The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-02-15

i Convince thS Most Prejudice
n Opponent zR6at Mr.. Calhoun Sir
cerely Desired to Preserye tin
UniqfTQf the States-His StainIes
!, PERSONAL and Omcial Integrity,
. fHiaoelphla Times. ..uavse~sa-S'sN
1 'h,fewr .@iilsS~SeTne northwest of tn
, town OF Pendleton, in South Carolina
/ in excellent preserve tion, is Fort Hiil
, Calhoun. s Here, remote from,Sth,
clamor OF the world, from its bp6tli
marts of trade, surrounded&Tith
lovely landsGage Of ma6n tsfp. an
valley scenery TIE great sfatesmar
B1ived and labofed in formus&tmg hi,
Z theories of government. ,Heroffe de
lighted to come when aErecess hOn
the responsibilities Of hiS6fiicia stablar
EgjaYefffm the opportunity to renew IN
strength In the sweet seclusion of 9
quiet home life. And from this in.
Wiling retreat he went to die ct his
post of duty in Washington city, q
Senator worthy of his peoples venera.
tlon and OF his oountrys honor Were
one to undertake the pleasing task OF
writing biographical sketch of Mr..
Calhoun, it would necessitate O display
OF profound respect for his integrity
OF purpose, his spotless character and
personal dignity. In so briefa space
little more than q sketch OF his life is
possible.
Patrick Calhoun, the father of the
statesman, was native Of ireland
and OF that sterling stock of people
which for centuries has made itself
distinctively characteristic by it's per-
sistent opposition to all forms Of gov
ernment that oppressed the many for
| The hnnntit nf tho fe.u Hio he,
was Miss Caldwell, daughter of o
/ Presbyterian clergyman, who emigrat
ed from Pennsylvania and settled in
! the Cherokee country previous to the
| Revolution.
| 1t is a fact Of history worth mention
ing that the Scotch and Irish cross,
who were generally Protestants, have
furnished a large per cent Of the most
distinguished men and women who
make the long list of worthy characters
in our American biography.
The mother OF Mr. Calhoun was a
woman of very high character,
earnest in her spirit industrious and
endowed with q strong intellect. 1t
appears from a close study of the
parentage of greaG men that without
exception they are the children of
great mothers. TO this general rule
MIR. calhoun was no exception. His
early life was one OF privation. AT
the knees OF his devoted mother and at
such common schools it was possible to
MAINTAIN In the disturbed state OF the
country he received the rudiments of
an education. These first lessons lit
the flame of ambition in the gifted
youth, who fortunately received a well
come into the home and to the tuition
OF an accomplished maternal uncle.
no hnf nttainp1 nrp ipnpna in
OF Georgia.
After graduating at Yale College he
returned to South Carolina, studied
law and entered upon its practice st
Abbeville Court House. To those
familiar with the demands Of the
jealous mistress and of the charac-
ter OF Mr.. Calhoun's mind it is not sur
prising that he shortly dritted in 20 the
current of political philosophy and
metaphysics and left the less engag-
Ing, but more exacting, demands of
student Of the common law. After
serving as q Representative in the
Legislature of his State he was elected
to represent his district in the Con.
gress of the United States, taking his
seat on the same day with Daniel
Webster, coincidence worthy of note.
From that day to the day of his death
in 1851 Mr.. Calhoun's public history
becomes a part, and by no means q
small rart, of the history of our coun-
try.
First Representative, then Senator,
Secretary of War, Vice President and
Secretary of State, there was but one
other office within the gift OF the peo-
pie he had not filed. Like his great
contemporaries, Webster and Clay,
although more than once brought for
ward as proper person to meet the
requirements OF the Presidential Office,
he was not the man to seek the honor
of its dignity by yielding to the de-
mands OF partisan management or by
resorting to methods that were repul-
siye to his nature. No one holding
pubic Office was ever more scrupulous-
ly careful to avoid even the Sc mbl ance
OF violating his established principles
OF integrity. When offered the ofiice
! OF Secretary of State by President
Tyler he hesitated to accept it, not
! from any other consideration than that
In so doing he might be understood rs
con- promising his political integrity
| by endorsing the platform of political
faith on which Gen. Harrison and Mr..
| Tyler had been elected to tho Presi-
deucy and Vice Presidency of the coun-
try. 1t was not until the most sincere
appeals to his patriotism had been
made by representative citizen of all
sections OF the United States that he
yielded to the urgent request and at
q critical period in the country's histO-
ry entered upon the delicate and re-
spopsible duties of the State depart
| ment.
In the midst of many perplexing
cases, which left but little leisure for
other thought than that required In
the discharge of his official duties, Mr..
Calhoun found the time TO prepare a
disquisition on government and dis
course on the Constitution of the
United States," which descend to pos
terity the evidences OF his intelec.
tuality and craftsmanship. A care.
ful study Ct these works will convince
the most prejudiced opponent of Mr.
Calhoun's theories that he sincerely
desired to preserve the Union OF the
States as q great federative govern
ment. 1t is charged that the ultra
States rights doctrines ofMr. Calhoun
prepared the way and made certain
the civil war OF 1861 that his theory
Of notification was but prelude tc
the bloody drama of secession, and he
ls by some regarded as an evil genius
sowing the seeds OF discussion ant
Lighting the fires OF revolution among
his people. Those who reach such
conclusion make but superficial stud,
OF the character OF Mr.. Calhoun ant
OF the great and perplexing questions
OF government which engaged hi
mind. In none of the speeches de
lived by him In the Congress OF tn,