The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-13
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Woodrow Wilson on Charmed Circle


 To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Tn view of the fact that Woodrow Wilson, though born in Virginia, grew to young manhood at Augusta, Ga. and also in view of the fact that 1t is not, after all, the mere accident or birth, but environment, that counts for so much In the plastic age of youth
 perhaps what Thomas A Hoyt wrote In
 the New York Observer of The
 nous district around Augusta. Ga,
 might be of interest to your readers at
 this time. Thus wrote MT. Hoyt:
 "The district comprised within a cir
 cle of radius of 50 miles, the center
 being Augusta. Ga, and emoracihs
 counties in Georgia and South Caro-
 lima, Is one of the most remarkable
 small areas in the union in respect to the number of natural characters 1t has produced. Here Is where many or what are known as the great south ern questions originated and held their ablest and most earnest support. This district gave birth to notification and secession It has furnished the coun- try one presidential candidate. four vice presidential candidates, two speak CTS of Congress, four cabinet ministers and several foreign ministers. It Is doubtful whether any other territory of as small size and population In the union can make so conspicuous show ing. This is the district of John c.
 Calhoun, who became vice president,
 Secretary of War. Secretary of State and who was for years great sen
 ator in Congress. Andrew Jackson was born in the limits of this district In
 South Carolina. William c. Crawford,
 a candidate for the presidency In 1S16. came from this district Crawford was senator and president pro tenn of the Senate; was once Secretary of the Trea sury and minister to France. Her schel Johnson, who was on the pres idential ticket with Stephen Douglas in 1860, came from this district. Alex
 ander H stephens. vice president of the Confederacy, and who enjoyed the re- spect of both north and south, was from this district Thomas Cobb. Howell Cobb. sneaker of the House of Rep resentatives. Secretary of the Treasury and president of the Confederate con- stitutional congress. was from this dis- | trict George McDuffie. United States senator, and impassioned orator; Rob | ert Toombs. the "Thunderer," Will | liam E. Yancey; Preston Brooks, who caned Charles Sumner; Louis Wigfall, United States senator from Texas; Francis Perkins, United States min | ister to Russia, and was governor of South Carolina Henry W. Grady, the l orator of the south, and oracle of the north; James l.. Pettigrew, the great 1 lawyer, and union man; Langdon Chives, the only rival of Calhoun. All these and many others were born With | in this charmed circle"
 | Thus wrote MT. Hoyt and I would go to earlier times and add the names of | George Walton, sage and soldier of the
 revolution, and signer of the Declara- tion of Independence; and of Gen.
 Thomas Glasscock and Governor Tel | fair: and there was Lyman Hall and
 Button Gwinnett and othere "immor- | tals." who made the proud and naughty
 Rriton kiss the dust. And in later times | this was the birthplace and home of Judge Holt and Gen. Walker and of A R. Lamar clerk of the Confederate | Congress, scholar and patriot, and a Jeramy Taylor in journalism. General Mirabeau Lamar, poet and statesman and second president of the republic of Texas, was born within this charmed circle. as also was l.. Q. C. Lamar and sidney Ianier, declared by savants oi
 Europe to be the greatest American
 poet, and Paul Hayne, the poet. whose fame is commensurate with time and l whose melodies do honor to the head
 and heart of any man or any age or | country; and so Woodrow Wilson though born in Virginia, was reared | within this charmed circle, grew tc
 young manhood in this land of sun-