The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-30
The Character OF Joseph Crews.

The Columbia Register draws the fol-
lowing picture of the late Joseph Crews,
which will be readily recognized by those
who knew him:
Lying back of the chronic quarrel and
embittered memories which might have
broken out any time in bloodshed or in
stigated revenge, between Mr.. Joseph
Crews aud his personal and political enc
mics in Laurens, was deeper cause of
trouble, danger and embarrassment to
him as public man. His position as
such was anomalous. He was entirely
out of place in having its honors and re-
sponsibilities to bear. We allude to it
without particle of unkind feeling to-
wards him, living or dead, solely because
it is truth, and gives key to some of his
many entanglements and personal and
political embroilments, and because
there are others in the State in a similar
awkward position, who may profit by the
facts and the lesson they teach.
Joseph Crews was shrewd, but mot of
the kind of shrewdness which benefit
ones fellow men. He had the milk of
human kindness flowing in his veins, but
it curdled at the slightest touch. He was
generous to his friends and dependents,
but his nature was essentially piratical.
He created CONSERVATION on whatever
sea he sailed his craft. The purposes,
the objects, the inspiration of his life,
were such as to bring him into conflict
with the best and most stable interests of
society. The men who sought to serve
it, who, if in public positions, would place
duty and obligation of trust above per-
sonal emoluments aud advantage, he in
stinctively shrank from, disliked, and, if
need be, prosecuted. Such man was
not fitted to take any conspicuous, honor
able or just part in public affairs. He
could only enter into combinations for
mere gain. He had necessarily, and
as matter of course, his sympathies and
antipathies, his spites and his ring pro-
clivities to indulge in, all turning mainly
upon their relation to his personal ad-
vantage. We are ready to believe, how
ever, that even with such peculiar sus-
ceptibility to selfish influences and con-
stitutional exemption from such as would
qualify him for public usefulness, he was
to considerable extent the victim or
football of circumstances. He had not
lived in an era of gross corruption, in
such times as brought obscurity into NO
tice, exalted chicanery and trick into
virtues, and made public men out of the
commonest and coarsest clay, he would
have escaped undeserved notoriety, per-
haps lived better life, and died Esore
peaceful death. Lifted into prominence
only by party and to serve mere party
and personal ends, he could never feel
easy in any respectable society, or enjoy
the confidence of any respectable commu-
nifty. He was not in his place as leader
of men, and necessarily gravitated to-
wards acquiring ascendency by any
means over the lowest and most ignorant
classes, in order 10 secure lever of con-
troll over the higher, who repudiated him
He was consequently always in hot water
He had victims to immediate, enemies to
punish, friends to raise up and reward at
the expense of better men, and at the
cost of the public interests.
1t is claimed for him that he was af:
fectionate in his family, and ready and
willing to lavish favors and kindnesses
upon his friends. We can we'll believe il
to be true. 1t is great and redeeming
virtue. It is one which several of his as
sociates in the public counsels, who fully
shared his defects and vices, do not pos
sesss. 1t would be we'll if they could sec
this, and as speedily as possible Withdraw
themselves from the public view. Will
them the post ofhonor would be emphat
ically private station.