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IN MEMORIAM.

ienjanrin /ran|lin pern)

EX-GOVERNOR

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BORN: DIED:
NOVEMBER 20, 1805. DECEMBER 3, 1886.

"The Elements,
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, 'this was a man ?' "

SECOND EDITION.

REVISED AND ENLARGED.

GREENVILLE, S. C:
GREENVILLE DAILY NEWS PRESSES.
1887.

^HE best evidence of a man's value in the world and of his
character, is given by those who have felt and seen his
work and known his life by direct observation of it and
contact with him.
This memorial is intended to put in enduring form and in the hands
of the friends and relatives 0/ the late B. F. Perry, an outline sketch
of his noble and useful life and a compilation of the expressions re
garding him evoked by his death from the newspapers and leading
men of his State where he was most intimately known, from the bar
where he practiced so many years and from a few of the intimate
friends and kinsmen who had the best right to know of his private
and home life.
It is compiled and published by the widow, who during a married
life of fifty years found in his character and life only what she could
love, honor and be proud of, and whose care it is that the memory of
his virtues and the example of his noble devotion to his duty and
his country shall be preserved for future generations.

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''HE best evidence of a man's value in the world and of his
character, is given by those who have felt and seen his
work and known his life by direct observation of it and
contact with him.
This memorial is intended to put in enduring form and in the hands
of the friends and relatives of the late B. F. Perry, an outline sketch
of his noble and useful life and a compilation of the expressions re
garding him evoked by his death from the newspapers and leading
men of his State where he was most intimately known, from the bar
where he practiced so many years and from a few of the intimate
friends and kinsmen who had the best right to know of his private
and home life.
It is compiled and published by the widow, who during a married
life of fifty years found in his character and life only what she could
love, honor and be proud of, and whose care it is that the memory of
his virtues and the example of his noble devotion to his duty and
his country shall be preserved for future generations.

1 "^P^^^^^SPNf' *^^-^' *e)^"V **5^^-^ ^e&^^Vr

'f.^<.^-^^t^ >-^-^ >~^^- ^-<^<h /-^¦^-. ^

AN OUTLINE

GOVERNOR PERRY'S LIFE,

[From the Greenville Daily News, December 4, 1886.]
There has been a general feeling in Greenville that ex-Governor
B. F. Perry would not recover from the illness with which he has
been suflTering during the past month. His age and the serious char
acter of his malady forbade hope that his life would be much pro
longed. Nevertheless, there was a general expression of surprise
mingled with the involuntary one of sorrow when the fact of his
death became known on yesterday.
He died at half past one o'clock yesterday morning. During the
early part of the night he was restless and complained of pains in his
chest, and Mrs. Perry, Mrs Beattie, the governor's daughter, and
Eepresentative W. H. Perry, his eldest son, and a colored woman — a
former slave whose devotion to the governor since her freedom gives
eloquent testimony to the gentleness with which the master who never
quailed before any opposing force used his power over his bondwoman,
and whose presence as nurse was at her own request — remained at his
bedside. Later the governor became easier and Mrs. Beattie and
Colonel Perry retired. At about h^f past one the nurse noticed that
the governor's breathing was hard and called Mrs. Perry's attention
to it. He turned on his right side without assistance and the nurse
hastily went out to call Mrs. Beattie and Colonel Perry. During her
absence the governor made a gurgling sound and stopped breathing
instantly, giving no indication of suffering and without the least
struggle. When death finally came it was as sudden as a stroke of
lightning.

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Governor Perry's last illness may be said to have begun on Sunday,
November 7th. On that day he was attacked with vertigo while on
the stairs leading to the second story of his residence and fell, bruis
ing himself slightly. Dr. T. T. Earle was immediately sent for and
his treatment resulted in a partial restoration of the strength and
vitality for which the patient was so remarkable during the latter
years of his life. On the twenty-seventh of the same month the
governor suffered another and more serious attack. Dr. Earle was
absent and Dr. George E. Trescot was called in. He saw that the
governor was then suffering from valvular disease of the heart and
that it had reached such a stage that it was likely to end his life sud
denly at any time. The members of the family were candidly in
formed of the facts and warned to be prepared, and the result was,
therefore, less of a shock than it would have been in different circum
stances. The general cause of death was failure of the vital functions,
caused by old age. The heart had simply worn itself out by long years
of service and ceased to beat. The governor's general health was
remarkably good to the last, and his physical and mental strength
were wonderful for a man of eighty-one years. It is thought that the
cold weather hastened his death somewhat.
Governor Perry's full name was Benjamin Franklin Perry. He
was born November 20th, 1805, in what is now Oconee county but
was then part of Pendleton district. He was of Eevolutionary stock,
his father being a native of Massachusetts of English descent who
fought in the Continental army, and his mother, Miss Foster, a daugh
ter of John Foster, of Virginia, who was a lieutenant in the regular
American army, He and Commodore Oliver Perry were of common
ancestry, springing from the same English stock.
Governor Perry's father came from Charleston, whither he went in
1784, met his wife in Greenville and was married here. He removed
to Oconee and engaged in farming. B. F. Perry worked on his
father's farm and went to school until he was sixteen, when he was
sent to Asheville, N. C, where he studied languages, making aston
ishing progress by the great capacity for labor and the retentive
memory developed even at that early age. He came to Greenville,
then a small backwoods village, in 1824, and began the study of law
in the office of Judge Earle.
In 1827 he was admitted to the bar, having finished his course
under Colonel James Gregg, of Columbia. He returned to Greenville
and began the practice of law for the western circuit.
In 1832 he first became conspicuous in politics and appeared as a

Benjamin Franklin Perty.

leader in the fight for the preservation of the Union that he continued
to wage twenty-eight years against the overwhelming sentiment of the
State. He became the editor of the Mountaineer and quickly made
it the recognized organ of the Union party of the State. Immense
majorities of the people were against him, led by almost all the talent,
learning and social and political power, with John C. Calhoun, the
idol of the State, at their head promulgating his theories of nul
lification and finding almost unanimous endorsement. Governor
Perry was a delegate to the Union convention held at Columbia in
1832 and represented this county, being elected at the head of the
ticket, in the general convention of the people of the State called in
the fall of the same year.
It was during this period that the famous duel with Bynum occurred.
It was caused by political quarrel, and with the spirit and the code of
morals of the time it could not be avoided. Governor Perry rarely
alluded to it afterward, and then always with sorrow, but it is under
stood that the quarrel was accepted by him as a deliberate test of his
courage, intended to destroy his influence if he failed to endure it
successfully. All accounts agree that he bore himself with good
temper, unfaltering courage and dignity, and that while he deplored
the unfortunate result to the end of his life and from that time per
sistently refused to engage in affairs of honor, he could justly be held
blameless. In 1884 Governor Perry, then twenty-nine years old, was the Union
nominee for congress in this district, then Mr. Calhoun's, against
Warren E. Davis, and was defeated by a majority of sixty in a poll
of 7,000. Mr. Davis dying before he could take his seat, Governor
Perry again became the candidate of his party against General
Thompson ; but was disabled by an accident early in the canvass and
again suffered defeat. In 1836 he was elected to the State legislature
without opposition. There he maintained and was the leading expo
nent of the principles he had always held. He opposed the agitation
of the slavery question and was a warm and conspicuous advocate of
the Louisville and Cincinnati railroad. He was reelected in 1838,
and as chairman of the committee on claims became noted for his
ceaseless guardianship of the State's interests and his unrelenting hos
tility to all that was tainted with extravagance or subject to suspicion.
On the floor he was the leader of the element that persistensly de
manded and fought for changes in the system of State government
and the increase of the power of the people. All prisoners were then
confined in the county jails, the governor and presidential electors

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

were chosen by the legislature and by the parish system the lower
part of the State was given what Governor Perry and those who fol
lowed him believed to be undue representation in the senate. Against
all these things he fought, urging the establishment of a penitentiary,
the choice of governor and electors by popular vote and the equaliza
tion of the representation of the up country and low country. He was
almost invariably defeated in the legislature, but retained the confi
dence and support of the people he represented.
In 1844 he was elected to the State senate, and while a member of
that body voted alone against the resolution ordering the expulsion
from the State of Mr. Hoar, who was sent here by the State of Massa
chusetts. Every other senator voted for it, but Governor Perry spoke
energetically against it and had his solitary vote recorded on the
negative side, declaring that hostile majorities had no terrors for him
while he was conscientiously performing his duty. He was defeated
by Governor Orr in another contest for congress, the stand of the
latter in favor of General Taylor securing for him the whig vote in
addition to the part of the democratic vote he commanded. Governor
Perry was chosen by the legislature an elector at large for this State
to vote for Cass for president. He was one of the fathers of the
Greenville and Columbia railroad, and his powerful influence and un
tiring energy contributed much to its successful building.
In 1850 the secession feeling was tremendous in the State, and the
people seemed to be practically unanimous. The sentiment was vio
lent and the enthusiasm great and the Union party had no existence
but among a scattered and powerless few. In face of all this Gover
nor Perry established at Greenville a newspaper, the Southern Patriot,
bold and avowed in its advocacy of the Union cause, the one news
paper in the State maintaining those principles. He was again elected
to the legislature and he and his two colleagues from this county were
the only Union men in the body, this being the one county that stood
for that side. In the house Governor Perry delivered a ringing, bold
speech, defending the Union and denouncing the efforts to break it,
and declared that he intended to have that speech printed and pub
lished and handed down as a legacy to his country and his children —
a promise which he faithfully kept. It was the first check the seces
sion movement received in this State at that time and was copied and
quoted from one end of the country to the other. He was a member
of the State convention in 1851, and as a member of the committee of
twenty-one appointed to prepare business, prepared and submitted an
able minority report dissenting from the resolutions prepared and pre-

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

sented by Judge Cheves, which defended the right of secession but de
clined to use it at that time.
In 1860 Governor Perry was one of the delegates from this State to
the famous Charleston convention of the democratic party. He re
fused to withdraw with the other delegates from this State and re
mained, voting steadily for E. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, as the can
didate of the party for president.
The galleries hissed him every time he rose to vote, and when he
rose to speak the hissing became so loud and continuous that he could
with difficulty proceed. The chairman, Mr. Gushing, threatened to
clear the galleries, but the man who had faced and defied angry mul
titudes and put his life and property in jeopardy a score of times was
not the one to be frightened by such demonstrations. " Let them re
main, Mr. Chairman," he said in the deep, strong tones and deliberate
manner always characteristic of him, "I would like them to hear what
I have to say." And they did hear him while he spoke with all his
power for the unity of the great democratic party and declared that
on its success depended the life of the Union. As is well remember
ed, his urging was of no avail. The party split and nominated two
candidates, and Abraham Lincoln was elected.
In 1860 an election was ordered for a convention of the people of
South Carolina to declare the Union dissolved. Governor Perry
fought secession then as he had fought it and nullification before. He
predicted the war and the defeat of the South, and urged that it was
folly to secede with a democratic majority in congress, in the supreme
court and in the country. But the wave overpowered him. He went
down flying his colors to the last and raising his voice for the Union.
Greenville county was carried along in the rush and B. F. Perry, James
P. Boyce and Chief Justice O'Neall, the Union candidates for the con
vention, were defeated. Governor Perry being beaten in his own county
the first time in thirty years. But when the secession ordinance was
adopted he yielded to the will of the majority and went with his
State. " You are all going to the devil and I will go with you " was
his good humored announcement of his purpose. From that time he
was unswerving in his loyalty to the Confederacy. Being then fifty-
six years old he could not enter active servj.ce himself, but his eldest
son was sent to the front and Governor Perry supported the govern
ment with voice, service and purse. During the war he served as
member of the legislature, Confederate commissioner, district attorney
and district judge.
In the misfortunes brought on by disregard of his advice Governor

10 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Perry shared with his people. He stood by them with conspicuous
firmness and boldness in the dark hours after the war. He was not
only with the people but felt with them, and some of his speeches of
that time gave evidence of the bitterness that was then over the spirit
of the South. But without the solicitation of himself or his friends
he was chosen by President Johnson, the provisional governor of the
State. The appointment was received with universal satisfaction.
Governor Perry's consistent record as a Union man won for him the
good will of the North and he already possessed the full confidence of
the people of this State. His strength of character and intellect and
cool, sound judgment fitted him well to guide the State through that
stormy time. Quiet dignity and the purpose to restore the State to
peace and prosperity marked his conduct during his administration of
six months. He ignored all party claims and alliances, appointed to
fill the offices those persons who had occupied them at the close of the
war, obtained an order abolishing the military tribunals that had been
trying civil and criminal cases, so far as white persons were concerned,
and restored the confidence of the people by refusing to levy or collect
taxes and using the pardoning power liberally. Under his government
the first election after the war was held, resulting in the choice of the
Hon. J. L. Orr. Meantime Governor Perry had labored actively in
behalf of the State with the Federal administration and succeeded in
making an impression on the president and Secretary Seward which
doubtle,ss did much to mitigate the rigor of her treatment. The leg
islature elected and in session during Governor Perry's term did much
of the work he had given his energies to against such opposing odds
during many years. The parish system he had fought so hard was
abolished, the right of electing governor and presidential electors
was given to the people, the penitentiary was established and the
courts of law and equity were amalgamated, and the State was sep
arated from all connection with banks.
At the expiration of his service as governor he returned to Green
ville, but he continued his active interest in public affairs and his ef
forts to improve the condition of his State and people. He was elect
ed to the United States senate, but, like the other Southern senators,
was denied the seat. His faithful and heroic stand for the Union[
made at far greater sacrifice and against worse odds and more danger
than any man then on the floor of the senate had endured, was forgot
or disregarded. Men who had been disunionists while he was facing
furious mobs and enduring banishment from honors and almost from
friendships and holding his faith in and love for the Union solitary in a

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

crowd of angered opponents, voted to shut him out of the senate
chamber because he refused to desert his people in the humiliation and
desolation he foresaw coming on them. He was a bitter opponent of
the reconstruction measures and wrote and spoke .strongly to prove
that the people would be better under an indefinite military rule than
under negro and carpet bagger government — a conclusion which all
the white people had reached by 1876 when their campaign cry was
" Hampton or a military governor !"
In 1867 he was a delegate to the Philadelphia convention. In 1868
he represented the State in the national democratic convention that
nominated Seymour and Blair. The people of his State— as if eager
to atone for the injustice of the past and to express their confidence
and affection and their appreciation of the vindication of his wisdom
brought by time and events — continued to heap honors on him. The
democratic convention of the Fourth congressional district, then com
posed of York, Chester, Fairfield, Union, Spartanburg, Laurens, Green
ville, Pickens and Oconee counties, met at Columbia in September,
1872, and unanimously tendered him the nomination for the Federal
house of representatives. The nomination was unanimously endorsed
by the press and people of the State, and Governor Perry accepted
the leadership of the forlorn hope as he accepted every duty, and
made a thorough canvass of the large district. His fate was that of
all other democratic candidates of the time, but his indomitable spirit
was not broken by defeat, and immediately after the election he pub
lished an address to the voters urging them to oppose the radical gov
ernment and to continue to fight it, and denouncing the corruption of
the party in power in good round English terms, not forgetting to
upbraid the white people for the apathy and timidity they were show
ing. His last prominent public service was in 1876 when at the age
of seventy-one he went as one of the South Carolina delegation to the
St. Louis convention by which Tiiden and Hendricks were nominated.
Governor Perry's political career is that most known and interest
ing to the public, but through long years it was a succession of ap
parent failures. In the practice of his profession, in which he was
matched agaiijst single antagonists and not against a legion of poli
ticians and orators and angry multitudes of people, he was uniformly
successful. He took a high place at the bar early in life and retained
it to the end, winning honor and money. His practice was always
marked by conscientious devotion to his cause, careful study and strong,
logical handling. He was always a dignified and courteous lawyer,
giving others all the respect they merited and rigidly exacting like

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

treatment, conforming his conduct to the highest standards of pro
fessional ethics. He was employed by General Thompson in 1851 to-
assist in the defence of Dr. Gardiner, indicted in the District of Col
umbia for perj ury in presenting false claims against the Mexican gov
ernment. It was a famous case of the time and offered fees then con
sidered immense. But Governor Perry, after spending several weeks
investigating the ca.se, became convinced of Gardiner's guilt and
promptly returned home, When he became convinced that the
judiciary of this State was corrupt he retired almost entirely from
active practice and sought the retirement of his farm " Sans Souci "
near Greenville city, where he has lived since and where he died.
Governor Perry during his life had many friends and many enemies.
He was not an effusive man and made little display of his friendships,
but they were valuable and enduring. He was " a plain, blunt man,"
and when he disliked or distrusted made no secret of it. Stubborn in
his opinions he was always willing to concede honesty to his oppo
nents and to give courtesy while it was appreciated and reciprocated.
His fighting was all done fairly and openly. Of scrupulous integrity
and with unspotted purity of character, he hated rascality and mean
ness or anything he took for it with an unrelenting hatred and was
always ready to lead warfare against it. He did not often win friends ;
he commanded them by the force of his character and his unswerving
loyalty. He married in 1837 in the city of Charleston, Miss Elizabeth F.
McCall, daughter of Hext McCall and niece of Eobert Y. Hayne.
They had nine children, of whom four survive — Mrs. Wm. Beattie,
Eepresentative W. H. Perry, Dr. Hext M. Perry, of Philadelphia, and
B. F. Perry, Jr. Mrs. Perry survives the Governor ; on her more
especially his death comes with fearful force, and while the sympathy
of hundreds of friends throughout the country are with the entire
family, a special measure of it will be for her who has so many years
illustrated the devotion and love of which woman is capable as wife
and mother.
Governor Perry was a man of pure life, simple tastes and temperate
habits. During the last ten years most of his time has-been spent at
his place in the country where he had built one of the handsomest
residences in the State. He usually drove into town in his carriage,
received his mail, remained in the office of his law firm, composed of
himself, W. H. Perry and Julius H. Heyward, a few hours in the
forenoon, and returned to his home. There he had one of the most
complete libraries in the country, covering the whole range of litera-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. /j
ture, and he devoted himself to making new literary acquaintances
and renewing old ones. He was an eager buyer and reader of new
books and a prolific writer for the press, although he rarely appeared
in print during the last years of his life except when his interest was
especially aroused in some matter of local or general moment. At
one time he prepared and published in newspapers a series of histori
cal sketches of this section of the State and reminiscences of the many
distinguished men he had known and been associated with. Some of
these have been compiled and printed in book form by Dr. Hext M.
Perry, preceded by a brief biography of the Governor, making a vol
ume of much interest. Governor Perry left doubtless material for
many other volumes of historical interest, including newspaper files,
unpublished sketches and memoirs, a carefully kept diary of his lift
and many of his speeches and more important published articles. I
He was not a communicant but was a zealous friend and supporter 1
of Christ Episcopal church, where his family attended. During all
his life he gave much attention to religion and his conduct was con
formed to the teachings of Christianity in which he was a sincere and
earnest believer.
The last years of his life were very tranquil and happy in the society
of his family, the friends he delighted to welcome to the hospitable
halls of Sans Souci, his books and his writings, peacefully busy with
few cares, and an honest record and useful life to look back on, only
awaiting the summons he knew must soon come.

W^'-"^^'*^^-^ *^^"-V *e6-'^^ *^'"V^

COMMENTS
OF
SOUTH CAROLINA
NEWSPAPERS.

[From the Greenville Daily News.]
One of the biggest and strongest men this country has known died
here on Friday. He was cast in a big mold, morally, intellectually
and physically, and Nature in her mysterious operations for the de
struction of her work seems to have designed an appropriate ending.
There was none of the pitiful weakness of decay. The years brought
no childish treble to the big manly voice, no dullness of perception or
senile feebleness to the active, vigorous mind. Like an old oak tree
struck by the axe he fell while yet strong and towering, and died with
the honors, years and compensations of age before the calamities of
age had come upon him.
Governor Perry was sometimes spoken of by his admirers as "the
old Eoman," and surely he deserved the title by virtue of the quali
ties ascribed to the Eomans in the best days of the republic, when
Komans were as brothers and all were for the State. Courage, tenacity
of purpose, force of character and rigid adherence to principle marked
his course through all the years of his manhood. As the youth began
the old man ended. The path of his duty and his conscience led
straight across the popular way. But the fury of the people, the
seductions of friends, the promises of ambition, the overwhelming
power of opponents combined against him failed to cause the swerving
of a step. He could not see the end or know where the road he trod
would lead him ; disaster after disaster fell upon him until the limits
of his county seemed to be the impenetrable boundary of his aspira
tions. The only effect of it all was to nerve and urge him to stronger
and bolder labors for the cause he believed to be right.

Benjaviin Franklin Perry. /j
Years and events approved his judgment and his principles, but
they were not needed to win him honor. His thirty years of hopeless
fighting was honor and triumph enough because it was evidence that
could not be questioned that he believed in his cause and had in him
the manhood, strength and devotion that constitute heroism.
Whether measured by the invisible standard of the soul, felt but
not definable in words or to be expressed by figures, or by the baser
measurement of utility, Governor Perry's life is worthy of study and
emulation. There is a tremendous elation and power and a splendor
more felt by the heart than any discernable to the senses in the feel
ing of a man that he is right — right beyond doubt — and that he is
maintaining the right against odds and will be proved right in the
end. It is worth all the labor and sacrifice of a life.
And if life holds, time will bring the reward for the man who
cleaves his way right onward, undismayed and unallured. The coward
who truckles to place and powers, the shuffler who crooks the hinges
of his knee and climbs by devious courses, must go down and be lost
with the long procession of their like. But the man who clings to his
sound principles and fears nobody and nothing will be remembered
and honored — after he is dead sometimes, 'but always sooner or later.
Eead the story of Governor Perry's life as it is briefly and imper
fectly told to-day. Read it and remember it.
He was a man — the thing that only God can make and the only
thing He has made in His likeness — a manly man with manly virtues,
holding and proving his manhood and never dishonoring it, and
therein the most splendid of the creations of Omnipotence and very
worthy to be honored.
That can be said of him with truth. What more or what better
need be or could be said of any man ?

[From the Charleston News and Courier.]
Governor Perry was a grand figure in South Carolina affairs, a Eo-
manesque rock standing out boldly in the midst of the troubled sea
of politics, and unmoved by dashing waves or pelting storm. Un
questionably he was the head and front and chieftain of the Union
sentiment in South Carolina. In the Union cause he fleshed his sword
more than fifty years ago.
There was hot work in South Carolina in those old days. In 1832,
in his lusty youth. Governor Perry fought Mr. Bynum, the editor of
the Greenville Sentinel, and wounded him mortally at the first shot

j6 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
on the field. After this he declined to accept any challenge. The
first and fatal meeting was more than enough.
Governor Perry opposed secession, first and last and all the while.
But, honest Carolinian as he was, he was with his people, heart and soul,
when the die was cast, and South Carolina had withdrawn from the
sisterhood of States. It was not for him to reason why. South Caro
lina had taken her course, and, as a loyal son, he went with South
Carolina and exerted himself to the utmost to strengthen her endeavor.
Some measure of reward came to him when the struggle was over,
as by rea.son of his noble record he was appointed governor of the
State. Superbly he discharged the difficult duties that were imposed
upon him in that time of transition and adjustment. Afterwards he
came rarely before the public, but from his eyrie on the slope of
the Blue Eidge he watched the course of events, and was ready
always to give to his people the benefit of his ripe and varied obser
vation and profound knowledge of men and affairs.
Statesman, jurist, and man of letters and patriot, unflinching in his
loyalty to these United States, and immovable in his devotion to the
Commonwealth of South Carolina, Governor Perry was in many
respects without peer in our public life, and in nothing that was
worthy and of good report had he any superior.

[From the Columbia Register.]
The death of ex-Governor Perry at his home near Greenville yester
day afternoon will be received with deep regret in all parts of the
State. * * * * The deceased was a remarkable man from many
points of view. For many years the consistent, outspoken, courageous
defender of Union doctrines in opposition to all the declared princi
ples of his native State, he never flinched from the advocacy of his
opinions whatever the majority against him. He was opposed tp se
cession from first to last, but when his State acted he surrendered his
life-long convictions to her commands. We sincerely believe that
there was no more conscientious and patriotic citizen in all the State
than he who now has been gathered to the fold of Carolina's great
sons as they sleep beneath her soil.
The deceased for many years represented the district of Greenville
in the State assembly, and he was always recognized as a most con
spicuous member. His opinions were always earnestly and frankly
expressed. He took a bold stand on every public measure and squarely
toed the mark in every position of his long life.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. jy
Such was the declared character of the man in all things that he
was highly respected by those who opposed his views no less than by
those who followed his lead.
This distinguished Carolinian was selected by President Andrew
Johnson, from not a few eminent Unionists in South Carolina, to fill
the important trust of provisional governor on the termination of the
war in 1865. As provisional governor, Governor Perry earnestly ad
vocated a policy of magnanimous peace. He had no patience with the
policy of persecution and revenge. He did all he possibly could to
shield his distressed fellow-citizens from the savage policy of hate
which then surged up against our devoted State as "the cause of the
war." He stood by his State as faithfully in the dire moment of her
downfall as he had manfully resisted the temper and policies which
had led up to the war. He was too brave a man himself to have
lot or parcel with those who were willing to strike the downfallen.
Ex-Governor Perry's memory, then, will long be cherished by all
who love and admire true manhood in its highest sense, whether it be
in friend or foe. And Greenville will lovingly cherish the memory of
her great son as one of the most remarkable men the State has ever
given birth to.
The father of an honored family, among whom is the representative
in congress from this district, the Hon. Wm. Perry, the deceased goes
to rest without an enemy in the State, though it was long opposed to
his political opinions. Let him sleep, then, in the bosom of his mother
State as no unhonored son among those who illustrated her, named
with a virtue, courage and unblemished repute, which shall teach
generation after generation of her sons how it is to live like a Caroli
nian and how it is to die as such, without fear and without, reproach.

[From the Greenville Enterprise and Mountaineer.
He was a remarkable man in many respects. He was distinguished
for the great purity of his character, his profound knowledge of law,
his undying devotion to principle, and for a studiousness that remained
with him to the day of his death.
In his death the State and Union have lost a citizen of which each
might justly feel great pride. The people of Greenville almost idolized
him, and he has controlled their public sentiment for more than half a
century, and there is no one of equal character and abilities to take
his place.
Whatever position in life Governor Perry was called on to fill.

i8 Benjam.in Franklin Perry.
whether member of the legislature, member of a State convention,
commissioner, district attorney, district judge of the Southern Confed
eracy, provisional governor of the State, delegate to conventions of
the democratic party, legal counsellor or citizen, he never failed to
discharge his duties with a rigid fidelity and great ability that com
manded the esteem of every one. His name was a synonym of up
rightness, integrity and bold performance of duty. He had contempt
for mean actions and duplicity in men, and was severe in condemna
tion of them.
He was one of nature's noblemen, in physical statue and features,
as well as in mind and heart.
It is sad indeed to know that his familiar face and noble form have
passed from our midst forever, and that we will see him no more.

