's Office. / had
heard of him as a lawyer of great
distinction, and as Attorney Gen.
eral of the State, wbicI. Office he
then filled, and was greatly amused
at his peculiar screcching voice and
witty expressions. / saw nothing
more of Mr.. Petigru3 till | met
him, several years afterwards, in
the Union Convention at Colum.
bia. [ was struck by a speech
which he made one night, in our
caucns, on the love of Country
lie said he had no love for the
swamps of the lower country, Or
the mountains of tile upper coun.
try, or the pines and sands Of the
middle county" Where liberty
dwells there is my country ~ Mr..
Petigru was not in the habit of at.
tending the sittings of the Legisla.
tnre for several years after my ad
mission to the bar. | think he
was engaged professionally before
the Legislature of Georgia about
that time. | mot him in the Legis.
iotnre as a member OF that body
in 1886, and we were thu own very
much together in our business and
associations. ! became greatly at.
taclied to him, aud our relations
continued of 'slie most cordial ma.
ture till his death in 1863.
Mr.. Petigru was most devoted
Union man throughout bis life
lie never wayered orEesitated in
his course, OF failed to express his
opinions boldly and fearlessly; and
yet no man in the State co ulnand
ed more entirely the respect and
coniidepse Of tue. opposite party.
The leading Secessionists and Nul.
lifiers were all his personal friends,
and remand so till his DEATH
lnylS5h when l started the South.
ern Patrbt, amidst the terrible ex.
citeinent and storm of secession,
which had swept every Union pa.
per out of ofcxisterice in South Car
Dina, MI. Petigfu wrote me a
most beautiful letter stating that
my prospectus chad revived his
heart for the repnblic Until he
saw that, le had despaired of the
Union" He was ever one of the
faithful few amidst the faithless in
South Carclina. Like myself, he
has always respected those of the
secession pirty who were govern.
ed by principle, bnt he scorned
those who betrayed their prfnci-
pies through cowardice, or love
OF popularity and Office. When
the Onion was broken, either of us
would have defended the State as
readily as any of those who
rought tais great calamity upon
the J country. Bat Mr., Petigru
through bis long life avoided tax.
ing any active part in politics.
lis great intellect and noble heart
wero devoted to the law as a science
and study, and it is as a lawyer
that ne viii be known to fame.-.
His code of the statute laws of
South Carolina, just completed at
nis death, will be noble and EN-.
during monument OF his wisdom
and ability.
The practice of Mr.. Petigru was