The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-04
Represenentatives and the State

Representatives and the State
Library ale on the second floor. |
believe South Carolina is the only
State which still preserves the old
time favor of royalty in her State
House ceremonies. Attbe inaugura
ton of the Governor there is the
same promp and display observed as
in the time Of The colony The
sword of State and the mace are
presented for the reverence of the
people, and the President of the
Senate and the Speaker Of the House
appear, dressed in purple robes of
silk and velvet and heavy embroidery
/ have been told that the Speaker Of
the House finds the robe so heavy
that during the proceedings of the
/ body over which be presides, be has
his gown hooked to the back Of his
chair, so that in rising to put ques
tons to the House he Will not have
to liftits weight so often. There
is an instance in the State where
robe of this kind passed from father
to son after long interval, and this
practice of looping the robe on the
chair prevailed in both it's terms of
use. When the Supreme Court of
the State is in session the judges al.
ways appear on the bench in judicia!
crowns. This has always been the
practice in South Carlina. New York
| has recently returned to this custom,
| thu I believe these two States are the
| only ones which now have that Gus
| tom, that has always bad the high
precedent of the Supreme Court of
the United States. and within the
last few gears has the new authority
of she United States Court of Ap.
peal. Within the memory of men
not yet old the high sherif's in New
England appeared on State occas
ions with cooked hats and swords.
bat it is only in South: Carolina now
that the sheriff dons an official gar
ment and carries sword of Office
whenever be goes forth TO make
an arrest. To the cuiprit this seems
Ike taking royal coated pill.
In the office of the Secretary Of
State / saw the mace. 1t was pre-
sented to the COLONY by the King of
England as emblem of royal authori-
ty.. It bears the royal arms and the
crown, and is massive and valuable
piece of workmanship. Andrew
jackson was native of South Caro-
Ina, and in his last will he bequeathed
to the State service to be presented |
to the native of South Carolina, who
in the next war should be selected as
the bravest soldier Of the State. The
next war was with Mexico, and wheo |
the question of selection Of the re-
cipient OF this token came up it was
found impossible to agree as to which
son of South Carolina had most dis
tiDguished himself for bravery As
result the bequest was replaced in
the State vault, the understanding
that it should go to the last survivor
of the Mexican war. in which it was
thought all the South Carolinians
WHO participated had equally distin
guished themselves for courage This
clause of the will Of Andrew jacobson
is part of the archives of the State.
and is shown to visitors as very
proud heirloom attended with very
proud record of the general bravery
of the sons os the old State
Among other historic relics care
fully preserved and held in high rev
erence are the great seals used at diff
ferent times in the history of the peo
pie of the State There is the great
seal used by the Lords Propr;e,ors in
the l7th century, the great seal used
by the colony during the time the
royal mace was hello as the emblem
of the Kings sovereign power, and
last the great seal of the State OF
South Carolina. to which some time
has attributed a sovereign signifi
canoe hardly claimed at that time By
any other State, and now used for
the ordinary current business of the
State, and which in the latest times
has given sanction TO strange expert
meDts in government | saw also
the sword of Marion, the Revolution
ary hero of the State, who has been
c-lrDrated by William Cullen Bryan;
in his "song of Malion's Men -
Cor hand is few, ont true and tried,
crc leader rsais aod bold
The British solder ,rem5ies
Wheo ,.arloa's name is tod.
Among the interesting records |
saw was the manuscript OF The last
speech of john c Calhoun, which
was read in the United States Senate