The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-13
"IIistOric AbbeyiIlc."

Rev. w. NJ. I.cftwich, ID. d., the distinguish
cd divine who conducted successful meet
Ing in the Methodist church here writes n let
ter to the Daily American, Nashville, Tenn,
which shows that he Is Il man OF ability in
practical business affairs as welias theologian
of high order. He says:
ABBEvILLi:, s. &. April 2.-From the win
dow Of n fastfying train Georgia and South
Carolina prcSenha stirring, busy scene. Far.
mers are plowlng and planting all along the
line with I'll available force and all possible
speed TO catch up from the delay caused by
the long continued rains. The conspicuous
absence OF fences strikes Middle Tennes.
sean with surprise and interest. only here
and there q small pasture has u fence around
II. This stock law was not popular at first,
either In Georgiu or South Carolina, but no
man would now dare to move for lis repeal
II does not cost so much to keep stock In rs
TO let them out. How would general stock
law do for Tennessee?
everything Is liie, push, energy, enterprise,
demonstrates what this whole cotton-grOw.
ing section Of the South might become If
such factories were numerous enough to con-
markets Of the world, The cotton belt OF the
South needs cotton factories just as much as
the iron belt needs iron furnaces. Here Is q
vast field for capital TO utilize cheap labor In
converting raw material into marketable
goods for the world. Manufactures could
rcvolutioniZe this whole country and put new
life into The old South.
Abbeville, S. c., is rich in historic incidents,
many Of which have been far reaching in
their influence upon the destinies Of the
country 1t was first settled by q. FRENCH
Huguenott colony in 1853, from Abbeville
France. Here Gen. Andrew Pickens built
block house to protect the women and chill
dren from the torch and tonahawk Of the In.
dians before the Revolution. From this point
this whole country. from the Indians who
came down from the mountains upon the
p .acetul settlers. Fort Pickens" is suburb
of Abbeville, named for Gen. Pickens up
f,nr I IN los bhayi1lp is
q Presbyte teran church that was organized In
ITO, where holy sacrament was administered
for the first time in upper South Carolina In
I'LL.
A conspicuous spot TO which oil visitors are
taken is called Secession HILL" because there
the first secession meeting was held In the
presided over by Hon. Thomas W. Perrin,
with Judge d. l.. Wardaw, Col. John A.
Calhoun, Dr. ". Hurst. Hon. John Brown.
msde nnS By f g. SEn Wer
Gen. NJ. l.. Bonham, a member of Congress
from this district, and others. Hon. Edward
Noble offered the following resolution. which
was unanimously adopted by the meeting:
"Resolved, that in the opinion CT the peo:
pie of Abbeville District, the election OF
Abraham Lincoln as President, and llannl.
bal Hamln as Vice President OF the United
States, upon doctrines destructive of the
rights and interests, the equality and safety
OF the Southern States by the factions and
sectional hates OF our Northern confcderates
uItSliy pSiSClIs tHV opiiiV VI wv
formed by the Federal Constitution; 4; that 1t
must be promptly and stern!y resisted by the
State OF South Carolina, and that the seces-
sion Of the State from the Federal Union Is
the proper mode Of resistance.
Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God
After adopting this resolution the meeting
appoin ted six delegates to the State conven'
tion. Thus was inaugurated at this place,
famousas the home of John &. Calhoun. the
great secession movement that involved the
country in a four-years' war. 1t is n singular
coincidence that the last meeting OF Presi-
ent Davis and his Cabinet was held here in
the home Of Armstead Burt the night OF
May !, 1865. There were present with Presl.
dent Davis, A. H. Stephens, Vice-President
7. c. Breckenridge. Judah P. Benjamin, John
| II. Reagan, s. d. Mallory, Gen. Lawton and
| Gen. Braxton Bragg. Two brigades OF caval-
! ry by Gems. Vaughan and Dukes.
AT midnight the President and this escort
| left Abbeville on his southern retreat. Thus
the civil war practically ended where IT be.
gam The Burt mansion is now the home or
| Col. T. B. Calhoun. These South Carolinians
take great pride In these historic associations