The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-26
q Senator Of a sovereing State"
I repeated Mr.. B.arnwell's view o.

WlGuOuu oOuCcSolOu oH oue Slut,
"Mr. Barnwell," he said, lis a
brave man, a nobler fellow, but he is
too respondent that is difficulty as a
politician. He looks at the dark side
always. Notification is a peaceful
remedy, I have always maintained it
and the result will prove it," He in
formed me that Mr.. Clay had a pro-
position to submit, which he under
stood would be acceptable to the
South, that he Or. Clay was to speak
that day and that I had better 60 to
the Senate and hear him. I acted on
his advice and heard Henry Clay at
his very best, in the role Of peace
maker. It was a noble speech, full of
his broadcast and loftiest patriotism.
With all his winning e%loquence he
proposed his famous compromise,
based upon a gradual reduction Of the
tariff, and when Mr.. Calhoun lose and
accepted the terms in the name Of his
State there was an outburst of joy and
graduation which moved the audience
to ringing cheers and made many a
hoary Senator wipe his eyes.
This is the man who is represented
by the writer of the Jackson sketch
as flying on this very day to hide
himself in South Carolina"-the mar
who stood in the front of battle, who
held his scales of war and peace in
his hands, who bearded the lion in his
den aud quailed not before an inimical
President, an hostile Senate and an
opposing people. If any other Amer
lean since Washington, except Old
Hickory himself, has ever shown
more truly the courage of his convic-
tions let him speak, or forever hold
his peace.
There is one other erroneous state
ment in this sketch. The writer says
that Jackson had surrounded South
Carolina with 100, no men," This is
entirely at variana9 with the facts.
There was not one regiment, nor N
company, nor one man on the borders
of South Carolina, in hostile array.
There was one naval vessel sent to the
harbor, to aid the Custom House au-
thorities in collecting the revenue.
That was the sole display Of force
upon which the Administration ven
tured. Mr.. Poinsett informed me,
several years later, that in a confer
ence with the President Gen. jackson
said to him: "You are armiug and
drilling men in Charleston, 1 learn.
The State cannot put more than 10000
men in the field under any circum-
stances. Your military strength is
utterly inadequate. Here" he said,
opening a drawer, "are letters Offering
me volunteers to the number Of 10000
men, if 1 call for them, to enforce the
tariff laws"
Mr.. Clay's compromise stilled the
storm. But the writer says that
Jackson chad surrounded the State
with armed men," Where he got his
authority for this statement I cannot
imagine. That army, (which froze
Calhoun's soul" never got beyond
the Presidents table drawer. If the
sprightly writer who called MI. Cal
houn ''traitor," will read his speech
es, especially his last speech in the
Senate, he will feel convinced that he
has greatly wronged that lofty and
patriotic man. No stronger plea for
Union has ever been heard on the
floor of the Senate and no voice has
ever pleaded more earnestly for it's
perpetuity than that of the dying
statesman, whose prophetic vision e1-
tended far into the future.
I call two witnesses from the dead
to verify my assertion of Mr.. Calhoun's
indomitable spirit, and Of his lofty
patriotism. The chaplain of the
Senate, "a Northern man. in his fun
eral address admirably characterized
the dead Senator as "Lord of the lion
heart and eagle eye," and Daniel
Webster, his great on only worthy
antagonist in the Senatorial arena:
said on the same occasion "He had
the basis of all high character, unspot-
ted integrity. II he had aspirations,
they were high and noble. There pa:
nothing grovelling, low or selfish, that
near the head or the heart of
MI. Calhoun"
G. G. PINCKNEY.