The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-06
Lueius Q. C. Lamar.

A born leader of men is he whose
name heads this article. A statesman in
the strictest sense of, that much-abused
word, he has by his broad and liberal
views of national policy been a tower of
strength to his people during the dang
erous and eventful years which have
marked the greatest political and social
upheaval through which any nation has
ever passed, and the biography of Sen
ator Lamar will in the years to come be
the history of the character and intelli-
gence of the South in its struggle with
bold and unscrupulous political party,
which has had for its watchword "a victas.
Ini1S57 Senator Lamar made his first ap-
pearance in the national halls Of legisla-
ton as representative to the Thirty
fifth Congress, and was reelected to the
Thirty-sixth Congress-taking from the
start prominent position in the delib-
erations of that body. In full sympa-
thy with his people, and educated in the
strictest school of States rights. he with
drew in 1860 to take seat in the seces-
sion convention. of his State, and through
out the struggle which ensued he bore
conspicuous part in the field of action
and forum of debate. Trained to the
law, he was in 1867 made Professor OF
Law in the University of Mississippi,
having previously filled the chair of Po-
llitical Economy in that institution. But
| his responsible and hazardous duties
were yet to come. In 1872 the people
whom he had served SO well again called
him to seat in the councils of the ma
ton, as a member of the Forty-third
Congress, and reelected him in 1850
the SFourty-fourth Congress. 1t was a
delicate aud responsible taskto which he
vas assigned in stepping again into the
political arena to still the troubled ele-
ments, and to restore to the people OF
the whole country that spirit of amity
and concord SO essential to their future
happiness and prosperity. Suffering no
taunt or jeer to force from his lips al in
cautious or hasty word to feed the dying
embers of sectional hate, he maintained
at all times q calm and diguified demean-
or, meeting the attacks of the opposition
| in broad lofty spirit of true statesman
ship, which comma nded their respect,
and gave assurance to his friends that he
was the man for the occasion. The peo-
pie of Mississippi, never slow to recog-
nize and reward ability in public men,
elected him in 1876 to the Senate of the
United States, ofwhich body he has been
one of the most conspicuous and admit
tedly able members; and now that the
minority of which he has ofttimes been
the "forlorn hope" in many hotly-con-
tested fight, is about to spring into the
majority, he will doubtless be found
among the foremost of that majority in
advocacy of such measures as will best
tend to promote the true interests of the
people of the entire country. Firm in
his convictions of right and of duty, he
will yield to nc pressure that may be ex-
ercised to drive him from a position
which he has once taken. This was very
forcibly demonstrated in his action on
the silver bill at the last session of Con-
'gress. The Legislature of Mississippi
Instructed him 10 give his support to that
measure; and with the people of the en-
tire State it was very popular, but SEN
ator Lamar believed il to be his duty to
oppose the bill, after long struggle be-
tween respect and affection for his peo.
pie and settled sense of duty, he made
powerful argument in opposition to re-
monetization, and voted accordingly
This is true courage, and the man who,
in the face of such opposition dares do
what he, honestly believes to be right,
may safely be trusted as national legis-
later.