The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-05-13

political teachings Of aaSouth Caro-
linian could be summed up in the
injunction, Love South Carolina" :"
Resigning his prospects for advance.
ment, therefore, he offered his service
70 his State in any capacity that he
could serve her, and was chosen by
the State authorities, with whom he
had been in close touch since the
troubles. of the South began, agent
for. the State in Washington, where
he discharged the difficult duties Of
the office for some time. During this
period he kept journal of events
which is, one of the most valuable
contributions to the history of the
times to be found in America.
When hostilities began MIR. Tres
cot returned to South Carolina and
became an aide ON the staff of Gen.
Ripley, in which capacity he served
for some time. Prior to the war he
and President Davis, of the Southern
Confederacy, had been intimate
friends, but now Mr.. Davis refused
to recognize his claims to position,
and made an exception in his case to
the rule that he applied to others
who quit the service of the United
States to enter that of the Confed-
cracy, which was to give them the
same position which they had held
under the old government. It was
never known why Mr.. Davis refused
to listen to the claims of Mr.. Tres.
cot, but such is the fact. His ap-
pointment was urged, not only by
the Representatives and Senators
from South Carolina, but those from
Virginia and other States, but was
not even considered. lie was par.
ticularly urged for place on the
commission which was to be sent to
England, as an associate of Messrs.
Mason and Slidell, but President
Davis could not be induced to ap-
point him. Afterwards Messrs Ma
son and Slidell requested him to 20
with them informally, but he felt com
PEELED to decline, as he felt that he
was not desired by the President to
aid in the work of the commission.
Soon afterwards Mr.. Trcscot retired
to his farm near Pendleton, became
Il member of the Legislature of the
state and of Governor Magrath's
staff. Ar the close of the war he
was contestant for the Governor
ship, being opposed by Ex Governor
John l.. Manning and Mr. Jas. B.
Campbell, the latter of whom was
elected.
In 1874 Mr.. Trescot removed to
Washington, where he soon became
connected with the department of
State in the capacity of counsel.
This connection lasted number of
years and led to his connection with
some of the most prominent inter
national cases that have arisen since
the war. His first work of this kind
was in 1877, when he was appointed
counsel Of the Cnited States on the
Behrng Straits fishery commission,
which met at Halifax, n. S., in that
year. In 1880 he went to China as
one of the commissioners appointed
to revise the treaties between thar
country and the United States. In
1881 he was appointed by the Secre-
tary OF State to continue and con-
clude the negotiations with the Co
lombian minister and the protocol
in refer ence to the rights of the
United States on the lsthmus of
Panama. In November, of the same
year, he went by special appoint
mcnt as envoy of the United States
to the belligerents in South Amer
ica, Chill, Bolivia and Peru, to ar
range the terms of peace between
them, and in August of the follow.
ing year was appointed, with Gen.
I. ). Grant, to negotiate a COM
mcrcial treaty with Mexico. Since
then he has occupied a prominent
place in the diplomatic circles of
Washington for the settlement of
the special tax claims.
MIR. Trescot married, 1913, Eliza
beth Natile, the daughter of Mr..
Thomas Cuthbert, of Beaufort, whose
magnificent library was confscated
by the Federal authorities and placed
in the Smithsonian Institute, from
which the family have never been
able to recover it. He left, besides
his wife, three sons and two daugh-
fnra