USA > South Carolina > Charleston County > Charleston > History of the New England Society of Charleston, South Carolina, for One Hundred Years, 1819-1919 > Part 13
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"It is our first duty, as citizens to whom the character and future of the state are dear, earn- estly and solemnly to protest against the action of those who not only have brought reproach upon their own party, but have endangered the very foundations of our social fabric; and to use every
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means to wrest from them the power which they have so wantonly abused.
"We deprecate all appeal to passion and prejudice, but it behooves us to speak plainly. The attempt to place infamy and corruption in the seat of justice violates the primal instincts of civilized humanity, and to that we will not sub- mit. The right to justice and good government is one which we dare not relinquish.
"With no hostility to the colored people of the state, mindful of the good conduct of those who have not been misled by evil counsels, we are determined to preserve to them every right and privilege guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the country; but the avowed purpose that there shall not be equality but a domination of their race over the property and rights of the white people of the state will be resisted to the last; and under no circumstances shall it prevail.
"We appeal to the honest and intelligent por- tion of them who bear their share of the political shame, but share no part of the political plunder, while there is yet time to turn away from the evil counsels which are leading them to a contest which must end in utter ruin.
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THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
"We raise no political issue. 'The issue rises higher than the party,' and seeks the end for which parties are organized.
"We recognize the earnestness and fidelity with which a portion of the Republican party under the leadership of Governor Chamberlain has striven to establish a government which respects the rights and protects the interests of all the people of the state. But they have failed. The worst elements of their party have defeated them. With confidence in their sincerity, we ask them to continue their efforts and, without the abandonment of political principles, to aid us in the attainment of a common end and the estab- lishment of a pure and honest government. Be it therefore
" Resolved, That as citizens of this state we protest against the action of the General Assembly in electing as judges men so notoriously corrupt as W. J. Whipper and F. J. Moses, Jr., and avow our determination to resist it to the end.
" Resolved, That we protest against the con- tinuance in office of legislators so regardless of duty and so reckless of the character, the peace, and the prosperity of the state, and we will use every effort to drive them from power.
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"Resolved, That we cordially endorse the action of Governor Chamberlain in refusing to issue commissions as judges to W. J. Whipper and F. J. Moses, Jr., and pledge to him the full sup- port of this community in his efforts to secure to the people of the state a faithful administration of the law.
" Resolved, That we tender to Governor Cham- berlain our grateful thanks for the bold and states- manlike struggle he has made in the cause of reform, in the economical administration of the government, in the preservation of the public faith, in the equal administration of justice, and in the maintainance of the public peace, and we pledge him our cordial support for the accom- plishment of these ends."
The manly and patriotic action of Governor Chamberlain elicited commendatory comment from the leading newspapers of the entire country. A limited number are herewith quoted:
The New York Herald
Governor Chamberlain of South Carolina seems to be doing effective work in opposing the corruptionists of that state, both in and out of the legislature.
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THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
The Boston Advertiser
Many eloquent speeches were made at the banquets in various cities Friday night, but to our way of thinking the most eloquent by long odds was that dispatch of a dozen lines sent by telegraph from Columbia to Charleston by the governor of South Carolina: "If there was ever an hour when the spirit of the Puritans- the spirit of undy- ing, unconquerable enmity and defiance to wrong-ought to animate their sons, it is this hour, here, in South Carolina." That was spoken like a son of Massachusetts filled with the grand courage of her early days. Unless we underrate the magnanimity of the descendants of the Huguenots in South Carolina, they will stand by this descendant of the Puritans who, by force of circum- stances, is fighting their battle against the deluded and enraged hosts of ignorance. To all appearances, this is the crisis of affairs in that state, and whether honor and righteousness triumph depends for the time on the cour- age of one man, who, in allegiance to his convictions of the supreme importance in a republic of an upright judiciary, has defied the organized corruption of the state. There is not at the present moment in the whole country a more splendid exhibition of Puritan character.