[From the Anderson Journal ]
Governor Perry was a lawyer by profession, and had for the greater
part of his life taken an active interest in all public affairs. He was
of a conservative disposition, opposed to extreme measures, and was
therefore without a great following in fire eating days, but many who
opposed him lived to see and confess that his was the position dictated
by wisdom, and that if his teachings had been followed the country
would have been saved great suffering and demoralization. As editor
of the old Greenville Mountaineer, his marked ability, energy and op
position to nullification made it at that time one of the leading papers
in South Carolina. As an opponent of secession he had to suffer de
feat among his own people, who chose to follow the extremists of the
time, but when his State had seceded, like the patriot he was, he
offered his service in her defense. **********
He lived to see the doctrines of his early life in a great measure
prevail, and to enjoy many honors that a,t times were denied. "After
life's fitful fever he sleeps well."

[From the Easley Messenger.]
Many South Carolinians will be pained to learn of the death of this
noble "old Eoman," which occurred at his residence near Greenville
on last Friday morning.
Governor Perry has been prominent in the State for a number of
years, though latterly he has led a retired life. His opinions, however
have always been respected, for it was known that he was conscientious

Benjamin Franklin Perry. ig
in expressing them. Governor Perry was the provisional governor of
this State immediately after the war, and did all he could to restore
the peaceful condition which was our wont before these stormy times.
In his death the State has lost one of her ablest and most patriotic
sons. Peace to his ashes.

[From the Pickens Sentinel.]
Ex-Governor B. F. Perry died at his home near Greenville last Fri
day morning. His death closes a most eventful life, and the career of
a great, pure and spotless statesman. A man of the greatest force of
character, he won and retained the love of friends and respect and
admiration of foes. The history of his life is singularly marked with
the boldest independence of thought, and while he often found himself
the only champion of his convictions, he lived to see the whole coun
try acknowledge their wisdom and his bitterest opponents changed
to his most ardent admirers. -His name will add lustre to the history
of his country as long as truth shall triumph over error.

[From the Lancaster Review.]
The good man whose name forms the caption of this article died at
Ms home on Friday last at an advanced age. Governor Perry was one
of the most remarkable men who has ever figured in the politics of
this State. He was wise, self-reliant, patriotic, and honest in all his
public acts. He probably had more moral courage than any public
man of his time. He was idolized at his home in Greenville, and was
admired throughout the State, and, I must add, also abroad, for he
had a national reputation to a considerable extent.

[From the Greenwood Tribune.]
In the 'death of ex-GOvernor Perry, South Carolina has lost one of
her purest and noblest sons. For many years he took a prominent
part in all the affairs of State and immediately after the war was ap
pointed provisional governor and did all in his power to restore her
peaceful and prosperous condition. Mr. Perry has led a quiet and
retired life for many years, but notwithstanding his opinions have been
sought and respected by the public. Loved and honored in life he
¦will not be forgotten im dieath.

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

[From the Orangeburg Times and Democrat.]
Governor B. F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C, died last Friday at hi&
home near that city in the eighty-Second year of his age. Governor
Perry was a grand man, and has gone to the grave full of honors,
leaving behind him a record that is worthy of emulation by all, We-
fully agree with the Columbia Eegister "that there was no more con
scientious and patriotic citizen in all the State than he who now has
been gathered to the fold of Carolina's great sons as they sleep beneath
her soil." [From the Hampton Guardian.]
The whole State mourns the death of Hon. B. F. Perry, of Greenville,.
for he was one of our niost prominent and useful men and of the highest
ability. Long years ago he held many high positions and acquitted
himself as a man. He was an ardent Unionist, and from the days of
nullification he opposed the secessionists with might and main. * *
As the peer of Hayne, Calhoun, McDuffie and Orr his name and his
fame will live forever and embellish the pages of Carolina's history.

[From the Winnsboro' News and Herald.]
The Hon. Benjamin Franklin Perry, ex-Governor of South Carolina,
died at his home, near Greenville, on the third instant. He had been
in declining health for some time, and had reached the advanced age-
of eighty-one years. His was a life of usefulness, both to the State
and national government, and his name will occupy a bright page in
the history of our grand old State.

[From the Edgefield Chronicle.]
Ex-Governor B. F. Perry, who, from his earliest manhood to his
death in honored old age, was one of the noblest and most notable men
in South Carolina, died during the past week at his home in Green
ville. [From the Walhalla Courier.]
Governor Perry was a fine specimen of manhood, and his long life
was an unbroken record of manliness and candor. He was honest and
unswerving in his political and business relations of life, and bound
his friends to him everywhere by these golden ^ords.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 21
The people of Oconee county were always especially interested in
the success and prosperity of their distinguished fellow-citizen, and
Tied with each other in rendering honor to him in his gradual rise and
¦success in public life. Now, that his long, useful life has ended, they
will mourn his death, not only as a great public loss, but as one of a
peculiarly interesting character and of a nature local to them.
The leisure moments of Governor Perry were occupied in rescuing
from loss the history of many of the events of his time, and the re
miniscences of a number of the public men of the country. He has
done more than his share in the busy moments of a long life to rescue
and preserve the history of the men and events of his time.
Enjoying the confidence and respect of the people of the State and
throughout many of the States of the Union, his declining years were
full of honor, love and peace. One of the greatest landmarks of the
-State has departed. [From the Aiken Recorder.]
The Hon. Benjamin Franklin Perry, ex-Governor of the State of
South Carolina, died on Friday, December 3d, 1886, at his country
residence, four miles from the city of Greenville, at the advanced age
¦of eighty-one. His death was occasioned by vaHular disease of the.
ieart. Governor Perry was *a man of fine ability, and during the
¦course of his long life occupied many important positions of honor and
trust, all of which he discharged with credit to himself and honor to
the State.

[From the Sumter Watchman.]
Governor B. F. Perry is dead. Born in the early youth of the cen
tury, he died in its sere and yellow leaf, honored by all who knew him
for his commanding talents, his conspicuous honesty, and his unfalter
ing devotion to the welfare of his native Carolina. He was the cen
tral figure in up-country politics for many years before the war, and
.^ince then all the State has learned to love Greenville's greatest citizen.
Benjamin Franklin Perry was born in Pendleton District, November
¦20th, 1805. He had a remarkable mind, and made wonderful progress
as a student. He was admitted to the bar in 1825 ; and from the time
of nullification in 1832, became a prominent factor in politics. In his
paper, the Greeenville Mountaineer, he fought disunion, and again in
1852 came to the front as a prominent anti-secession advocate. But
when, despite his opposition, the State seceded in 1860, Governor

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Perry, true patriot that he was, threw himself with all his' ardor and
influence into the battle for the independence of his State. His son,
W. H. Perry, the present congressman from Greenville, was a most
faithful soldier, going through the entire war as a member of Company
K., S. C. C. Governor Perry was appointed provisional governor of
the State in 1865, since which time he has lived in comparative polit
ical retirement.

[From the Abbeville Medium.]
Governor Perry, who has been one of the most prominent men in
the State, died at his home, near Greenville, on last Friday morning.
For the last few years he has led a retired life, although his opinions
when expressed, were always held in the highest esteem. Just after
the war when our State was in a perfect uproar, he was appointed
provisional governor, and did all in his power to restore peace to the
troubled waters. Every one will regret the death of one of the State'»
worthiest sons and cafl only hope there will be more like him.

[From the Spartanburg Herald.]
Governor B. F, Perry died at his home. Sans Souci, three miles from
Greenville, on Friday morning. He was a pure patriot and an able
statesman, and lived a life which reflects glory on his name and State.

[From the Spartanburg Spartan.]
Hon. B. F. Perry died at his home, Sans Souci, near Greenville,
Friday morning last, at half past one o'clock. About a month pre
vious to his death he had an attack, and it was evident to his physi
cians that death might occur at any hour. He had a second attack,
but had rallied from that and his family saw no cause for alarm. All
of his children were present in his last sickness except Dr. Perry, who
lives in Philadelphia. The funeral ceremonies were performed in the
Episcopal church, and, by his request, in as simple and unostentatious
a manner as possible. He was buried Sunday. For integrity and
consistency of character he had few equals and no superiors in the
State. His life was upright as his manly form. One might differ with
him, but he was bound to respect him. He had the courage of hie
convictions and was not afraid to be in the minority. He felt it was

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 23
better to be right than to go with the multitude. He passed through
several crises in our State's history that tried men's character and he
was never found wanting, but was all true to his own convictions and
to the best intierests of the State. Noble, manly, independent, he
stands out as an eminent example for our young public men to imitate.

[From the Charleston Dispatch.]
According to his convictions he served his State with patriotic zeal
and died universally lamented.

[From the Charleston News and Courier.]
To the Editor of the News and Courier — Within this present month
South Carolina has lost two of her most brilliant and distinguished
sons. The newspapers contain merited tributes to their great worth,
but little or nothing has been written of their religious character,
which to many of their friends is a matter of deepest interest. It is
well, too, for the world to know what liiese eminent lawyers, so skilled
in examining and weighing evidence, thought of the religion of Christ.
Colonel Rion was for many years a consistent member of the Pres
byterian Church and exemplified in his life the principles he professed.
When you said in your editorial this morning : "What an upright man;
what an acute counsellor ; what a profound lawyer ; what a faithful
citizen ; what a superb soldier ; what a true friend and scholarly com
panion was he whose sudden and deplorable death is announced
to-day," if you had only added "what a noble Christian gentleman,"
your eulogy would have been complete. You say "his end was peace
ful." It could not be otherwise to the sincere Christian.
The lamented Governor Perry, who has so lately gone down to the
grave full of years and full of honors, never made a public profession
of religion, doubtless from that feeling of unworthiness which deters so
many good men from taking that important step, but he was a zealous
supporter of religion. For many years the writer of this saw him
almost every Sunday at the head of his pew in Christ Church, Green
ville. The deliberate and matured conviction of this grand "old
Eoman" was that Christianity was true, and, as the Greenville News
says, "his conduct was conformed to the teachings of Christianity, in
which he was a sincere and earnest believer." The first item in his
last will and testament is as follows : "I give my soul to God, hoping

24 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
and trusting in His mercy through the mediation of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ."
We humbly trust that his sins were forgiven and his pardon sealed
in Heaven before he went hence, by and through the merits of that
Redeemer in whom he thus expressed his faith and confidence.
W. H. C.
Charleston, December 13.

[From the Greenville Daily News]
To the Editor of the News — My father was an Englishman and set
tled when he came to this country in Columbia, S. C. During the
days of nullification he, with a v&ry few others in that district, (Eich-
land) took the side of the union men. As a boy only nine years old
I remember when the nuUifiers marched up Main street, Columbia, to
go out to Yates' old field and burn in effigy Blair and Drayton, mem
bers of congress from this State who adhered to Andrew Jackson and
the Union. They passed our house while we were at prayers and
played the Dead March.
My father, who was a merchint, was advised to alter or modify his
opinions or else he would lose his customers. He refused to do so and
he told me since that Governor Perry came to him and said : "I admire
you for your pluck, and you will find your firmness will in the end
bring you friends." It turned out so, for Colonel Wade Hampton,
father of the present governor, and old Bob Adams, both strong nuUi
fiers, came to him and said : "We are going hereafter to do our busi
ness with you," and they did until their death.
I write this to show how a man can live through all opposition and
go down to his grave honored and respected, provided he is honest in
his principles and lives up to his convictions of what he conceived
to be right. Such a man, I believe, was Governor Perry.
Columbia.

*^t^^^£^;:t£^^£^^=£^^£^

*e6-" -^ -^^^ o^K"--^ *«i8^^V ^^"^ «€^^V>

LETTERS TO THE FAMILY.

The following are chosen from many scores of letters to the members of Gover
nor Perry's family elicited by the announcement of his death :
Greenville, December 7.
Dear Mrs. Perry^I was inexpressibly gratified by your note of yes
terday and by the memento that accompanied it. You may be sure
that I will always keep both as among my most valued possessions.
I wrote just as I felt. The more I have studied the Governor's
character the more I have been impressed with its grandeur, until I
have come to share fully the earnest admiration for him that I find
among all classes of people, and particularly among the older men.
I need not tell you how cordially I participate in the universal deep
sympathy felt for you and yours in your great trouble.
With great respect and very sincerely your friend,
A. B. Williams.
Mks. B. F. Pekry. ^  Washington, D. C, 4th Dec, 1886.
My Dear Perry — This morning's paper brings us the sad intelli
gence of the death of your esteemed father, who closed a career
honorable and eventful beyond the usual lot of public men in South
Carolina. I felt, my dear friend, on reading of it how great the be
reavement to your mother and yourself, who have continued as
one of his immediate associates at the home circle ; and the impulse
came at once to write you how I sympathized with you in your sorrows.
For your lamented father, as a man firm in purpose, and of rar e
courage of conviction, and unselfish patriotism, I have always felt
great admiration. He was of that type .of conscientious statesmen
who are so rare in these days of selfish politics ; and the young men
of South Carolina will find, in studying his career, lessons of self-sac
rificing devotion and love of country well worthy of imitation by all.
I know, by a similar experience not many years ago, the greatness of

26 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

your loss ; and while words of friends can do little to lighten the
burden of filial grief, yet it is a melancholy satisfaction to offer condo
lence, and to let you know and feel that you have the sympathy of
others in your sorrows.
May I also tender, through you, to your bereaved mother, the expres
sion of my respectful and sincere condolence ?
Eemaining,^ as ever, very sincerely.
Your friend and colleague,
Samuel Dibble.
The Hon. W. H. Perry.

New Brunswick, December 5, i885.
My Dear Cousin — When I had read your letter of 29th ult., I was
prepared to learn at any moment the result of the relapse. Hope as I
would or could, the case seemed hopeless. And the end has come. It
was inevitable. It seems to us immutable. It always does to all, and
it always will. We are all in distress and mourning, but we mourn
not as "those without hope." We have the example of one who has
passed through life without blame, and who has conscientiously and
bravely performed every known duty. This is all a man can do, and
he has done it faithfully and well, and all will acknowledge it. If the
memory of all this could assuage the bitter grief at the death of our
loved and honored ones, none would be more to be blessed than you.
This is a comfort which in the future you will certainly enjoy. For
the present sorrow and mourning must be yours. My sympathies are
all with you, and I suffer with you all. May God bless you all and
preserve and sustain you all. My wife and Cornelia join me in assur
ance of love for you all. Affectionately, your cousin,
A. S. Perry.

Charleston, S. C:, December 7, 18S6.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — This morning I read the account of Governor
Perry's funeral, as published in the newspapers, and now write, to you
to express my sincere syqapathy in your irreparable loss. His death
was to me unexpected. I learned, through the papers, that he had a
serious attack of illness a few weeks ago, but I hoped and believed
that his strong constitution would successfully resist disease and that
God would spare him to his family, friends and country.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 2j
His useful and eventful life over, he now rests from his labors.
Truly it can be said of him, that he has gone down, to the grave full
of years and full of honors. Few have won merited success in a higher
degree, and few indeed of those who have been in public life, and in
curred bitter opposition, have retained, as he did, the respect of oppo
nents. No one ever defamed his private character, for it was above
reproach ; and all gave him credit, not only for commanding talents,
but for honesty of purpose, devoted patriotism and unflinching cour
age. He lived to see the great measures he advocated become the
settled policy of the State. His love for the Union, which raised
against him so much political enmity, was second to his love and de
votion to South Carolina, and whatever he believed to be right and
for the honor and prosperity of our beloved State he pursued with
all the energies of his manly nature, for in such case —
"To doubt would be disgraceful,
To falter would be sin. "
Thinking of Governor Perry carries me back to my earlier days
when I flrst went to Greenville with letters of introduction to him
and others, and well do I remember how kindly and hospitably he
received me and how very pleasantly I was impressed with his
dignity, courtesy and noble presence. But, unfortunately, the bitter
ness of political controversy estranged us for a time ; although I
could not but honor his character and respect his sincerity and ability.
Then, with the inexperience of* youth and full of enthusiasm for
what I believed the honor and interests of the State required, I had
not learned to bear patiently with those of opposing views. But
time and experience and the grace of God have long since taught
me that men may honestly differ, and also warned me against too
great self-confidence, and brought a wider charity. After the close
of the disastrous war against which Governor Perry so earnestly
and eloquently warned, we were again brought into political har
mony and personal friendship. Your dear husband was too magnan
imous to remember former opposition, and when I left Greenville he
was one of my best and most esteemed friends.
It has been nearly ten years since I last saw him. It was when
I went to lay in Greenville soil the remains ^f my children, when hip
sympathizing nature brought him, though quite unwell at the time, to
see me on that sad visit, and drew me nearer to him in the bonds of
friendship. ^
My object in writing, dear Mrs. Perry, is not to eulogize the vir-

28 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
tues of your deceased husband. Let that be done by more gifted
pens and more eloquent tongues ; but I would pay my poor tribute
to friendship and distinguished worth. I wish I could write a word
that would bring to you the least comfort in your great bereave
ment. I can only pray that the God of all comfort will sustain you,
and that this great affliction may yield to you "the peaceable fruits
of righteousness."
We are now in the Advent season of our church when our thoughts
are directed, in a great measure, to the promised second coming of our
Lord, when his people look forward to reunion with those who have
gone before them to the better land. It may not be long until he
comes. Certainly it will not be very long until you and I will be
called to meet Him and join our loved ones already in His presence.
In the last day, may we appear before Him with our sins washed away
by His precious blood that we may be found acceptable in His sight.
I am, dear Mrs. Perry, very sincerely yours,
W. H. Campbell.

Charleston, S. C, December 7, 18B6.
My Dear Friend— Your noble father, full of years and honors, has
passed to his rest. How happy in the circumstances attending his
closing years. How fortunate beyond measure, in that, even when he
most opposed his friends his independence of mind, integrity of pur
pose and intrepidity of character should have fixed him more firmly
in their esteem, and from his enemies extorted admiration, while per
haps increasing their animosity.
It would almost seem as if expressions of the natural sorrow which
stir the hearts of relatives and friends should be hushed into
thankfulness in contemplating the happy close of such a useful and
well rounded life. Yet, knowing how deeply you and your widowed
mother, his companion and solace through so many eventful years,
must feel your great bereavement, I cannot forego the sad privilege of
offering my sincere condolence and prayer that you may be sustained
and comforted in your trouble by Him who is the stay of the widow
and father of the fatherless.
Please remember me m(»st kindly to all the family, and believe me
your sincere friend.
n/r -nr r> . -^^O- ^- FaiblY.
Mrs. Wm. Beattie,
Sans Souci, Greenville, S. C.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 2g
Greenwood, S. C, December 9, 1886.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I returned two days ago from an appoint
ment in the country and learned of the sad bereavement that has be
fallen you. I am aware of our inability to do anything for those who
sorrow as you do, but I feel that it will be some relief to myself to as
sure you of my heartfelt sympathy. I have had great admiration for
Governor Perry. The example set by him to the rising generation of
manliness, self-reliance, devotion to principle and high conceptions of
honor is valuable. I wish I could do something to lighten for you
this blow. Alas ! how impotent we are. Human sympathy, though
sweet, is unable to sustain in such a sorrow. Allow me to commend to
you that Unseen Sympathizer whose sympathy is both sweet and sus
taining. Who, while He pours the oil of comfort into the bleeding
wound with one hand, at the same time places the other strong arm
of support underneath the sinking spirit. You will find Him a present
help in time of trouble. May He who is a father to the fatherless and
the widow's God, provide for you in your necessities and comfort you
in your sorrows. Mrs. Smart desires to join me in these expressions,
• Yours, very respectfully,
E. D. Smart,

Christ Church Rectory,
Greenville, S. C, December 10, 1886.
My Dear Hext— The loss of your noble father is a great blow to
you all, and you must feel it very keenly far away from your family.
But you have much, Hext, to comfort you in your sorrow. In
God's providence your father had outlived his generation, all of his
old friends and associates having gone before him. His old age was
associated with no decay of his mind or weakening of his force of
character ; strong to the last, he sank into the grave with as much
dignity as he had lived before his fellow men. But better, far better,
and before all, he died in humility before God and in unpretentious
faith in our only Saviour ! I have been much impressed the past few
vears with the humility of your dear father when he would speak of
his relations to God. I deplore the fact that he did not avow himself
on the Lord's side, in the Lord's way, as a communicant of His church,
but God knows what we cannot know, and He will be his judge.
I am satisfied that the long, manly, true life of your father was
closed at last by a sincere surrender of his soul into the gracious hands
of our merciful Saviour, and that his end was peace. May such re-

JO Benjamin Franklin Perry.

flections, my dear Hext, give you the consolations which God has
promised to His people through the truth and grace of the everlasting
Gospel. You have my heartfelt sympathy.
Most truly, your friend, E. Capers.
Dr. Hext M. Perry, Philadelphia.

Greenville, S. C, December lo, 1886.
Dear Mrs. Perry — I trust that the intimate and friendly relations
which have long existed between myself and family, and you and
yours, will furnish a sufficient apology for this seeming intrusion upon
the sacred privacy of your great sorrow. I feel as if it would be a
sad privilege to be permitted to say a word, on behalf of myself and
those of my household, to mitigate even in some slight degree the
poignancy of the grief which must afflict you in your recent sore
bereavement. My dear madam, permit me to suggest as a source of consolation,
the consideration that Governor Perry had lived to a ripe old age, ani
sank to rest, "like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him,
and lies down to pleasant dreams." His life was a success. He
achieved fortune and fame, and after long and useful life has left to
his family the heritage of a pure and spotless name. I knew Governor
Perry intimately for thirty years, and I can say, without any mental
reservation, that I have never known any one who, in all the rela
tions of life, exhibited so many noble qualities of head and heart.
He was a devoted and indulgent husband and father, a loyal and
faithful friend, a patriotic and incorruptible statesman, and an able
and eloquent advocate. Take him all in all, we shall not look upon
his like again.
Be assured, my dear madam, that you have the profound and sincere
sympathy of myself and family in this the hour of your great sorrow.
Trusting that you will pardon the liberty I have taken in writing
you this note, I remain, with sentiments of the highest regard,
Your friend, T. Q. Donaldson,

Camden, S. C, December nth, 1886.
Dear Mr.? Beattie — After your valued favor of the 28th November,
in which you seemed so greatly encouraged about the condition of
your honored and revered father, I was greatly shocked by what so

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 31
soon followed. Since then I have been daily thinking of you all and
desirous of writing you and Mrs. Perry a few lines of sympathy and
condolence. You both know my great reverence for the Governor and
my high esteem and friendship for him, and can readily understand
how I must feel on this occasion, and I need not dwell upon that.
Governor Perry examined me when I was admitted to the bar in De
cember, 1843, and from that time always possessed my highest respect
and regard. I served with him in the legislature from 1852 to 1856,
and frequently encountered him in public and private life since, and
can most truly say that I valued him more and more highly at every
interview. We were not always together on political questions, but
there never was a time when I did not admire the Governor for his
patriotism, his ability, his fairness and directness of purpose, and his
highly honorable and upright course upon all public issues. This was
the testimony of all his honest opponents. I sincerely believe, fairly,
a prince has fallen in Israel full of years and honor. He was about
the last of all his compeers left to us, and it is most gratifying to those
who knew and honored him, to find that the people of the State justly
regarded him, as evidenced by the general outpouring of their feel
ings upon this mournful occasion. It is not my purpose to do more
than express my personal appreciation and my sincere sympathy with
Mrs. Perry and the family in their irreparable loss. May you all
find comfort and solace from that only true source of consolation under
great troubles.
I beg you to convey to Mrs. Perry the expression of my sympathy
.and most respectful regard, and believe me always,
Most respectfully and truly yours,
J. B. Kershaw.
Mrs. F. p. Beattie, Greenville, S. C.

Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.,
-^"i December II, 1886.
My Dear Mrs. Perry— The paper sent me by Colonel Perry reached
me last night, bringing the sad news of the death of your distinguished
husband and my venerable friend, Governor Perry. I assure you that
the news grieves me deeply. For Governor Perry I entertained the
warmest friendship and admiration. His unfaltering and spotless
career is a source of great solace and pride to his family and friends.
He truly has left "footprints on the sands of time" that can but teach
patriotism, honor and manliness to those coming after him through

S2 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
the paths of life. His life is to Carolinians, wherever found, a part of
the proud history of the old State.
Your household has my profound sjnnpathy, but to you especially
does my heart go out.
Believe me, Mrs. Perry, very sincerely. Your friend,
Wm. W. Vance.

Treasury Depart.ment,
Washington, December I2th, 1886.
Dear Mrs. Perry — I trust you will not deem it an intrusion if I
venture to exprass the sympathy which I feel for you in your great
sorrow. Your husband's long and eventful career is one to which the people
of South Carolina ¦will always point with just pride as illustrating the
highest devotion to duty and unswerving fidelity to every trust.
Mingled ¦with the grief which his death has caused, there is the com
forting assurance that the example of such a life is a priceless legacy,
not only to his family, but to the State he loved so well and served so
faithfully. As one whose privilege it was to know your husband since
my earliest boyhood, I beg to offer you the assurance of my sincere
sympathy for you in your affliction.
Believe me, yours very truly and respectfully,
Hugh S. Thompson.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Sumter, S, C, Dec. 13, 1886.
Dear Mrs. Perry — It was with feelings of sorrow- and regret I saw
announced the death of your husband, Governor Perry. And while
I felt deeply the loss that our State is called upon to bear in the death
of one who was ever the true son and patriot, my heart's sympathies
were with those of the stricken home — the wife of many, many years,
and the sons and daughter, whose happy lot it was to have with them
for so long a time a tender and affectionate father. • And now, he has
but gone before, at most a few short years, and we, too, shall be
called to that other and better world. And while we mourn and feel
broken-hearted, and realize at last that the companion of a life has
been taken away, that his loved and loving voice will never again be
heard on earth, that his noble form has passed from before our eyes,

Benjamin Franklin Perry. s3
across the river, let us look forward to a happy meeting on the other
shore, where husband and wife, father and children, may in one un
broken band spend an eternity of bliss. May the kind Father of all
send the comforting influences of His Spirit into each sorrowing heart,
and give such comfort as to enable them to say, " the Lord doeth
all things well."
Again expressing my heartfelt sympathy, I remain.
Very truly, your friend, Jno. S. Hughson. .

