USA > Alabama > Reminiscences of public men in Alabama : for thirty years, with an appendix > Part 73
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This record is given as a memorial of better days, perhaps, than the present, in many points of view; and the retrospect, if at- tended with no profit or consolation, can at least work no injury, where circumstances have been so thoroughly changed. As to the policy or impolicy of banking corporations in general, no judg- ment is here expressed. Facts alone have been introduced, with- out involving the specie feature in its political aspect.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Vice-President King-His Public Services-Testimonials of Congress and the United States Supreme Court, on his death.
HON. WILLIAM RUFUS KING was born in Sampson county, North Carolina, April 7, 1786. He was first elected to Congress from that State in 1810, and served as a Representative until 1816, when he resigned, to accept the office of Secretary of Lega- tion, which had been tendered him; and in that capacity he ac- companied the Hon. William Pinkney, United States Minister, to Russia. Soon after his return home he removed to Alabama, and in 1819 was elected, from Dallas county, a delegate to the Con- vention which formed the first Constitution of the State, to which his signature is attached.
At the first session of the General Assembly, after Alabama was admitted as a State in the Union, Col. King was elected a Senator in Congress, which station he continued to fill until 1844, when he resigned on being appointed Minister to France, where he remained until 1847. In 1848, Senator Bagby resigned, for the Russian Embassy tendered him by President Polk, and Col. King was appointed, by Gov. Chapman, to supply the vacancy. At the next session of the Legislature he was again elected to the Senate, and was holding the commission of Senator when he was elected Vice-President of the United States, in 1852. In the meantime his health declined to such an extent that his friends advised him to pass the Winter on the Island of Cuba; and while
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there, a messenger sent by the Government at Washington admin- istered to him the oath of office. He barely had strength to reach his home, in Dallas county, Alabama, where he died in April, 1853, at the age of sixty-seven years.
The manifestations of respect in high official quarters will best show the character of Col. King. In his annual message to Con- gress, in December, 1853, President Pierce said :
Since the adjournment of Congress, the Vice-President of the United States has passed from the scenes of earth, without having entered upon the duties of the station to which he had been called by the voice of his countrymen. Having occupied, almost continuously, for more than thirty years, a seat in one or the other of the two Houses of Congress, and having, by his singular purity and wis- dom, secured unbounded confidence and universal respect, his failing health was watched by the nation with painful solicitude. His loss to the country, under all the circumstances, has been justly regarded as irreparable.
From the eulogies delivered in Congress, all forming a pamphlet of about sixty pages, a few brief passages are selected, as a suffi- cient memorial. After announcing his death to the Senate, and specifying the qualities of Col. King, Mr. Hunter, of Virginia, said:
Here, at least, is a public man, in whose life there can be found no instance of a mean or equivocating action-none of a departure from the self-imposed restraints of a refined and lofty sense of honor, and none in which either the fear of man or the seductions of ambition tempted him to a deed which could destroy either his own self-respect or the respect of others for him. He trod the difficult and devious paths to political preferment long and successfully, snd yet he kept his robes unsoiled by the vile mire which so often pollutes these days.
MR. EVERETT, of Massachusetts, said :
Not claiming, although an acute and forcible debater, to rank with his illustri- ous contemporaries, whom now, alas! we can mention to deplore-with Calhoun, with Clay, and with Webster (I name them alphabetically, and who will presume to arrange them on any other principle ?)-whose unmatched eloquence so often shook the walls of this Senate, the late Vice-President possessed the rare and the highly-important talent of controlling, with impartiality, the storm of debate, and moderating between mighty spirits, whose ardent conflicts at times seemed to threaten the stability of the Republic.
MR. DOUGLAS, of Illinois :
Few men in this country have ever served the public for so long a period of time, and with a more fervent patriotism or unblemished reputation. For forty-five years he devoted his energies and talents to the performance of arduous public duties-always performing his trust with fidelity and ability, and never failing to command the confidence, admiration and gratitude of an enlightened constituency.
MR. CLAYTON, of Delaware : .