The Boston Globe
Then came the question whether it was to be a possi- bility to regenerate the state through a regeneration of the Republican party. Governor Chamberlain and his supporters gave their most zealous efforts to measures of reform, and there was hope of a dawn of light upon the dark prospects of that much-tried commonwealth. But
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there were the same elements there as before-ignorance and irresponsibility under the guidance of rascality-and they have been working against the administration. It seems that in the election of the present legislature they prevailed, and there are threats of a dire eclipse of the brightening prospects of the state. The election of ex-Governor Moses, Mr. Whipper, a colored man, who has proven himself an unscrupulous leader among his own people, and Mr. Wiggins, whom a Charleston paper characterizes as "a drunken ignoramus," to the bench of the Circuit Court shows that the forces of corruption are again in the ascendant. In seconding the nomination of Mr. Whipper, Mr. Elliott, Speaker of the House, and a powerful leader of the black politicians, declared that he would "measure the republicanism of the members by their votes on that occasion." Republicanism in South Carolina seems to mean submission to these corrupt and reckless leaders. Governor Chamberlain, in a recent interview, admitted that the effect of the election of these would be to reorganize the Democratic party in the state, and that it would embrace the "good and honest men of South Carolina."
Of course, the state of things in South Carolina has nothing to do with the general principles or merits of the political parties of the nation. Where political power is lodged with an ignorant population, unfitted for its exercise, the unscrupulous are almost certain to obtain control, and the circumstances and experience of the colored race in this country made it necessary for these leaders to be Republicans in order to gain their ends. It is a question whether it is possible for the intelligence, the honesty, and the conscience of the state to rule
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through either party, so long as the franchise is in the hands of this ignorant mass. If not, that state has got the tribulation of misgovernment to go through, until its colored population is educated up to a better compre- hension and a higher sense of their duties and responsi- bilities as citizens, or in some measure deprived of them. Meantime, there are evidences that the Conservatives will reorganize and draw into their ranks most of the "good and honest men," and they ought to have the help of the public opinion of the rest of the country in their efforts to wrest the state from the hands of its plunderers.
The Chicago Tribune
Governor Chamberlain, of South Carolina, has again struck a vigorous blow for reform. The legislature .of that state lately elected some notorious scamps as circuit judges-Whipper and ex-Governor Moses among them. The governor has refused to issue commissions to these two, basing his refusal on some legal technicality. It is hoped that this will save the state judiciary from the utter degradation prepared for it by the legislature. The corrupt judges were elected by a combination of all the bad element in the state. We rejoice that Governor Chamberlain has done all in his power to prevent the consummation of the bargain. He deserves credit for standing so well by his recent record of honesty and intelligence.
The Boston Globe
Governor Chamberlain has refused to sign the com- mission of Mr. W. J. Whipper and Mr. Franklin J. Moses, Jr., as circuit judges, on the ground that the legislature
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had no right to elect them, as the term of office of the present incumbents does not expire until after the next legislature is chosen. The ground is a purely technical one, but it is a good thing if any ground can be found for keeping these graceless political bummers off the bench. There is hope that the next legislature may have more sense.
The Louisville Courier-Journal
This action on the part of Chamberlain is promising, as it gives some hope that South Carolina, the stronghold of the black and white carpet-baggers, will yet be blessed with an honest government. The character of these men, Whipper and Moses, is despicable beyond expression. It is encouraging to know that Governor Chamberlain has determined to abate their recent triumph and free the judiciary from such disgrace.
Governor Chamberlain was invited to deliver the oration at the annual celebration of the New England Society in 1875. He was unable to attend, but sent the following telegram:
COLUMBIA, S.C., December 22, 1875 To the New England Society, Charleston, S.C .:
I cannot attend your annual supper tonight, but if there ever was an hour when the spirit of the Puritans- the spirit of undying, unconquerable enmity and defiance to wrong-ought to animate their sons, it is this hour, here, in South Carolina.
The civilization of the Puritan and the Cavalier, the Roundhead and the Huguenot, is in peril. Courage,
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Determination, Union, Victory must be our watchwords. The grim Puritans never quailed under threat or blow. Let their sons now imitate their example!
God bless the New England Society.
D. H. CHAMBERLAIN
In 1878 the New England Society of Charles- ton and the New England Society of New York exchanged greetings:
The New England Society of Charleston, South Carolina, to the New England Society of New York, greeting:
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan; to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
The New England Society of New York to the New England Society of Charleston, South Carolina:
We acknowledge cordially your greeting, and we hope to emulate you in a sincere desire to discharge our duties as God gives us light to see them.