"The Oaks," 13th December, 1886.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — We mourn together. Your devoted and noble
husband, my life-long friend, after long years of useful performance
and patriotic devotion to his State, has preceded us across the river
but a short time. I need not tell you that you have no more sympa
thizing friend. When I first came to the bar he was my friend, a
valued adviser, and continued my friend through life. He has died
after a long life, full of honors and virtuous performance.
God bless you and yours, and strengthen and support you in this
affliction. Eespectfully and affectionately,
Mrs. Perry. A. P. Aldrich.

300 West Franklin Street,.
Richmond, Va., December 13, 188&.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — To-day for the first time I learn of the great-
bereavement which has fallen upon you. I can measure somewhatthe
force of the blow, as those who have suffered can always appreciate the
suffering of others ; the chord of pain once struck in any bosom will not
fail to vibrate again at the touch of sympathy. Ah ! my dear friend, I
knew your husband but slightly compared with the knowledge pos
sessed by those who lived for years under the genial influence of his
presence ; but I yield to none in admiration of his splendid qualities,
both as man and statesman. He came nearer to my ideal of a public
man — a man of affairs — than any I have ever known. Massive the
powers of his intellect ; stalwart the soul of him ; grandly faithful — a
very tower of truth. His was a character the possession of which is
an education to a community, a State, a country. In these times when
a nascent degeneracy threatens to breed for us a puny people, it is
something to have known such a man and to hold in one's memory a

34 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
figure of such noble proportion. You have for a time lost him, but
you have not lost the solacing comfort which his greatness reflects.
Surely of him the engraver can carve with truth upon the stone which
marks his final resting place : "The world is better that he lived."
I know that in your loneliness there is a pleasure, sad but sweet, in
musing on the memory of what he was, and the proud consolation is
yours that he gave you a name which he never tarnished, but which
he splendored with the sunlit glories of nobility, fidelity and truth.
^ Better consolations are yours, for the earth-born can never equal
the heavenly.
May the peace of God be on you, and the consolation of the Gospel
of His Son your strong support. I ask of Him who ruleth over all,
to manifest Himself to you as the God of the widowed, and that He
will make proof to you of the everlasting truth of His promise : "As
thy day is so shall thy strength be. '
As for me, I can only tell you that my soul is stricken, and my sym
pathy for you goes out strongly from an unfeigned heart.
Affectionately, your friend, H. M. Jackson.

Office of St.\te Superintendent of Education,
Columbia, S. C.
My dear Madam — Will you allow me, as an old friend, and an
ardent admirer of your father, to offer to you and the family a word
of sympathy. His death has called forth expressions of sorrow from
every quarter. To those unacquainted with his character it may seem
singular that so much is said about the loss of one who had lived out
the fullness of his days on earth. But in these days of degeneracy he
was a great beacon light to young men. With him always " public
omce had been a public trust. Though Cleveland formulated the
idea in words, your father formulated it in his life. Honesty, cour
age—personal and political— and elevated patriotism were condeded
to him by political enemies even in the stormiest periods of his life.
Is it any wonder then that South Carolina mourns ? The grandest
figure amongst her sons has passed away. Since the announcement
my mind has been running along the incidents of his life that passed
directly under my own eye. In any place, in all the varying circum
stances that I saw him, he bore himself as became a man of the purest
and highest type. I love my State more that she bore such a son, and
I am sure no one of her children ever was more devoted to her wel-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. J5
fare. I could write of such things at great length, but I forbear. I
only indicate them to show my profound personal regard for the dead.
It does not become me to enter the sacred circle of domestic grief.
You have, I am sure, sadly stricken hearts, but you have also the con
solations of our blessed religion Your family have long known and
l>een acquainted with grief.
I saw a few days since lying on my table a little memorial to "Anna
Perry," sent at the time to my mother. Its sweet but sad memories
are revived as her father and yours passes to the skies. There are
other afflictions more recent which I need not recount. I only, my
dear friend, commend you to the care of the God of the fatherless and
¦the widow, and trust and believe these afflictions may be sanctified to
your entire household. Do present my smypathy to your mother and
your household. Very truly and respectfully, James H. Eice.
Mrs. Wm. Beattie.

Washington, December i6, 1886.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — It was not until my arrival here, only a day
or two ago, that I learned of the heavy affliction which you have met
with, and the great loss which our State has sustained in the death of
your distinguished husband. No human consolation can avail any
thing in sorrow such as yours, and you will turn to Him who alone
can give it. All that I can venture to do is to offer my heartfelt sym
pathy for you, and to express, in common with all who knew Governor
Perry, my profound admiration for his character and my sincere grief
for his loss.
With my best wishes for yourself, I am, my dear maKlam,
Very respectfully and sincerely, Your friend,
Mrs. B. F. Perry. Wade Hampton.

AlKF.N, S. C, January 3, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I cannot tell you how deeply I have felt for
you in your recent bereavement. To be forever separated from the
dearest companion of your life is the greatest trial that could befall
you, and with you I know the loss is peculiarly severe, for your life
las been one of true and unselfish devotion to the Governor, who, in
lis tuBu (as he did in all capacities in life), filled to the fullest measure

j6 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
the part of husband. You who have known him best will miss more-
than any his companionship. I know that I can say nothing that can
allay your sorrow, but write to offer my sincere sympathy to you in
this the greatest bereavement that could befall you. God grant you
strength and spirit to bear your loss, and spare you all further sorrow,
and make peaceful the years that I trust are still left to you.
Governor Perry's life is one of deep interest, and to be followed as
a high example. I have known him from my earliest youth, and af
terwards intimately, and have ever appreciated him as one whose life-,
was marked by exalted honesty and purity of character, and possessing
the sternest of virtues, and with all kind, thoughtful and considerate.
I have never known a man whose conviction of right was as strong as
his, or who had the independence and manhood to stick to principles
so steadfastly because he thought them right. And at the end of a
long and eventful political life he had the satisfaction of holding the
confidence and esteem of his country, and to realize that all the efforts
of his life were right, and many measures of reform that he had so
long advocated now accomplished benefits to the people of his State,
who have fully appreciated his wisdom.
As one who admired him I take great satisfaction that he was spared
to see all this, for their can be no higher merit at the end of our life,
than to possess the confidence and esteem of your fellow man. The
State has indeed lost one of her strongest sons, and a truer patriot
never lived. I have five little boys, and if they should be spared to
me I shall point them as a most worthy example to be followed, the
life of my honored friend.
I thank you very much for the papers you sent me containing a
sketch of the Governor's life. I have filed them for preservation.
Do present my kind regards and sincere sympathy to the members
of your family, and for yourself, dear madam, accept my deepest feel
ings of sorrow and sympathy.
Believe me, as ever, your attached friend,
George W. Croft.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Columbia College,
New York, January 7, 1887.
My Dear Cousin Fannie — I am sure you do not think that my silence-
toward you since the sad news of your father's death signifies that yon
have not been very often in the minds and mouths of us all. We talk
of you very often, and we feel very deeply for you in your bereave-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. jy
ment ; and we regreit very keenly the distance separating us, which
prevents us from expressing to you in person our sorrow that so good
and noble a man has been taken away.
You can not imagine how great was my father's delight when he first
found out the near relationship existing between your family and ours
and how eagerly he longed to meet Governor Perry. It was a very
bright glow of sunshine after the twilight of his life had already set
in ; and when you came North and visited us in New Brunswick, as
when also he was so hospitably received in Philadelphia by your brother,
his happiness was unbounded. His hopefulness is always so great that
I do not think he wholly despaired of seeing his newly found cousin
until the sudden end of your father's life made it impossible in this
world. He never fails to talk of him and of you whenever we go to
New Brunswick. You may be quite sure that your stay in New Bruns
wick was a rare bright spot in his old age.
It was a most kind and charming letter that your father wrote him —
the last one, he told me, that Governor Perry ever penned. I copied
it carefully for him, and he said he intended returning the original
to your mother, which I dare say he has done ere this.
I must acknowledge also the receipt of the Charleston paper, which
you were so thoughtful as to send me. The account of your father's
life was most interesting. He was a man of the rarest uprightness
and courage. I think his firm stand for the anti-secession cause, even
when he found himself quite alone in his views, was one of the bravest
things I ever heard of.
A friend of mine here, Ms. William Pomroy, who has been in
'Charleston a great deal, told me he knew your father very well, and
that that was the impression his character and personality had always
made upon him.
It would give us great pleasure to hear from you when you find an
opportunity of writing, and we trust that we may hear only favorable
accounts of you all. I beg you will have the goodness to present our
respects to your mother, whom may we some day have the privilege
of meeting, and no lesS' to your brothers ; and please accept a very
affectionate greeting from us, i. e., my wife and myself, who claim to
be really very old friends, though unaccountably separated from you
throughout a term of years, now, we rejoice to say, at an end. I am,
'very sincerely. Your affectionate cousin,
Edward Delavan Perry.
Mrs. William Beattie,
Greenville, S. C.

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

W.iSHlNGTON, D. C, January 13, 1SS7.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I should have thanked you sooner for your
kind letter and the papers you sent but for the fact that I was quite
unwell for a few days. The papers came safely, and I assure you that
I was greatly gratified and deeply touched by the kind though partial
words of your noble husband in vindication of myself and in praise
of my honored father. Words of praise from him are worth much,
and to have won his friendship should be thought an honor by any one.
I certainly so regard it, and I reciprocated his friendly feelings to the
fullest extent, for his character commanded respect from his opponents
and admiration and affection from his friends. I shall, with your per
mission, retain the papers you so kindly sent, and I should be very
glad to have one other of the vindication if you can furnish it.
I see your son constantly, for I am happy to look upon him as a val
ued friend and comrade.
With my best wishes and kindest regards, I am,
Very respectfully and truly yours,
Wade Hampton.
Mrs. Perry.

L.\urens, S. C, January 24, 1S37.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — Accept my sincere thanks for a copy of the
tribute to your noble husband, the late Hon. B. F, Perry. It was my
privilege to know him in my early manhood. At various periods it
was my privilege to be associated with him more or less intimately,
officially and otherwise. The exalted Sfetimate of his character which
I inherited increased the more I saw of him. I am familiar with sev
eral of the ordeals of which mention is made. All that is said of him
historically is true ; aiid all that is said of him personally is just.
There is not a word of eulogium to which he is not justly entitled.
His was an active, useful and honorable life which deserves to be pre
served in an enduring form for the youth of our State. Our young
men can have no higher standard, and to them his more detailed
biography would be a rich legacy.
With heartfelt sympathy in your sore bereavement, I am
Your friend and servant,
James Farbqw.
Mrs. B. F. Perry-

f^6.>-^'-^ ^^^ ^^^ A-<^-^ ^-^^~. ^-~^^~ }

ACTION

House of Representatives

SOUTH CAROLINA.

The State Senate was not in session on Saturday, December 4th, when the
announcement of Governor Perry's death was made.
In the House Mr, Ansel, of Greenville, said ;
Mr. Speaker — Upon the wings of the lightning the sad intelligence
has just been received that the late distinguished and highly esteemed
Benjamin Franklin Perry, of Greenville, is no more. He has gone to
that bourne from whence no traveler returns. Being more than four
score years of age, and having been for a great many years in public
life in this State and the Nation, I think it but due to the memory of
this great and good man that we should pause in our deliberations for
a short while to pay our respects to his many virtues.
He was for more than twenty years during the early and middle
part of his life a distinguished member and leader of the house of
representatives of this State, .and his course while a member of this
honorable body has been the admiration and praise of all. One of
the many acts which he did as a member of that body was the selection
of the place where the capitol building now stands.
Since that time he has held many honorable positions given him by
the people of his native State.'' Once he held the office of judge, once
elected United States senator from the State of South Carolina, and
once the Governor of this grand old Commonwealth of ours ; and
though he was not allowed to hold his seat in the United States senate
by reason of the political sentiment prevailing in the North at and
after the time of his election to this honored position, it shows the high

40 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

esteem in which he was held, and ever has been held, by the people
of this State and country.
As governor of the State of South Carolina, his every act was for
the best interests of his native State, and the nature and the ability
and integrity which characterized his administration of that office is
part of the history of the State, known by all, which wUl go down on
its pages to the everlasting glory and honor of his name.
But time forbids, Mr. Speaker, my detailing the many virtues and
good qualities of this great and good man. I could not refrain,
however, in this presence from asking that the business of this house
might stop for a short time, in order that we may place one flower
upon the bier of our departed friend, and, looking at him as he shall
pass down into the grave and be. gathered to his fathers, say - " Well
done, good and faithful servant."
Mr. Speaker, as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Ben
jamin Franklin Perry, I move you, sir, that this house do now adjourn.
At the conclusion of the remarks of Mr. Ansel, of Greenville, in announcing to
to the House of Representatives of South Carolina the death of the Hon. B. F.
Perrv-, one of the ex-governors of this .State, and after the reading of the resolu
tions appropriate to the occasion, Mr. Hamilton, of Chester, arose and spoke as
follows :
ilr. Speaker — It is only since taking my seat in this House to-day
that I have been made aware of the death of Ex-Governor B. F. Perry,
an event, it is true, at his advanced age, we have all known could not
be long postponed, but which neverthele.9S we are permitted to de
plore as a great public loss.
It is not necessary, Mr. Speaker, to give any sketch of the cfrcum-
stances of the private life or public career of Governor Perry, for by
the enterprisiing forethought of the News and Courier in its issue of
to-day we are furnished with all it is necessary to know on. that head.
I shall therefore confine myself to an allusion to his peculiar charac
teristics, which distinguished him from the general run of men, and
lifted him to a place among the very few who are possessed of the rare
gift of a lofty moral courage and a fearless intellectual bravery.
It has been remarked that there are comparatively few men who
think for themselves, and more especially on public affairs, and whose
utterances make up public opinion. In large cities it has come to pass
that newspapers to a great extent do the thinking of the people, and
in smaller and more remote communities there are certain leading
minds to which it is given to guide the current of opinion. But even

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 41
with this small class are often found those who temporize and often
shrink from their conviction and abandon opposition in order to sail
before a popular breeze. Governor Perry was cast in a different
mould from any such. He thought for himself ; he had strong convic
tions, and he dared always to own them in any presence and before
any audience. He came first into public notice in the memorable nul
lification contest. The advocates of that extreme remedy for our
differences with the Federal Government numbered in their ranks, as
the active leaders, John C. Calhoun, Eobert Y. Hayne, George Mc
Duffie, James Hamilton and Stephen B. Miller — an array of statesmen,
orators, and men of action unsurpassed in their respective excel
lences, and formidable indeed to encounter in opposition. It was
natural for the young men of South Carolina to follow such leaders in
a contest, particularly alluring as challenging a conflict with the
general government, and it may safely be said that nine-tenths of
them were rallied under the banner of the nullification party.
To confront such opponents had no terrors for Benjamin F. Perry,
a young man only starting forth in life. In his newspaper, on the stump,
and everywhere, he boldly advocated the cause he had espoused, and
although defeated on that particular issue yet he came out of the con
test unscathed and unterrified, and by his fearless and honorable
course gained for himself the honorable admiration and esteem of the
great men whose opinions and actions he had combatted so manfully.
It was not unnatural for Union men of the South to be earnest for
the reconstruction of the States, and there were not a few of them
caught by the idea of "accepting the situation" who were hurried
into the republican party, and too late to retreat were overwhelmed
by the disgrace and obloquy which attached to the Southern govern
ment of that day.
Governor Perry was deeply enlisted in the scheme proposed by Pres
ident Johnson to reconstruct the State of South Carolina and the other
Southern States, but upon the passage of the reconstruction measures
and the military usurption of Sickles and Canby, every instinct of
his brave nature and his love of civil liberty was aroused, and until
that invasion of our right finally disappeared with the inauguration
of President Cleveland, there was no more hostile opponent of repub
lican men and measures than he was.
Governor Perry's last connection with public affairs was in 1872.
A convention assembled in the fall of that year in this city, of which
I was myself a member ; he was unanimously nominated to contest the
Fourth Congressional District against A. S. Wallace. It was hoped by

42 Benjatnin Franklin Perry.
running a pronounced Union man, in addition to the democratic major
ities in Greenville and Spartanburg, we might supplement them by a
majority in York and reduction of the republican vote in the other coun
ties, and by that means we might elect him. His most excellent con
servative speeches, however, failed of effect, and our relief was post
poned for four years more, when the bugle call of Hampton aroused us
to action. Since then Governor Perry has lived in retirement at his
country seat near Greenville.
Mr. Brawley, of Charleston, said :
Mr. Speaker — I have been so occupied this morning that I did not
read the newspaper, and until the gentleman from Greenville ad
dressed the Chair I did not know that a great loss had fallen upon the
State, for although in "the white winter of his age," and for some time
withdrawn from active participation in public affairs, the death of
Governor Perry will be felt everywhere throughout the State as a pub
lic calamity.
I regret very much, Mr. Speaker, that I have not the gift of speak
ing aptly upon occasions like this without preparation, and that I have
not had time to prepare such fit words as are due to the memory of
thLs distinguished citizen. I regret it all the more because I represent
here a constituency which in times past was not in accord with those
ideas and principles of which Governor Perry was one of the most
conspicuous advocates, and yet I feel that I would not truly represent
that constituency if I failed to express upon this mournful occasion
the sentiment of profound respect for his character and memory there
entertained, and, therefore, I must add my voice to the general lamen
tation and pay tribute to his memory.
It is not to be expected that upon this sudden call I can do justice
to a character which had many elements of greatness and it would not
accord with the "fitness of things" that I should indulge in indiscrmi-
nating eulogy. I cannot speak of him from much personal knowledge,
as I saw him mainly from a distance, but I always admired that rug
ged independence of character and opinions which lifted him above
the lead of common men as distinctly as do the mountains, near which
he dwelt, stand out from the plain.
He was a man of strong individuality, and probably of strong dis
likes, but he was likewise a man of strpng and earnest patriotism, and
although his State was led into courses against his wishes and judgment,
he never wavered in his devotion to her.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 43
He was in the highest sense of the word a patriot, and, therefore, it
is most fitting that we, who are for the time being the representatives
of the State which he loved and served during a long and useful life,
should pause in our work here and pay respect to his memory. The
name and fame of such a man is a precious heritage, and we should so
testify. He lived in a time of great events and was a conspicuous actor in
them. Called to high station in a time of great adversity he bore him
self with dignity, and then and ever he was true and steadfast as those
mountains beneath the shadow of which he now rests. His fame, like
them, is fixed in the earnest stillness of eternity.
Mr. Haskell, of Richland, said :
Mr. Speaker— I regret that the first news that I have of Governor
Perry's death is the resolution which I ask to second, for I feel that I
can, unprepared as I am, but ill express the feelings of my constit
uents, or my own. Yet I would ill represent my constituents if I
failed to join as best I can in the expressions of sympathy for the
family of Governor Perry, and of praise for the service which he has
done by his pure life and ea,rnest work for the State he has served so
long and so well. It has been trnly said by those who have preceded
me that Governor Perry throughout his life displayed always an utter
fearlessness in opposing 'the will of majorities, no matter how great,
when his judgment did not approve, and this most notably in the
almost unaided opposition which for many years he offered to those
who advocated a disruption of the Union.
All they have said is true, but it seems .to be that higher praise
than this is due to this distinguished citizen. Any one can oppose,
but it is of few, even in history, that it can be said that they openly,
constantly and defiantly opposed the enthusiastic will of a great ma
jority of their fellow-citizens, without ever losing at any time their
respect and confidence. Yet none will deny that this can be truly
said of him who we now seek to honor. To oppose secession, either
alone or with the other slave-holding States, was in South Carolina
regarded as unpatriotic, if not traitorous ; and yet Governor Perry,
an avowed Union man under all circumstances, had the warm esteem
of those who knew him, and the confidence of the people at large who
knew him by his acts and reputation.
When finally the war against which he had struggled came upon
us, there was no citizen of the State more earnest in his efforts to bring
it to a successful issue and none who more willingly contributed to its

44 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
prosecution. This caused no surprise, for his whole life had made the
people of this State expect nothing less from him under all circum
stances than the fullest performance of every duty of a patriotic citizeh.
Governor Perry impressed his views and policy upon what is now
the most prosperous section of this State to an extent that would have
marked him as an extraordinary man had he performed nothing else.
Here in the capital of the State, he was chiefly known before the war
as the Unionist opposing what nearly all our people believed to be the
best interests of the State. They next knew him as the reconstruction
governor appointed by the President of United States, who the peo
ple still regarded as our enemy.
In this office we quickly learned to know him as one who took office
only that he might serve his State without a thought of self-glorifica
tion or personal reputation or profit, and the city of Columbia and
Eichland county joins with her whole heart in seconding the resolu
tion in honor of him who as a citizen was upright and patriotic ; as a
statesman, wise to foresee danger, earnest in his effort to avert it, brave
and constant in resisting it when it came ; and when it culminated in
disaster, untiring and undismayed in earnestly striving by precept and
example to repair the ruin and bring back prosperity to his State, to
which the best efforts of his long an'd active life were devoted.
After remarks by Colonel John C. Haskell, of Richland, on motion of Mr.
Ansel, seconded by Mr. Simpson, of Laurens, the house adjourned in respect to
flovernor Perrj''s memory.

^-~^-^>-^^>-~#^^^ A^^^^^ >~^-^. >-ji^^-. :^
^5

¦-("^^^^^5P-V *^^Tr' '^*^'^-^' ^^^-S- ^^^¦'¦^W^

PROCEEDINGS

GREENVILLE BAR,

On the nth of December, 1886, there was a called meeting of the bar of Green
ville, at which almost every member was present.
Colonel G. F. Townes was elected chairman and D. P. 'Verner secretary.
In taking the chair Colonel Townes announced the purpose of the meeting to be
to consider the action to be taken regarding the death of the leader of the bar, the
late Governor B. F. Perry. He said :
Gentlemen of the Greenville Bar — To render due tribute to departed
friends, and to express sorrow for their loss, is an instinct of our com
mon humanity, stirring the most pathetic emotions of the heart. But
when one of eminent merit, especially identified with a professional
circle, is removed by death, the surviving members feel the loss most
deeply, and are fond to recall the remembrance of the noble qualities
and honorable career of the distinguished dead and to give some utter
ance to the sentiments such remembrance inspires. The death of ex-
Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry is to us, an event sorrowful indeed
and most profoundly regretted. We greatly esteemed him for his
virtues. His was a life unstained by intemperance uncontaminated by
licentiousnesss. We admired his high character, conspicuous for
ability and integrity, not only as a lawyer, but as a man, a citizen,
public servant, and true patriot. His memory will last. The influ
ence of his example, the good he has done, is not "interred with his
bones." He never swerved from what he believed to be the right. Even
when in a minority, breasting the storms of political strife, earning a
national as well as a State reputation, he so bore himself that his oppo
nents respected him, and every one, even those with whom political
questions had produced quarrels or estrangement, when the calm came
were again his personal friends and admirers. He reciprocated their
feelings and met them more than half way. As age advanced, he

46 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
gathered more and more troops of friends, and has died without an
enemy in either of the old political parties, now happily merged in one.
Governor Perry, was faithful as a friend, and a delightful companion.
He excelled in entertaining conversation. He possessed an extensive
knowledge of history, European and American. I have never met
any one who appeared to me so familiar with the characters and inci
dents connected with the lives of the remarkable personages who have
lived in the past and present century, especially those of his o^vvn
country and the British Kingdom. His memory was a very encyclo
pedia of the events arid prominent men belonging to the history of
his own State, from the earliest colonial times to the present. He was
my senior at the bar, but I stood next to him. He was my oldest as
sociate and friend. I shall miss him more than I can express. In
deed, we may all say in regard to him, as Henry Clay said in his
noble tribute to Calhoun, uttered in the United States senate chamber :
"Who can fill the great void his death has left us?"
On motion of Colonel J. W. Stokes, a committee of three -was appointed to draw
and present suitable resolutions. The committee consisted of Colonel Stokes, T.
Q. Donaldson and Captain C. M. Furman. The members retired and .subsequent
ly returned and presented the follbwing :
Whereas, it has pleased God in His infinite wisdom to call from
time to eternity, full of years and honors, the distinguished and hon
ored leader of the Greenville bar. Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry,
who for a period of half a century or more illustrated in an eminent
degree the ability, dignity and courtesy of th§ profession ; and whereas
we desire to place upon record our high appreciation and admiration
of his noble qualities of head and heart as exhibited in all the relations
of life — domestic, civil, political and professional ; therefore,
"Resolved, That in the death of Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry,
his family have lost a devoted and indulgent husband and father ; the
community a useful, valued and eminent citizen ; the State a wise,
patriotic and incorruptible public servant, and the bar a learned, able
and fearless advocate, who by his integrity and great ability justly
occupied a commanding position among the most distinguished lawyers
of the State.
"Resolved, That this bar deeply sympathize and sincerely condole
with the family of the distinguished deceased in their sad bereavement
and great loss.
"Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased
the members of this bar will wear the usual badge of mourning for
thy days.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 4f
"Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting present the preamble
and these resolutions to the presiding judge at the next term of the
•circuit court for Greenville and request him to have them recorded
upon the journal of the court.
"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by the
secretary of this meeting to the family of the deceased, and that the
city newspapers be requested to publish them."
Mr. T. Q. Donaldson said ¦
Mr. Chairman — I rise to second the resolutions just offered, and in
doing so, I confess to some degree of embarrassment, not so much for
want of something to say as to decide what should be left unsaid in
the limited time which it would be proper to occupy on an occasion
like this.
It has been but a few short months, Mr. Chairman, since the members
of the Greenville bar had occasion to come together in their hall to do
honor to the memory of one of their number who had been stricken
down in the maturity of manhood. We are now assembled to perform
a like service to the memory of one who lived out the full measure of
his days, and who gently sank to rest, "Like one who wraps the dra
pery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams."
I knew Governor Perry intimately for a period of thirty years ; for
the greater portion of this time we were near neighbors, residing on
opposite sides of the street. I had peculiarly favorable opportu
nities of observing him in all the relations of life, to which reference
has been made in the resolutions, and can say without mental reserva
tion, and with entire sincerity, that all that has been said of him in
these resolutions is strictly and literally true. He was devotedly at
tached to his home and family and a kinder and more indulgent
husband and father I have never known. He greatly enjoyed the
society of his friends and neighbors, and felt a keen and lively interest
in whatever contributed to the prosperity and well being of the com
munity in which he lived.
When I first came to Greenville Governor Perry was at the zenith
of his career as a lawyer, and was engaged on one side of every cause
of importance which came before the courts of the western circuit (as
. it was then known) comprising the counties of Greenville, Spartanburg,
Laurens, Anderson and Pickens. He was a peer of the ablest law
yers who practiced in that circuit, which could boast of some of the
most eminent men of the State. No lawyer ever prepared his cases
with more care nor fought them with more ability and persistence.

