The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-16
GIDEON LEE and his KIN.
REMARKABLE LETTERS BY A RICH cIr1-
ZEN OF NEW YORK TO CALHoUNs
POOR CONSTITUENTS.

The Old Man Seems to Have an Idea
that South Carolina Juries Would
Render Special verdicts in Favor
of the Distinguished Carolinian's
Rich Kin Folk.
Gideon Lee, the kinsman of Calhoun,
Washington, and other celebrities, has writ
ten another letter to the Ne11s and Coureir.
His first excited no sympathy, the second
moves to pity. If his letters are an index
to the man, he must be in his dotage-wan-
derng in his mind-dreaming.
He repeats the fact that his daughter is the
descendant OF John G. Calhoun, and says:
~ myself have no fear that South Caro-
| linians, who, whatever may be their faults
have always been noted for their manliness
generosity and cbivalry, WILL either on juries
lslature, ever do or courtenance anything
which will deprive motherless child Of her
lawful inheritance, and that child the great
eaented Statesmen o 1tS that the the State Of % south
Carolina, or the whole American Continent,
has ever produced. This child Is also the
granddaughter and sole descendant Of his
| favorite daughter, and Of the poor old man
who signed the Clemson will"
WHAT Mr.. LEE CAME FoR-MoRE DIsTIN-
|
THAT MR.. CLEMSON WASN'T OF MUCH
| WORTH, ANY WAY.
Now, came down here to seek justice for
my daughter and to prevent her being de-
prIved OF her lawful inheritance for the sake
Of benefting. politically or Otherwise, a num-
Der of disappointed office-seekers, who are at
present not of1ceholders. She is the grand
Clemson, and he has always been on the most
affectionate terms with her, as his frequent
letters will prove, written up TO a very short
time before his death. She wrote to him gen
There Is nothing new or surprising In the sit
uation. 1t has repeated Itself many times, In
all countries and ages, and has been portray.
ed in both comedies and tragedies. An old
man Of four score years, weak in body and
almost imbecile In mind, living alone with
only his housekeeper and her daughter to
care for him, and with considerable property
to dispose OF, makes an unnatural and unjust
will, In which he practically disip herits his
granddaughter and sole living defendant for
the sake Of erecting monument to his van
son Agricultural College. He does not even
mention the names Of his own sisters In
Pennsylvania, two OF whom, with his elder
brother, survive him. His favorte sister,
Mrs. Washington, who married a lineal de.
scendant OF Gen. George Washington, and
who lived on the old Washington property Of
Harewood, in Virginia, Wrote me many years
before her death that she had twenty-five
|
! living sister, who wrote me Within few days,
had been In frequent correspon dence with
him during his latter years She has also
numerous family. His elder brother, the
Rev. Baker Clemson, has quite family. All
| Mr.. Cemsons sisters descendants, who are
very numerous are In straitened circum-
stancee. and his neglect to provide In some
degree for their necessities Is really cruel.
THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS NOT CONSIDER
ED LARGE INCOME FOR MR.. LEE AND
HIS CHILDREN.
II here state for the Information Of all con.
cerned In my personal affairs that my total
annual net income Is ut present little over
large sum for the support Of my wife and four
children. In regard TO myself, am GA years
of age, and have been In very feeble health
for the past five years. The precarlous condi,
could not come down and bring my daughter
to see her grandfather before his death, which
he earnestly and almost pathetically desired
In all his letters to me for the last few months
of his life.
WHERE THE CARCASS IS, THERE WILL THE
vULTUREs ASSEMBLE.
Mr. Gideon Lee makes the following ad-
mission which, taken in connection with his
first estimate of Mr. Clemson g estate, may, If
we read between the lines, reveal the real rea-
son of bis failure to see Mr.. Clemson for more
than ten years. He says:
PERSONALLY, I have not seen or spoken to
Mr.. Clemson for more than ten years"
Taking up the paragraphs, we would re-
mark:
MIR. Lees neglect OF his old relative, whom
be supposed was poor is not unnatural.
Except for the fact that Mr. Clemson left an
estate we have no idea that Mr.. Lees health
f3ota IN
enable him to come to South Carolina. In
that event, we should have never heard Of
Mr.. Lee. The prospect OF inheritlng large
estate, however, has tendency to improve
on ELS health, and we are ready to note the
prompt effect in his case.
Mr.. Clemson is eminently correct when he
says that jurors and Legislators in South
Carolina will never do anything to "deprive
motherless child of her lawful Inheritance" /"
The jurles and Courts OF this State are pre-
sumed to deal justly with all people, and any
reminder that the contestant Is "the great
Granddaughter Of one of the purest and most
talented statesmen that the State OF South
Carolina, or the whole American continent,
has ever produced" is offensive to the last de-
gree, and can be excused only on the ground
SSSA
reminded of the greatness OF Calhoun, until
at the repetition Of the story, "the whole head
Is SICK and the whole heart is faint" This
threadbare. worn-out talk OF Calhoun Is SIM
ply sickening. South Carolina does honor to
her distinguished citizens. but we are not
generation OF load-lets to sacrifice our own
personal selfrespect in sycophantic homage
to any man-either dead or live. And he
who goes into Court claiming either ver-
diets of jurIes or judgments Of Courts in his
favor because he Is remotely connected with
the distinguished dead, either has poor ap.
probation of South Carolina, or else he needs
to have guardian appointed for himself.
Mr.. Gideon Lee seems to dote on his
daughters relationship with even George
Washington himself, while reminding US Of
worthlessness of Mr.. Clemson's own rela.
tives.
Mr.. Lees conduct has placed his case en-
tirely beyond the pale of sympathy,-if any
ever existed. The verdict of the jury, the
Judgment Of the Court, and the final diposi-
ton of the property will be purely question
of law and fact-and lawyers fees.
In connection with this, however, we
would say that II the Courts should sustain
the will, and give the property to the State,
We trust that South Carolina will not take, or
absorb that part which was originally given
to the daughter. She ought not to be robbed
because her father acts the part which he does.
South Carolina does not want to punish that
young lady because Of her fathers lack OF
common courtesy and common respect for
our people, our Courts, and our laws.
.