The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-10-14
4 GREAT lAR0lK!la.
Langdon cheyes, Statesman and
Banker.

Judge A. G. Haskell delivered the
following address, before the Bankers
Association in Columbia on last Tues
day in presenting gavel to the Presi-
dent Of the Association:
I have been honored, MI. President,
by request that make some remarks
on the presentation to the Association
of this gavel, on which is inscribed:
ssThis wood grew on the plantation
of Langdon Cheves, of South Carroll
ma, President of the United States
Bank. Presented to the South Caro-
lima Bankers Association by William
A. Law, its frst president.
Is would have been most agreeable
TO mysen and much more interesting
to the Association had the donor
spoken in person-and it is only be-
cause Il is his wish that address you.
It was said in an essay read before
the American Historical Association
In December. 1885, in New York:
8 Among American public men few
were better known in their time than
Langdon Cheves, Judge OF the South
Carolina Courts, member of Congress
Speaker of that body and president OF
the Unied States Bank, sad in regard
TO few have we scantler knowledge
today
True perhaps today. Hitsory, how
ever, is often hidden by the cloud OF
proximate events, but rises clearly
again to view in the more distant hor1-
zeu.
Lanedon Cheves, the son Of Aiexan-
der Cheves, Scotchman, and Mary
Langdon, OF Woodstock Valley. Of
Northern Virginia, was born 17th Sep
tember. 1T76 in log house or fort
near Rocky River--ln NINETY Six-now
Abbevine-in South Carolina. His
mother died when he was two or three
months old; his father left him with
Kin and probably went back to Scot
land until the Revolutionary war was
over. The child grew in the back
woods and It is said the old Scotch
preacher taught him to read. The
rest Of his education was by his own
efforts, for he never went to school
The father having come back and
living In Charleston and married
again, sent for the boy to come to
him. At the age of about 10 years he
tramped his way from Ninety-Six to
Charleston In company with some par
ty going from the backwoods to the
CITY by the Sea. The tradition is that
he was not happy in the new home,
nor content to be apprent1ced to a
carpenter, but sfected his independ-
ence and got employment as an errand
boy in a merchants store.
st the age Of Is or Is he was conf
dental clerk in one OF the strongest
houses In Charleston. and the memory
of many confirmed what was told me
in person in my early life by old Mr..
Aired Huger, for many years the post
master of Charleston, that the head Of
the house being occasionally TOO fond
of wine: bankers would hesitate some
times on his calls for large amounts in
LIVERPOOL exchange, and, delaying the
answer, would send privately to ask
the Young clerk, and II Lang
Cheyes' said It was all right they
were satisfied.
His employer died when Cheves
was about 18yesrs OF age, and ne re-
solved 90 study lsw. :.
He was admis tied TO the Bar 14th OF
October, 1897. at the age Of q years
and four weeks. Who gave him his
first case IS mootsd question. Judge
O,Neai claims s5atssH was De. Buiss,
minister Of the Scotch Church. The
other legend is that his first cieEt was
James Adger, then quite young man,
who became q merchant prince in
Charleston, where be lived until 1858,
when he died honored and respected
and probably the weaithiest man in
the State. He was from the first
Cheyes's friend and client. This
James Adger is the great-grandfather
of Mr.. William A. Law, who presents
to us this gavel.
The incident in this frss case that
interested me in my boyhood was that
this moneyless but determined young
lawyer had to ink the seams OF his
rusted old coas to present that respect
ability Of dress which was exacted In
the Courts Of that period.
It is enough to say that in q very few
years he had the largest practice re-
corded on the books of the Court IN
Charleston, there being between eight
and nine hundred judgments entered
-uD Oy HIS 0I1A VI L OSsC0 ~ OAAN'SS ~
one term. In about ten years he had
been a member Of the Legislature.
was elected Attorney General Of the
State. an Office then Of great distinc-
tion.
In 1910 he was elected to Congress
alongside of Lowndes, Wilds and Cal
houn. Wilds died before his term be-
gan. Lowndes was per aps the abiest
man il the State. Calhoun became
our naost distinguished political lead
er. THESE three, Lowndes, Calhoun
and Cheves, with Henry Clay, made
what was known as the war mess, "
and were among the leading spirits in
the war of 1912, Cheves being chair
man of the naval committee in 1872,
and Of the ways and means committee
in 1913. In January, 1914, he was
elecetd Speaker to succeed Clay and
no ruling he made in that Office was
ever reversed.
At the successful ending Of the war
in 1915 he declined reelection and re
turned to the practice Of Law. In 1916