4S Benjamin Franklin Perry.
No client of his ever had just cause to complain that his case was neg
lected. His character for honesty and integrity and his great ability
as a lawyer made him almost irresistible before juries, especially of
Greenville county, with whom his name was a tower of strength.
Governor Perry was remarkable for his industry and devotion to
his profession, and as a result he always enjoyed a lucrative practice.
At the same time it may be said that he was not a mere attorney, as
too many of our profession are, but a jurist as well, and thoroughly
imbued with a knowledge of the law as a science. He was also fond
of reading general literature, and had accumulated, during his long
life, one of the largest and most select miscellaneous libraries in the
State. Governor Perry was one of the comparatively few public men
of the State who achieved a national reputation, and his name will
always be associated with those of her most eminent statesmen. His
public life was a peculiarly eventful one. He lived in the most exciting
period of the State's history, and was a conpicuous actor in all the
important political events which agitated the country from 1832 on the
great issue between the State and General Government, which finally
resulted in civil war. He held views opposed to those of a majority of
the leading men of the State, and to this fact may doubtless be at
tributed his failure of promotion to high federal position until the lat
ter part of his life.
No one possessed in a higher degree than Governor Perry the cour^
age of his convictions, and no one was less deterred from following
them when once he had determined as to the proper course to pursue,
and he had the satisfaction, before his death, of seeing the wisdom of
his course with reference to most vital political issues approved.
Nature had cast Governor Perry in a large mould physically and
mentally. No one ever saw him for the first time who was not im
pressed with the fact that he was no ordinary man. His life was a
success. He achieved fame and fortune, and "full of days and honors"
has been gathered to his Father, leaving to his family the priceless
heritage of a pure and spotless name, and to the members of the bar an
example worthy of their emulation.
Mr. John W. Stokes said :
Mr. Chairman — We are gathered here to-day to mingle our voices
in honor of the distinguished leader of this bar, and to cast our gar
lands, gathered and perfumed from memory's casket, upon the tomb in
which he lies near his darling children — precious jewels, who years
ago, like sweetest, brighest flowers nipped by an untimely fro.st, faded
away forever.

Benjainin Franklin Perry. 49
In the death of Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry the State of
South Carolina, loved and honored so much by him, has lost one of
her purest men and most useful and highly distinguished citizens.
Full of years and full of honors and with a name written in immortal
characters across more than half a century of his country's history, that
grand old Eoman has gone to rest and is taking his last sleep in the
-bosom of his native land and in the city where he achieved so many
brilliant triumphs as an advocate in the forum.
As a patriot he was ardent and devoted, sincere and unselfish.
With all the fervor of his great heart he loved his country for his
country's sake and stood by her with heroic courage, whether she was
right or wrong. Never faltering for her weal, he was always ready
to make any sacrifice, however great, to advance her welfare and pros
perity, or to shield, protect and defend her against wrong, injustice
and oppression. In this zeal, love and fidelity to her the language
of his great heart was millions for defence but not a cent for tribute.
And when the heated controversies over vexed questions as to what
course his country should pursue were terminated, he allowed no bit
terness towards his opponents to linger in his bosom, but actuated by
his generous, forgiving nature, he freely and readily forgave all past
differences between himself and his countrymen.
As a stateman, he was broad, bold, courageous and progressive, and
ranked as such among the great and distinguished luminaries of our
country. No one of his cotemporaries had a clearer conception or un
derstood better than he did, the spirit and genius of our republican
institutions ; the organic law of both the State and, Federal govern
ments — the powers conferred by the States upon the general govern
ment and those reserved by the States to themselves. All of the
great questions and measures that have sprung up and agitated the
general government from its organization to the present time were
familiar with him. The alien and sedition laws ; the Missouri com
promise ; the slavery questions ; the tariff ; bank of the United States ;
internal improvement by the general government ; the Munroe doc
trine ; the immunity of our ships from search upon the high seas ; nul
lification ; secession, and reconstruction were closely examined, thor
oughly scrutinized, accurately analyzed, and perfectly mastered by
him. When surrounded by a group of his genial friends it was a rich,
intellectual treat to hear him, with his wonderful conversational pow
ers, review any of these great national questions and the lives of the
patriots and sages who engaged in their discussion in the congress of
the United States, and the name of Governor Perry as a wonderfully

^o Benjamin Franklin Perry.
gifted statesman will go down the ages in the history of our country
with the names of Calhoun, McDuffie, Hayne and other illustrious
men. In the meridian of his legal career Governor Perry was regarded,
both by the bench and the bar, as one of the ablest la^wyers and most
powerful advocates in the State. At that time the western circuit was
distinguished for its able lawyers — Judge Wardlaw, Judge Whitner,
Armstead Burt, Henry C. Young, James Edward Henry and General
Waddy Thompson, besides some other distinguished men, practiced law
at the Greenville bar — and Governor Perry was then, certainly, the
peer and equal in legal learning and forensic ability of any of those
great lawyers. He was then engaged on the one side or the other, in
every important case, both civil and criminal, which came before the
court at this place. Among the many great State trials in which he
was engaged was the celebrated Gardner case, the hearing of which
occupied the court for several months at Washington city. And as
sisted by Judge Wardlaw and Hon. Armstead Burt, Governor Perry
defended the Hon. William L. Yancey when he was arraigned at the
bar, at Greenville, charged with murder, and whose trial terminated in
a verdict of manslaughter. He was sentenced to fine and imprison
ment, and Governor Noble remitted both of these in a few weeks.
He was a bold and fearless, a terse and perspicuous writer. His edi
torials in the old Mountaineer, and afterwards in the Patriot and
Mountaineer, his biographical sketches or reminiscences of distin
guished men, his extensive contributions to the periodical literature of
the country and his written speeches for special public occasions, were
anxiously sought for, and eagerly read and carefully preserved by the
best scholars of the country.
As a citizen, he was a model worthy of imitation. He*was always
frank, generous and sincere in his intercourse and dealings with man
kind and uniformly just and polite. He loved his friends, was an
examplar of vfrtue, scorned a mean act, and was one of nature's
noblest workmanship — an honest man.
He tranquilly met death and ended life's journey ou Friday morn
ing, the third day of December, 1886, at San Souci, his beautiful home
and seat of elegant hospitality, in sight of mountain crags, sparkling
brooks and shining river. And the large and commanding form of
that wonderfully gifted and highly intellectual and scholarly man lay
in state in his spacious library hall, filled with tomes and volumes of
choice and elegant books, which seemed like silent sentinels to watch
over his remains until Sunday, December fifth, when he was borne

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 5/
hither to the cemetery by a host of sorrowing, sympathizing friends,
who laid him gently down, with bleeding hearts and briny tears, in his
nev made grave to take his last long repose.
He has gone forever from us, and, in all probability, in the noble
qualities of head and heart and the brilliant record of a useful and
honorable life, we will never see his like again.
Mr. CM. Furman said :
It is 80 much the custom to praise the dead, that occasions like the
present are too often but empty ceremonies, in which the desire to
please the living by cheap laudation of the departed is the chief motive.
And hence, what is said on such occasions is very often regarded as a
mere sentimental outburst — the glowing picture having no counter
part in the life or character of him who is represented. But on this
occasion there is no room for empty words. Should any one attempt
to portray the man who has fallen among us so as to do justice to the
great subject, he would find matter to his hand, crowding upon
him in such abundance as to transcend the limits by which we are cir
cumscribed. I shall attempt no such undertaking — it is needless. You all know
the man. He stood amongst us like some grand old oak, erect,
with wide spreading boughs, conspicuous to all observers. And now,
that he has fallen, we feel as never before the largeness of the space
he filled.
The illustrious deceased was possessed, in a most remarkable degree,
'of three traits of characters rarely seen combined in the same person.
He was a man of tireless energy. He fought his way to the top. With
an industry that never flagged he mastered his profession and became
a great lawyer, and not content with this, he turned his vigorous mind
to the difficult study of politics and became a great statesman. No
labor was too protracted or too severe for him. The end of the race,
however long, he always reached triumphantly. He fought with fate
and conquered circumstances by resolute endurance. He was a man
of high courage. In his earlier career his convictions placed him in
a position antagonistic to the great majority of the strong men who
were- around him. But he was not the man to count the number of
his opponents. He never lowered his lance because their battalions
thickened. Though, like all patriotic men, he loved the approval of
his countrymen, yet he dared to differ and bore their condemnation in
the calm consciousness of his own purity of purpose. In his later po
litical life, when violence had usurped the seat of law, and a corrupt

^2 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
tyranny had supplemented right and justice, his voice arose, defiantly
denouncing wrong and inspiring his people with fresh hope and cour
age. He was a man of absolute integrity. Many men possessed of the
first mentioned qualities are found wanting in this. The profession of
the law, the political arena, present special temptations to men of feeble-
conscience, and too often men whose intellectual gifts lift them above
their fellows are morally wrecked through the opportunities thus of
fered. But no breath of suspicion ever stirred against him. "His
enemies themselves being judges" — his character was not only "sans
peur" but "sans reproche." While others were blown about by the
gusts of popular feeling and set their sails subserviently to catch what
ever wind might blow, he, despising the acts of the time server and
the sycophant alike, held steadily on his course, and having faced man
fully the duties of life, he has reached at last, in honor and good re
port with all men, the haven of eternal rest.
Such a life needs no commentary. It is a lesson to us all. It is
of more value than precept or exhortation, it is a stimulus to noble-
living, and as such let us cherish its memory as a heritage of richest
value. The resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote and the-
meeting adjourned.

PROCEEDINGS
IN THE
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
GREENVILLE, APRIL 6th, 1887.

. At the opening of the Court of Common Pleas on 'Wednesday, April .6th, Colonel
' G. F. Townes addressed Judge Fraser and presented the resolutions adopted by
'¦the Greenville bar in honor of the late Governor Perry, in performance of the duty
assigned him by his brethren. He asked that they be recorded on the journal of
the- court, and moved for adjournment as a mark of respect for the deceased, fol
lowing his motion with brief but appropriate and feeling remarks.
The motion was seconded by John R. Bellinger, M. F. Ansel, J. A. Mooney,
Judge J. S. Cothran and Julius H. Heyward.
Mr. Bellinger said :
May it please your Honor — In this temple of justice, where the il
lustrious dead was wont so oft to stand in defence of the rights of his
"fellow-countrymen, it is fit that the business of the court should stop,
that we should pause in the discharge of our duties, to pay a deserved
tribute to the memory of departed "worth. And however vain and
unmeaning these ceremonies usually are, yet I venture the assertion
¦ that on this occasion not one word will be spoken, not one single act
be done, that will not be prompted by the sincere conviction of him
who says or does it.
Admitted to the bar in 1827, Governor Perry for fifty-nine years
adorned the profession of which he was at once an ornament and a
shining light. The relation of a lawyer to his client he regarded as
-a sacred trust, to be performed under the dictates of an enlightened
conscience, actuated solely by the considerations of right and duty.
Always studious, ever ready and fully prepared in his cases, he took
.-advantage of no ¦ technicalities which the justice of his cause and the

£4 Benjam.in Franklin Perry.
rights of his client did not demand that he should act upon. Truth
was his guiding star, and in every cause he sought to find it, and al
ways followed and was led by it. So thoroughly was his conduct ac
tuated by this principle that in looking back over his life I do not be
lieve a single professional act could be pointed to which he would have
had performed otherwise than as it was.
But, may it please your Honor, Governor Perry was not only a dis
tinguished lawyer, he was also a profound statesman. However true
in England the remark might*be, that a great la^wyer can never make
a wise statesman, in this country, at least, and in the person of our
distinguished friend, it is not an axiom, for it is not true. Living in
the stormiest period of our country's history, when the greatest ques
tions of public policy were agitating the whole people, he found him
self almost invariably on the side of the minority, yet no man ever
for an instant thought that his convictions were not sincere or his
opinions honest. The purest patriotism prompted his every political
word and deed, and all that he did and all that he said was in the
faith of duty to his State and country.
And, may it please your Honor, time and the circumstances through
which we have passed have demonstrated the wisdom of some, at least,
of the opinions which he held.
Our friend was also a man of letters. Possessed of one of the finest
miscellaneous libraries in the State, he was well informed on any sub
ject which might arise. Thus it was that his society was courted and
sought after by those who desired either to be entertained or instructed,
for he was ever willing to impart to others that knowledge which he
himself possessed. It was not my fortune to know him until within
a few short years, but knowing was but to admire him, and it will
ever be a source of satisfaction to me, your Honor, that I did know
him, and to feel that he was my friend.
Shall we lift the sacred veil that shuts out his domestic from his
public life ? If we do, we behold the devoted husband, the affection
ate father, the kind master, the generous friend, yea, may it please
your Honor, the humble Christian. For whatever may be the public
opinion as to Governor Perry's religious belief, we are assured by his
pastor that he died in the perfect faith of an humble Christian child,
and if better proof than this were wanted we have it in his own words.
In his last will and testament, in its very first item, this language
occurs : "I give my soul to God, hoping and trusting in His merciesy
through the merits of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

Benjamin Franklin Perry. ' 55
Thus, then, may it please your Honor, has passed away the distin
guished lawyer, the pure patriot, the wise statesman, the fond and
affectionate husband and father, the generous friend, the Christian
gentlemen — "A combination and a- form indeed,
Where every god did seem to set his seal,
To give the world assurance of a man."
As such, he is worthy to be held up as an example for the youth of
this and future generations ; and happy will it be for the State of
South Carolina, happy for the community in which they live, happy
for themselves, if any be found worthy to wear the mantle which has
fallen from his shoulders. He needs no marble monument to perpetu
ate his memory. He lives upon the pages of his country's history, he
he lives in the hearts of his coiftitrymen. He lives, aye ! and will
ever live, in the priceless legacy which he has left to his children
and his children's children — an unspotted reputation, an honored
name. "No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode ;
(There, they alike in trembling hope repose,)
The bosom of his Father and his God."
I heartily second the resolutions which have been offered, and move
that the court adjourn until to-morrow morning, in honor of the mem
ory of Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Mr. Ansel said :
May it please your Honor — I had the honor before another tribunal,
soon aftefthe death of our distinguished friend, Governor B. F. Perry,
to introduce resolutions similar to the ones now presented, commemo
rative of Governor Perry, and to advocate the adoption of the same
by the house of representatives of the State of South Carolina, and it
gives me pleasure to add a few words, on this occasion and in this
presence, upon the resolutions now offered.
It is, I think, eminently proper for us, among whom he has spent his
long and useful life, to stop and consider the many good traits of his
character, and as he is removed from our midst, to drop a tear upon
the grave that hides his form from our sight.
The esteem in which he was held by the people of this county
and State was shown on many occasions. He was the recipient of the
highest offices in the gift of the people, and in each and every

5(5 Benjamin Franklin Perry,
one of them discharged the duties pertaining thereto with fidelity and
honor. My acquaintance with Governor Perry began during the later
years of his life, and after he had retired from active practice at
the bar, and I could but admire him for his honorable and upright
life. A few weeks ago I read with much pleasure and profit a speech de
livered by him in 1844, before the students of Erskine College, Due
West, S. C, and was touched with the wise words of advice it con
tained. The virtues of many great and good men were extolled and
his hearers admonished to imitate them.
We, the younger members of the bar, and the older ones, too, might
well learn a lesson from the exemplary life and high intellectual and
moral character of our distinguished»dead. He was a valuable mem
ber of this community and State, and the influence of such a life is
not measured by the direct results alone. It is felt in its elevating
power lifting us to higher and nobler aims. His faithfulness in the
, discharge of duty is well known. He was a son of whom South
Carolina had every reason to be proud, and his loss will long be felt
and sincerely mourned. "Peace to his ashes." "
Mr. Mooney said :
May it please your Honor — I hope that my older brethren of the
bar will pardon the seeming forwardness of one so young as myself in
rising in this presence to second these resolutions.' But sir, Governor
Perry was my friend, in the truest meaning of friend, and I cannot
allow this occasion to pass without adding my little tribute to the
memory of the great man who has fallen among us.
Before I had reached the age to appreciate for myself the noble
qualities of head and heart that adorned the life of Governor Perry, I
was taught at home to respect and honor him. Having grown up in a
section of this county in which he was admired and looked up to
perhaps more than any other, and having seen in what esteem the
people held him, I could not but join with the throng that did him
honor. But if your Honor please, when I came to know this personifi
cation of chivalry, this great statesman and profound lawyer, I found
that the half had not been told me.
It was under his tuition and that of his distinguished son that I
prepared myself for admission to practice in this court ; and it is a
distinction that I will always remember with a feeling of pride.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 57
Having been more or less intimately acquainted with him for quite
a number of years, I had an opportunty to ascertain the principles
which governed his life ; and I do think, sir, that whenwe^flnd among
the millions who are pushing and scrambling for fame and fortune
with an utter disregard of the means used, or the result to their fel
low men, a man who dares always do right, we should pause to ad
mire, and point him out to the world as a man who is indeed the no
blest work of God. Such a man was Governor Perry. His high
character rendered him incapable of doing anything inconsistent with
the highest instinct of a gentleman. No matter in what sphere of
life he was called upon to perform a duty, whether as private citizen,
lawyer or statesman, his high sense of moral rectitude always con
trolled his conduct, and in the discharge of that duty he knew no fear.
Possessing a very high order of both moral and physical courage, he
stood immovably by his convictions. I read with much profit, a short
¦time ago, an address delivered by Governor Perry before the literary
societies of Erskine College in 1844. It is a most admirable produc
tion, and entirely characteristic of its author ; and knowing that he
always lived up to his convictions, it gives us an insight to the charac-
¦ter of the great man. One sentence in that address struck me as
being peculiarly characteristic. It was this : "Without firmness and
high moral courage no man can act correctly, no matter how pure his
principles may be." His life proved the truthfulness of these words.
Few men would have withstood the strong current of public sentiment
as he did. When the heroric blood of Carolina's brave sons was boiling
with indignation at the action of the North in demanding the emanci
pation of our slaves, and when the voice of the people from the moun
tain to the seaboard was crying out for secession. Governor Perry
had the courage to stand up among the frenzied multitude and raise
his voice for the Union. Doubtless the calm and cool deliberation
feegat in his vision the smouldering embers of a once happy home,
the crouching form of a tender female weeping over the death of a
brave husband or «on, a proud and happy people humbled and im
poverished, as a result of this unnatural war. Time, in my humble
judgment, has proved that he was right. I could mention other
abortive attempts to influence. his conduct during his career as a legis
lator, but I deem it superfluous. Nor do I think it necessary in this
presence to refer to the splendid services Governor Perry has done the
country as a statesman. His walk has been among us, and history
is known to us all. For ages to come, in reading the history of the
great men of our times, Carolina's sons will point with pride to the

S8 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
fact that Governor Perry was a true son of the old State. No one, I
think, who knew him well, or has read much of that which he has writ
ten will doubt that he was a Christian ; for there was no hypocrisy in
his nature, and his sentiments were all in strict accord with the teach
ings of Christianity. It has been well said by the gentleman who
preceded me that he was the humble Christian gentleman.
And now, my young brethren, we who are standing upon the
threshold of the legal profession, we have an example in Governor
Perry that it will be well for us to emulate. Let's take him as our
model, and strive hard to attain to the high plane that he reached.
Could we all succeed, what a bar, what a country we would have. He
was zealous in his causes, and no client of his ever had cause to com
plain that his interests were not properly attended to.
I knew Governor Perry at home, and have seen his unselfish devo
tion to his family, and permit me to say, sir, that I have never seen a
wife so proud of her husband as was Mrs. Perry of the Governor. She
knew the maniless of his character, and adored him accordingly. If
we mourn the loss of the manly form from our midst, how great must
be her sorrow and loneliness until the trump's glad sound shall sum
mon her to the everlasting companship of that noble spirit that
beckons her from the other shore.
Mr. Heyward said :
May it please your Honor — I cannot allow the opportunity to pass
without expressing the high regard and admiration I feel for the subject
of these resolutions. During the last five or six years of his life I was,
perhaps, nearer to Governor Perry than any member of the bar except
his son. During that time my intercourse with him was almost daily,
and I can truly say that I never heard from his lips the expression of
an unworthy thought ; of any, in fact, but the highest sentiments.
He always expressed his feelings fearlessly, and without regard to
consequences. He never had a friend or an enemy who could for a
moment be in doubt as to his true sentiments towards him. This it
was which added so much to his strength in Greenville county. What
he said he meant, and no man ever knew him to deceive any one.
His high courage is matter of history in .this State. One of the most
striking pictures in our history will represent him casting his single
vote, upon a memorable occasion, in opposition to the entire conven
tion in which he sat. This fact alone is sufficient to preserve his
name as one of the striking characters of our State.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. ^g

His professional conduct was equally high. My own experience
with him is illustrative of his kindly feeling and generosity towards
his juniors at the bar. I came to Greenville a stranger to the entire
community. Those of my relatives who were in public life with
Governor Perry were diametrically opposed to him in their views. I
knew nothing of him except his name, and he knew nothing of me
except that I was a beginner at the bar, without experience and with
out a practice. But this was all he desired to know, His hand was
frankly extended, and his advice and assistance ever at my disposal.
In the moment of success, he had always a kindly smile and grasp of
the hand in congratulation ; in the hour of difficulty, a brave, cheery
word of encouragement.
The empty chair your Honor, is a constant reminder to me of the
loss I, individually, have sustained. But it needs not this to remind
me. Till I myself shall sink into the grave I shall not forget his kind
ness. Judge Fraser ordered the clerk to enter the resolutions, and said it was usual on
such occasions to have a merely formal adjournment of court in the last hour of
the session. He thought, however, that the character and position of Governor
Perry required a more marked expression of respect, and that business should be
suspended immediately. He added .
It is a privilege to unite with you in this tribute to the memory of
Governor Perry. We are not called to mourn the loss of one who has
been taken from our midst in youth or even in the full vigor of man
hood, but of one who has lived more than the three score and ten
years alloted to man and who in mature old age, after a life full of
usefulness and honor has been gathered to the fathers.
When I was a mere boy and scarcely knew anyone outside of my
own home or had begun to feel or take an intesest in anything beyond
its narrow circle, I heard of him as a leader of men and an exponent
of grand principle. This he continued to be throughout a long and
eventful life. He was ever the same heroic, consistent advocate of
what in his judgment were the rights and true interests of the State
he loved so well.
This is not the occasion to discuss, nor is it possible for this genera
tion to determine, the issues as to which there are differences of opinion
amongst our people. They must be relegated to the future.
To Governor Perry belonged all the attributes of true manhood
and true greatness. To you it was given to know his worth as a
neighbor and a friend. To those of us who were not so fortunate it

6o Benjamin Franklin Perry.
was permitted to honor him as an eminent lawyer, a patriot and
statesman. It was his eminent and unselfish patriotism that led him
at the call of his State to surrender his own views of mere policy and
unite his fortunes with those of his fellow citizens ; and when disaster
came in after years he was perhaps the boldest to raise his voice
against the monstrous wrongs which arbitrary power had inflicted on
a gallant though conquered people — wrongs which it was his privilege
in old age to see in a measure redressed.
We make this record to-day, not to perpetuate his name, but to
show that we are not unmindful of his virtues and his services. His
is one of the few names that were not born to die and it will go down
the current of history with the great men of South Carolina to serve
in future times and for other generations to illustrate the character^ of
a people whose representatives and exponents they are and of whom
any people may be proud.
Let these resolutions be recorded in accordance with the wishes of
the bar, and let the Court stand adjourned until to-morrow morning
at half-past nine o'clock.

'&<.?-^^>~-^A- ^-^-^- )'-^<\-~ >-~^^~. >~^-^-A-.
'^^^^ *ee^^v *«fr^"-V ^ee^^v'W^v *^^

MEETING

Paris Mountain Democratic Club.

At a called meeting of the Paris Mountain Democratic Club, in memory of Gov
ernor B. F. Perry, on Saturday, December l8th, 1886, the club was called to
order by the president, Mr. Manning League. The object of the meeting was
stated by Mr. League, to which he added, by saying:
Fellow Citizens of this Democratic Club — The object of this meet
ing brings with it sadness. I believe, if I mistake not, that this is
the first meeting we have ever held since the organization of this club
without his presence, and now we realize the fact that we will never
see him any more. I feel sad, and I know by the expressions of your
faces that his death brought sorrow with it ; and now owing to his
greatness, I feel my weakness when I have tc; speak to this club in be
half of such a man as our friend Governor B. F. Perry was. But
little did I think on the second of last November, when his manly
form, and with that noble and pleasant face, entered this room with
that familiar step, and advanced to the desk where I was acting as
clerk of the board of managers in that election, to cast his last vote
for his son, Hon. W. H. Perry — one whom he loved as dearly as his own
life, and one who is worthy of all the love that a father can bestow
upon his son — he said to me as he picked up his ticket, "Do you want
to swear me?" and my reply was, "Governor, your past history en
titles you to a vote in this election" — But little did I think that was
the last time I would have the pleasure of meeting him, and that
these were to be the last words that were ever exchanged between us.
I feel sad ; you all feel sad, and this community feels the loss of such
a great and noble man. But he is gone, and we will never see him
again this side of eternity.

