The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

known 10 congress- 10 unIte tneit
In his favor. and I was assured that sherc
remained no other alternative than the
total failure of the business. Thus cir
cumstanced. l was induced to submit, and
renounce my plan of participating in the
Southern campaign.
John Laurens returned from this
mission. which Professor Wallace re-
ports at length in an appendix. In time
to render useful service at Yorktown.
He died in August, 1882. only % years
old. but with a record OF patriotism
which many older men. and men at
this day better known. might fairly
have envied.
Getting back to Henry Laurens, we
find him thus characterized by his
biographer:
While Laurens was a great merchant,
ne was something more. Though keenly
engaged In business. he looked upon pub
lie affairs. as was the wholesome custom
with so many of the best men of the
place and times. as almost as vitality a
part of his life as his own private con
Germs. In the Indian tCherokeel war Of
l76l the busy merchant. in the full tide OF
his wealth getting, accepted a commits
sion. went scurrying over North and South
Carolina collecting recruits. and marched
into the Appalachian Mountains In the
service Of the public. The Charleston
Library Society. the South Carolina So
ciety. church affairs and doubtless many
other matters Of the common good en-
listed his interest. He had become also
a man Of considerable literary culture.
The conversation OF this forcefui. Guilt
waited man of AFFAIRS was said to be full
o. vivacity and charm.
A mercantile career In such a spirit.
with Its severe discipline and with the
broadening influence OF foreign correspon-
dence and travel, was a valuable school
ing for one whose destiny was to in
clude the duties OF an American statesman
and diplomat; and when there were added
tho training involved In the operation Of
several large plantations, inhabited by
hundreds Of human beings looking to him
for direction, and thirteen years expert.
erce In the Commons House OF Assembly
during the most active p'riod OF Its strug
gle for self government. we have one Of
the best preparations for the wise hand
ling OF public affairs In a large and re.
sponsible way.
The years l762-64 mark a period OF
excited politics" in South Carolina.
The royal governors and the peoples
WtIt AT war. An elpt-
ton dispute in the term of Gov.
Boone. an importation from the Jer-
seys. caused great bitterness of feel
ing. From 1887 to the Revolution Lau-
rens was elected to each House Blu,
the short lived n Of January to Sep
TENDER of 1862. He rejected a prefer
OF membership in the Kings Council.
The Council had entered upon that de-
cline in influence and los OF public
character which marked the Colony's
progress along the road to revolution.
Laurens stated two reasons for his re-
fusal to serve: The first, that I can
not attend to the duty of the Council
consistently with my plan OF life and
business, and | always make a con-
science OF discharging every trust i'm
posed upon meat least | would set
out upon that principle. Second. | am
not qualified for a reputable and hon.
orable discharge II hat duty: and
upon my word, sir. | have been sorry
to see hat Honorable Board 50 much
sighted as it has been at some times
by certain appointments which hath
its character with some peo.
pie almost below contempt" II Is
not difficult here to separate the NOV.
ing reasons from the polite formula.
The men Of the 1760s could not have
foreseen the great test coming for the
principles for or against which they
contended. but In the advancing con-
test between constitutional self-gov-
eminent in the province, represented
in the Commons House of Assembly,
and tho Nrnrnnn,. g
power represented in the Council, the,
were training for the bitter arbitra-
ment TO come. In the ease + Laurens
Is clearly p~crceptiblc the desire OF the
most intelligent and propertied men OF
the Colonies to continue as loyal anC
orderly British subjects. using petition
and remon trance as the lever To move
the home Government TO repeal tn.
obnoxious legislation. What Christie.
pher .Gadsden and Samuel Adam.
painted for, spread OF the stamp act
~discontents TO the point Of complete
rupture between the mother countr,
and the colonies. was by Lauren,
dreaded as d calamity. All the more
credit to him, then, that when the issu,
was AT last forced and unavoidable h,
-" 'i' w 49, ms ildtlNt ldTu dnI
labored and suffered unstintedly ir
her cause.
In the late sos Laurens himselfsfel
afoul the Royal Government, suferin,
injustices az the hands Of the custom
officers and the Court Of Vice-Admi
rally, q perse- ution which Prof. Wal
lace sets forth in detail. In 1863 h,
wrote To Gov, James Grant of Florida
The wretches employed to carry tn,
grievous laws into execution mea
the pilfering and most grievous part
OF them-are justly complained o
everywhere, here, from the deputy col
lector downward to a man. They ar
strongly described by the character n
those miscreants who were driven gu
of the temple by Jesus with a scourg
of small cords To Thomas Smith O
Lyndon he wrote, also in 1863: Il lei
you the enormous created power
vested In an American court of vice
admiralty threaten future generation
in America with a curse tenfold wors
than the stamp act" Through tn
years of the Townshend laws an
"non-importation." the wilkes fun
dispute and the increasing alienatio
between England and America
Laurens used his influence for
peaceful settlement but found himsel
like others, falling more and NOR
under the sway Of rebellious idea!
From 1771 to IVA he was abroad
experimenting the education OF hi
sons. He thought South Carolina
action in compelling the revenue Off
GERS to store the tea and refusing (