The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-09


areas of country in the Onion in re-
spect Of the large number of distln-
guished men that has been produced,
everything considered, is that com
prised in circle of about thirty miles
radius lying about the city Of Angus
"a. Ga. The centre of the district
would probably lie few miles above
Augusta, up the Savannah Valley" !"
It is not . Congressional district, en-
hracing counties in both Georgia and
South Carolina. It lies among a
splendid assemblage Of productive
hills, that rise with their granite
foundations, irony-reGl clay subsoils,
and we'll watered, grassy sides, above
The monotonous sandy stretches going
out from Augusta to the sea- The
district in point does not include the
city Of Augusta property, but is almost
~holly rural the largest town in 1t
to-day has only 10000 Inhabitants,
and the next largest 1900. Formerly
she Urban population was much less.
AS ne consider it, it is composed
almost wholly Of plantations. There
are thickly populated districts, proba-
bly studded with towns, Of as small
general area in the Union that have
mothered IS many tall sons, byt it is
doubtful whether any other stretch Of
IS rural territory can in such respect
be compared with this. Here have
arisen men who have had an earth
quake tread. 1t is not intended to
debate whether these men were right
Or wrong, or whether many Of them
deserve the permanent title Of great
B ness; but that upon this little real
stage Of life have been enacted scenes
of great national interest, by strong
snen- scenes whose areas Of inserest
haye stretched beyond the seas, and
whose afterclaps have shaken (though
shey have sonnet; mes shocked) this
country, cannot be gainsaid.
in this district were born, reared.
and here labored the following men:
John G. Calhoun, who twice became
Vice President, twice Secretary OF
War, once Secretary Of State, and for
i long time Senator; widely regard
ed as the most robust character that
has ever risen up from the South;
William Harris Crawford, who came
nearly being President in 1916, was
once Secretary Of State. once minister
TO- France, and for long time Sena-
Tor; Alexander 81. Stephens, Vice
President Of the Confederacy, long
time q member Of Congress and man
OF singular ability; Robert Toombs,
the sThunderer," who was the leader
Of the Southern party with Jefferson
Davis during the period just preced-
ing the war, and who, following the
elevation Of Stephens to the second
station in the Confederacy, became
The Confederate Secretary Of State;
Howell Cobb, who was Speaker Of
Congress in 1s49, at the age Of "a,
Secretary Of the Treasury and Presi-
dent Of the Confederate Constitutional
Congress; George Washington Craw-
ford, Secretary Of State under Presi-
dent Tyler; Armistead Burt, who
served as Speaker in 1848, after the
retirement Of Winthrop Preston
Brooks, who Won anunsavory national
reputation from his Gaming Of Charles
Summer; Herschel v. johnson, who
was the Vice Presidential candidate
Of the Douglas ticket in 1860, and
Henry Grady, the oratorical saint Of
the South. Its the district to-day Of
Tom Watson and Ben Tillman, who,
whatever else be said Of them, were,
notwithstanding, the two most dra-
matte and striking figures in the
Southern political field during the
national campaign Of 1896. Watson
and Tillman Of the present day are
neighbors, one living twenty-eight
miles in a westerly and the other
twenty.three miles in northerly di-
rection from Augusta. The home Of
Watson is within twenty miles of the
old home Of Alexander Stephens.
The home Of Toombs is only twenty
miles from the homes Of Stephens and
Watson. W. n. Crawford and Wat
son were born in the same County,
though later Crawford lived higher up
the valley and opposite and almost in
sight Of Calhoun. Calhoun and Craw-
ford (who could almost see each other s
backyard across the riyer,) were rivals
for the Presidency, and either one,
but for the other, might have attained
the goal. The birthplace of Calhoun
is only forty miles from the home Of