The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-02-21


guage more bitter and scathing. Neither
| in this Convention nor out of,it, before
nor since, did direetly or Indirectly dc
or say anything derogatory to tho honor
of South Carolina, or inimical 10 her sgel-
fare or the interest Of her honest. tax
paying citizens, / was not O member OF
the "commitsee Of eleven" nor did ] en-
deavcr, in any manner, to intrude my
oounsels into their deliberations, or to
control their action, or the action of any
member of tho Convention. This COM
mittee was composed of Messrs. III. @.
Butler. Gabriel Cannon, w. II. Wallace,
A. M. Lowry, E. J. Scott, Cadwallader
Jones, B. w. Ball, Richard I.athers, g.
A. Trenholm, w. B. Smith and T. O.
Weatherley--men as pure, as honorable,
intelligent, and az patriotic na there could
or now can be found in the State. With
the labcrs of this committee had naught
! to do. S.y whole attention was given TO
tho subject referred TO the committee on
election and suffrage laws, of which was
chairman, and ] challenge any member
Of tho Convention, or any other man, to
say that either during tho session of the
Convention or before or after its meeting,
/ held any conference with him, orin any
manner sought to exercise influence b.
reference to the action on tie matter of
the public debt Of the State.
Out Of the "committee of eleven" was
selected q subcommittee, of which the
Hon. G. A. Trenholm was chairman
the ablest financier of the State-and
this ssub-committee were specially charged
to investigate the finances of the State.
Tho ability, earnestneSs, integrity, and
patriotism Of the gentlemen Composing
this committee and ub.committee cannot
be questioned. Their names sufficiently
negative The slightest suspicion that they
could be influenced by corrupt men or by
corrupt motives. From the labors of thin
Committee of eleven" came two reports
upon different branches of the subject
matter of investigation-the one submit
ted by General NJ. @. Butler, upon gen.
eral grievances of tho State; the other by
the Hon. G. A. Trenholm, upon the
bonded debt, both of which were ap.
proved and adopted by the Convention.
General Butler and I were but two of
o delegation of six from Edgefe!d, and
but two in convention Of delegates from
twenty-six counties in the State, com.
posed of her ablest and beat citizens.
The action of that Convention was ell.
tirely N accord with our vieSs and SEN
timeI- q touching the public debt and
measures of State policy in general, and
In TACT all its proceedings were character
lied by unusual gravity, earnestness and
harmony. To charge us with betraying
the true interests of our constituency in
thu: Convention, or conspiring against the
welfare Of the people Of the State, is to
lay o similar. charge at the door of evory
member of that body. To say that we
improperly controlled or Influenced their
action Is an insult to their intelligence
and integrity, and base slander upon
them as we'll as upon ourselves.
This argument, SO unfairly and mali
ciously paraded before the public, was
open and free to be exhibited. About it
there was nothing secret or designed to
be hidden. General Butler did not hesi-
tate to 60 to the city of New York, and
in open court in tho suit betvean Ch;lis
and Southern against VIM. e. Everett,
10 testify to the genuineness and purport
of this paper, and the circumstances
under which II was executed. Prior to
his going to New York, it was proposed
or suggested by distinguished lawyer of
this State, in letter to General Butler,
intended for our joint perusul. thas it
would be better that tho suit should be
compromised, in o--a.or 70 suppress this
agreement. This proposition General
Butler, with my hearty concurrence, de-
clined, and unhesitatingly unioided the
paper g st,e world By lis tsst;...o..v III
open court. Distorted construction to
his prejudice he deied, and so do I. con-
scious es we are of nothing wrong in
agreeing to serve, as attorneys, gentle
men of high character and to lend our
aid by proper means to reinstate the
ruined credit of the State.
From this transaction We ksve never re-
ceived one dollar, nor, ao far al know,
have those who invested their money in
it. This "twice told tale" is, with deep
malice, designed to impair the usefulness
of Gen. Butler and myself in our respec-
tive public spheres, and TO ipjure oar
| private characters. My warfare sgainst
/, public thieves and robbers has been Bit
ter, unrelenting, and, I sm happy to say,
successful, and such has been and ever
will be my devotion to her institutions
and her veal that neither the voice nor
the pen of tho defamer shall cause me to
falter in my course, or to swerye from my
duty to the State. For the honor and
welfare of my people / have fought, and
for the redemption of my State have
struggled. She is redeemed, thank God,
and stands to-day the proud peer of any
State, and, SO fer as my heart and voice
and arm have aysiled, and may hereafter
avail, so shall she stand forever.
mt