Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-05-05
Mr.. Payne Replies.
Hon. w. E. Ear lie, Washington, D

DEAR Sir: I received your letter
of recent date, and would say
did not intend it to be understood
that I was giving a verbally
accurate report of Orr's speech on
the occasion referred to in my
article in the Cotton Plant, but
only intended to give its sub:
Stance, which did as truly as ]
could from my recollection.
But the question is, not what he
said there or what he said any.
where else, or what was the action
of the very able Abbeyille Bar, OF
the action of the Legislature, OF
any or all those things, added to
your own personal and intimate
relations with him. All those
things have no relevancy to the
central question, "Did he bctray
his country?" The verdict OF the
people from the mountains to the
sea at the ii me was an over
whelming affirmative.
Nothing has transpircd since to
change or modify that verdict
and he stands to-day in the
Judgment of his countrymen as
the only man of prominence in
the State that could be found to
cast his fortunes with the recog-
nized enemies of his country.
Now if that be true (and l dc
not think you will deny it,, let
me ask you is it the proper thing
for his son, however worthy, to
come forward and propose to rule
the country that all the people be-
lieve his father betrayed?
You are we'll aware OF the fact
that our State was overrun by 9
horde of the most merciless and
unprincipled incendiaries that
ever followed the fortunes Of
predatory leaders since Warren
Hastings and his desolating ban df
swept over the plains of the
Carnatac, and you are also aware
ofsthe fact, that Ex-Gov. Orr was
one of that horde, and a leader
at that.
Now the wonderful politica
sagacity" {of which you speak ii
your letter to me) that would land
a man in-the camp of, such a crew
as raided our State in those bite:
days is precisely the kind o
apolitical sagacity" that it ha'
always taken to make what tn.
world has always calleda a traitor,
And you will further permit M
to remind you that the driving
out of the State of this-.=perniciou'
robber band (of whom Gov. Or
was one of the leaders) is precisely
what constitutes Wade Hampton g
greatest glory, and entities him t.
the measureless and unstlntee
gratitude of his countrymen.
I have written nothing for the
impeachment of any one. Col
Orr may be, and doubtless is
very worthy gentleman; he may
be a kind neighbor: be may be al!
that the best man could be, and
yet his aspirations in this matter
will always have some features
that somehow seem to cause a jal
in the harmony of the "sternal
fitness of taings.''
I think his friends have been
much to blame for placing him in 8
position that makes a reference te
his fathers record inevitable.
It may seem wrong to you al
the friend of Gov Orr to have the
old Latin saying "De mortuis nil
nisi bonum" disregarded, but you
must remember humanity has 8
great deal of human nature in II
and it has always been and always
will be lust as it is now in relation
to matters like this. Aud we
certainly have unimpeachable
authority for visiting the "iniquity
of the fathers on the children,
however unfortunate and seem
ingly unjust it may be to tht
children.
Very truly yours,
JOHN M. PAYNE