The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-18

Mrs. Wade Hampton, the daughter of Gen.
McDuffie, that Col. Benton said to him many
Demosthenes in his prime. He could stir up
the human heart as few public speakers have
been able to do in ancient or modern times"
Gov. Perry In speaking of McDufhe slys:
% He had no rival ut the har and stood alone.
Indeed he was great man and q great orator.
His style or speaking was Demosthenien, and
for invection and denunciation he was the
equal OF the great Athcnian. His replies In
! once heard Col. VIM. Preston who was q
college-mate or McDunie say that he fully
sustained in college the brilliant reputation
which he had gained ut pr. Waddells school,
without any contestant. He also Said that he
considered McDuf1ie one Of tue greatest ora
tors OF the age in which he lived.
Will such men as DIR. Thornwell, Col. Ben
ton Col. Preston and Gov. Perry not be con-
sidered good authority? / am thus particu-
lar, as O comparison Is made between McDuf-
fie and others, and wish to prove that he
was regarded as truly great man by those
rect estimate Of him. give the recorded
opinion of others. There Is no legend
about this, Mr.. Editor. Such a man with
any klte"-a meteoric one. But McDpffic was
only one Of the many Of DR.. Waddelfs pupils
who became famous. Are there not some
whose name are not even more extensively
known than McDuffie? Then how can you
say that you lean name as many and as great
men who were taught by James l.. Lcsly as
were ever taught by DR.. Wuddell?"
In your notice Of Prot r. Means Davis ad-
dress In Due West at the Normal Institute In
which be took issue with you in your depreci-
alton of DR.. Waddell and McDuffie, at which
he was loudly applauded, you say that you
had been doing little "image breaking" II
you had in fact destroyed the image. you
erected nothing better in their stead, but you
are innocent Of the act, however criminal
may have been your intention. The images
are stlll standing intact, they have only been
.te t pr Waddei wns eood teeaeber but
deny that he was a good scholar. viii not
undertake to pass judgment on his scholar
ship, but let his work speak for ITSELF You
say that James L. Lesley had better school
ever was. From what do you judge7 By re.
suits? Look at the list or great men taught
by DIR. Waddell, and II you Judge by the thor.
ough preparation Of his pupils for college
test as any we can produce. I'll direct your
attention TO the fact that he prepared John e.
Calhoun for the Junior class In Yale College
In two years after he commenced the study Of
q letter written by one OF the former Cover:
nor's of South Carolina, upwards Of three
quarters OF century ago, from Princeton Col
the faculty Of the College to. day, and was ad
mitted into the junior class" No legend
or tradition about this. The tangible facts
are In my possession by which to prove what
| say. BlcDuflie also entered the Junior class
public judge whether or not any country
school teacher could have established such O
reputation as he did, could have achieved
such wonderful results, and could have pre-
pared pupils SO we'll for the junior class In
such colleges as Princeton, Yale and the South
Carolina where they at once took the first
rank without being good scholar?
DR.. Waddell's admirers do not claim for him
hot n .hn1n nCrf III N he y
claim us you soy they do, that he was "the on
ly great teacher we ever had" but they dc
claim that he was one OF the most II not the
most successful teacher ever known In this
parison between the pupils taught by him
and these taught by any other one teacher In
the union. The list Is one TO which his coun
trymen can point with pride. But let me
grand results must not be given to Dr. Wnd
dell, although IL is largely due to him. There
Is no doubt but that he had better material tc
work upon than was I furnished IN other @ temchers
Dr.. Waddell had never lived. You say that II
twas not possible for DIR. Waldell TO have
taught rs successful With his old books and
old methods as the teachers OF the present
day with the new books and new methods
now In use."-so much the more credit Is due
DR.. Waddell Judging by what he accomplish
ed In the absence OF such advantages as the
teachers have the present day. But would
not his method be new to-day? And may no,
his success be largely due to 1t, which Is now
perhaps one OF the Iost arts" One Of his prr
pills Of the year 1908, who in after life became
widely known thus graphically describes IT,:
"His government was one OF touching NOR
al suasion, but he administered 1t In new
way. Instead OF infusing ii gently into tht
head aud heart, and BETTING 1t percolntt
through the system and slowly neutralize the
III humors with which 1t came In contact ht
applied 1t to the extremitles. and drove II
right up to the head and heart by percussion
He seemed to regard vices as consuming fires
and adopted the engine process OF cxtinguish
ing them" \. \. u.