From a careful survey of the facts in the case, it may be justly concluded that the New England Society of Charleston as an organization and as individuals followed the pathway of duty, as
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they saw the right, during the years immediately preceding the War, during the period of the War, and during the problematical epoch of recon- struction following the War.
Before the War, the majority of the New Englanders in Charleston did everything in their power to prevent the conflict. During the War, they exerted every effort to alleviate the suffering, pain, and need. After the War, they devoted their ability, their influence, and their energy to bind up and soothe the wounds, to mitigate hatred, to promote honest government, and to cement the nation into a real Union.
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FAMOUS DINNERS
When Daniel Webster visited Charleston in the spring of 1847, he referred to the "City by the Sea" as "the long-renowned and hospitable city of the South." For more than a century Charles- ton has been famous for her charming hospitality. No other city in the South has attained such an enviable reputation in the graceful art of enter- taining. It is not too much to say that among the many functions of a similar character for one hundred years in the city of Charleston, the annual dinners of the New England Society have, by common consent, been accorded prandial and post-prandial pre-eminence.
The New England Society was the first organization of the kind in South Carolina to co-ordinate the two ideal features of a banquet- the convivial and the educational. The idea came from New England, the home of education in America. When the Society was organized, it was resolved that the annual celebrations should be for good instruction and good fellowship. This custom has become law in the Society's life.
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Other fraternal and patriotic organizations in Charleston have emulated the good example. More than four hundred men of ability and char- acter have delivered addresses before the New England Society of Charleston on Forefathers' Day. The following names are selected from that number: Daniel Webster, Judge B. F. Dun- kin, Colonel B. F. Hunt, Martin Luther Hurlbut, William Crafts, Jr., James L. Petigru, Professor John E. Holbrook, Reverend Samuel Gilman, D.D., Professor Charles Upham Shepard, Rever- end William Coombs Dana, D.D., Charles R. Brewster, James B. Campbell, Reverend Charles S. Vedder, D.D., Melville E. Stone, William ' Everett, Josiah Quincy, George F. Hoar, Charles F. Adams, Justice David J. Brewer, Professor Basil L. Gildersleeve, Governor David H. Cham- berlain, Henry Bailey, Colonel J. H. Taylor, Dr. F. M. Robertson, John Temple Graves, Governor Locke Craig, G. Duncan Bellinger, the Right Reverend C. E. Woodcock, D.D., the Right Reverend Wm. A. Guerry, D.D., Governor W. H. Mann, Dr. S. C. Mitchell, Dr. W. S. Currell, Judge F. D. Winston, F. R. Lassiter, Reverend Paul Revere Frothingham, D.D., Reverend C. B. Wilmer, D.D., E. J. Hill, Patrick Calhoun, Judge
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W. H. Brawley, George S. Legare, Professor Frank C. Woodward, Judge G. W. Gage, Joseph W. Barnwell, Joseph C. Cumming, W. H. McElroy, the Very Reverend J. Wilmer Gresham, D.D., Dr. J. A. B. Scherer, J. B. Townsend, Judge C. H. Simonton, Reverend W. W. Memminger, J. P. K. Bryan, W. C. Miller, John Bennett, Dr. Harrison Randolph, P. A. Willcox, R. Goodwyn Rhett, John F. Ficken, George F. Von Kolnitz, Huger Sinkler, Henry Buist, J. C. Hemphill, T. R. War- ing, P. H. Whaley, Jr., and J. E. Hessin.
The following excerpts from the press and the two menus selected at random will give an idea of the excellence of the annual celebrations from the standpoint of gastronomic art and of general excellence:
"Of all the handsome banquets and enter- tainments given in the city of Charleston during the year, the annual dinner of the New England Society is by common consent awarded the palm for brilliancy and elegance. The prestige which the dinner has attained is not a local one merely, for wherever the Society exists and spreads its damask, the fame of the deliciousness of its viands, the brilliancy of the company of guests which it collects together, and the excellency of
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the wit and oratory which it calls forth, are proverbial.
"The guests whom the Society bids to its feasts are selected from the nation's greatest men, with- out regard to local political prejudices or geo- graphical limitations. When the invitations are sent out-invitations coveted by everyone they go to all quarters of the country. Any son of the country who has honorably won an exalted place in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, no matter what his calling or profession, may receive one. All great Americans cannot be invited the same year, but many of them are bidden to each dinner, and, if death does not interfere, each of them, sooner or later, receives his invitation. Under these circumstances, there is little wonder that the reputation of these feasts should have attained such an honorable distinction, even here in an old city, famous for its banquets and hospitality.
