Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1893-02-09

and Christianity that embraced in
its charity the whole brotherhood
of man. 1t was his custom to as
semble his slaves at the gin house
every Sunday afternoon to teach
them the way of life. q
In attestation of the appreciation
by the colored people of his humanity
several hundred attended his funeral
and testified in every way to the
esteem in which he was held. His
neiehbors loved him for his kindness
and anselfshness. His charity in
dispensing favors and giving aid and
sympathy to the unfortunate, needy
and distressed was proverbial. Col.
Stackhouse was self-made man, the
architect Of his own fortunes. lie
was from the great middle class, and
could boast OF no illustrious ancestry,
but depended upon his own intrinsic
merit, his own inherent manhood,
energy and unconquerable will.
Born and bred in old South Caro-
lima, yet he was true representative
of new South Carolina, typical Caro-
linian of the new faith and new
school born of the civil revolution
of 1s61-'65, which wrought wonder
full changes in the social, political
and industrial condition OF the State.
Had that revolution never occurred,
l hazard little in saying that the de-
ceased would never have represented
South Carolina in this body. The
condition of affairs in the State be-
fore that revolution was peculiar,
resulting from the ideas ot-the Old
World transplanted in the new, and
the attempt to ingraft them In tie
societyand polity of the colony.
In the course of time an aristoc-
racy based on slavcocracy dominated
old South Carolina an completely
controlled her social, political and
industrial destinies. This necessa-
rily created two classes as distinct
as the Patrician and Plebian orders
of Rome. The large slave-owners
became the rulers and office-holderS,
and the masses of the people were
regarded as unfit to govern. 1t was
an intolerant, defiant and umcompro-
missing tyranny, suppresslng free
speech, free thought and independ-
ence of action. There was no ire
pressible conflict then, because from
force of habit, education and q dis
inclination to assert their sovereignty,
the middle class succumbed.
Notification and secession were
the legitimate fruits of this condi-
ton Of things. This is true pic
ture of old South Carolina, of which
Hayne, Calhoun and Rhett were
true representatives. The abolition
of slavery was the destruction OF
this system. The rich and powerful
of the old became The poor and weak
Of the new. The shackles OF caste
were remove -nd the artificial dis
tinction OIL classes ahrogated. The
farmer and workingman claimed
their God-given rights, and boldly
and de6antly entered the politica!
arena. This changed condition did
bring about an irrepressible conflict
between the reconstructed orders OF
society.
During Federal reconstruction
there was truce between the old
political leaders and those developed
oy the new order OF things. In
-1-1Ez1s the-un;ted and patriotic
efforts of both, 'harmonized fo1 time
I by the common instinct Of self pre-
servation, the infamous carpctbag
government, pinned to our backs by
Federal bayonets, was overthrown,
and the State rescued from the alien
and the spoiler. As soon as this
revolution was accomplished the old
ante delluna leaders sought to re-
establish their autocratic sway. Po-
litical devices of various kinds were
adopted to delude the people and
drive them into their old-time ST.
pineness. Negro domination was
perpetually held up as the inevitable
result of agitation. For time the
spirit of reform and the latent desire
and determination of the people to
rule was kept in check.
But at last, like some mighty giant
Just aroused to consciousness of his
power by repeated injuries, the peo-
pie aroused from their lethargy, and,
trusting in their own might, deter
mined to be sovereign. The election
4of B. r. Tillman as Governor in
1880, accomplished by the general
uprising of the people under the
leadership of Tillman, Stackhonse,
and Others, was the elimination Of
this great social and political revo-
luton and one of the legitimate re-
suits of the reconstructlve and evo-
lutionary effects of the war of 1861.
The economic conditions prevailing
elsewhere of course also played their
part. This irrepressible conflict has,
however, we hope, about ended. In
this bries picture of ne South Caro-
lima Col. Stackhouse occupies con-
spicuous place in the work of reform
and rehabilitation. As one of the
people, risen from heir ranks, their
champion, he deserves their everlast-
ing gratitude and remembrance.
Full Justice could not be done to
his life work and memory without
referring to the stupendous social
and political revolutions in which he
was prominent actor. The eulogist
Of Miltiades and Leonidas could not
do justice to their iliustrious lives
without at least a passing reference
to Marathon and Thermopyla.
800 Reward 800.
The readers. of this paper will be
pleased to learn that there is at least one