The master-spirits of the time were among the Senators of that day [1829 to 1834.] I speak not of the living. But here, then, were Clay, Calhoun, Forsyth, Webster, and Livingston; the learned and laborious Woodbury; the astute Grundy ; the witty, sarcastic, and ever-ready Holmes ; the classic Robbins; and,
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among many others justly distinguished, the graceful and accomplished orator of Carolina, Robert Y. Hayne-
" Whose words had such a melting flow, And spoke of truth so sweetly well, They dropp'd like the serenest snow, And all was brightness where they fell."
Oh ! I could enumerate, and delight to dwell on, the virtues of them all, and then revert to him whose fame we now commemorate, as one not inferior in integ- rity and honor to the proudest among them. But these reminiscences are attended by the mournful reflection, that our connections with them in this world are ended forever.
"Around us, each dissever'd chain In sparkling ruin lies, And earthly hands can ne'er again Unite those broken ties !"
In the House, on the same day, a message was received from the Senate, by the hands of Asbury Dickens, its Secretary, as follows :
Resolved, unanimously, That from respect to the late WILLIAM R. KING, Vice- President of the United States, and President of the Senate, the chair of the Pres- ident be shrouded with black ; and as a further testimony of respect for the mem- ory of the deceased, the members of the Senate will go into mourning by wearing crape on the left arm for thirty days.
Ordered, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate this resolution to the House of Representatives.
MR. HARRIS, of Alabama:
In all those more intimate and tender relations which bound him to his friends, his kindred, and his servants, he was all that friendship could ask, or affection claim, or humanity and kindness enjoin. While in that higher and more solemn relation, which he bore to the Author of us all, he was exact and scrupulous in the discharge of all the duties enjoined by a regard for the behests of religion; and in the closing scenes of life's fleeting, final hour, he leaned with humble trust upon the merits of his Savior.
" His life was gentle-and the elements So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up And say to all the world-'This was a man !" "
MR. CHANDLER, of Pennsylvania:
The manners of Mr. King were unobtrusive, retiring, gentle. No appearance, no act, of his could be regarded as challenging attention. He moved among his fellow-men with manifestations of constant respect for their rights, and their po- sitions; and among his fellow-legislators, he was distinguished by that constant deference to others, which is the characteristic of modesty and available talents. Abroad, sir, in Europe, he presented himself with no demands, as a man, upon the consideration of others, and no claim to distinction in the free use of his am- ple means. But, as the representative of a nation of freemen, he claimed the re- gard which his representative character challenged, and he maintained social hospitalities with the profusion which his ample means warranted, and his gener- ous patriotism suggested.
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MR. MILTON S. LATHAM, of California:
In all that belonged to him individually, Mr. KING was the very type of an American gentleman. Free from artifice and disguise, his every thought and in- stinct was chivalric. Not to adventitious circumstances, not to the chances of birth and fortune, not to the society in which he was thrown, was he indebted for the distinction to which he rose in public life, or to the grace which adorned his private character. He never borrowed thoughts or sentiments from others. His mind and heart were of American growth, while his eminent virtues served to illustrate our National character.
MR. TAYLOR, of Ohio:
I had the pleasure to know him for many years, as a public man; and to meet him often in the social circles of this city. And though we differed widely upon some of the most important political questions that have lately agitated the country, I always found him mingling moderation with firmness, and a proper respect for the opinions of those who differed with him.
HON. WILLIAM S. ASHE, of North Carolina, who represented the District in which Col. KING was born, said:
Col. KING was sent, at an early age, to the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, which institution he left in his seventeenth year, bearing with him the happy consolation of having commanded the respect of his professors, the love and esteem of his associates. He studied law with William Duffy, an emi- nent jurist, residing in the town of Fayetteville, where he formed friendships which he preserved with affection to the day of his death. On being admitted to the bar, he settled in his native county, from which he was returned the following year as a member of the Legislature. By this body he was elected Solicitor for the Wilmington Judicial District, in which situation he continued for two years. He was then again returned to the Legislature for the years 1808-'9. In the year 1810, he was elected to the Congress of the United States.
