The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-17
JUDGE WEEDLAT's NEMoIASlE s7EEcE
lfc People Tore.old cf tha DanGc"
Euci.Icut TO 'Fiseir Rash Act---ES-
citing *;"H,sc-..A S*cc*SiaE;isi'S a'"a-
HaSc;; !Go;!e O: His.sa.::i@ Of :AS
Usien yyar Ships, which Was New
p,i y fseYf

4 E3S2Si "a h0,.S @. HiSts:G+sEsE 0b s1sS
V:,ien ygar Ships, which Was New
cr Carried Gut.
Tho reader will observe. In the above re
ported account of that days proceedings, iha
no mention ut all Is made OF perhaps lht
most potable event Of The day, namely: Ih'
SPEECH VI hich Judge Nardlaw mace, ana lh'
!indirniiy 10 which H. was Sui,ircic,t. II was
then the pGlcy of the press of South Caro:iia
as II seems to he the policy OF the newspapers
in The State Of Georgia to-day. TO suppress
everything That dill not fully agrr" with the
desires and political intprc-tS OF the party Il
which the publisher wa& allied.
4 While al that Is said of The hurrah and OK
ctcmcnr OF iita; enirc day is absolutely true
yet il was II fact that there were present on
that occasion some men amongst us who mad
: their irHrS and mi$giVIn"S aus TO the rNleulrn
cy Of secession. No mention, however, wa,
>: male Of them or This fact. II was desired
that the first meeting in the great movement
should appear to the outside world aS entire
harmonious anal enthusiastic, because ut tho
effect such Il fact would have on other por
tinnS nf The State, AMI hence The account as
published next day, Was Father 0i Il ltrliHhi
nature than OF Il fir ANA impartial statement
Of all the art!ill frctS.
/ Br.idcs Judge Wardlnw's avowcd opp"s
ton 10 separate State action In III" proposed
/ ; creS>iuu movement: IT, was we'll known that
, !.c was supported in these views. in large
mca .urr, by his DISTINGUISHED fellow. towns
u,;t.i, thc Hon. Thomas ThnnSon. 1t was, al
the ir.inT'ng OF the Secession movement. tiiL
poiicy of the leaders To en- dclvor to enlist the
;ympatnlrS of the lnkCwafm by cleNaiinI
Them to Office. 1t Wits for this reason that
Alexander stephens WAS made Eicc-PreSidrnt
OF TIC Confederate Sini"S. 80 IL was thou :ht
that it, w;lS with Il view to committing Mr.
Thomson To tn" secession cause, more tr!n in
any desire to reward amy zeal iii lis hchu.1.
! that lie was nOninaIcd by the Comlniilrc oi
Twrniy-Onc as Il delegate to the state Con-
I vcn,iOn, which WAS 10 carry us out OF the |, N
ion, and, IL proved. whose act WAS 10 profuke
the bu2lc blast to war.
! In the deliberations OF the Committee ol
, ,Tweniy-Onc, which was held in the raiiroat
d3pHt, II was a'crrnincd that eleven oi INC
! lwcnty-unu mcnbc!Sol that culn:Hit!cc would
vote against the nomination Of Judge Ward
g. They were moi satisfied with him be-
cIl;5t ol his wc'l known opposition u what
; Ac,iun." 1t was, hnwcvCr, tlrAu h the per.
Sp:iai Influence OF JuGg" CUihlan Win MS
fr:e rd and kiESGnan, {. W. Sprowl, whpm he
, induced To change liz vote, that Judge Warl,
law received The nomination, even By bare
majority of the committee.
To better understand the situation at the
time of the mass meeting at Secession
HI in November, l'GD, the reader SluEl rc.
member that it was held just after. the Gee
tiun OF Abram Lincoln, the Ecrub iran n0ini J.
n"e for President. The people III aii
ralt> OF the South were greatly alarmed al
Inc prospect of having Il Republican Pres
d"nt. Their fears were excited in lhcrNIcc'a'
t;on that the ibOiiIinniS!S W,ilild free tie ne
yrGrs, and everybody WAS uneasy AZ lii" idri.
litlL IiSlil Dt
! the negroes To excite them to deeds of rio
lrn;r. Asa consequence of this StItc Of III
/ fairs, "Ni.ilant Committees were formed III
every nci2lihor.inDl. and ;ll suspicious per.
