Year: 1872

laborious student of history and
science, asswell as poetry and gen
eral literature. Nor did he neg
lect the hard and dry studies of bis
profession, as may be we'll suppos.
ed from his success at the Bar. -
He would cit t-up the, greater part
of the night in reading and study.
ing, and no doubt in early life
injured his constitution in.this way,
This habit was SO firmly riveted on
him, that he could not throw /,
off in more mature years. He was
a great student throughout his life,
and'yet he'spent large portion oi
bis time, during the day, when not
engaged in bis professional duties.
in conversation with his friends
and associates. He was essential
ly social gentleman, and yet there
was a tinge of melancholy about
him, which cast gloom over his
whole life. 30 a.
Shortly after his admission to
the Bar, General Easley went to
New Orleans for the purpose of
practicing his profession, rightly
believing that it was better for a
young lawyer, who had talents and
ambition, to settle where there is
business, no matter how crowded
the Bar was. But the yellow fe.
yer broke out in the city and forced
him to leave. He returned to his
fathers and temporarily establish
ed himselfa at Pickens Court House.
lie renamed there some time, and
found the law at so low an ebb
that he deemed it prudent to move
to Greenville. But during his
short residence in that mountain
village, he made warm friends of
all the prominent men in the dis


trict, and was some years after-
wards elected membe of the
Legislature from Pickens, although
his law Office was at Greenville.-
Whilst in the Legislature he orig.
inated some important measures,
and amongst them a Bill, which |
drew for him, making the parties
in a suit or criminal prosecution
competent witnesses in the case
We both thought it absurd that
those who knew all about the mat
ter in controversy, should be ex-
cluded from giving testimony as
to the facts in dispute. This Bill
was remodelled in committee and
Oecaine the Jaw Oh the ianu. rue
present code of South Carolina
elnbodies the same principle, and
was taken from the New York
code. The wisdom of this altera.
ton has now been acknowledged
by the Bar and Courts of the State.


General Easley was elected a
member Of the State Convention
from Greenville in 1860. This
Convention was called for the pur-
pose of seeding from the Union.
The General was a fierce secession
ist, and had been a Democrat all
his life. When the civil war com.
menced he raised a company of
cavalry in Pickens ard Green
vile Districts, and was received
into the Confederate army in
Charleston, South Carolina. But
his health became so bad that he
was forced most reluctantly to re
sign his command and return home.
Before his resignation, however, he
had been promoted to tie rank of
Major in the army. He was again
elected member of the Legisla.
ture from Pickcnsi in s65, and took
an active part in all the debates
Whilst he continued in that body.
He was selected by me, whilst l
was Provisional Governor, to rep


resent the Executive, and defend
his measures in the Legislature
Ibis he did with zeal and ability
on all occasions. The unanimity
with which Governor Manning
and myself were elected to the
United States Senate, in 1865, was
owing in some measure to his ex


ertions in our behalf. During the
canvass it was proposed to him by
the friends of one of the candi.
dates for the United States Senate,
that twenty votes would be cast
for me if an equal number OF my
friends would vote for this other
candidate. He promptly replied
that he could not dare to make
such a proposition to me, if he was
INSCRIPTIONS enough himself to
think Of it. ...,.


After the expiration of his term
in the Legislature, the State went
into the hands Of the present cor
rupt and infamous Radical party,
under their new constitution. The
General then confined bimself to
his profession, and acquired a very
large practice in the courts o.
Greenville, Pickens and Anderson
| Districts. In the argument of his