MR. BENTON said:
The members who have preceded me have stated, and well stated, the illustri- ous career of the deceased-tracing his course through a long gradation, always rising, of public honors-from the General Assembly of his native State to the second office of his country, the Vice-Presidency of this great Republic.
To me it only belongs to join my voice to theirs, and to the voices of all who knew him, in celebrating, the integrity and purity of his life-the decorum of his manners-his assiduous and punctual attention to every duty, and the ability and intelligence which he brought to the discussion of the National affairs during his long service of thirty years.
MR. PHILLIPS, of Alabama:
I visited Washington for the first time a few years ago, and though it has been said (with what truth I cannot assert) that corruption stalks here at noonday, it was with just pride as an Alabamian, that I learned from all quarters and all par- ties that, through his long service in the public councils of a quarter of a century, he had not only preserved his reputation intact, but freed even from the breath of suspicion.
It was this purity of character, joined to the high qualities of a well-balanced mind, that enabled him to enjoy, for so long a period, the confidence of the people of his own State, and of the whole Confederacy.
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The question was taken, and the resolutions were unanimously adopted :
In the Supreme Court of the United States, December 9, 1853, Mr. CUSHING, the Attorney-General of the United States, ad- dressed the Court in terms of eulogy, opening with the following paragraph :
May it please your honors, I wish to submit a motion which seems to be called for by the subject matter. God, in his inscrutible but supreme will, has removed from the service of the country, and the path of honor which, through a long life of greatness and goodness, he had so nobly trod, the Vice-President of the United States. When- the voice of some future panegyrist, on the banks of the Missis- sippi, the Bravo, or the Columbia, shall speak of the heroes, the legislators, the statesmen, and the magistrates of our country, as he recounts the names borne on that glorious roll of immortality, he cannot fail to pause with unalloyed satisfac- tion at the name of WILLIAM R. KING.
To which Mr. Chief-Justice TANEY replied :
The Court is sensible that every mark of respect is due to the memory of the late Vice-President, WILLIAM R. KING.
His life was passed in the public service, and marked throughout it by its purity, integrity, and disinterested devotion to the public good.
It is true, that no part of it connected him particularly with the judicial branch of this Government. But the people of the United States had elevated him to the highest office but one in their gift ; and the loss of a statesman like him, so hon- ored, and so- worthy of the honor bestowed, is felt to be a public calamity by this department of government, as well as by that to which he more immediately belonged. And as a token of their respect for him while living, and their sin- cere sorrow for his death, the Court will adjourn to-day without transacting its ordinary business.
After the extracts, nothing remains to be said, nothing indeed can be said, without repetition, relative to the character of Col. King. Only one fact need be added, which has not been referred to in the notice of his social life-he never married.
For many years, the author of this work was honored with the friendship and correspondence of Col. King. The following letter, lately rescued from a collection of old papers, is here subjoined, as well for the sentiments and the prophetic sagacity disclosed, as a gratifying token of his favor :
WASHINGTON CITY, August 16, 1848.
My Dear Sir-I am greatly mortified that an earlier answer has not been given to your very friendly letter ; but it was received while I was laboring under chill and fever, which I had contracted at the North by imprudent sea-bathing-was put away by my servant, and not found until to-day, when I was arranging my papers preparatory to leaving the city.
ยท I thank you for the flattering terms in which you express your gratification at my appointment by the Governor. I hope you are correct in supposing that it will meet with general approbation ; for leaving out of view all personal considera- tions, I should regret exceedingly to find that my selection had in the slightest degree impaired the well-deserved popularity of my friend Chapman. Is there no danger of this in the Northern portion of our State? Will not the disappointed aspirants for Senatorial honors in that quarter unite in effort to create sectional
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jealousy, and thus, if successful, not only bring it to bear upon me, but upon the Governor? I believe I am authorized to say that the attempt will be made, but how far it will succeed with an intelligent people, remains to be seen; and I assure you, in all sincerity, that I should regret it more for my friends than for myself.