SOES were ordered TO leave The country imlur'
dI"trly. COM ;i:ic; Of "Hliiuic Alcn were
already orsaniZ,d in every lnruluuS neigh
blr;Iuol i'll the country. EuSinc>S pursuits
", IL nCgl"ctcL aud all thoughts we're turned
To III" great political iS~rrS of the day, Hiu
clrn n..igiibrrhuud Wed with every other
n"ish!"r;ioUd in demonstrations OF loyalty
u the state, and in expressions of dctc!ininl'
ton To resist the "lyrant."
! In tniS excited condition of the public
mind, even speakers Of ordinary ca!ibrr, who
made no p:rtcnsr 10 "rniory, could move
their aiI:licnc"s with - cat r;lSr. 1t WitS thrl,
no wonder that the People should be carried
captive un,icr the power and cioqucucc Of Il
/ man like Judge Magrath, vino eNcricu his
Eh'.l" energy IN iIailng appeals 10 the pre-
ju,.icrs the passions, and Lhc patriotism of Il
people WHO had no just conception of Tho
! great ISSUES To result iiUm their act and who
knew not what II WIS to &" To war. lnuci
Such circumstances ii WAS not strange that
the people, whose fears lad bc IN pE"ilcl by
the success OF litter political foe, ana
whuEc minds had been iniia:mcd by
ing Ia listen 10 Tie conservative wisdom and
sound jud.mcnt of even man like judge
/ WarIilaw whose words wee, ON that "c1;,Si"n
if p,'"sibic. more than Il prophecy. Although
hr was greatly rcSprC'r rd personality hrrau>c
of his nllrii learning, his great ability, his TN
ilDrm correct and honest department thruugll
II long and useful lie, when he attempted Ia
speak h3 Was i,i.:rd ;nd Missed. The mani.
Ii'~lnl:ou WA" not intended us personal di>rc.
Sprct, tut the act wis evidence of tn" excited
condition nf lie country, when the people
wou'd not listen to rr;i>'n. Ihc crowd wi's
tuul.Iiiuull- and the venerable old man who
was wiser than the rest Srrincd forced To SHE
runh. At last aS if in II supreme moment
with tears in eyes that were not arriSinni-
,ri TO WEEP and wit the emotions of a heart
which felt more than could be expressed, he
SAID:
''iaS il come to This my neighhorS and
: frirndS that | who was born among YOU, and
have hvrd with you for al these years, am Il
Uc denied TIE risht To speak To y"u?'
Every heart was thril,d. Tine people stood
upon the hrnrhr>, and crowded around thu
SirakrT'S stand. In The CoiuinOii0n Prot. Fat.
ton, whose voice pei htpc had not been heard
in Il pubic assembly since the day hr d"li'c
Cd his graduation speech, and who WAS 81
wei! Known ;S the n!'f'' modest and uii;:Snii
ins man in The county. hccalnr :" excited that
hc rlhOwcd h's way ihrnu:l the crowd Il"
ward the SPEAKERS stand. and, with fire anu
determination, with g''Si ur" ana yrhc:hcncr
which could NOT he desc. ihctl, and in Il voice
which WAS dis iinctiy heard above lhc am anu
ctnf!I>iuu. said:
Judge Wardlaw shall he heard
The utirrHncc and III" :!c! WaS like aD c.rc'
tric shock Quiet WAS restored fora moment
During The t@mrnrnrr lulI Mr. Noble, whC
was II lccngnzrd Leader in the s;'rrsSioI
movement, arpcaiCd 10 The audience To hriIi
Quiet brin. Siill further restored, Judge
w.irtInw lr'"rc,i"d with his s!'ccr ANA III
cnd::tvOrinS to impress the force "T his worIS
said:
"s;uppu>p Snuih Carolina should Sccrdf
alnllr, amd ihc United States government
Should send Il iri@;lfr to, 'harl"StOu and block
a,I" ynur hnrlrrr. What would Nou do:
Voice fruni tic crOwu-"Wu'd Wa.iC in, and
sink her.
Al about his point firc-caiing sccrsSioniSt
camc upon the platform. pressed to III" ir' nj
and commenced speaking. Jud.c WnrlaN
stopped ana siUOd u"tIl he had liniSl ell
Wien his lirc-cating friend. who could MOI