"There is not one of the many events which are commemorated in this city which is celebrated and signalized with such perfection of good taste and such elegance of appointment as the anni- versary of the New England Society. The organi- zation has gone back into the annals of American
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THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
history for its inspiration, and has selected an epi- sode which is invested with something more than the interest which attaches to the most eloquent of historic events. The landing of the Pilgrim Fathers is the motive of the anniversary celebra- tion of this time-honored New England Society; and the day is invariably made memorable in a manner worthy of the spirit and enterprise and hardihood of the storm-tossed pioneers who landed two hundred and sixty-five years ago on Plymouth Rock. There is something of the his- torical justice of events in the fact that at this day, the culture and refinement and wit and patriotism of this city should meet from year to year to revive the memories of a day that has been embalmed in the hearts of the American people by the lapse of over two and a half cen- turies."
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THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY DINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY GIVEN AT THE MILLS HOUSE, CHARLESTON, S.C. DEC. 22, 1856 Menu
Oysters on Shell Soup
Green Turtle
Codfish Chowder
Julien
Baked Rock Fish, à la Chambord Salmon, Anchovy Sauce
Leg of Mutton, Caper Sauce Turkey, Celery Sauce Chickens and Pork, Tongue Tenderloin Beef, with Mushrooms Ham, St. James Style Green Turtle Steak, Madeira Sauce Capon, with Truffles Boned Turkey, with Jelly, in form Pheasants, en Belle Vue Chicken, French Style Patti de Volaile, Decorated Bastelleon, à la Moderne Cold Game Pie, Lobster Salad Westphalia Ham, with Jelly Chicken Salad Patties, en Financiere Fried Oysters, Chicken Croquettes Pork and Beans, Old Style Olives, Anchovies, Celery, Sardines, Currant Jelly Cranberry Jelly, Lettuce, etc.
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Baked, Mashed, and Fried Potatoes Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus Tomatoes, Spinach, Rice Onions, Beets, Turnips Croustade of Quail, à la Royale Chartreuse of Partridge, au feume de Gibiere Timbale, à la Parisienne Filet of Ducks, Bigorade Sauce Cassolette of Rice, à la Reine Mutton Chops, Neranise Supreme of Chickens, with Truffles Salmi of Woodcock, on form
Bondins, à la Richelieu, feume de Volaile Venison Steaks, Currant Jelly Sauce Oyster Patties Beef, Turkey stuffed with oysters Saddle of Venison, Jelly Sauce Capons, Saddle of Mutton, Cranberry Sauce Canvasback Ducks, English Wild Ducks, Grouse Wild Turkeys, Pheasants Pyramids of Crystallized Fruits Plum Pudding, Pumpkin Pies Mince Pies, Apple Pies Macaroons, Mainges French Cakes, Fancy Plates Madeira Jelly, Maraschino Jelly Omelet Souffle, Charlotte Russe Vanilla Ice Cream Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Prunes Almonds, Walnuts, Pecan Nuts, Filberts Raisins, Coffee, and Liquors Cigars Cigarettes
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EIGHTY-THIRD ANNUAL DINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY GIVEN AT THE ST. JOHN HOTEL December 23, 1902 Menu
Lynnhaven Oysters Sauterne
Salted Almonds Cheese Sticks
Clear Green Turtle, aux Quenelles Sherry
Canape of Caviar, à la Russe Darne of Salmon, à la Chambord Pommes Duchesse
Celery Sliced Tomatoes Cucumbers Moselle
Diamond Back Terrapin, à la New England Society Sweetbreads, Braisé, à la Matignon Green Peas
Vermont Turkey, Chestnut Dressing, Cranberry Sauce Candied Yams Rice Asparagus Points Claret
Crème de Menthe Punch Roast Woodcock, a la Gastronome Champagne
Lettuce Salad Paté de Foie Gras
English Plum Pudding, Hard and Brandy Sauce Mince Pie Pumpkin Pie
Charlotte Russe
Biscuit Tortoni
Assorted Fancy Cakes
Champagne Jelly
Nuts Raisins Fruits Apollinaris
Roquefort
Coffee
Cigars
Cigarettes
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THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
THE VICTORY THEATER, CHARLESTON DECEMBER 21, 1919 AT 8:00 P.M.
