Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-10-10
7 THE He II RACE Cl!' I. PROBLEM.

GCLEVELAND SPRINGS,2 N. ", Au.
gust 5.-Among the many visitors
here is John L. Manning, wb3, in
1862-53, was the Governor Of South
Carolina. Although this eminent
man will be II years Of age next
January, hc enjoys good health, his
eyes are bright and his intellectual
powers are in full vigor. The inti-
mate knowledge of distinguished
mon and public affairs tilat has .bcs:l
Governor Manning's. for more than
half "a century has fitted him to
speak understandingly about the
past and present of the South, while
his conservatism makes it impossible
for him to entertain partisan or sec
tional opinions. This will be better
understood by the readers of the
Commercial Advertiser when they
know something of his history.
Governor Manning was born in
South Carolina in January, 1916. In
1715 the founder of the American
branch Of his family acquired large
estates from the lord proprietors and
settled in what is now Clarendon
county. From then till now the
Manning family has been prominent
| iii South Carolina. It has furnished
the State with several Governors
and United States Senators, and
with numerous members Of the Gen
eral Assembly. 1t has been noted
for its wealth, its hospitality, it's love
of justice, it's breadth of views, it's
intellectual force and it's solid con-
scrvatism. All of the names have
been distinguished for their moral
courage. They dared to do right
when confronted by opposition, how
ever influential and powerful. None
of the family ever illustrated this
more completely than John H. Man
ming. When he was Governor two
men of influential family connec.
tions were convicted of the murder
of a negro. They were sentenced
to be hung. Every effort was made
to secure their pardon or else a com
mutation of their sentence. Peti-
tions, signed by sixty thousand citi-
zcns, W re presented to him, urging
Executive clemency, but the Govern
or was firm. He surrounded the
convicts with a strong armed force
to prevent their rescue, and at the
hour designated they were executed.
For some time thereafter he was the
most badly boratcd man in the
State.
Governor Manning was the owner
of large plantations in South Caro-
lima and Louisiana. Tn the latter
State he had in 1861 10000 acres
and 1900 slaves. His land was in
the sugar cane district. More than
twenty steam engines were included
in n plant costing $2,000,000, re-
quircd for his extensive operations.
His income ran from 100000 to
100000 annually. lie was one of
that landed aristocracy of the South
that generally favored secession, but
he had no sympathy with tho move
ment, and no part in bringing it
about. He had often visited the
North, and had numerous friends
and correspondents on that side of
the Mason's and Dixon's line. He
knew the strength of one and the
feebleness of the other section. In
his view it was supreme folly to at
tempt to disrupt the Union, but in
the madness of the period wise coun-
sells were set at naught, and Co.
vernon Manning, like Alexander
Stephens and the late Senator Ben
jamin Hill, was compelled to bow to
the storm, and to do thereafter what
he could for the welfare of the mis-
guided people he loved. When in
1865 the post-bcllum Legislature as
sembled in South Carolina, ethc So
bcr second thought" of the people
was manifested by the election of
Governor Manning to the United
StG.cs Senate. One of the saddest
results Of the assassination of Presi.
dent Lincoln was that it aroused
such an intense feeling of dstrust of
Southern men and Southern mo-
tlves, that statesmen Of the high
character of Governor Manning were
not permitted to represent thcjr peo.
pie in the councils of the nation.
Happily that era of passion ended,
and other forces now sway the
minds and the acts of the American
people.
The foregoing recital has been
given that there may be a better APP
prccintion of the views of Governor
II