6z Benjamin Franklin Perry.
We know that his wise counsel and good advice to us in the past
have been a shining light to us, so far as leading us to a grand victory
politically. Now we are just entering into the dark. As night fol
lows the day, so does darkness follow light. I knew that he was a
great and noble man before I ever saw him, and I had learned to love
him before I ever knew him, just because my father loved him. Our
children will, in the future, know him and love him, because history's
pages will teach them that he was a great and wise man.
In his death we are warned, of a still greater and higher power. It
proves to us that we, too, like this noble man and dear friend of ours,
all alike have to pay the same debt. We all must die, but the world
will not miss us as it will him, our friend Governor Perry ; . for we
know that there is no one left among us to fill his place — none left
that can fill the position that he occupied in life.
Now, in conclusion, allow me to say that South Carolina has never
furnished, neither has she ever lost, a stronger man than Governor
B. F. Perry.
There was a like expression of feeling manifested by several of the other mem
bers of the club, and a perfect sadness prevailed during the meeting ; after which
the president, Mr. League, vacated his chair and requested Mr. T. H. McAllister
to fill his place. He then offered the following resolutions on the death of Gov
ernor B. F. Perry :
Whereas, The late B. F. Perry, Sr., a citizen of this township and
a member of this Democratic Club, has been removed from our midst
by death ; it is
Resolved, That by his death we have lost a valuable member, whose
wise counsels, extensive information and courteous manner had won
our esteem and admiration.
Resolved, That the sympathy of the members of this club be con
veyed to the bereaved widow and family of our deceased fellow-mem
ber, committing them in this hour of their bereavement to the kindly
consolations of Him who doeth all things well, with the assurance
that he. Governor B. F. Perry, was loved, honored and respected by
#s as members of this democratic club, and those of us who knew him
best loved him most : and now he is dead, we thank God that He
spared his noble life to see his loved State and country in a pros
perous condition before he died. While he lived he gave us good and
wise counsel, for he was always right and contended for right, and we
could find no fault in him. He only lived a well-spent life, and we
hope that our sad loss has been his great victory. Though he be dead,

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 6j
yet shall he live again. And now, as he neared the end of his noble
race, he felt that he had done his duty, and then he laid down that
noble form of his, bid us farewell, surrendered his life in peace and
then fell into a deep sleep. And we shall see him no more.
Resolved, That inasmuch as we feel sad in the death of Governor
Perry, knowing that no one is left who can fill his place as he filled
it, yet we are proud that we lived in his time and had the pleasure
of spending so much pleasant time with such a great and noble man.
The great headlight has gone out and it seems dark to us now.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, suitably engrossed and
signed by the president of this club, be transmitted to the widow
and family of the late Governor B. F. Perry.
Resolved, That these resolutions be spread on the journal of this
club, and that a like copy be forwarded to the editors of the Green
ville papers for publication.
These resolutions being offered by the president, the club unanimously adopted
them and ordered them signed by the same. L. Manning League,
C. B. Hill, President.
Secretary.

^i^TV.^ t^^~^ *^^'~V -^e&^^V *e&^^V>

WORK THAT CANNOT DIE.

GOVERNOR PERRY'S ADDRESS

BEFORE THE

LITERARY SOCIETIES OF ERSKINE.

Since Governor Perry's death Mrs. Perry has had republished in pamphlet form
an address delivered before the Literary Societies of Erskine College, Due 'West,
S. C, in 1844. The address attracted much attention when first delivered and was
at that time published in a widely circulated pamphlet.
Its republication has elicited many expressions of admiration and approval which
give evidence that the noble words and thoughts of Governor Perry are as strong
and true after forty-two years as when first spoken. t
From many letters of acknowledgment the following have been chosen for pre
servation here : [From the Baptist Courier, March 24th, 1887.]
We are indebted to the kindness of Mrs. B. F. Perry for a copy of
an address delivered by Governor Perry some forty-three years ago at
Erskine College. This reprint is an appropriate and beautiful tribute
to the memory of a noble husband by one who in the closest and ten-
derest of human relationships loved and admired him while living.
Now that his form is no longer seen, and his voice no longer heard,
what more natural than the purpose revealed in words penned on the
title-page of the copy with which we have been favored : "Delivered
forty-three years ago, and republished by his wife, that his words of
wisdom may still benefit the rising generation."
Governor Perry had a taste for books. In the old mansion which
he formerly occupied in Greenville, and in the statelier structure at
Sans Souci, he had large apartments for the accommodation of his
library. In the midst of an extensive and laborious legal practice, he
found time to make himself familiar with these "monuments of wis-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 65
dom." According to Bacon's aphorism, "Eeading maketh the full man ;
conversation, the ready man ; and writing, the exact man," he had
ample opportunity for treasuring up a large store of information in re
gard to the great men who have figured in the arena of the world's
history. Few cultivated men had a larger stock of facts and anec
dotes respecting illustrious men, dead or living, wherewith to illus
trate his views. Believing that "history is philosophy teaching by ex
ample," he garnered up such material, and turned it to account in his
addresses, written and spoken .
In his address to the Literary Societies of Due West, he enforces his
counsels by an ample use of historic illustration.
Those who personally knew the venerable ex-Governor know that
with his aspect and port he might fittingly have occupied a seat in that
conclave of venerable patricians at the sight of whom Brennus stop
ped awe-struck at the entrance of the senate chamber. And his char
acter agreed well with these outward indications. Its most prominent
traits, as seen by the public eye, were invincible firmness and fearless
ness, an undisguised contempt for every thing base or mean, and a mag
nanimity which could see and acknowledge the merits of those to
whom he stood opposed, A fine illustration of this last quality is fur
nished in this address. It is a' fact in the history of his State that he
was opposed to the views of Mr. Calhoun on a great political question
of absorbing interest. In these circumstances, had he been a small-
minded man, he would not have alluded to him without some depre
cating insinuation. But instead of that, he mentions the great senator
in only the most honorable terms. Hear what he says of Mr. Calhoun :
"Had he been born in England, instead of the United States, he
would have graced the brightest period of her history. As an orator
and a parliamentary debater, he would have ranked with the Foxes
and the Pitts. As a man of genius and a brilliant statesman, he would
not have been surpassed by the proudest names which England can
hoast. In private life, he has always sustained a character pure and
spotless. His career in congress was a most brilliant one. He entered
the house of representative a very young man, immediately preced
ing the declaration of war ; and his devotion to business, united with
his genius and ability, soon placed him at the head of that body, filled,
as it was, with the greatest men the country afforded."
These noble words, coming as they do from a political antagonist, are
alike honorable to the writer and to his subject.
Our readers, we are sure, will share with us the pleasure felt in

66 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
reading the last words of this address, intended for the graduating
class, and equally applicable to others in like circumstances :
"In conclusion, gentlemen, let me impress on you, as you are about
to leave this institution, to carry -with you, and treasure up in perpetual
remembrance, those great principles of virtue, morality, and religion
which have been taught you by your learned president and professors.
If you are disposed to regard your happiness and prosperity in this
life, and your future welfare in a world to come, these are the lessons
to which you minds will most often revert, and which will be the last
to depart from your memories. You have long been associated as com
panions and friends. Let me assure you that early friendships, like
early lessons of piety and religion, are the most permanent. You are
now going to separate, perhaps forever. In all human probability,
your destinies will be cast in different and distant countries. You
may never meet again in this world — but let this be your bond of
union and sympathy. At night, when you have offered up your pray
ers to God, and in the morning, when you have returned your thanks
for your preservation during the past night, let your thoughts revert
to your Alma Mater and her lessons of wisdom and religion, which
were taught you all in common. Go prosper and be happy. My
earnest and feverent prayers go with you."
These are truly words of wisdom. James C. Furman.

Greenville Military Institute,
Capt. John B. Patrick, Superintendent,
Greenville, S. C, March 3, 1887.
Dear Madam — The copy of the Address delivered before the Literary
Societies of Erskine College in 1844, which you have had the kindness
to send me, has been received, and I have read it with pleasure. The
elevated principles and ennobling sentiments it contains cannot fail
to prove beneficial to the rising generation, who may have the privi
lege of reading it.
To you, dear madam, now that your honored husband is no more, it
must be a source of unfailing pleasure, that you are permitted to place
before the young the lessons of -wisdom and instruction which he, in
his lifetime, sought to impress both by precept and example.
Thanking you for favoring me with a copy of the address, I remain,
Very respectfully, and truly yours,
John B. Patrick.
Mrs, B. F. Perry.

Benjantin Franklin Perry. 6j
Office of The Laurensville Herald,
Laurens, C. H., S. C, March 3, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — Yours of the twenty-seventh ultimo did not
reach me until to-day, and I hasten reply.
As to your distinguished husband, permit me to say, I always
regarded him as one of South Carolina's ablest and noblest sons — the
peer and equal of any man in this or any other State, in ability,
patriotism and statesmanship.
As a member of a nominating convention I had the honor of pro
posing Governor Perry's name for congress, and he was unanimously
nominated. That was during radical misrule in this State, and while
he received the vote of all respectable people, he was, of course,
¦defeated. A. S. Wallace was the radical candidate.
Later, as president of the State Press Association, I again had the honor
•of responding to an eloquent and cordial address of welcome, delivered
by him, on a certain occasion when our association met in your city.
Hence, having known him since the early part of 1849, now nearly
forty years, (from my early youth,) it is but natural that I should
appreciate and highly prize, the photograph of a man I have long had
the highest respect and regard for.
With regard, I am, very truly and respectfully, Your friend,
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C. T. B. Crews.

Greenville, March 5th, 1887.
Dear Madam — I thank you for the address of Governor Perry, de
livered before the Literary Societies of Erskine College. I have read
and re-read it with great satisfaction. The address is eminently char
acteristic of the author in vigor of style, classical elegance and exalted
sentiments. The principles he inculcated in the address I have no
doubt he himself practiced from early manhood, and was the basis of
that superstructure of character which won the respect and admira
tion of all his fellow-citizens.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Leonard Williams.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.  Furman University,
Greenville, S, C, March 7th, 1887.
Dear Madam — I wish to thank you for a copy of the address of the
late Governor Perry, delivered before the Literary Societies of Erskine
College in 1844. I have read the address with more than ordinary

68 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
 • 
interest, and could easily imagine, both from its style and from its
substance, that I was reading an address to young men by the great
Franklin, whom the author so much admired.
The "words of wisdom" addressed to the young men of Erskine
more than forty years ago, have lost nothing of their freshness or value,
and I rejoice that, through your generosity, the young men of to-day
have this opportunity of receiving the counsels of the departed sage.
I should rejoice to learn that copies of this address have been placed
in the libraries of all the literary societies in the State. I am sure
the presidents of the colleges would take pleasure in commending the
address to the attention of the young men.
Nothing is better suited to stimulate young men to great and noble
endeavor than the perusal of the biographies of great men whose
lives are worthy of emulation.
South Carolina owes you a debt of gratitude for republishing this
excellent address.
With kind regards to yourself and to my esteemed friend, Mrs.
Beattie, I remain. Yours very truly,
c. h. judson.
Mrs. B. F. Perry. Law Department, University of 'Virginia,
March 10, 1887.
My Dear Madam — I am in receipt this morning from you of the
valued address delivered by your distinguished husband at Erskine
College, September 18, 1844, and pray you to accept my hearty thanks
therefor. Having been always personally a stranger to him, I have yet fol
lowed his course from 1861 and downwards with great interest. A
man who at that period of infuriated excitement was capable of obey
ing the dictates of his conscience, despite what the Eoman poet denom
inates the "Pravus drdos livium jubentium," must have been one of
uncommon mould, and his sentiments cannot but be worthy of careful
study. I have handed the copies designed for our two literary societies to
prominent members of each, who will no doubt make a fitting pre
sentation of them to the societies respectively.
With the greatest respect, I remain, dear madam.
Your most obedient,
John B. Minor.
Mrs, B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 6g
 •  - 

Office of F. 'W.' McMaster,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law, No, 8 Law Range,
Columbia, S, C, March nth, 1887.
My Dear Madam — I received the address of Hon. B. F. Perry,
which you so kindly sent me, and read it with pleasure (and I hope
with profit) as soon as it came to hand.
Most heartily do I assent to his assertion, "Is it not something to
be in the company of the great and wise who have gone before us ?"
The lives and characters of the distinguished philosophers, statesmen
and patriots whom he set up as examples to the young students of
Erskine undoubtedly had been an inspiration to him in his former
days, and contributed in no small measure to shape and mould his
own character.
We can easily see that he did not speak for a holiday exercise, or
to exhibit his store of learning or powers of rhetoric ; but that his
oration was the outpouring of a big soul that believed in honesty, vir
tue and courage, and these attributes which he so admired in the
great men of the past, and which he commended to the young students
of Erskine, together with the lessons of wisdom and religion taught
there, he illustrated in his distinguished career. And in this advice
he has left footprints, on the sands of time which mark the road of
honor to the youth of a State which will ever revere his memory and
write his name high on the roll of honor.
Although I saw in the two lines which you wrote on the title page^^
"Delivered forty-three years ago, and republished by his wife, that his
words of wisdom may still benefit the rising generation"^ — that your
heart throbbed with the thought, for the touch of a vanished hand,
and the sound of a voice which is still, yet you have the consolation of
knowing that your husband lived well and wisely, and that you perform
a good deed when you spread abroad his words of wisdom and truth.
With kind regards and best wishes for your happiness, I remain
Your most obedient servant,
F. W. McMaster.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Columbia, March 12th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Please accept my sincere thanks for your favor of
March seventh. I was a student in Erskine College when the address
was delivered (more than forty-two years ago) by your lamented and
distinguished husband, the Hon. B. F. Perry, of whose reputation as a
scholar and gentleman every South Carolinian is justly proud. I re-

70 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
 • 
member well the profound impression which was made by the address,.
and am truly glad to learn that it has been republished.
Again thanking you for this unexpected and very highly ajtpreci-
ated compliment, and assuring you that it will be most gratefully
remembered, I am, very respectfully. Your obedient, humble servant,
E. L. Patton,
Professor Ancient Languages, S. C. College.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Boston, Mass., 90 M.a.rlborough St.,.
March 12th, 1887.
My Dear Madam — The pamphlet on which you have so kindly
written my name, with your own, reached me yesterday, and I lose no-
time in thanking you for it. I have read it with great interest. There
are but few addresses which will reward a reproduction so well at the
end of forty-four years. The words which your distinguished husband
pronounced then are worthy of being read again now, and they have
an additional interest as "republished by his wife."
I knew Governor Perry well by reputation as a statesman and
orator, though I am not sure of having met him personally. I have a
book of his in my library which I owed to his kind gift. Of the
great men of Abbeville, mentioned in this address, I knew well at
least three — Mr. Calhoun, General McDufiie, and my friend Mr. Pet-
igru — so that I can appreciate all that is said of them.
A son of the eminent Langdon Cheves was for a year under the same-
roof with me at Cambridge, while he was at the Harvard law school,
but the father was only known to me by fame.
Accept, dear madam, my best thanks, and believe me.
Respectfully and truly yours,
Egbert C. Winthrop.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Supreme Court of South Carolina,
Cher.\w, S. C, 14th April, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I must beg you to pardon my seeming neglect
in not heretofore acknowledging the receipt of a copy of the address
of your distinguished husband, the late Governor Perry, before the-
Literary Societies of Erskine College. It has been due solely to the-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 7/

presence of my official duties, which have been so pressing as to leave
me no time for attention to anything else.
I am very much obliged to you indeed for giving me the oppor
tunity to read and preserve these words of wisdom and warning so
appropriately addressed to young men just entering on the stage of
life, which, coming now as a voice from the grave of one of our distin
guished dead, will, I trust and believe, contribute largely towards
elevating the moral tone of the youth of the present generation, and
impressing them with the important truths that nothing good can be
attained without constant and diligent labor.
Governor Perry's high character and unflinching boldness com
manded for him not only the respect but the admiration of all right-
minded persons ; for I happen to know, personally, that many of his
warmest friends and admirers were among those who were always
diametrically opposed to his political views.
Thanking you for your kind attention, I remain.
Yours very respectfully, Henry McIver.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

South Carolina College,
Columbia, S C, March 15th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Please accept my sincere thanks for the copy of your
husband's address which you so kindly sent me. I have just finished
reading it, and am very much pleased with the way in which he
pointed to the defects and excellencies of the great men of the world,
making them object lessons for the young men to whom he spoke.
Permit me to say, that your husband, in my opinion, will himself
long be remembered as a most conspicuous instance of firmness and
inflexibility of purpose — of an honest independence of thought which
would not be diverted by overwhelming public opinion, and that he
enjoyed the rare privilege of living down this opposition and proving
in the end the wisdom of many of the positions he maintained in poli
tics in opposition to the great "leaders" of the day.
In times of obsequiousness and self-seeking, of demagoguery and
flinching from duty, it is a great privilege to be able to point to one
who said what he thought, and made no compromise with conscience.
I did not intend to say so much when I began, and feel now that I
havn't said exactly what I intended to say. Still, I mean this as a
feeble tribute to the memory of Ex-Governor Perry.
Believe me, yours respectfully,
Mrs. B. F. Perry. R. Means Davis.

y2 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Cheraw, S. C, March 17'th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Accept my sincere thanks for the beautiful and in
structive address delivered in Abbeville by your estimable hustand,
Hon. B. F. Perry. Although more than forty years have elapsed
since the production was composed, there is a vigor and freshness
about it that makes it read like a piece of to-day. I always admired
Governor Perry's style of composition. There is a manliness of
thought conveyed in a bright and sparkling rhetoric that make his
writings peculiarly impressive and agreeable. His meaning is never
obscure, showing that he was always master of his subject, and his
utterances so strong and forcible it required no effort of memory to
retain them. I have sometimes wondered which I admired most, the
writer or the man. I was personally acquainted with Governor Perry
for a long time and my admiration for him was very great. He was
truly one of nature's noblemen. I have had my youngest son, now
twenty-five, read the address. He seemed to be very much interested
in it, and I think read it with profit as well as pleasure.
Again accept my sincere thanks for the address. It was indeed
very kind of you to remember me.
May God ever bless you, my dear madam, is the sincere wish of
an old friend and admirer of your good and noble husband.
Very truly yours,
Mrs. B. F. Perry. ' Cornelius Kollock.

Santa Barbara, Cal., March 23rd, 1887.
My Dear Cousin — I have, with much pleasure, read the very in
teresting address by your late husband. Governor Perry, which you so
kindly sent me. My youngest son (Arthur Peronneau), whom we all
call Perry, is now at the university of this State, and I have sent the
address to him for his special edification. It gratifies me that you
should still so kindly remember me as to send me this memento of
your honored husband, whom I always held in the utmost respect,
and I flatter myself that he too kindly regarded me. That your and
his son, who also bears our family name, is now representing his State
in congress, must be a gratification to you, as it is also to those of our
family connected with him. I am thankful that my sons, in this our
new home, are doing well.
With many thanks for your kind remembrance and sincere wishes
for the welfare of you and yours.
Believe me, my dear cousin,
Very affectionately yours,
Mrs. B. F. Perry. W. Alston Hayne.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 7j

Winnsboro National Bank.
Geo. H. McMaster, President.
T. k. Elliott, Cashier. Winnsboro, S. C, March 24th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Accept my thanks for the address of your venerated
husband. He possessed many of the noble traits he loved to depict in
others. With sincerity I say that I regard Governor Perry as being
in the foremost rank of those South Carolinians who should be held
up as exemplars before our youth as being one of the noblest men our
State has ever produced.
May you yet have many years of happiness.
With great respect, yours truly,
G. H. McMaster.
Mrs. Perry. 
Louisville, Ky., March 28th, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — Upon my return Saturday from a few days
absence I found the pamphlet you had sent me. I am very glad that
you have reprinted this address of your distinguished husband, thus
over forty years after its delivery at Erskine College. It is like old
wine ; "it is better than new. Would that its words of wisdom may
make a deep impress upon the minds of many now young, and of
many yet unborn who, though not privileged to have known Governor
Perry save by report, will yet partake in this way of that wisdom
which he so illustriously displayed among those who knew him per
sonally. I esteem it one of my greatest privileges of life to have
enjoyed his friendship and confidence. The purity of his character,
the nobility and fearlessness of his nature, his firm maintenance of
what he thought right and just and patriotic in the midst of contrary
influences of the good and great, and in defiance of the detraction of
the base and mean, give a force that cannot be measured to all his
words of morality and virtue. He was one of the very few who could
handle the pitch of political life and not be defiled. I thank God
for the example given in him of one so pure and true a man. No
one can tell what an influence it had upon his day and generation.
I am glad that you will aid in perpetuating it through the reprint of
this pamphlet. Yours truly,
James P. Boyce.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

J4 Benjamin Franklin Perry. Union, 29th March, 1887.
My Dear Madam — It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the
receipt of a copy of the address of Governor Perry before the Literary
Societies of Erskine College in A. D. 1844, which reached me during
the term of our circuit court just concluded.
I can imagine no more forcible way for the accomplishment of the
purpose in view — impressing upon young men those qualities which
jpake men good and great — than the one adopted by Governor Perry
in this address ; and it is a matter of great pride to his State, of more
importance and greater profit to those who came within his influence,
the fact that the qualities which he so forcibly and eloquently pre
sented were illustrated in his own life and character — high, useful and
noble ; followed in his old age by "honor, love, obedience and troops
of friends."
With many thanks for your kind remembrance, I remain,
Very sincerely yours, David Johnson, Jr.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Office of Murray & Shelor,
Attorneys and Counselors at Law,
Walhalla, S. C, March 30th, 1887.
Dear Aunt — Before I became related to the Perry family by mar
riage, even from my early childhood, my father taught me to honor
Governor B. F. Perry for his noble qualities and genuine manhood, and
to emulate his many public virtues and private excellencies. So, by
the education of my youth, your husband was the ideal of patriotism
in my mind's eye. I feel that his name is to-day a synonym in this
State for purity and stability.
So to receive the copy of his address, which was delivered before the
Literary Societies of Erskine College forty-three years ago, gives me
genuine pleasure, and in reading it, which I did aloud to my family
last evening, I find many ideas that should find a lodgement in the
minds of the youths of the country. Its principles should be widely
disseminated and will result in good.
Many thanks for the copy. I will preserve the address for the bene
fit of my children, his kinsmen, in the future.
Yours most truly,
Joe W. Shelor.
Mrs. Gov. B. F. Perry,
Greenville, S. 0.

Benjam,in Franklin Perry. /^
Summerville, S. C, April 20th, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — The copy of Governor Perry's Erskine College
address has come, and I thank you for sending.it. His "words of
wisdom" always commanded attention, though it was his lot in life to
differ from the trusted leaders of this State. They who differed from
and they who agreed with him, all regarded him with most profound
respect and admiration. True-hearted, pure and full of wisdom, he
was a high honor to the State. No one of her children had greater
moral courage, or was more zealously devoted to right principle.
• Very truly yours, B. C. Pressley.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.

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ADDITIONAL LETTERS.

The first edition of the Memorial of Governor Perry was found to be insufficient
to supply all those -ivho desired copies and who had the right to expect that their
wishes would be met. Therefore, a second edition was determined on, and the
more readily because after the issue of the first many letters were received expres
sive of the appreciation of Governor Perry's character and services.
Some of these are given below :
Office of Edward Croft. Attorney at Law,
Greenville, S. C, May 23d, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I have received the Memorial which you were
;good enough to send me, and thank you very sincerely for the same.
I shall always keep it and value it as a just tribute to the character and
worth of a great statesman, a pure and self-sacrificing patriot, a noble
and spotless husband, an honored parent, a warm and generous friend,
and one whom I shall always regard it a great privilege and pleasure
to have known through life, and one whose friendship, society and
hospitality I was permitted to enjoy.
The Memorial is tastefully and neatly gotten up, and reflects much
credit upon your love and faithful devotion. I do not believe there is
one word in all the pamphlet, which is not absolutely true, and uttered
in the greatest sincerety, for it can be said of Governor Perry, that
words cannot embellish nor exaggerate his worth and character.
To the world Governor Perry perhaps appeared stern and reserved,
but I know from an instance in my own family affairs that he was most
generous and tender hearted. So much so, that I found until then I
had never known or understood his true character, worth and gentle
ness. On the occasion I speak of he melted into tears, and his gener
osity was such that I can never forget, and have always since felt under
obligations to his family. It will be long before we shall look upon
his like again.
Hoping you are gradually recovering from the great shock which
you have sustained, believe me as ever.
Very truly and sincerely yours,
Edward Croft.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 77
Columbia, S. C, May 23d, 1887.
Dear Madam — Accept my acknowledgments of your courtesy in
sending me a copy of the Memorial published by you in honor of your
lamented husband. I have read it with great interest and with a
profound conviction of the truth of its utterances. Of no other man
whom I have met could as much be truthfully said. Panegyric has ex
hausted itself in the endeavor to do justice to his exalted charcter,
his self-abnegation, his peerless courage, his unfaltering devotion to
duty, his undying patriotism. Long may the recollection of his noble
life and deeds remain with us and our children's children as a monu
ment of every virtue which should adorn humanity.
With great respect, I remain,
Yerj sincerely yours, A. N. Talley.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

State of South Carolina,
Office of Secretary of State,
Columbia, S. C, May 24th, 1887.
My Dear Madam — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
the Memorial of the life and services of your late husband which you
sent me ; for which you will please accept my grateful thanks. In the-
long line of South Carolina's illustrious sons, I know of none whose-
name will in coming time excite greater and more continued admira
tion than will the name of the Hon. Benjamin F. Perry. I shall
place this Memorial in the hands of my sons, respectively fourteen and
seventeen years of age, and ask them to study it and learn to imitate
those noble virtues of independence of thought, self-reliance, integrity,
honor and purity of mind and purpose, which so eminently distin
guished him in life.
Again thanking you for your kind consideration, I have the honor-
to be, Very respectfully, W. Z. Leitner.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

United States Courts for South Carolina,
Charleston, S. C, 24th, May, 1887.

My Dear Madam— The Memorial of Governor Perry which you have
done me the honor of sending me came to-day. It will be carefully
preserved as the record of a South Carolinian who, at the same time-

j8 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
possessed to a remarkable degree the qualities which have made our
State honored, and who did not find his devotion to his State, incon
sistent with pride in our common country.
Under many thanks, yours respectfully, Charles H. Simonton.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Furman University,
Chas. Manly, D.D., President,
Greenville, S. C, May 24th, 1887.
Dear Madam — You have placed me under renewed obligations, for
which I thank you, by your kindness in sending me a copy of the
Memorial, filled with impressive testimonials to the distinguished ex
cellences which adorned the character of your honored husband.
Grateful for having received from your own hands this touching
tribute of affection, I shall do what I can, in my intercourse with
young men rapidly coming on the arena of life, to second your care,
"That the memory of his virtues and the example of his noble devotion
to his duty and his country shall be preserved for future generations."
With greatest respect, I am,
Yours, very truly, Chas. Manly.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci.

