The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25

er, was made of thom or this fact it was de.
sired that the first meeting in the great move.
ment should appear to the outside world rs
entirely harmonious and enthusiastic, bo
cause of the effect such Il fact would have on
other portions of the State, and hence tho nc
count as published next day, was rather of a
partiztu nature than of q fnir and impartial
statcmcnt of all the actual facts.
Besides Judge Wardlaw's aYowcd opposi-
tion to separate State action i'll the proposed
Secession movement, it was well known that
he was supported in these views. in Il large
measure. hy his distinguished fellow towns
man. the Hon. Thomas Thomson. Itwas at the
beginning of the Secession movement the
policy of the leaders to cndcavor 10 enlist the
sympathics of the lukCwarm by ecvating
them to Office. 1t was for this reason that Alex
andcr Stephens was made Nicc-Prcsdent or
the Confederate States. SO 1t was thought
that 1t was with u view to committing Mr.
| Thomson to the Secession cause, more than
any desire to reward any zeal in its behalf,
Lhat he was nominated by tho Committee of
| Twenty-Onc as a delegate to the State Con-
rention, which was to carry us out OF the
Union and, it proved, whose act was TO pro-
| woke the bugle blast TO war.
In the deliberations Of the Committee OF
| Twenty One, which was held in the railroad
depot, it. was ascertaincd that eleven of the
twcnty-onc members OF that COMMITTEES
would vote against the nomination OF Judge
! Wardlaw. They were not satisfied with MIN
| because OF his well known oppOSit ton to what
was then known and styled "Scpnrate State
Action.'' 1t was, however, through the per-
sonal influence of Judge Cothran with his
| friend and kinsman, Z. w. Sprowl, whom ne
| law received the nomination, even by Dnre
majority of the committee.
| To better understand the situation at the
| time OF the Secession mectin. at Secession
| Hill in November, 1850, the reader should re-
member that it was held just after the cleo.
ton of Abram Lincoln. The people In all
the prospect of having a Republican Presi-
dent Their fears were excited In the eXpecta-
tion that the aboiitionists would free the ne
grOps, and everybody was uneasy at The laea
that emaSSaries might be sent secretly among
the negroes to excite them to deeds of vio'
Icnce. AS consequence of this state OF az
fairs, "Vigilant Committees were formed In
every neighborho0d. and all suspicious per-
sons were ordered to leave the country imme-
dIntcly. Companies of "Ainutc Men" were
already organized in every pupulous neigh
bOrhOOd In the county. Business pursuits
were neglected, and all thoughts were turned
each ncighborhood WED with every other
ncighborhood in demonstrations or loyalty
to the State and In expressions Of determine
| lion To- resist the "tyrant."
In this excited condition of the public
mind, even speakers Of ordinary calibre,
who made no pretcnso to oratory, could move
their audiences with great ease. 1t was
then no wonder that the people should
he carried captive under the power and elo-
qucncc Of man like Judge Magrath, who cx-
crtcd his whole energy in making appeals to
ism of people vino had no just conccp-
| tion ri the great issues to result from their
act and who knew not what IT was to
60 to war. Under such circumstances IL is not
strange thar the people, whose minds had
been inilamed by such powers of oratory,
should be unwilling 10 listen to the conScrva.
| tive wisdom and sound judgment of even
man, like Judge Waidlaw whose words were,
on that occasion. il possible, more than
Il prophecy. Although he was greatly re-
spccted personally because Of his much learn
| ing, his great ability. his uniform correct and
honest dcporlmcnt through long and useful
| life, when he attempt cd to speak he was jecr-
cd and hisscd. The manifestation WAS not IN
tended as personal disreSpcct, but the act was
evidence of tho excited condition of the coun-
try, when the people would not Listen TO rca-
son. The crowd was tumu!tuous and the
venerable old man, who was wiser than the
rest, seemed forced to Succumh. At last, rs III
| in a supreme moment, with tears In eyes that
were not accustomed to weep, and with the
emotions OF heart which felt more than
could be expressed, he said:
"Has 1t come to this, my neishbors and
| friends, TINT who was born among you. and
have lived with YOU for all these years, am to
bc denied the right to- speak to y0u?"
Every heart was thrilled. The people stood
upon the benches, and crowded around the
speakers stand. In the cOmmOtOn Prof. Pat
ton. whose voice perhaps had not been heard
| in public assembly since the day he deliver
cd his graduation speech, and " llo was so
well known aS the most modest and unnssunl-
! he elbowcd his way through the crowd to-
ward the speakers stand, and, with fire and
determination, with gesture and vehcmence,
which could not be described, and in n voice
which VAS distinctly heard above the din and
con fusion, said
"Judge Wardllw shall he heard
| The utterance and the act was like an cleo
| trio shock. Quiet was restored for u moment.
| During the temporary luil Mr.. Noble, who
was q recognized leader in the Secession
movement, appealed to the audience TO hear
| the Judge.
Quiet being still further restored, Judge
Wardiaw proceeded with his speech, and in
endcavoring TO impress the force OF his words,
said:
Suppose South Carolina should seccde
alone and the United Suites government
should send q irigatc 10 Charleston and block
alc your harbor. What would you dog
Voice from the crowd We'd wade in, and
Al about this point II fire eating sccosson!st
came upon tho platform, pressed ~ the front,
and commenced speaking, Judge WardlaW
Stuppcd and stood nntil he had finished.
Wien his fre.catng friend, who could not
wait his turl to speak, had finished, Judge
Wnrdlnw continued, and spoke somewhat as
follows:
'Erilov Cifizcns: A few more words, and
shall have finished. repeat, without the co.
operation of other SO Ithern States think 1t
wrong for South Carolina TO Scccdc from the
Union. II VIC can be assured that at least
four other States will cooperate with ms, am
willing for Secession, but / am opposed TO
separate State action. The secession Of the
State will bring war, and South Carolina
alone cannot maintain her independence out
of the Union. l should be sorry to sec
her act sc rashly as to sccedc from tho
Union, but If majority of her people shall
so determine will go heartily with them:
All that am, and all that | expect, Is bound
up In tEls people, and in the State of South
Carolina and so help INC Cod, hope never to
be fllsc to either All ask H., if secession
comes, and the hour of danger and peril
should follow, that those who are snanXious
war and its consequent evils may be us true
TO the country as will be-"