The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-02-16
SOUTH CAROLINA s HISTORY.
Nj. 4. S. salley, Jr., Says This
States Proud Record Should be
Made Common Know
ledge.

70 the Editor Of The State:
Like yourself. | d. not wish - en-
Ter into 4 controversy in ."c@ard 70
tie RoyS:n essay ~ Gen. Lee, but
wIHlh Ike t., >ay few words mere
i ta .:!ow r:a1 the reason We are 50
often miSrepreSented and miSunder-
stood by outsiders is that we do not
nl;i>erly present our OWN side Of oar
history to the investigating world.
We should not quarrel with people
who hold contrary opinions to olu"s
unless We know those opinions are
not honest. and we should not won-
der at opinions based on inveSitga-
tions made at improper sources when
we, ourselves, having the proper
sources at our command, do not put
them within the reach Of those who
would know about us.
Our people can become indignant
and hurl ont hot words Of defiance
at strangers who mi1'epreSent us
(eirhe: i9norantlv OF 1naliciouSly) un-
til The day Of Judgment without bet
term" the situation in the least. what
We should do is to publish III acceSSi-
bic form. Skillfulv edited and present.
ed the evidences Of our past culture
and the arguments based Oh those evl-
dences as to the results obtained from
the evolu:ions cr progressive develop
ment Of that culture.
\ conspicuous 2ase in pomC Is that
Of Charles Pinckney and the con>titu-
tion Of the United States. When III
convention met in 17o1 Charles
Pinckney, one Of the five delegates
elected b. South Carolina. presented
a complete constitution, which x
himself had prepared. Such a ';:?il9
was very unusual in those days.
Plans were usually formulated by con-
ventiGuS or other 'bodieS and r2Solu-
tions prescribing what ought to be
done embodied the ideas agreed upon.
That Was the case with the other
plans submitted to the convention,
but Mr.. Pimcknev'S plan was an ad-
vancement. and it was unique and ca
ginal. Along with the other plans
submitted to the convention it was
sent to rhe committee charged with
work of drafting a constitution. John
Rutledge of South Carolina was
chairman Of that committee. In time
it became common talk in South Car
olina t!ra}. more Of the ideas of
Pinckney's constitution were adopted
than of any other plan. It is likely
that Rutledge spread that rumor.
Nevertheless, outsiders paid little at
tention to the claim, because Plck-
ney's draft was not in evidence; any,
body who desired to see it could not
find it. When President Madison de-
sired to prepare his account Of the
federal convention he got Mr.. John
Quincy Adams to write to Mr.. Pinck-
ney for a copy Of his plan. Mr..
Pinckney sent on a copy which was
pronounced by Adams to be a COM
pilation from memory, with many Of
the features Of the constitution there
in that could not possibly have been
in Mr.. Pinckney's plan. That to a
great extent discredited Mr.. Pinck-
ney before the world when it was
published years after Mr.. Pinckney s
death.
Some years ago DR.. J. Franklin
Jameson, then of the University of
Chicago, took up the study of. Pinck-
ney and the constitution. He called
upon me for help at this end of the
line. Our records had never been
shaped up 50 that I could find what
we had. but I found a considerable
number Of scraps that helped DR..
jameson. But his paper w&S ant com
pli1.ntary IT, pincknry. S:l!1Sr4'rN;-
" he found some Of Tie notes II Dele
@alt Wilson If Pennsylvania AID
ihrv va:%rl I!qm /" ching" his rn>;-
lion somewhat as to PiArknr.r. i.a:-
;r. Prof. MrLai";ri!n q ,!c | niv"r-
:.