Spartanburg, S. C, May 25th, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — I feel myself honored by the receipt of the
Memorial of your honorable husband. I appreciate the compliment.
An intimate acquaintance of near half a century with Governor Perry
many years of which I was with him in the halls of legislation of South
Carolina, gave me an opportunity to know him well. I can truly say
he maintained a high and noble stand as an able and fearless high
toned gentleman. Bold in his advocacy of the right and denuncia
tion of the wrong. I can truly say the State has lost one of her noblest
sons in the death of Governor Perry, but his example is not lost. I
deeply sympathize with his bereaved family, and especially with his
noble wife. Most respectfully, yours truly,
Gabriel Cannon.

Benjam,in Franklin Perry. jg
Walhalla, S. C, 25th May, 1887.
My Dear Madam — I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the Memorial
of my late lamented friend, Governor B. F. Perry, and to tender to
you and the other members of his immediate family my hearty
smypathy in this sad bereavement.
The citizens of this, his native county, were unbounded in their
admiration of his sound judgment, unswerving honesty, Eoman firm
ness and commanding presence. I was taught to share in this admira
tion ; and when I arrived at manhood and knew him well, it nothing
abated. I read law with him, and to his wise and earnest counsels I
©we much of my success in my profession.
I am happy to have had his friendship.
Sincerely and respectfully yours, J. J. Norton.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci.

Executive Mansion,
Washington, D. C, May 26th, 1887.
Dear Madam — The President desires me to thank you for your cour
tesy in favoring him with a copy of the Memorial volume of your late
husband, ex-Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry, of South Carolina.
Very respectfully,
Daniel S. Lamont,

Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Private Secretary.

Violet Hill, Greenville, S. C, May 30th, 1887.
My Dear Madam — You will please accept my thanks for the book
so kindly sent me. I assure you I appreciate your kind remembrance
and will keep it as a token of your friendship.
Very early in life, when a boy, I appreciated the character of Gover
nor Perry. I looked upon him as the leading and most enviable man
in the country. He has left us the example of a noble, useful and
eventful life. You do well to perpetuate it and hold it up to the
young rising generation for worthy imitation.
I am, my dear madam, with much respect.
Yours truly,
H. C. Markley.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry.

8o Benjamin Franklin Perry. 706 Walnut Strebt,
Philadelphia, June 2d, 1887.
My Dear Sir — I have read with great interest the Memorial of your
father, which you kindly sent me.
Except Mr. Memminger, who is, I think, still alive, your father was
the last of a small body of far seeing men who would have saved
South Carolina from all the misery which the attempt to secede
eventually brought upon her.
The crop was reaped in 1861, but the seed was sown in 18S2. I
was a boy in Charleston in 1832-'3 and remember vividly the excite
ment and political meetings, when Hayne and Hamilton and
Turnbull on one side and my father and Petigru and Memminger on
the other, used to speak ; and I witnessed certainly one fight in the
streets after a political meeting. Still good has come out of evil,
though South Carolina has seemed to suffer more than any other
Southern State. I remember your nmther, as I sometimes used to
play with her brother. TheSe were fe«i little girls, of whom she was,
of course, one. I think the brother's name was William ; but all this
wag more than half a century ago, and it is only brought back to me
by the reference to your mother in the outline of your father's career.
He was a man of heroic mould, of whom his children and grand
children may well be proud, as one who strove to attain "noble ends
by noble means." Believe me, yours very truly,
W. H. Drayton.
Dr. Hext M. Perry. ( Law Office of Robt. W. Shand,
Columbia, S.C, June 6th, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — Please accept my sincere thanks for the Memorial
volume of your lamented husband, received a few days ago. Gover
nor Perry was a man who belonged not exclusively to his own family,
but in part also to his State, whom he served so long and faithfully, and
with whose history he was in large part so closely identified for many
years. It is a gratification to me to have this little book as a reminder
of his noble life, and to have in enduring form the record of the
esteem with which others regarded him.
Your own act in remembering me among those remembered in the
distribution of the Memorial is very highly appreciated I assure you.
With kind regards, I am,
Respectfully and sincerely yours,
Robt. W. Shand.
To Mrs. Gov. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 8i
Beauvoir, Miss., 7th June, 1887.
Dear Madam — Please accept my thanks for your kind consideration
in sending to me the volume "In Memoriam" of your deceased hus
band. You have rendered a good service to the coming generation of
your people. They will need such landmarks to teach them the
truths that are so fast fading from the political arena.
Please again accept my thanks for the privilege you have accorded
to me of reading carefully collated material illustrative of your hus-
hand's good life. When we see, even at the present day, how little
the great and pure Calhoun is understood by many and misrepresent
ed by more, is there not cause to fear that those most honored in their
day and generation will soon be forgotten or remembered for reproach ?
Very respectfully and truly yours, Jefferson Davis.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Charleston, S. C, June 7th, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — Though late, I beg to acknowledge the receipt,
and to thank you for the same, of the address by Governor Perry
before Erskine College in 1844. Also please accept my thanks for
your kind remembrance of me in the pamphlet, just received by mail.
In Memorian.
I recall with pleasure my meeting Governor Perry at his hospitable
home on several occasions when I visited Greenville— particularly my
last visit. May God be with you, and bless you and comfort you
under your bereavement, t beg also to be remembered most respect
fully to Mrs. Beattie. I remain, my dear madam,
Most respectfully yours,
W. B. W. Howe.
Mrs. Perry, Sans Souci,
Greenville county.

Office of State Treasurer,
Columbia, S, C, June 9th, 1887.

Dear Madam— Please accept my thanks for a copy of "In Memoriam
of your honored and lamented husband, the Hon. B. F. Perry." Per
sonally my acquaintance with him was limited, but as a statesman and

82 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
South Carolinian I knew him well. His long life of usefulness, a states
man of broad and liberal views, of spotless character and strict integ
rity, will keep his memory dear to all true South Carolinians.
Yours, very respectfully, I. S. Bamberg.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Andrew Crawford, Attorney at Law,
Columbia, S. C, June nth, 1887.
Dear Madam — I esteem it a very high distinction to be permitted
to thank you for the In Memoriam volume which your wifely devotion
has prepared in honor of your noble husband. This little book contains
many beautiful sentiments clothed in graceful diction, but both will die
and be forgotten, and yet will the name of Benjamin Franklin Perry
be a household word and a living example among South Carolinians.
It is not exaggeration to say, that
"A man more pure and bold and just
Was never born into the earth."
He was Cato without Cato's vices.
You will pardon me, I am sure, for writing at length upon the sub
ject to which your volume is devoted ; and permit me to add that
I am, Very truly and respectfully,
Andrew Crawford.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

State of South Carolina,
Office of Comptroller General,
Columbia, S. C, June nth, 1887.
My Dear Madam — To my thanks for your courtesy in sending me
the Memorial pamphlet to Governor Perry, I must now add an apology
for my delay in acknowledging it, but I trust that you will accept as
some excuse the constant demands of my official duties. I need not
say with what pleasure I read the tributes to your husband, and how
I was impressed with the fact that a true, honest and consistent life
must always win respect and appreciation. Very respectfully,
W. E. Stoney.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 8j

San Mateo, Cal., June 12th, 1887.
My Dear Cousin — I have just received the pamphlet In Memoriam
of your lamented husband, Governor Perry. As you know I left South
Carolina too young to have ever seen him, or indeed any of your
family, but of course, I knew what a distinguished place he filled in
the State's history, and the pamphlet you have sent contains ample
evidence of the affection and esteem in which he was held by his
friends and fellow-citizens.
Your bereavement must have been great, and I feel and hope you
will permit me to express the sincerest sympathy.
With kind regards to all my cousins, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Eobt. Y. Hayne.
Mbs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C

Law Office of Dargan & Dargan,
Darlington, S.C, June 13th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Please accept my sincere thanks for a copy of "Me
morial of the late ex-Governor B. F. Perry." Governor Perry was of
such character and rendered such services to the country as entitles
him to be held in grateful rememberance by all who respect fearless
devotion to duty and ardent love of justice and truth.
With kindest wishes for you personally,
I am, with great respect,
Yours very truly,
G. W. Dargan.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. 0.

Columbia, S. C, June 17th, 1887.
My Dear Madam — please accept my thanks for the pamphlet
published in memory of the late Governor Perry, which you kindly
sent. I have found much pleasure in reading it. I value it for the
well merited praise it contains by eminent people and from varied
sources of one of the best and most illustrious men of his day. I
value it for the information it contains concerning one whom I many
years ago learned to admire, one whose course at certain critical
periods I watched with interest, and I may add with pleasure. I value
it for the inscription on the title page, and shall carefully preserve it.
I am grateful that I had the privilege of some personal acquaint-

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

ance with Governor Perry. The influence of his life and example for
good will long continue to be felt, and his memory long be honored
for the good life he lived, and for his patriotism and heroic devotion
to the best interests of his State.
Very respectfully yours, N. K. Greenfield.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Charleston, S C, June 20th, 1S87.
Dear Madam — I appreciate highly the opportunity of perusing the
beautiful tributes sent me in memory of your noble and distinguished
husband. I have been taught to admire and venerate him from child
hood as one of Carolina's truest sons, and in maturer years I have always
regarded him as an eminent example to all the good and true young
men of the State. * * * I have regarded Governor Perry as
the wisest and grandest man of his age in South Carolina. Such was
the opinion of my sainted parents, and their children all concurred
with them.
The perusal of the Memorial at the present time, in the hour of my
very deep affliction, is quite comforting to me. My loved and devoted
brother found much consolation in his last hours in the confident hope
that it would not be u\?eilw^ty years before the loved ones around
him would join him in the beautiful and happy land. It seems to me
it is the only consolation of surviving hearts.
With sentiments of respect, I am.
Yours very truly, Geo. L. Bdist.

Ninety-Six, S. C, 20th June, 1SS7.
My Dear Madam — Allow me to thank you for so kindly remember
ing me in your distribution of Governor Perry's Erskine College
address amongst his friends and admirers, as also for the Memorial
volume lately received by me. The one is a noble monument erected
by himself to his memory, and the other a worthy monument erected by
his friends and countrymen. I inherited great regard and esteem for
Governor Perry and to this was added admiration when I had gained
personal knowledge of him. In my humble judgment few men in
our State have left a finer example of all that was high, noble and
useful.

Benjamin Fratiklin Perry. Sj
Again thanking you for so kindly remembering me, and with sincere
best wishes for you and yours, I am,
Yours most sincerely,
Mrs. Perry. J. H. Brooks.
Law Office of A. S. Douglass, No. 6 Law Range,
Winnsboro, S. C, June 2oth, 1887.
My Dear Madan# — You will please accept my sincere thanks for the
Memorial pamphlet which you kindly sent me, containing an outline
sketch of the noble and useful life of your distinguished husband, the
well merited encomiums passed upon him by the press of the State on
the announcement of his death, and letters of leading men and friends
in which they give expression to their high appreciation of his noble
character and eminent mental endowments. My admiration of Gover
nor Perry commenced in my early youth, when I enjoyed the weekly
visits of "The Greenville Patriot" to my father's house. The admira
tion then formed of his commanding talents, of his high, solid charac
ter and worth as a man, led me to become a law student under him in
the fall of 1853. I have very pleasant memories of the ten months
which I spent in Greenville as a law student, and among these memo
ries, permit me to say, dear madam, I have a very grateful remem
brance of the kindness and consideration which I received from you.
With my highest regards and best wishes for your future happiness,
I remain, very truly yours, A. S. Douglass.
To Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

State of South Carolina,
Office Adjutant General,
Columbia, S. C, June 22d, 1887,
Dear Madam — After a prolonged absence from my office I returned
a day or two since and find the Memorial to Governor Perry, which
you so kindly sent me. I appreciate very highly your thoughtfulness
in sending it. No man ever lived in South Carolina, a State so pro
lific in pure, good men, who commanded more universal love, respect
and admiration than Governor Perry. My father taught me to look
up to him with reverence and respect. My subsequent knowledge of
his brave fight for principle, of all his patriotism and loyalty to and
love for his people, his State and his devotion to duty, has but in
creased the sentiments of regard with which I invested him living and
which I entertain for his memory.

86 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
It was a happy thought to put in enduring form the evidences of
the esteem in which he was held. It will serve to point the coming
generation to the paths of rectitude and honor, as trod by your illus
trious husband.
Permit me to thank you for sending me a copy.
With great respect.
Your obedient servant, IVf* L. BoNHAM, Jr.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.
Pelham, 22d June, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — On my recent return from the mountains, I have
found on my desk the pamphlet, In Memoriam, which you so kindly
sent me. Allow me to express my entire sympathy with this grand
tribute to our late friend.
He has left to those who have survived him the grandest of all
heritages — the heritage of truth and honor.
With thanks for your kind attention. Yours very sincerely, 0. P. Jackson.

Sunny Side Farm, June 24th, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — Please allow me to thank you for the pamphlet
which I received a few days ago containing so many high and just
tributes from so many eminent sources to the memory of Governor
Perry. Surely such a life and character as his will be cherished fresh
and affectionately in the memory of our people. And his unfaltering
loyalty to truth for truth's sake must prove an abiding inspiration to
the young men of this and succeeding generations. I am glad that it
was my privilege to know him.
Again thanking you for your kind consideration, I remain,
Yours most respectfully,
M. L. Donaldson.

Office of Lyles & Haynsworth,
Attorneys at Law, igJ^ Law Range,
Columbia, S. C, June 27th, 1887.
Dear Madam — I desire to express my pleasure at receiving the
Memorial of the life and services of your late distinguished husband.
His was indeed a life of povrer and achievements and the influence of
his example and good works will long be felt in our State.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 8j
I also received a copy of his Erskine College Address, and thank
you for your thoughtfulness for the "young men" of the State in per
petuating his thoughts, for indeed "his words of wisdom" were calculated
to elevate and ennoble all who came under their influence.
With great respect, yours truly,
Wm. H. Lyles.
Mrs. B. F. Perry. 
Spartanburg, S. C. June 28th, 1887.
Dear Madam — Please accept thanks for the Memorial of your most
estimable husband. I shall never forget the impression his dignified
manner and jjourtly bearing made upon my youthful mind the first
time I saw him. He was truly one of "nature's noblemen." I am
afraid it will be a long time before the State produces another such
son. Wishing you a long and happy life, I am.
Most respectfully, J. F. Cleveland.
Mrs. B. F. Perry. 
Cincinnati, Ohio, June 28th 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — I have been slow in acknowledging the favor and
the compliment of the Memorial pamphlet you were kind enough
to send me, which I have read with unusual interest. I was much
away from home, and when at home, was necessarily attentive to the
arrangements for my ¦wife and oldest daughter, who were about to go
Europe, and. have since reached there for a sojourn of some months.
Your husband was fortunate in maintaining the esteem of his fellow-
citizens while questioning the soundness of their opinions on a topic
which necessarily involved much and deep feeling. The fact that he
did so is conclusive of the integrity of character, courage and genuine
ness of his manly qualities. I remember as far back as the great
senatorial debates in the time of President Jackson and the subsequent
years, the impression made on me and others by your husband's
unbending fidelity to his convictions and his ability in expounding
them, but I had no thought that he was of the same general lineage.
In the biographical sketch contained in the pamphlet he is spoken of
as of the same lineage with the Commodore, Oliver Hazard Perry. I
had imagined it to be so but lacked evidence Since receiving the
Memorial pamphlet I had for a client a Mr. E. N. Hazard, president
of a large trust company in New York. He reminded me of the

Benjam.in Franklin Perry.

middle name. Hazard. He says he is of the same family, and that his
family — the family of the mother of the hero of Lake Erie — have always
considered our branch of the Perrys to be of the same stock as the com
modore; and that a distinct resemblance in personal appearance of our
branch of the Perrys with the branch to which the hero belonged has
been perceptible to him. There have been a number of commodores in
that line. Perhaps it is imputable to the fact that the first of that line
made his home at Sandwich — a poor little sand bank on the coast,
and naturally ploughed the sea rather than the land.
Thanking you again for your kindness, I am.
Sincerely yours, Aaroi^. Perry.
Dudley & Newton's Law Office,
Bennettsville, S. C, June 29th, 1887.
Dear Madam — I kindly thank you for sending me the pamphlet
containing the words of praise and veneration for Governor B. F.
Perry, coming from so many with whom I am acquainted and being,
too, just tributes to the worth of him to whom they relate. The at
tachment of my father for him almost intuitively taught me to regard
him as a most superior man, especially to foresight and his adhesion to
opinions, the result of study and experience. Of course, I recollect
nothing of his political record in 1832 except from the pages of history,
confirmed by his noble course in 1860. It is rare to find one who can
pursue his honest convictions to that length, which would array popu
lar feeling, and not have the slightest effect upon action. Governor
Perry seemed indifferent to his personal interest when the welfare of
his State and the vital interest of the South demanded of him to
assume to differ as to results. What a solace, when time establishes
the right. I once asked my father how he became a nullifier in 1832.
His reply was that it was for the want of better judgment. Our 'feel
ings and not judgment too often dictate an unsafe line of conduct.
I am, with much respect.
Very truly yours,
T. E. Dudley.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.

Rectory of Church of Atonement,
Augusta, Ga., July 2nd, 1887.
My Dear Mrs. Perry — The pamphlet In Memoriam to your noble
husband reached me some days ago. I thank you for your very kind
remembrance. In my early boyhood the noble form and dignified

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 8g
bearing of Governor Perry impressed me and excited my admiration.
Then his strong and uncompromising adhesion to true democratic prin
ciples, free from any expediency or compromise, drew forth my respect
and veneration. I remember that I would go into the office of Vardry
McBee and we together would talk of the Governor — the grand "old
Roman" as we called him — how he would grace the senate chamber
and be the peer of any of its members. Now that I am a man I can
appreciate character, steadfastness to principle, statesmanship, bravery
to stand alone when the world is against you. Of all public men of
these later days I take Governor Perry as the best, the ideal, 0, si sic
omnes. In these days when the land is afflicted with politicians,
with time serving men — ^men of expediency without principle and
opinion — when the fickle whim of the people is the guide of action and
not truth and honor, would that another man like your husband would
arise to be a guide and model to the young men of South Carolina.
It is well that you are putting his life before the men of the State.
May God bless your efforts.
With the deepest respect,
I am, yours sincerely, John Gass.

Greenville, S. C, July 2d, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — Please accept my thanks for your kind thought
fulness in sending me a copy of the "In Memoriam" of your noble
husband Governor Perry.
Being of a younger generation and but lately come to Greenville
after a long residence out of the State, it was not my good fortune to
know Governor Perry personally, but I knew his face and somewhat
of the history and character of the man. His most bitter opponents
amidst the most tremendous issues that ever came upon a people, when
it would likely cost a man something to stand by his 'convictions, are
forced to admire his towering intellect and devotion to what he con
ceived to be his duty. His purity of principle, integrity of purpose and
unswerving adherence to duty shine out so brilliantly in his character
that they will have their influence in the formation of the character of
many of the youths of our country.
Yours, very respectfully,
Carolus a. Simpson.

go Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Beaumont, Asheville, N. C, loth July, 1887.
My Dear Madam — I can not thank you too much for remembering
me, in sending the Memoriam of your illustrious husband, which was
received on my return from the coast. Perhaps no man living has a
higher appreciation of the noble men who made our country what it
was. And no one feels greater anxiety for the future than I do, as
one by one of our statesmen pass away. The teaching of the age
makes millionaires instead of statesmen, a condition of things if not
checked, will endanger our government. Mrs. Hazzard joins me in
thanks and best wishes for your good health.
Very respectfully,
3 Wm. Miles Hazzard.
Mrs. B. F. Perry.

Greenville, S. C, July 12th, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry — Let me thank you for the volume in memory of
your beloved husband, the late Governor Perry. "In Memoriam"
should be in every South Carolina home, that the boys of our State
might have constantly before them a model character, built upon truth,
integrity, honesty and faithfulness. As the years go by the magnifi
cently rounded character of Governor Perry will shine brighter and
brighter. It is rarely the case that a statesman lives to see the fulfilment of
his political phophecies either for weal or woe ; yet. Governor Perry,
standing almost alone, pointed out the ruin which would result in fol
lowing the teachings of the political leaders of the State, and he lived
to see the storm not only come, but in its fury totally destroy the exist
ing conditions of society. And be it said to his strong arm, mighty
brain and mastery of statemanship was entrusted the duty of restoring
peace, harmony and prosperity to his beloved State. He lived to see
Carolina restored to her place in the Union, governed by her own
trusted sons ; h'e lived to see her citizens happy and prosperous ; he
lived to see his children honored and loved by their fellow-citizens ;
he lived to hear the plaudits of his people — "Well done, good and
faithful servant." His life work was done — and well done.
It will always be a consolation to you. Dear Mrs. Perry, that Gover
nor Perry was loved and honored, and that the love and honor given
him in life continues after death, and these with warm sympathy will
be yours in the declining years before you.
With sincere sympathy for you in your great affliction, believe me,
Very truly, your obedient servant,
E. S. Morgan.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. gi
The following, written in pencil in 1870, by the late John D. Ashmore, Repre
sentative in the Congress of 1858-59, from the Fourth District of South Carolina,
was found in the back of a volume of Scott's "Rob Roy" borrowed by that gentle
man from Governor Perry's library and subsequently returned :
"Hon. B. F. Perry, Greenville, C. H., S. C."
"Pencilled by a friend and admirer, and one who has known him,
boy and man, for well nigh forty years, and has been for more than
half that period associated with him more or less in the councils of
this distracted, and now well-nigh ruined country, and who can with
truth and sincerity assert and proclaim him to be the most truthful,
sincere, upright and honest statesman, as well as the purest, and by
far the most reliable man it has ever been the fortune of him who now
pens these words ever to have met -, a man whom it is an honor to know,
possessed of more moral courage than any one of the many hundreds
with whom he has been most intimately associated in the trying scenes
through which this country has been of late years called on to pass
and of whom it can be truthfully said, 'he is a man without blur or
blemish.' Above disguise and meanness in all things, with heart and
character pure as the crystal drops that form the mountain streams,
and wise as the Sages of Scripture, the Consuls of Rome, or the Satraps
of the East, and in patriotism high and pure as that of the 'Father
of his country,' himself, and manifesting a wisdom, sagacity, penetra
tion and statesmanship in the jecent unhappy struggles of his country,
far beyond that of any living man.
"Oh ! that his counsel and wisdom had been followed and carried
out as the guiding star of our cause, that a nation might rise up and
call him 'blessed ;' for full well would he have merited the blessing and
been entitled to the proud distinction 'of the saviour of his country.'
But alas ! alas ! his counsels have been set aside, his country a doomed
wreck, and he with all the rest of us victims to the mad lust of
power and misrule which has overwhelmed country and countrymen
in one common vortex of ruin. When the hand that pencils these
lines is cold in death, and the nature's nobleman to whom they are
dedicated is recalled to his fathers, and his memory alone is left to
be cherished by his family, friends, kindred and countrymen, let
them not be effaced but remain as a feeble tribute from one who has
known him long and known him well, and though often differing with
him in judgment, has almost invariably found by the test of scrutiny
and of time, his own error, while it has also vindicated the correctness
and accuracy of the views of this 'nature's nobleman,' the Hon. Ben
jamin F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C."

The Iron Man.

IN MEMORY OF THE LATE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PERRY.
BY JOHN H. HEWITT.
Not iron strength — but iron soul.
Firm as a rock, and true as steel ;
A brilliant place on honor's roll,
A loud voice for the nation's weal.
A heart that throbb'd for Southern rights,
A tongue that uttered words of fire,
And made all plotters crawling mites ; — •
The nation's peace his first desire.
From youth to age, a man of nerve,
A scholar and a patriot^ too,
He ne'er from honor's path would swerve,
But to his cause was firm and true.
For noble types of manhood — seek
The pages of past history ;
None of a truer hero speak,
None of a sage more ripe than he.
Like the bold Roman who struck down
Ambitious Ceesar in his pride.
Who aim'd to wear a regal crown,
But like a traitor died.
He check'd the Southron^s wild excess ;
He pictured fratricidal war ; —
Not that he loved his birtlTplace less,
But that he loved the Union more !
He braved the anger of the crowd ;
Threats could not drive him from his post ;
He warned them of the thunder cloud, —
It burst — and Freedom's cause was lost !
And when he found his pleadings vain,
And War's mad thunders shook the air,
He sought his quiet home again —
And sent his sons to do their share.
Friend of my youth ! for years estranged.
This humble tribute to thy worth
Comes from a heart — old, but unchanged, —
Which soon will seek its parent Earth.
Stem History will honor thee.
If bias does not guide the pen ; —
Strong for the nation's unity.
But stronger for the rights of men !
Baltimore, December, 1886.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. gj

MONUMENT
erected to the memory of governor benjamin franklin PERUY in CHRIST
episcopal church cemetery, GREENVILLE, S. C.

[From the Greenville Daily News, August I2th, 1887.]
A handsome and imposing monument has been erected over the
grave of ex-Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry in the cemetery of
Christ Episcopal church, in this city. The monument is of a design,
chaste and beautiful and befitting the character of the noble patriot
and statesman, whose memory it will commemorate. It stands in the
southeast corner of the family burying lot, rising to a height of twenty
feet from the grass sod at its feet.
The monument is of Barre granite. It consists of three bases, sup
porting a die, upon which rests a cap, from which in turn rises the
pyramidal spire. The lower base is plain. On the western face of
the second base is the name "Perry," sculptured in bold letters in
relief. There are no other inscriptions on the bases.
On each of the four faces of the die are raised tablets on the polished
face of which are lettered the inscriptions. The western face contains
the following : In Memory of
BENJ. FRANKLIN PERRY,
Born
November 20, 1805.
Died
. December 3, 1886.
On the opposite face of the die appears the following inscription ;
District Judge
AND
District Attorney
OF the
Southern Confederacy.
, State Senator and
Provisional Governor
of South Carolina
and
United States Senator
elect.
On the southern tablet are the words, "The world is better that he
lived," and on the northern side, "Sf?fe in the keeping of everlasting
love."

g4 Benjatnin Franklin Perry.
The shaft that rises from the cap of the die is plain, except that on
the western face is an artistic monogram of the letters "B. F. P." com
prising the governor's initials.
The whole effect of the monument is impressive. It stands next to
the grave of the young daughter of Governor and Mrs. Perry, and the
contrast thus brought to pass between the sturdy statesman, dead in
the ripeness of an honored old age, and the maiden taken in the flower
of youth and loveliness, heightens the impressiveness of the solid
granite shaft.
Made and erected by Messrs. Van Gunden & Young, of Philadel
phia, Pa.

INDEX.

