Western Kansas world., 1885-08-29
A VIOLENT SOUTH CAROLINIAN.
His Denuncistion of Jaekson's Admluia

His Denunciatf0n of Jaekson's Admlni
In the course of debate in the house il
May, 1886, on the fortifcation bill. Mr.
Camberling, of New York, speaking o.
the prevailing bloated condition of af
fairs, declared that "the whole nation
was now one common gambling-house.
The next day Mr.. Pickins, of South Car.
olina, mounted the rostrum, and in q
speech of great ability, abounding in his.
torical illusions and "odorous" compari.
sons, alluded to Mr.. Camberling's re-
mark, ami inquired "who made it so?''
Then he charged the administration
with the responsibility of all the ills
with which the country was afflicted.
s'Sycophancy and servility," he said,
"have taken the place of all the heroic
and manly virtues. The rocks together
with obscene birds, have pirched them
selves in the high places of the land, and
we sit here beneath, surrounded daily
with their filth and corruption. Office
holders (now become miserable depen-
dents) and Office seekers infest every
turn and corner; and let it be known
that any man has influence, from his be-
ing the tool OF those who have patron
age to confer, and he is overwhelmed
wi tn bowing and cringing of these
slaves and begears. Crowds of misera-
BILE, hungry beings creep and crawl, in
the darkness of midnight, through the
the hidden recesses and gloomy avenues
that lead up TO the throne of royal favor.
These creatures, generated as they are in
despotism, are pervading the country
and becoming more loathsome than the
creeping lice or slmy frog of Egypt
ever were in the days of Gods judg-
ments. This, sir, is the reform with
which we are blessed" Farther on he
declared that "this is the reign of Cae-
sar," and although he knew of no one
with TIE fine talents and acquirementso
Mark Anthony, he thonght we had
smany with his profigacy and abandon
ed principles" For Lepidus he pointed
to E. NJ. Johnson, of Kentucky, for Ocva-
GUS to Martin Van Buren, the vice pres
ident "and chosen favorite of him who
has trampled upon the liberties of his
country"
This, it must be admitted, was rather
strong language for man who was elect
ed to congress as supporter of the ad-
ministration. But those South Carolin-
lans always were a queer people, and
ready to boil over at at moments notice,
as they did Kings Mountain, and Ninety
Six, and the Eutaws. For there is in
South Carolina yet, 'for all that's come
and gone," great deal of the fiery old
blood of Touraine and La Vendee, that
in the days of the Froude under the
great Conde and the brave Coligny,
waged such an internecine war against |
the church and crown. Add to these a
fair proportion of the descendants of the
old Scotch covenanters and sprinkling
of Highlanders in the hill country, to
say nothing of the Anglo-Americans
pure and simple, and we can easily per-
ceive what an explosive mixture is pro-
duced. The nitro -glycerine thus evolved
generated old Moultrie, Sumter, Marion,
and Campbell. Hagen, the rescuer OF La
fsyette, Wade Hampton, Wigfall, and
the rest. AS people they have been
full of intellect, full of culture, and full
of fght-all premonitory symptoms of
insanity. When stranger in Columbia
during the war inquired of Mr.. Pettigrue
the way to the lunatic asylum, he direct
ed him to the state house, where the
legislature was in session, with the re-
mark: "They are all as mad as March
hares there, every evil of them"