President: REVEREND WILLIAM WAY Senior Vice-President: CHARLES W. KOLLOCK, M.D. Junior Vice-President: SAMUEL LAPHAM Secretary and Treasurer: THADDEUS STREET
Committee on the Centennial Celebration: Reverend William Way, chairman; John E. Hessin, secretary; Charles W. Kollock, M.D .; Samuel Lapham; Matthew B. Barkley; George W. Williams; J. R. P. Ravenel, and B. H. Owen.
ADDRESS OF DR. FRANKLIN H. GIDDINGS
Mr. President and Members of the New England Society, Ladies and Gentlemen:
In the history of the American people, there has been no event more beautiful in meaning or of fairer promise than your celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the New England Society in Charleston.
The great things in human affairs do not come with heralding. They do not always come with
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observation. Their significance is seen at first only by those who think deeply upon the course of human progress, and not until much later on is it apprehended by the masses of mankind.
As your president has told you, the early rela- tions between New England, Massachusetts espe- cially, and the people of South Carolina were fine and helpful. They so continued from the colonial period throughout the Revolutionary War; and during those days of anxiety thereafter which John Fiske has called the critical period in American history, when it was uncertain whether the fruits of struggle should be preserved. The writers and the public men of these states strove as they and fellow-soldiers had fought, to create out of the simple political elements of their day a free people that should grow strong and become respected among the nations of the world. They were bound together by ties of blood (these states of the North and the South), by ties of heritage and of interest. For a time one of the great tragedies of human history tore them apart, but kindly years have healed their wounds and reunited them in purpose and in affection. Today once more the people of New England and the people of this fair Southland are together
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THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
planning their common future, as, a century ago, together their fathers planned.
New England, which this Society was founded to revere and spiritually to reproduce and per- petuate, has perhaps too long been lauded as unique in the Providence of God and the progress of man. There is truth in that view and justice in the praise, and those of us who are descended from New England ancestry can never lose or deny our pride in the work that the Pilgrim and the Puritan did. Yet it is not wise to revert too often or to linger too long upon achievements of the past; and the word that as a New Englander I bring to you and offer tonight is that they best cherish the New England traditions and most faithfully carry on the work that the New Eng- landers of early days attempted to do, who pro- ceed now as those men proceeded then-who face a new day, forgetting the things which are behind and reaching forth, as the Apostle said, unto those things which are before.
Why did Pilgrims and Puritans come to New England to undertake a struggle with nature and with man so terrible that those who lived through it could visualize and interpret their survival only in the words of Edward Johnson, of Woburn, as
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"the wonder-working Providence of Sion's Saviour in New England" ?
They came and they endured because they were more than Pilgrims and Puritans, as the men of Virginia were more than Englishmen and the men of South Carolina were more than Englishmen and Huguenots. They came and they endured because they were men of western Europe, and above all else because they were men of modern and not of medieval history. For a time they fought strenuously against religious doctrines that they regarded as heretical. For a time they insisted upon uniting Church and State, and they permitted voting only by such as were in good standing in the one recognized ecclesiastical organization. But that was for a short time only. Exploration and an ever- changing experience widened their vision. From Boston and from Salem they traded and moved "to the eastward," to Strawberry Bank and to Dover, to Cape Porpoise and to Sagadaliock. From Charlestown and Dorchester they went westward to Springfield and Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield, and then again on, to commingle with the Dutch in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys. They came here, to commingle with the
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Huguenot strain, with its glorious traditions of liberty and of courage. So began the centuries' long march across a continent.
So far as I can gather, these men cherished few regrets and gave little heed to memories. Therein perhaps they erred. It is necessary to know the past and to heed its warnings. But that was not their task. Their task was to create, and they created; it was to advance, and they advanced. The greatest thing that they did was not to transplant religious and political ideas, amazing and of priceless value as that achievement was. The greatest thing that they did was to bring here the spirit of men who were prepared to sacrifice everything that men have held dear in order that they might ever advance and ever create. That spirit has advanced and has created to the present day.
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