PAGE
Williams, A. B., Esq. — Introduction  3
Williams, A. B. , Esq. — Outline of Life  5
comments of south CAROLINA NEWSPAPERS.
Anderson Journal  i8
Aiken Recorder  21
AbbeWlle Medium  22
Charleston News and Courier  15
Charleston Dispatch  23
Columbia Register  16
Campbell, Rev. Wm. H. — Communication to Charleston News and Courier. . . .23
Columbia — Communication to Greenville Daily News  24
Edgefield Chronicle  20
Easley Messenger  18
Greenwood Tribune  19
Greenville Daily News  14
Greenville Enterprise and Mountaineer  17
Hampton Guardian  .'  20
Lancaster Review  19
Orangeburg Times and Democrat  20
Pickens Sentinel  19
Sumter Watchman  21
Spartanburg Spartan  22
Spartanburg Herald  22
Winnsboro News and Herald  20
Walhalla Courier  20
LETTERS TO THE FAMILY.
Aldrich, Judge A. P  ,,
CampbeD, Rev. Wm. A  26
Capers, Rev. Ellison  20
Croft, Hon. George W  ,,
Dibble, Hon. Samuel  2c
Donaldson, Hon. T. Q  .^
Fairly, Capt. John S  28
Farrow, Hon. James  -g
Hughson, John S., Esq  ,2
Hampton, Senator Wade  ,,
Hampton, Senator Wade  ,g
Jackson, Rev. H. Melville  '"".......... ...33
Kershaw, Judge J. B   30
Perry, A.S., Esq  '  26

Index. gy

PAGE
Perry, Prof. Edward Delavan  36
Rice, James H., Esq  34
Smart, Rev. R. D  29
Thompson, Governor Hugh S  32
Vance, Hon. Wm. W  31
Williams, A. B., Esq  25
ACTION OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
Ansel, Hon. M. F , Remarks  .'  39
Brawley, W. H., Esq., Remarks  42
Hamilton, Col. S. P., Remarks  40
Haskell, Col. John C. , Remarks  '  43
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GREENVILLE BAR.
Donaldson, Hon. T. Q., Remarks  47
Furman, Capt. Charles M., Remarks  51
Stokes, Col. John W., Remarks  48
Townes, Hon. G. F., Remarks  45
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
Ansel, Hon. M. F., Remarks  55
Bellinger, John R., Esq., Remarks  53
Fraser, Judge T. B., Remarks  59
Heyward, Julius H., Esq., Remarks  58
Mooney, J. Alexander, Esq., Remarks  56
MEETING OF THE PARIS MOUNTAIN DEMOCRATIC CLUB.
League, L. Manning, Esq., Remarks  61
LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE ERSKINE ADDRESS.
Furman, Rev. James C, in Baptist Courier  64
Boyce, Rev. James P  73
Crews, Hon. T. B  P^
Davis, Prof. R. Means  71
Hayne, William Alston, Esq.,  72
Judson, Prof. C. H  67
Johnson, David, Jr , Esq  74
Kollock, Cornelius, Esq.,  72
Minor, Prof. John B  68
McMaster, Hon. F. W  69
McMaster, G. H., Esq.,  73
McIver, Judge ITenry  7°
Patrick, Prof. John B  66
Patton, Prof. E. L  69
Pressley, Judge B. C  75
Shelor, Joseph W., Esq  74
Williams, Capt. Leonard  67
Winthrop, Robert C, Esq  7°

Index.

LETTERS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE MEMORIAL. PAGE
Bamberg, I. S., Esq  8i
Buist, George L„ Esq  84
Brooks, J. H., Esq  84
Bonham, Adjutant General M. L., Jr  85
Croft, Edward, Esq  76
Cannon, Hon. Gabriel  78
Cleveland , President  79
Cleveland, J. F. , Esq  87
Crawford, Andrew, Esq  82
Drayton, W. H., Esq  80
Davis, Hon. Jefferson  81
Dargan, G. W., Esq  83
Douglass, A. S., Esq  85
Donaldson, Hon. M. L  86
Dudley, Thomas E., Esq  88
Greenfield, N. K., Esq  83
Gass, Rev. John  88
Howe, Bishop W. B. W  81
Hayne, Robert Y., Esq  83
Hazzard, Capt. W, M  go
Jackson. O. P., Esq  86
Leitner, W. Z., Esq  77
Lyles, William H, , Esq  86
Manly, Charles, D, D  78
Markky, Henry C, Esq  79
Morgan, R. S., Esq  go
Norton, Judge J, J  7g
Perry, Aaron F., Esq  87
Simonton, Judge Charles  77
Shand, Robert W., Esq  80
Stoney, W, E., Esq  82
Simpson, Dr. Carolus A  gg
Talley, Dr. A. N  .!".... .77

Ashmore, Hon, John D. — A Tribute  gi
Hewitt, John H., Esq.— Poetry, "The Iron Man"  92
Greenville Daily News— Monument to Governor Perry  93

With the respects of Mrs. B. F. Perry.

TRIBUTE

TO

'^li

^
C^^

\

(3}

EX-GOVERNOR

SOUTH CAROLINA.

BORN
NOVEMBER 20, 1805.

DIED
DECEMBER 3, 1886.

" The World is Better
That He Lived."

D E C E MB E R '3- 1 8 8 8. ')^f

In Himself Was all His State."

FIRST EDITION, 3000.

Shannon & Co., Printpv.^,
Greenville, S. C.

MMMM'M'MMMMWMMM-^-'<

COMPILED
BY THE WIFE
FROM THE MANY COMMUNICATIONS
RECEIVED,
IN MEMORY OF THE HUSBAND.
ON THE
SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF HER LOSS,
DECEMBER 3, 1888.

"He was as firm as Cato,
and
As just as Aristides."

mWMMWMSyi^--MMM'^MMWM

INDEX.

COMMENTS OF NEWSPAPERS ON ¦' BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ES OF E.MIX KNT AM EHK AN
ST.tTESMEX." I'ACl.)
.\uderson InteUigeneer  '.  1-i
.\nder8on Journal  1.')
.\tlanta Constitution  2]
.\ugU8ta Chronicle  l.'H
Boston Post  -if.
Boston .Advertiser  23
(^^harleston News and Couriei-  10
Charleston Daily Sun  !.">
Cheraw Reporter  22
Darlington News  28
Flo'ida Times-Union  ,  28
Greenville Baptist Courier  1'>
Greenville Daily News  S
Montgomery Daily Advertiser  2t;
New Haven Register  8
Seneca Free Press  21
Spartanburg Carolina Spartan  l*i
Walhalla Keowee Courier  20
Winnsboro News and Herald  14
The above are all the editorials that are known to have been written.
REVIEWS OF "BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EMINENT AMERICAN STATESMEN,
SPEECHES," &C.
Southern Churchman— Rev. Dr. H. Melville Jackson  92
Thomas, Col. John P. (Communicated to Columbia Daily Record )  .3
Thomas, Col. John P. (Governor Perry's post bellum career.)  .5
Kennedy Library, (acknowledgment of '-Eminent American Statesmen.
Speeches, &c."  ^''
Means, Mrs. Celina, in Carolina Spartan  I i
LETTERS RELATING TO " BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EMINENT AMERICAN
STATESMEN, SPEECHES, &C."
Crawford, Col. Andrew  •^-
Davis, Jefferson C  ^
Davis, Jeiferson, Confederate President  6.5
English, Joseph M  '^"
Gass, Rev. John  ""^
Hamilton, S. Prioleau  ^^
Hayne, William Alston  '^1
Lanier, D. G  ^''
Lea, Judge John M  '''^
Lea, Judge John M  ^*
LeConte, John, President of the University of California  39
MeBee, SUas  ^^
Ragsdale, Edward B  '^|^
Thomas, Col. John P  '

IV.
Thompson. Mrs. William Butler  .S9
Winthrop, Hon. Robert C  35
LETTERS ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF THE SPEECH BEFORE THE MER
CHANTS, MECHANICS AND BUSINESS MEN OF COLUMBIA.
Archer, Prof. Henry P., Superintendent of Public Schools in Charleston, S.C. 44
Hudson, Judge J. H  44
Judson, Prof. C. H., of Furman University, Greenville, S. C  43
Rice, James Henry, State Superintendent of Education in South Carolina  4.1
A FEW OF THE LETTERS ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF THE SECOND EDITION
OF "IN MEMORIAM."
Aldrich, Col. James  56
Bomar, E. E  47
Bailey, B. F  51
Dawes, Senator H. L  55
Dean, Dr. George B  53
Dewberry .John  50
Gage, .lohn P  49
Gary. Eugene B  52
Gibson, R. B  58
Hyde, Simeon  52
.lohnson, Prot. D. B  58
Lea, Judge John M  46
Lowrance, W. B  47
Lowndes, James  62
Mayfield, W. D  63
McGowan, Frank P  61
McKissick, Col. J. G  54
Mobley, John G  61
I'age, Rosewell  51
Raysor, Thomas M  53
.Seabrook, Dr. J. G  56
Simpson, W. W  49
Stephens, Bishop P. F  61
Hutledge, Gen. B. H  59
Wallace, Hon. William  62
Wallace, E. R  48
Willson, Rev. John 0  59
Witherspoon, George M. C  60
"GREENVILLE IN THE LONG AGO."
Archer, Prof. Henry P. — Letter  70
Croft, Dr. Randal— Address delivered on the presentation of a pair of silver
pitchers to Hon. B. F. Perry  71
Perry, Gov. B. F.— Reply  74
Dudley, Hon. C. W.— Visit to Gov. Perry  66
Furman, McDonald— Visit to Sans Souci  67
Griffin, Dr. P. E.— Letter  98
Osborn, Logan— Letter to West, Johnston & Co  96
Perry, Gov. B. F.— Extracts from letters  97
Perry, Gov. B. F.— Preface written in his wife's Journal  101

V.
Speech delivered before the merchants, mechanics and business men of Co
lumbia, December 17, 1853, by Hon. B. F. Perry  81
The Greenville Daily News — Notice of the Speech  41
•
SKETCH OF WILLIAM H. PERRY WHEN FIRST NOMINATED FOR CONGRESS IN 1884.
Croft, Col. Edward  105
A PEW OP THE LETTERS CONGRATULATORY ON THE RE-ELECTION OF WILLI.1M
H. PERRY TO CONGRESS FOR THE THIRD TERM.
Capers, Rev. Ellison  113
('rawford. Col. Andrew  Ill
Crawford, Col. Andrew  112
Dibble, Hon. Samuel  117
English, Joseph M  120
Gilreath, Herman G  121
Hennies, George V  114
.Johnsiin, D^vid, Sr  110
Kirk,! Charles E  116
Landrum, Dr J. B. 0  118
Lipscomb, Col. T. J  117
McKiesick, Col. J. G  113
McCoy, P. B  115
Moseley, Col. George F  113
Rice, James H  113
Stokes, Col. John M  117

Sans Souci. the Residence of Ex-Gov. Perry.

Ex-Governor B. f. Perry.

SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

(This sketch of Governor Perry was written many years ago, during his life, and
though not differing materially from other sketches written of him, the
character of Governor Perry is portrayed in so true and vivid a
manner, his wife has been tempted to put it in this Tribute
to him, in order to preserve it in a durable form.)
This eminent and distinguished gentleman, so widely and
favorably known throughout the United States, resides so
near the city of Greenville that he is claimed as a citizen
thereof, having, until a short time since, resided directly in
the city. Governor Perry, although having retired from the
active practice of his profession, is still daily seen at his old
office, on Main street, his sou. Col. W. H. Perry, being the
active partner of the law firm of Perry & Perry.
(lOvernor Perry retains still much vigor of constitution,
and his firm tread and elastic step would indicate that he is
a much younger man thain he really is. Of large and com
manding person, with striking intellectuality of face, he read
ily impresses everyone as being far above the mediocrity of
men, and one of nature's true noblemen.
¦ As a lawyer, he is distinguished, and regarded as one of
the best a.nd boldest advocates that ever practiced at the
bar of the Western Circuit; is of great dignity of character,
yet a moft genial and agreeable conversationalist, and has
brilliant literary attainments; the possessor of a large libra
ry', and a vigorous writer, he has contributed much to the
historical literature of the country, particularly since he has
retired from the practice of his profession.
The history of this distinguished man is so well known,
that we do not propose to give it fully, but only to record

vin.
the pleasing fact that he has not, like many other distin
guished men of the old regime, outlived their usefulness a,nd
shown an indifferent apathy to the future of the country ;
and, although not seekins; any office himself, he has been free
and outspoken in his coudemnation of the despoiling band
of plunderers and blatant politicians that have been spawned
upon us by New England, and sought to have instituted such
measures as would rescue theState and the wholeSouth from
this infamous crew, who have practiced so much of misrule,
and given thus so much of anarchy in our midst. Governor
Perry has always had great admiration for the Union as
handed down by our ancestors, and when the popular mind
was infljimed with the delusive idea that our sectional rights
would be secured only by severance from the other States,
and the formation of a government of our own, Governor
Perry, first in the excitement of nullification, then a young
man, came bravely forward, and openly opposed the policy
of the State, and while he was triumphantly sustained in his
own up-couutry, he was bitterly denounced in other portions
of the State.
Again, when the secession spirit ran high. Governor Perry,
true to his early convictions, that our true remedy for re
dress of grievances was in the Union, rather than out of it,
again opposed the policy of theState, when it really required
heroism and Spartan pluck to do so. His then predictions
were singularly accurate, and demonstrate fully his great
political sagacity and integrity. Although opposed to the
policy of the State in inaugurating the war. Governor
Perry, as a true son should always do, went with his
mother, saying, right or wrong, come weal or woe, he would
go with his State. He contributed liberally of his means for
the prosecution of the war, as well as furnished a gallant
son for the service. After the war, ere the smoke of war had
fully passed away, he was solicited by the administration to
visit the national capital for conference as to the best meas-

IX.
ures to be instituted for the rehabiliment of South Carolina
as one of the component States of the Union. His people
urged his acceptance of the invitation, and looked upon it as
an earnest of President Johnson's good feeling to the South.
Governor Perry went to Washington, and the greatest re
spect was paid him, and he was notified that he had been se
lected as the Provisional Governor of the State. This he ac
cepted, and went immediately to work for the reconstruction
of the State upon the basis agreed upon by President John
son and other prominent men of the North. Universal joy,
as well as increased confidence was felt all over the State at
his succession to the chief magistracy of the State. He issued
his proclamation, which was ably written, and enthusiasti
cally received by all classes, and the light of the day of recon
ciliation and rescue from what was before regarded as abso
lute ruin, seemingly had dawned. Civil government, in the
main, was at once restored, a convention of the people was
called, composed of the ablest men of the State, many of
whom had been all their lives antagonistic to Governor
Perry's political action, but who were now seen rallying to
his support, and ardent admirers of his proven statesman
ship and high integrity. He became the most popular man
in the State, and the first Legislature that met afterwards,
without hardly a dissenting voice, selected him as one of the
Senators to Congress from this State. But, unfortunately
for the whole country. Governor Perry was never permitted
to take his seat. Not long afterwards, a different policy to
that of President Johnson sprung up at the North, and all
that had been accomplished through such men as Governor
Perry was effectually wiped out by the monstrous doings of
the Congress of 1867-68, and which, under the Wind teachings
of Sumner, Butler, Stevens and others of the then dominant
party in Washington, culminated in the enactment of the
several amendments to the Constitution, which at once
brought on confusion and antagonism between all classes at

X.
the South, and which has resulted so disastrously to the ma
terial prosperity of the South. Governor Perry retired in
disgust at this period from active participation in the dis
cussion of what should be the policy of the South towards
acceptance of these unconstitutional and infamous measures.
Though he was free to express his convictions, he did so
through his writings of their unconstitutionality and results.
But it will be impracticable in this article to detail all the
valuable services Governor Perry has rendered his country,
and the prominent positions he has so eminently filled.
When the history of the present century of this country shall
be fully detailed and embodied, Governor Perry will occupy a
prominent position therein. His name will appear deservedly
among the roll of sn'eat men this State has produced.

COMMENTS OF NEWSPAPERS

ON

"BiograpMcal Sketches of Eminent American Statesmen."

(This letter is published as a suitable Introduction to the Editorials on the
¦'Biographical Sketches of Eminent American Statesmen.")

Newberry, S. C, December 27, 1883.
Hon. Benjamin F. Perry, Greenville, S. C:
Dear Sir: Allow me to say that as a Carohnian, I have
long been an appreciative admirer of yours, and have re
garded you with pride as the great Daniel Webster of the old
Palmetto State, standing head and shoulders above all her
other sous. 1 have read your various articles in the public
prints with decided pleasure and avidity; and after many
vain efforts to procure them in a collected form, I have re
solved to write you on the subject and ascertain if you have
yet gathered them together, from the various periodicals to
which you have so long contributed, in any kind of book or
pamphlet form. It would be a. pleasure to have them treas-
sured up in more convenient form, especially those very in
teresting and instructive sketches of ''Eminent American
Statesmen," and early historical narratives of the State. 1
have been so fortunate as to be able to collect a few (three
in number, viz.: Choate, Eamsey and Chief Justice Marshall),
which I have pasted away in my scrap book. Another arti
cle I also have, entitled ".Joining the Republican Party,"
which, in brief, is the best and clearest exposition of Demo
cratic principles I ever saw. You will please inform me if
you have yet collected and published those articles; or, if
not, ^yhether it is your intention to give them to the public.
You will also oblige me by giving the counties, or districts,
in which the South Carolina signers of the Declaration of In-

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

dependence lived. They were, I believe, ilessrs. Rutledge.
Heyward, Lynch and Middleton. In what sections of the
State did they reside?
Please be so kind as to answer the above question for the
information of one who is deeply interested in the historj' of
the State and who desires a ujore pei-fect knowledge of the
biograpihy of her long and exten.sive roll of distinguished
sons. Soliciting an early answer, I remain, my dear sir.
Your admiring friend and obedient servant,
Jefferson C. Davis.

Columbia, S. C, November 24r, 1887.
Mrs. B. F Perry,
Dear Madam: I have received your esteemed communica
tion, and consider myself honored in the possession of your
consideration. I shall deem it a privilege to do the work requested, as I
can do so with such a high appreciation of your dsceased
husband and your queenly devotion to his memory. I have
in mind many evidences of Governor Perry's nobility of char
acter, but the best is his widow's love and admiration. My
duties as legi.slator and as editor keeps my pen busy with
mattersof State. But this Thanksgiving Day gives me some
relief. I .shall write this day a notice of your proposed vol
ume, and it will be with me a task of friendship for the living,
as well as consideration for your dead.
I have told my wife that I might consent to die, could I be
a.ssured of deserving at her hands a tithe of the love and
honor that you lavish with youthful zeal upon your honored
husband's memory. Surely he must have been a Brutus
without the Romans faults. Nor can I now fail to reahze
how in life he had his Portia to appreciate, and to be help
meet indeed. I have the honor To be,
Yours truly and respectfully,
John P. Thomas.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 3
(The Columbia Daily Record, Friday, February 17, 1888.)
(Communicated.)
I ask th;^ opp:>rtunity of calling attention to this recent
South Carolina publication, so eminently deserving of public
recognition. As we are informed in the opening pages of the
book its appearance is due to the inexhaustible devotion of
the honored widow of the deceased statesman. "This vol
ume is compiled and published by the wife in memory of the
l)eloved and devoted husband who, during a married life of
fifty years, found in his character and life only whatshe could
love, honor, and be proud of, and whose care it is that the
memory of his virtues and the example of his noble devotion
to his duty and his country shall be preserved for future gen
erations. "
As for the late Governor himself, while he felt that he had
never forfeited, but had on thecontrary always enjoyed, the re
spect and esteem of the best people of his native State, it was
his purpose, as I know, to make a publication of his writings
withaviewof doingjusticetobisniemoryafterhisdeath. But
this plan, for come cause, was not executed. Hence it will be
seen that in her present wifely enterprise, Mrs. Perry is not
only doing a good work for the State and the country, but
is further carrying out her husband's wish, as embodied in a
purpose conceived by him more than thirty years ago. and
conve^'ed to his wife.
And" well has her loyal design been executed. The volume
is an attractive one— fit to adorn the library, and to be the
ready source of high thought and patriotic inspiration ; well
calculated to invite, in its ethical spirit, the imitation of
youth and to confirm the steady resolutions of age. The
book contains 612 neatly printed pages. The frontispiece
presents, in a finely executed photograph, the imposing bust
of Governor Perry— upon whose ample front engraven-delib-
eration sits, and public care, and whose Atlantean shoulders
seem fit, in Miltonic phrase, to bear the weight of mightiest
monarchies. Then follows the graceful preface by Dr. Hext
M. Perry, who, in behalf of his distinguished farther's family,
announces the spirit and the scheme of the present publica
tion.

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Next follows the appreciative introduction by Senator
Wade Hampton, between whom and Governor Perry senti
ments of mutual esteem existed — kindred souls in this, that
in each we have illustra.ted — such as Sir Philip Sidney exem-
pHfied — "high thoughts seated in a heart of courtesy. "
An engraving of "Sans Souci, " the handsome residence of
the deceased, next meets the eye, and suggests the type of a
generous and refined home of a South Carolinian of the olden
times. The volume proper opens with a condensed outline of Gov
ernor Perry's life by Mr. A. B. Williams, of the Greenville
News. This is succeeded by a compilation of the notices of
the deceased from the newspapers of South Carolina and its
leading men ; as well as f I'om the State Legislature, and from
the bar and the courts where he practiced for many years,
and where he was most intimately known. This will show
liow in mouths of wisest censure his death evoked encomi
ums of highest character; and how amply has been fulfilled
his prediction that his reputation would grow brighter after
his decease — a faith expressed in the year 1857, when the an
tagonism that he had to meet in his devotion to his politi
cal creed was fiercest and strongest.
The addresses — political and literary — which Governor
Perry from time to time delivered on various occasions — are
all characteristic of the man ; of the master of good Enghsh
and of the independant, earnest and honest thinker; of him,
the true son of up-country soil, who was as virtuous as Cato
and as brave as Julius Caesar.
One address by Governor Perry I notice omitted, which il-'
lustrates his sagacity and adds to his fame. I mean the
speech which he made in the State Democratic Convention of
April, 1868— a memorable convention, by the way. On that
occasion Governor Perry, in connection with Gen. Chesnut,'
Col. D. Wyatt Aiken, and other discreet spirits, wisely de
clared for qualified negro suffrage, and helped to put the
])o.st bellum Democracy of South Carolina upon a prudent and
just career, thus laying the basis for the great victory of 1876.
Governor Perry continued thereafter in full accord with the
conservative element of the State Democratic party, and was

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

ever true as steel to the State and the civilization of the
State. I come now to the main features of the book under review.
This consists of biographical sketches of eminent American.
statesmen. The scope of these graphic sketches is as wide
as was the catholic spirit of the author. They embrace dis
tinguished men of the North and of the South alike. They
will be read no less with profit than with pleasure. Nor is it
possible for any candid reader to rise from their perusal
without a high appreciation of the writer's discriminating
powers, his strong mental grasp, a.nd his sympathy with all
that is good and true and noble as well in private as in pub
lic life.
Governor Perry's " Reminiscences of Public Men" and his
" Sketches of Eminent American Statesmen " — as well as his
political and literary utterances— all attest his high personal
traits and his ardent patriotism.
Long after the granite monument erected to his fame shall
have fallen into decay, will these lettered memorials remain
to honor his memory and preserve his name.
It is gratifyin^g- to know that this volume— now for sale at
Messrs. Bryan & Co.'s and at Mr. Duffie's for |1.50 per copy
—may be followed by another, containing a biography and
extracts from the private journal of Governor Perry.
If the world is better because such a marked character —such
a strong individuality— has lived, surely it is a wise and use
ful thing to put before the youth of the land the record of his
life and his thoughts and his labors— to the end that, like
other dead but sceptred sovereigns, he may rule our spirits
from his urn. J- P- Thomas.
Columbia, S. C, Feb. 16, 1888.

(The Columbia Daily Record, February 28, 1888.)
In a review of the volume entitled, ''Sketches of Eminent
American Statesmen," by Gov. Perry, of South Carolina, I
have referred to the omission of one incident which marks a
signal episode in his long and eventful public life. I mean his
part in the memorable State Democratic Convention of 1868.

Benjamin Franklin Perry.

This body of representative whites had met in the shadow
of radical reconstruction deeper than the gloom of .Ajjpomat-
tox. The issue involved was .Anglo-Saxon supremacy or ne
gro domination — the latter being for party ends aided and
abetted by a powerful oriianization North. The South Caro
lina jihalanx stood small in array, but composed and reso
lute and strong in the faith of a race u[)on whose brow God
had implanted the symbols of sovereignty on earth. It was
Sparta confronting Asian numhers.
Ujion that high occasion — in that convention animated by
the indomitable spirit of a ronmionwealth unconquered and
unconquerable in soul, B. F. Perry, of Greenville, was found
in full accord with the body. He was one of the number of
those sagacious statesmen who placed the South Carolina
Democracy upon tenable ground and paved the way to ulti
mate victory. Nor should it be forgotten that Mr. Perry
was one of the fiist and foremost in t)ppo8ition to Radical and
negio rule in this State. He was the author of a strong, scath
ing, thorough review of the Radical Constitution of 1868,
which was that year submitted to Congress for ratification.
And it may lie added that the force of this paper was so fully
recognized in those disjointed times that when the State Cen
tral Executive Committee of the Democratic party of South
Carolina — composed as follows: Wade Hampton, John P.
Thomas, J. D. Pope, F. W. McMaster, Samuel McGowan, and
W. M. Shannon — made to Congress a formal Remonstance
against the imposition upon South Carolina of the said Radi
cal Constitution, the substance of Mr. Perry's analysis was
incorporated in the memorial of the committee, and the ex
tract was thus introduced :
"And first permit us to lay before your honorable body the following analysis of
the said Constitution, prepared by the Hon. B. F. Perry, of this State— a pure
man, an able lawyer, and a life-long, bold and outspoken Unionist. As a man who
opposed nullification and secession you will perhaps not regard him as one whose
views on the Constitution are apt to be pervaded by that disunion spirit which
many members of yonr honorable body might deem sufficient to prejudice any
paper emanating from South Carolina."
In making up Gov. Perry's entire political record, his ut
terances and his services at this critical period of Democratic

Bvfnjamin Franklin Perry.

resurrection and .\nglo Saxon self-assertion in our "Pros
trate State," as South Carolina then was, cannot, in justice
to his memory, be passed by unnoticed. These make dia
monds of first water in his civic crown. In that first strug
gle for our captured State — beginning in 1868 and ending in
triumph in 1876 — than which none more fateful has ever
occurred in the rich history of this old commonwealth through
all the phases of its eventful career. Governor Perry — no more
for conscience' sakeestranged from brother South Carolinians
— was with ufe and of us — the swift current of his political
sympathies mingling with ours and flowing freely in the new
channel of the State's post-bellum Democracy. Ever devoted
son and chastened mother came together, and lost in the
harmonies of the present were the discordances of the past.
Thus it is that time, great leveler, makes all things even.
Thus it was that peace and reconciliation came with honor.
So it came to pass that, old feuds forgotten and his warfare
ended, Benjamin Franklin Perry, of Roman mould and Chris
tian impress, passed away esteemed and admired in a great
State whose creed political he was wontto combat and whose
public policy he had resolutely resisted. And now — muta
tion strange but happy — in South Carolina this man, who in
all his long life was of firm and noble soul, is rightly deemed
one of the State's sons of memory and heirs of fame.
Some men there are in this day of materialistic trend of
thought who are inclined to minify mind audits resourcesiu
the disposition to magnify matter and its appliances— to dis
crown moral and mental forces before the power of steam
and electricity.
But what a shallow philosophy is this !
South Carolina has need of all her developed wealth of soil
and mines and forests and products of every kind. But more
than all this does she need to bear in mind that mind and
character constitute a State.
Not forgotten, therefore, should the duty be to heed the
lessons and to honor the memory of those— the patriot sons
of the State— who by their genius and nobleness and unself
ish labors have coutributed to the glory of the common
wealth. J- P- Thomas.
Columbia, S. C, Feb. 28, 1888.