To establish as a rule that residence is to be considered an essential requisite to entitle an individual to the support of the Legislature, for the high and respon- sible station of United States Senator, I have ever considered as ridiculous. Sena- tors should be chosen for their intelligence, information, integrity, and correct political principles; and reside where they may within the limits of the State, they will consider themselves-as they are in fact-representatives of the whole State, and not of a section. Far be it from me to intimate that there are not gen- tlemen residing in the northern portion of Alabama who possess, in a much higher degree than myself, the requisite qualifications for the able discharge of the duties of the station, and should such a one be preferred, I shall be the last to complain ; while I am free to declare that I should think great injustice would be done both to myself and to the State, if an inferior man should be preferred, because of his residence.
The manifest determination of a large majority of the inhabitants of the non- slaveholding States to prohibit the extension of slavery, by excluding it from the Territories, the common property of all the States, threatens consequences the most alarming. The end none can foresee, and the purest are forced to doubt the permanency of the Union. That is fanning the flames of discord to gratify his ambition or revenge; and should he succeed in building up a geographical party capable of controlling the action of the Government, I for one will be forced to the conclusion that the days of the Republic are numbered.
The election of General Cass may, and I think will, force a compromise of this agitating question ; hence, it seems to me, that every Southern man who loves his country, and would preserve inviolate its institutions, should give a decided sup- port to Cass and Butler. has learned to his cost that his disorganizing attempts found no favor with the Democracy; and further, that he has been deserted, if not denounced, by those who patted him on the back, and urged him forward in his mad career, so soon as they found he was frowned down by an indignant people.
I do not expect to see you before October, as my health is not good, and I pro- pose to visit some of the watering places for its restoration. If, however, I could suppose that there was any necessity for exertion to secure the vote of Alabama to the Democratic nominees, no consideration should prevent me from returning without delay, to unite with my brethren in sustaining the good cause. But no such necessity exists; and whatever hopes inspire the Whigs by the defection of the few professing Democrats, they will, I trust, find that Alabama will be the Banner State next November.
Present my kindest regards to my friends, Benson and Graham. Faithfully, your friend and obedient servant,
WM. GARRETT, Esq.
WILLIAM R. KING.
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CHAPTER XXXIX.
William Lowndes Yancey-His Public Life and Character.
The gentleman whose name heads this chapter was a native of South Carolina, born August 10, 1814. His father, the Hon. Benjamin C. Yancey, studied law in Baltimore, in the office of Robert Goodloe Harper, a celebrated lawyer and statesman. He afterward settled in Abbeville District, and, in 1808, married Miss Caroline Bird, of Georgia. He was elected to the Legisla- ture, in 1812, and was appointed Aid to Gov. Alston, with the rank of Colonel. In 1814, he was of the Committee of two who examined George McDuffie and John Belton O'Neall, for admis- sion to the bar. Both of these gentlemen became eminent in their profession; the former serving as a Representative in Con- gress, from 1821 to 1835, and in the United States Senate from 1843 to 1849, after having been Governor of South Carolina; Judge O'Neall was, for a long period, a member of the Legisla- ture, and then President of the Law Court of Appeals and the Court of Errors. In 1859, he published "Biographical Sketches of the Bench and Bar of South Carolina," in which the public services, fine debating powers, professional character, and the fear- less qualities of Mr. B. C. Yancey are noticed with much eulogy. These traits were inherited by his son. In closing the sketch, (vol. ii, p. 324,) Judge O'Neall says:
Mr. Yancey was remarkable for his courage. He showed it in early youth, in the affair with the French frigate, and in all after life. He was courteous as brave; I never saw him rude in court or in the Legislature. He died. [1817] as it were, in the morning of life, and the tears of the State were shed upon his early grave. He was mourned by his widow, and two sons, William L. Yancey, now of Montgomery, Alabama, and Benjamin C. Yancey, now the United States Minister to the Argentine Republic.
These preliminary observations on his parentage are not made with a view to give strength to the character of Mr. W. L. Yancey, beyond his own merits, but are merely intended to account, in a natural way, for that decision and force of will which distinguished him through life. The narrative is now resumed.
