The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-21
New Series-Yol. XVII. No q

manding presence. His words were
few: his votes were many; and his
position upon important questions ia~
stant and decisive He did not dodge
or make dubious pairs upon roll CATS,
He was not inflated by applause or
disconnected by hostile ma ajorities. He
was an ardent "State rights man.
when his State was federalist in opin4
ion and action, and he was, therefore,
opposed to the leadership of C. G.,
Pinckney, William Smith and William
R. Harper. He aided Charles Pinck.
ney, the majority leader. in the me.
moraole national campaign OF 1890.
believing with all his soul that the
defeat of Jefferson would be hardly
! less disastrous than civil war.
He opposed the bill to pension the
widow Of the distinguished Gen.
TGreene. He thought Greene under
; estimated the militia, and that his
conduct of the southern department.
of the continental army during and
shortly after the war not wholly cred
liable. His stand upon this bill in- Z
dicated the positiveness Of his views
and the fearlessness of his charac.
ter.
Being an ardent Republican or
Democrat, he consistently opposed
the "alien and sedition laws This
extraordinary and vicious legislation
conhicted with his dearest political
convictions, and he kept his seat for
weeks with the hope of defeating the
bill In connection with this legisla,
ton it may not be inappropriate to
recall an incident which throws no
less light upon the temper Of the
times than upon Sumter's devotion 20
duty His colleague in the house,
Matthew Lyons, Of Vermont, was in-,
prisoned and fined one thousand doh,
lars for violation of these famous
laws. Sumter cordially helped JET.
ferson in raising the money to pay
this fine; and upon the temperance
Of Lyons in the house he was brutalzy
insulted upon the floor by Griswold.
of Connecticut, when Lyons, losln9
control OF himself, spat in Griswold's
face. For this violation Of the dees,-
rum of the house a resolution was Of.
fered Tor the expulsion Of Lyons,
Sumter vigorously and successfully
ico-operated with Galatin. Macon and
Iothers in defeating this resolution.
| Upon the appointment OF Charles
Pinckney as minister to Spain in 1901
Sumter succeeded him in the senate,
serving therein until 1910. though
the annals of congress do not show
that he was in his seat during the last
session Of his term. We read nothing
| from him in the way OF speeches. ms
decd; the senate was not forum OF
discussion until about 1915, the ma
| iestic debates of Calhoun, Clay, Webs
ster and Hayne were long after 70
stir and illuminate the republic. But.
here Sumter was the same direct ands@
intrepid personality as of old. Hs was
still an ardent Republican or Demo-
crat He still gave vigorous support
to Jeffersons policies, such as the
twelfth amendment, the Louisiana
purchase, and the impeachment OF
Justice Chase. In this famous. trial
Sumter voted for eeayietieA Zaon-
four Of the five specifications, his coz
league. Gaillard, voting for acq9tttal
upon every charge. The erratic but
brilliant John Randolph, of Roanoke,
bunglingly managed this inpeach.
ment, which otherwise might have
resulted in a conviction, for Chase
was grossly unfit for the judicial rcesi
and it was perhaps Rapdolph's cons
nection with this trial that made him
i once declare lIdt IL he we're dllOWeQ
to vote. by pr oxy. and on that vote
depended the welfare of the republic,
| he CD would make Thomas Sumter
his (my) proxy"
In 1906 Sumter is still the staurch
partisan Of Jefferson, supporting his
expedien1 but righteous embargo
act" which Sumter approved in its
entirety, save the clause giving 10
the president absolute power during
the recess of congress, when his
splendid independence came into.
play in parting company with his
personal friends and party associates,
Long after Sumter's retirement
from public life, when were heard
the first rumbl;ngs Of the storm
which was to break with SUCK de-
structive force upon our country IN