New-York tribune., 1901-06-09

William Lowndes was one OF the most dis
tinguished Southerners in public life al the be-
ginning OF the last century, and his character
and his services have undoubtedly deserved
commemoratiOn. Not much material for bior-
raphy is now available, the manuscript Of a
carefully prepared memoir having mysteriously
vanished forty years ago and the papers from
which it was compiled having been DESTROYED
in the Charleston fire OF 1861. Such remnants
OF family documents as could be found, together
with few personal "reminiscences and the rec
ords, official and other. OF his Congressional
career have been woven by his granddaughter
into more Or less consecutive narrative Her
own modest opinion Of her eapability disarrns
criticism, but the reader may be pardoned II he
does not approach Mrs. Raveners subject with
the awestruck reverence apparent il her some
what stiff phrases.
RaWlins Lowndes was an American scion OF a
family seated on a fine estate in England since
the days OF Henry II; he was in 177s Governor
Of South Carolina; he was one Of the Revo-
lutionary leaders. and the judge who pronounced
the first decision in America against the Stamp
Act When in 179e his ailing wife was sent TO
Europe for change OF climate her little son
William accompanied her and placed in
an English school; and there he fell on evil
chance. Tired by a game with older school !
fellows one day, the child sat down on q bank 10
rest and fell asleep. The other boys. forgetting
him. went home, and when. after time. he
missed he was found still asleep and half |
buried in snow. The school authorities must /
have been unduly stupid in matters OF health. !
even for that day, for taken OF him, |
and before morning rheumatic fever attacked |
hIm. He nearly died, and never fully recovered. |
His after life as a student in Charleston was |
marked by grievous disabilities. He was some |
times taken 10 school in a chair, and had 10 re-
cite lying on a bench. IN spite ot all draw |
backs however. his intellectual achievements |
were remarkable. That he had notable a |
career as student and statesman when under |
strain OF never oeasing weakness and pain is |
testimony TO an unusually resolute character.
Like most well educated young Southerners |
o. MS time William LownGes turned 10 the study /
Of the law. A year Of practice convinced him |
that he wanted more Of it, he is credited with |
the dry remark that in that time he had had but |
one case in which his conscience and his duty |
ooncurred For the rest Of his life he occupied |
himself partly in the management OF his plan |
tations, but principally with his duties as MEM /
Der OF the State legislature and later as mem |
her Of Congress. He never held any other office, |
though he in his last years nominated as |
President by a majority OF the South Carolina |
legislature; and several times he refused Cab |
inet positions and foreign missions including the /
mission 10 France.
The prodigiously tall. thin, pale. black haired /
South Carolinian took his seat in the XIIth, or
War" Congress when he was twenty-nine years
old II was partly a patriotic desire 10 see his I
country's growth in greatness and partly, no
doubt the sight OF South Carolinas sufferings
from the embargo that led him speak and vote
with emphasis in favor Of strengthening the
navy and resisting foreign aggression. 80 ar
dent was his wish for war that when al last il
was proclaimed ne sought commission IN the
army: but finding that il could be procured only
on political grounds and would not insure active
service he gave up the project in disgust. In
the course Of the he sometimes voted
against his party when he thought il right The
case Of the proposed conhscati0n OF American
i,.portations shipped in the interval between
the repeal by Great Britain Of the Orders in
Council and her reception Of the news that the
United States had declared war is one in point
Voting with the Federalists Lowndes and his
Colleagues Calhoun and Cheyes gave them the
majority which prevented the seizure OF the
S3oO0O0O which however soTely needed by a
half empty treasury, did in truth belong in
rrivate pockets. Party lines were then being
more and more closely drawn, and the amaze
r.4nt Of their associates found expression in the
,oroulaiut Of Felix Grundy: Gentlemen have
,,sslraed a strange high minded position IL this
srgu.nent, the force Of which is, ! confess be-