After completing his education, Mr. Yancey came to Alabama about the year 1836, and engaged in planting in Dallas county. He also edited for a while the "Cahawba Democrat." Thence he settled in Wetumpka, and took charge of the "Argus," a Demo-
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cratic paper, and was admitted to the bar. He soon obtained a good practice, and his course was onward.
He was a delegate in the Democratic Convention of December, 1840, to organize the party, after its National defeat for the Pres- idency, and was among the leading debaters in that body of able men, of which Col. Isaac W. Hayne, then of Montgomery, was a member, and who, a few years thereafter, returned to his native South Carolina, of which State he has been many years the Attorney-General.
In 1841, Mr. Yancey was elected to the House from Coosa, and in 1843, he was returned to the Senate from the District composed of Coosa and Autauga counties, over his competitor, W. W. Morris, Esq. In 1844, he resigned, and canvassed for the seat in Con- gress vacated by the Hon. Dixon H. Lewis, who had received the Executive appointment of United States Senator. In this con- test Mr. Yancey was successful over Henry C. Lea, Esq. During the session of Congress for 1844-'5, some personal remarks were passed in the House between Mr. Yancey and the Hon. Thomas L. Clingman, of North Carolina, in which a call to the field of honor, and a hostile meeting was the result. After an exchange of shots without injury to either party, a reconciliation, at the instance of mutual friends, took place, and they returned to Washington-the personal honor of each gentleman having been fully vindicated by the proceedings.
In 1845, Mr. Yancey was reelected to Congress, but resigned his seat in 1846, to engage in the law partnership of Elmore & Yancey at Montgomery. In 1848, he was a delegate to the Demo- cratic Convention at Baltimore, which nominated Gen. Cass for the Presidency. Dissatisfied with the platform of principles adopted by that Convention, he withdrew, and stood aloof during the con- test. The moral influence of such a position, by a gentleman occu- pying the high ground he did, had a damaging effect upon the party, and, for the time, modified his relations to it. While the heated contest of 1849, for Congress, was progressing between Messrs. Hilliard and Pugh, Mr. Yancey entered the list, warmly for the latter, who, however, was defeated. In the times of 1851, he ranked as a "fire-eater," and being dissatisfied with the plat- . forms of both the great parties, in 1852, especially upon the Com- promise Measures of 1850, he refused to vote for either nominee for President, preferring to support a Southern ticket composed of Troup and Quitman, for the first and second offices in the Union.
In 1856, all dissentions had been quieted, and he was in full accord with the Democratic party, and was at the head of the Electoral ticket which cast the vote of Alabama for Mr. Buchanan. In 1859, it was understood that he desired a seat in the United States Senate, and at the session of the Legislature that year, a
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canvass was prosecuted in his behalf, against Gov. Fitzpatrick, in view of the election two years in advance of the end of his term. But the resolution to bring on this election was defeated in the Senate, and thus terminated the exciting canvass.
In the Winter of 1859, the State Democratic Convention assem- bled to provide for representation in the Charleston Convention, of April, 1860. Mr. Yancey was placed at the head of the dele- gation, with a platform suited to his views, and which was exten- sively circulated and read at that time, and the failure to adopt which, by the National Convention, resulted in its disruption, and in the formation of another party, which was fully con- summated at Baltimore in June, 1860, whither the Convention adjourned. Mr. Yancey had become a leading spirit in the South- ern movement, and was sent to Baltimore, where he exerted a controlling influence in shaping and directing the mighty events of that period. His transcendent ability as a speaker caused him to enter largely in the contest, by yielding to the request of friends from Boston to Memphis.
The Legislature, at its session in 1859, having provided for the call of a State Convention, to take such course as might be neces- sary for the honor of the State, and for the security of the rights of the people, in the event of the election of a sectional candidate to the Presidency in 1860, and that contingency having occurred, Mr. Yancey was, in December, 1860, elected a delegate to the State Convention of January, 1861, and was Chairman of the Committee, in that body, which reported-
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