8 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
(The Greenville News. March 4, 1888.)
Mrs. B. F. Perry has given a valuable addition to perma
nent literatui-e in a, handsomely bound book of six hundred
pages, published in Philadelphia under the supervision of Dr.
Hext M. Perry, and entitled "Sketches by Governor Perry."
The volume contains a handsome portrait of Governor
Perry, with an introduction by Senator Hampton, the sketch
of the governor's life published in the Greenville News, and
some extracts from the editorial remarks of leading newspa
pers on the occasion of his death.
The mo.st valuable contents, however, are the speeches and
addresses delivered by Governor Perry on several notable oc
casions and a series of sketches of eminent .Vmerican states
men prepared by him at different times during his long and
busy life. The speeches and addresses should be treasured ;
they tell of the position and the sustaining reasons of the
small band of Union men who opposed secession while stand-
ingfastby Democratic principles and the rights of the South.
and are redolent of the highest patriotism, the pure.st integ
rity and clear understanding of the lessons of the past and
the ten dencies of differing systems of public and private action.
The sketches are drawn with the free, strong touch char
acteristic of the author, and give for posterity, life-like, com
pact, invaluable histories of many men like James Otis, John
Adams, C. C. Pinckuey, Christopher Gadsden, Patrick Henry.
Benjamin Franklin, Richard Henry Lee, John Randolph,
Gouverneur Morris and David Ramsey.
The book is now on sale here by H. J. Felton and R. G.
MePherson and should have a place in every libraiy and col
lection — certainly in South Carolina. Price, §1.50.

(The New Haven Eegister, March 4, 1888 )
Biographical Sketr-hes of Eminent American Statesmen, with Speeches, Addresses
and Letters. By Ex-Govemor B. F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C. For sale by
Judd, the Bookseller. Price SI. .50.
This substantial volume is a memorial of one of the staunch-
est Union men in the South before the war. Although Gov.
Perry "went with his State, " it was only after thirty years

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 9

of courageous defence of the Union. His stand was firmly
taken at the aye of twenty-six in a Fourth of July oration
(included in the present volume), which was delivered as the
Nullification troubles were beginning. He resolutely main
tained his ground with a. defiance of any time-serving and in
the face of tierce opposition. At one time he proposed to es
tablish a, Union ]>aperin Greenville, S. C, when friends told
him if he did so neither his property nor his life would be
safe. He replied : "I will go on with my papei- if it sinks my
fortune and sacrifices my life." But when the decisive step
had been taken he felt he must go with his people. "You are
going to the devil and I will go with you, " he answered with
a foresight of the result of ai contest for slavery which few of
his Southern friends possessed. After the war he was ap
pointed Provisional Governor by Johnson, and later, 1866,
was Senator-elect from his Staff-, when the Senate refused to
seat the Senators from South Carolina. Gov. Perry died in
December, 1886. Leaving behind him a. name respected by-
all. The present volume contains a clear and succinct ac
count of his life with some of his litera ry remains. His speeches
are of distinct historical importance. They defend with great
strength the value of the Union to the South, and illustrate
the varying moods of political life from 1830 to 1870. The
address at the anniversary oi the battle of the Cowpens in
1835i.^ an impassioned pleaforpreservingtheintegrity of the
nation. The larger portion of the present volume is composed of
biographical sketches of upwards of forty eminent men of the
revolutionary period and the following genera tion. Whilethe
mostdistinguished have been honored by suitable biographies
many of their contemporaries, who were active in forming
the government and shap^ngits policy, arecomparatively lit
tle known to readers of the present da.y. Gov. Perry, draw
ing on his personal recollections and on those of older men
whom he knew in early life, wrote out these narratives in the
dark years of 1868-76. There is something pathetic in the
picture of the old man, surrounded by the political disorder
and ruin of his State that was to precede regeneration, oc
cupying himself with the contemplation of the work and

10 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

character of the great men who founded the goverment. The
frontispiece is a fine autograph portrait.

(The Charleston .News and Courier, March 5, 1888.)
The promised volume of biographical sketches of eminent
American statesmen, with speeches, addresses, and letters of
Ex-Governor B. F Perry, of Greenville, S. C., has been pub
lished. It is a handsome yolum^ of over six hundred pages^
and is embellished with an admirable likeness of the Jameutecl
Carolina Statesman and a view of his mansion near
Greenville. Theintroduction to the volume is written by Senator Wade
Hampton', who takes occasion to spe£|,k in the most exalted
terms of Governor Perry. It is indeed high praise to be able
to say, with absolute truth, that "every line that he wrote,
t very word that he uttered, on public affairs, was inspired by
an ardent, patriotic desire to promote the best interests of
his State, and. in the light of the great events which have
transpired in the last quarter of a century, many of his ut
terances have proved as pregnant with wisdom as with pa
triotism." And, again, ''the example of such a life as Gover
nor Pen y s, so pure, so unsullied in all its private and public
relations, cannot fail to exert a,, wholesome and elevating
influence wherever it is known, and in this view the following
volume possesses great intrinsic value, for it gives the opin
ions, the feeling, the very thoughts of the writer, expressed
:with perfect frankness and vith commendable impartiality.''
The introduction is followed by a .sketch of Governor
Perry's life by Mr. A. B. Williams. It is thoughtful, discrim
inating and appreciative. Some of the articles published in
the leading South Carolina newspapers at the time of Gover
nor Peny's death are then giAeii. together with the speeches
i' the Legislature on the sad occasion, and the memorial
proceedings of the Greenville Bar.
Then the interested reader comes to the notable addresses
deli\-Hied by Governor Perry. The flrst of these is the
¦ Fourth of July " oration at neenville in 1831, when Gov-
Hi-nor Perry was only 2~). Th<- appeal to the NulUfiers is

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 11

most touching. There are also the addresses delivered on^,
the battlefleld of Cowpens in 1835; the address before the
Literary Societies of Erskine College in 1844, and the speech
delivered in the House of ^ Representatives of South Carolina
in 1850 on the subject of the relations of the States to the
Union. In this address the political opinions and principles'
of Governor Perry are set forth in superb warmth and co
gency. The burden of the address is that he was in favor of
"a rational and successful defence by the union of the South,
which will redress our wrongs, secure our rights, and preserve
the Union of the States." This speech. Governor Perry said,
he left "as a legacy to his country and his children." Next
comes the noble and notable speech of Governor Perry in the
National Democratic Convention at Charleston in May,
1860. It is followed by his address to the Democracj^ of the
Fifth Congressional District in 1860. Then comes his letter
to the Charleston Courier, dated August 13, 1860, and his
letter to "many citizens" of Charleston.
After the war, as is known. Governor Perry was elected
United States Senator, but was denied his seat. In the vol
ume before us is the unanswerable letter which he wrote upon
that subject to the National Intelligencer of Washington.
The next paper is a letter accepting the Democratic nomina
tion for Congress in 1872, which is followed by his address to
his constituency after he had been defeated by the negro
vote. Then comes the thoughtful and beautiful address on "The
Ancients and the Moderns," which was delivered before the
Cheraw Lj-ceum in June, 1876.
The remainder of the volume is occupied by Governor
Perry's sketches of eminent American statesmen. Among
these are sketches of John Adams, John Rutledge, C. C. Pinck-
ney, Christopher Gadsden, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin
Franklin, John Randolph, David Ramsey, William Wirt,
Henry Lee and Wade Hampton.
This description of the addresses and of the speeches can
give but a faint idea of their value and their worth. They
must be read in order to be appreciated. They must be
studied in order that their fullness and depth may be under-

12 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
stood: They are rich in m ixini.->, in judicious council, in
happy phrase. But, rich as the published papers iire, there
is much more which has not been told.
Nowhere in the history of the United States i^ thereamore
heroic example of fortitude and devotion than is found in
Governor Perry's public life. Loyal to the South, to his
State, he held fast to the Union as the Palladium of our lib
erties, and would not consent to its undoing. As he writes
in his journal, " After secession was accomplished, I sat in
my office and cried like a child." The social and poHtical
pressure was enormous. To hold the opinions that he held
and avowed was to close the door to public preferment. But
he had faith always that tim^^ would bring him vindication
and restoration. It came. When the war was over he was
appointed Provisional Governor, under the Reconstruction
procedure, and was of signal benefit to his people. So, too,
he was elected United States Senator. So, too, he was invi
ted to lead a forlorn hope as the Damocratic candidate for
Congress in his District. While his own psople in South
Carolina turned to him and depended upon hii;i, the trium
phant North, however, rejected him and looked upon him
with distrust. Conscience and principle, not self-interest, had
ever been his guide, and he could no more swerve from the
right road for the sake of the victorious Union than to keep
company with his own kith and kin in nullification and se
cession. In a letter written to Mrs. Perry, in 1857, Governor Perry
said :
'¦ In regard to the abuse of me in South Carolina, it has not come from the gen
tlemen of the State. I do not believe there is at this time a distinguifhed man in
the State who does not most cordially respect and esteem me. Such is their de
portment towards me. I shall leave a reputation for my children which they may
be proud of, and which will not injure their prospects at all. My reputation will
grow brighter after my deneas". It is my purpose to make a publication of my
uritings with a view of doing justice to my memory hereafter."
It was not a vain hope and belief. Governor Perry's repu
tation grew brighter year by year, and is brighter than ever
before, now that, with unprejudiced eye, the people can look
upon the .steadfastness, the simplicity, the symmetry of his
life.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 13
M -s. Parry di.-^chargcs lovingly a tender dnty towards her
distinguished husband in preparing this volume for publica
tion. Surely there is nothing more beautiful, moreinspiring,
than the wifely love which finds its highest pleasure in
making known to his fellow-countrymen the patriotism, the
foresight, the intrepidity, the unselfishness of the husband to
whom she had been joined in her youth, and with whom she
had lived in entire concord and content, in sickness and in
health, until dea.th parted, for a little while, the two who had
been one in aim, in thought, in heart a.nd desire, for long de
cades which mutual confidence and trust made all too brief.
Mrs. Perry is a model of appreciation and devotion, as Gov
ernor Perry was the exemplar of constancy and truth.
The volume before us is neatly bound and well printed. It
can be obtained at Hammond's, or of the Walker, Evans &
Cogswell Company, in Broad street, and of E. Perry & Co.,
in Meeting street. Price |1.50.

(The Augusta rhronicle, March 14, 1888.)
The promised volume of biographies, sketches of eminent
American statesmen with speeches, addresses, and letters of
ex-Governor B. F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C, has been pub
lished. It is a handsome volume of over six hundred pages,
andis embellished with an admirable likeness of thelamented
Carolina statesman and a view of his mansion near Green
ville. South Carolina knew no more devoted son, no purer states
man nor more honorable man. No stronger voice than B.
F. Perry's, inspired by loftier sentiments or more patriotic
purposes, was ever heard within her borders in defence of the
right or in championship of justice. His life's history will be
aliiiht in South Carolina annals for all time to come, and
this volume of biographies will be treasured as commemora
tive of his services to his State and his upright and useful
walk in life.
The publication is prepared by Mrs. B. F. Perry— " a loving
and tender duty towards her distinguished husband." It is
for sale at J. M. Richards. Price $1.50.

14 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
(The News and Herald, Winnsboro. S. C, March 15th, 1888.)
This book has been before the public for some time. It is
a handsome volume of six hundred pages and has an excel
lent photograph of Gov. Perry and a view of his dwelling.
Senator Hampton writes the introduction and a sketch of
Gov. Perry written by A. B. Williams, of the Greenville News
follows. Then follows addresses delivered by Gov. Perry
The rest of the volume is occupied by Gov. Perry's sketches
of Jas. Otis, John Adams, John Rutlege, C. C. Pinkney
Christopher Gadsden, Wm. H. Crawford, .\lex. Hamilton
Patrick Henry, Benj. Franklin, John Randolph, George
Washington, David Ramsey, William Wirt, Henry Lee and
others prominent in our history.
The book is a most interesting one and cannot be appre
ciated unless fully read. Mrs. Perry prepared the volume for
publication and it will well repay any one to peruse it care
fully. For sale by Messrs. McMaster, Brice & Kitchin. Price
#1.50.

(The Anderson Intelligencer, Thursday, March 1.5, 1888.)
Mrs. Perry, the widow of the late ex-Governor Perry, has
presented the Intelligencer with a copy of a book which
she has recently published, and which is made up of bio
graphical sketches of eminent American statesmen, with
speeches, addresses and letters of her distinguished husband.
It is printed in a very handsome style, contains six hundred
pages, and is embellished with an admirable likeness of Gov
ernor Perry, and a view of his mansion near Greenville. The
introduction to the book is written by Senator Hampton,
who eulogizes the lamented statesman in the very highest
terms. This introduction is followed by a biographical sketch
of Governor Perry's life by A. B. Williams, editor of the
Greenville News. The book is indeed a very valuable work,
and should find its way into the home of every true Caroli
nian. It is sold at the low price of |1.50, and can be ob
tained at Messrs. G. W. Fant & Son's book store.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 15
(The Anderson .Tournal, Thursday, March 15, 1888.)
The exceptionally handsome volume of six hundred pages
and over, just from the press, containing a brief biography,
and press notices and public speeches concerning the late ex-
Governor Perry, together with a number of his addresses
and sketches from his trenchant pen, gives a clear insight in
to the life and character of that eminent South Carolinian
now gone to his last rest. The volume at hand is compiled
bj the noble and faithful wife that still survives him. In the
introduction, which is written by Senator Hampton, it is
fittingly said that "the example of such a life as Governor
Perry's, so pure, so unsullied in all its private and public re-
|lations, cannot fail to exert a wholesome and elevating influ
ence wherever it is known, and in this view the following vol
ume possesses great intrinsic value, for it gives the opinions,
the feeling, the very thoughts of the writer, expressed with
.perfect frankness and with commendable impartiality."
There is no one but can read this book with profit, but espe
cially should it be in the hands of the younger generation
now entering upon the activities and responsibilities of life.
It is neatly and substantially bound, and is for sale by Geo.
W. Fant & Son, Anderson, S. C.

(The Daily Sun, Charleston, S. V... March 16, 1888.
A copy of the biographical sketches of eminent American
statesmen by thelate ex-Governor B. F. Perry has been sent
to The Daily Sun by Mrs. Perry, through the book house of
Mr. Hammond, of this city.
The name appended to the title of the book carries with;,it
such sentiments of high respect and warm appreciation of
the author's character that one is strongly induced to look
into its contents, for his life covered a period of most mo
mentous consequences in the history of his State. His strong
mental habits, culture, grace of expression, studious care,
wide research, acuteness of vision in political matters and
sincerity of purpose shine out conspicuously in these sketches,
while in just and candid lines he portrays the characteristics
of his subjects.
The book is a valuable contribution to the literature of the

16 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

South, a feeling memorial to the illustrious men of our be
loved State, and an exposition of the jmre patriotism that
impelled their actions. To the youth of our State and coun
try there is much to edify and exaIr aiifl enconr asiement to
earnest application, manly and persistent effort in right, and
deterniiiif^d resistance to what is conscientiously regarded as
wrong. It is, too, of great historical value, containing the
principal facts r-ounected with the secession movement in
1860, and the .National Convention in Charleston. Many
who may not have been able to learn but scanty facts and
circumstances relating to that most exciting convocation of
freemen, will, in this volume, be able to see both sides as then
consider-f'd by the author, a Unionist, and be able to draw
conclusions as to facts presented.
The sketches of Revolutionary patriots cannot fail to in
terest the mass of leadeis, and we strongly commend tiie at
tentive perusal to the younji' of both .sexes, but specially the
boys, who thereby may light the torch of patriotism anew,
at the altars where our forefathers caught their inspiration
for constitutional liberty.
The book is very neatlyand substantially bound. For sale
at Hammond's, Walker, Evans & Cogswell and Perry's book
stores. Price $1.50 ])er volume.

(The Carolina Spartan, Spartanburg, S. C.)
"Sketches by Governor Perry of South Carolina" is a val
uable volume recently published. The revision and compila
tion were made by .Mrs. Perry, the devoted wife of the Hon.
B. F. Perry. The introduction is written by Wade Hampton
who greatly admired Governor Perry's integrity, patriotism
and ability. The sketch of his lifeis by A. B. Williams, editor
of the Greenville News. The book contains about 600 pages
and it is printed in good style and on good paper. There is
a full page likeness of the Governor, as well as a picture of his
elegant mansion, (Sans Souci. After the introductory pages
and the proceedings of various public bodies relating to the
Governor's death, the first thing is a fourth of July oration
delivered in Greenville in 1831. Then follows an address de-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 1 7
livered at the fifty-fourth anniversary of the battle of Cow
pens. This was January 17, 1835. There are very few per
sons now living that heard that speech. The people of this
county should buy the book for that address. After the va
rious addresses on important subjects are given which will
interest and inform the student of our State history, about
half of the volume is taken up with sketches of prominent
men, which are most readable. Any young man interested in
our recent history and the men who made it should buy this
book. It will be money well spent. For sale at Messrs. Co-
field & Petty's. Price $1.50.

(Carolina Spartan, Spartanburg, S. C, Wednesday, March 21, 1888.)
(Communicated.)
A book recently issued, to be found atCofield, Petty & Co's,
is sketches by Governor Perry, of South Carolina. The title
and table of contents indicate the rich store of unwritten
history and biographical interest between these pages. The
orations, addresses, speeches and sketches give an index of
broad culture and high character of the author. After read
ing the introduction written by Gen. Hampton and the
sketches of Governor Perry's life, by A. B. Williams, the
reader is prepared to more fully understand the articles from
the pen of Governor Perry, illustrating, as they do, the exci
ting period preceding the war between the States, and pre
senting a grand picture of the man who did and dared every
thing to preserve the Union of the States, until secession was
accomplished, then as strenuously labored to secure the re
cognition of the Southern Confederacy. It has been forcibly
said, " That he lost the honors of his State by being true to
the Union, that he lost the honors of the country by being
true to his State." In the clearer light of history he will at
last receive the honors due to the man who never swerved
from his integrity and patriotism.
To one wishing to inform himself, of the casus belli involved
in the doctrines of Nullification, Secession and Union, no bet
ter exposition could be suggested. The fervid questions that
agitated the nation are illustrated with great force in the

18 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Fourth of July Oration, The Address at Cowpens, and other
speeches contained in the volume. Governor Perry believed
from his earliest manhood : "The Federal Constitution, the
most perfect system of civil policy that the wisdom of men
can ever invent." To preserve it, he contended in the arena,
in editorial chair, the hustings, and in legislative halls for
over thirty years. The speech made in 1850 in the House of
Representatives, on State and Federal affairs, is a master
piece of exhaustive study and close reasoning. When in 1860
the South Carolina delegation withdrew from the National
Democratic Convention, Governor Perry would not act in
concert with his colleagues, but remained in the Convention
in the face of the vituperations of the press and people of
the State. His vindication of his course, addressed to his
constituents in an open letter, is a powerful summing up of
the situation. He remained in the Convention, he declared,
because he believed the highest interests of the State and
country- imperiled by withdrawal. He had the moral courage
to stem popular opinion, and boldly declared: "There is
much more consolation in being right than in being successful
when wrong."
The paper on National Restoration, written, after the re
fusal of the U. S. Senate in 1866, to allow him to take his
seat in the Senate, is an epitome of the attitude of the two
sections at that time.
Perhaps to the general reader the portion of the book con
taining sketches of eminent .\merican statesmen, would
prove more attractive than the first of the volume. The
clear analysis, the ter.se philosophy, give a charm to a
sprightly style of narrative, relieving any susjjicion of the
dulluess often attached to biography. The characters of
General Washington, General Rutledge, General Gadsden,
John Randolph, Gouveneur ^Morris, Benjamin Franklin,
Lowndes, Drayton and others, are sketched with a force well
rueh dramatic. The last of these is of Colonel Roebuck, a
Spartanburg man who was one of "the Heroes of King's
Mountain." The whole volume is one worth the attention of the public,
as a valuable compendium of pleasant as well as instructive
matter. Celina Means.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 19
(The Carolina Spartan, Spartanburg, S. C, Wednesday, March 21, 1888.;
The Kennedy Library.— The trustees return thanks for
the following donations through Mrs. Dr. Means.
Mrs. Gov. Perry gives a copy of the volume she has recently
edited, consisting of "Memoirs" written by her distinguished
husband. This book has special interest for all Carolinians,
who wish to be well informed, about the public men of this
generation. These repeated proofs of the interest taken
in our Library, by this venerable lady, living in another city,
call for our special acknowledgement.

(The Baptist Courier, Thur.-^day, March 22, 1888.)
This a,dniirable book has an especial interest for South
Carohnians. it is a handsome volume containing more than
six hundred pages, and is a worthy memento of the distin
guished citizen of whom it treats and whose writings are
herein embodied. Governor Perry was so widely known
that scarcely any one need to be told in this generation of his
noble qualities, and yet it is meet to have an introduction to
this volume from the pen of one who knew so well the high
character and unflinching integrity of theman, so that future
generations may rightly appreciate his honora,ble career.
General Hampton felt the force of his words in saying of his
friend that " every line that he wrote, every word that he ut
tered on public affairs, were inspired by an a.rdent, patriotic
desire to promote the best interests of his State, and in the
light of the great events which have transpired in the last
quarter of a century, many of his utterances have proved as
pregnant with wisdom as with patriotism." The brief sketch
of Governor Perry's life which follows the introductory chap
ter was wr-itten by Mr. A. B. Williams, editor of the Green
ville Daily News, and is a careful and appreciative outline of
the chief incidents in an eventfnl life. Following this sketch
are a number of extracts from newspa,pers commenting upon
the death of Governor Perry, to which is added the action of
the Legislature, in which body he served so long and ably,
and the memorial proceedings of the Greenville bar. Nearly
two hundred pages of the book are next occupied with some

20 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

of the most notable speeches made by Govei-nor Perry, be
ginning with a patriotic address when he was quite a youth,
delivered on the 4th of July in the Greenville Baptist church,
and ending with an ornate lecture before the Cheraw lyceum
in 1876. The remainder of the volume is devoted to his
sketches of American statesmen, includingThomas Jefferson.
Benjamin Franklin, John Randolph, John Adams, C. C.
Pinckney, Christopher Gadsden, David Ramsey and others.
Our space forbids further enumeration as to the intrinsic
merits of this volume, which has been compiled and printed
in honor of the dead patriot and statesman through the
loving regard of his devoted wife. It can be bought at R. G.
McPherson's, Greenville. S. C, and at Felton's. Price |1.50.

(The Keowee Courier, Walhnlla, S. C, March 22, 1888.)
Mrs. B. F Perry has our thanks for a copy of the volume
recently published through her exertions in memory of the
life, labors and eminent statesmanship of her lamented hus
band. The work contains over six hundred pages, and em
braces, besides public speeches and sketches of eminent states
men, a biographical sketch of the life and character of ex-
(iovernor Perry, prepared by Senator Hampton. To our
readers who knew Governor Perry personally, and who de
lighted to honor him for his pure and unselfish patriotism
and devotion to duty in the most trying period of our coun
try's history, the work needs no commendation. His success
in life in the face of bitter political opposition, affords an in-
(^entive to the young to devotion to duty when clearly seen
and carefully studied. The just tributeof wisdom and honor
conferred on him by the present generation and by the light
of events foreseen and forewarned is a pregnant lesson in
sound statesmanship, which time can never efface. Studious,
conservative, firm, his opinions on National politics have
been veiilied by time. Equally broad and clear sighted in
matters of State, the reforms, he expended the meridian of
his life in pressing, have borne fruit in a fair and just equih-
brium of power in the upper and lower sections of the State.
(Jovernor Perry was a model of manhood, atruly great man.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 21
whose life and writings should be read and studied by the
rising generation, especially the present work, which, mainly
biographical, points out and comments on the character and
services of the great men of the past generation and their
path to greatness. The book, neatly bound, can be bought
of Mr. T. E. Stribling, Postmaster at Walhalla. Price |1.50.

(Seneca Free Press, March 23, 1888.)
Mrs. Perry, the widow of ex-Governor B. F. Perry, has pre
sented us with a pamphlet in memoriam to her noble and dis
tinguished husband; also, with the address delivered by Gov
ernor Perry before the Literary Societies of Erskine College.
Mrs. Perry has recently published a book made up of bio
graphical sketches of eminent American statesmen, with ad
dresses, letters and speeches of her husband. This book is
sold at the low price of |1.50.

(Atlanta Constitutiom, March 24, 1888.)
Sketches by Governor Perry, the Ferree Co., Philadelphia. In this handsome vol
ume will be found a biography of the Honorable Benjamin F. Perry, the Recon.
struction Governor of South Carolina, with a collection of his speeches and
addresses.
After the war, as is known. Governor Perry was elected
United States Senator, but was denied his seat. In the vol
ume before us is the unanswerable letter which he wrote upon
that subject to the National Intelligencer of Washington.
The next paper is a letter accepting the Democratic nomina
tion for Congress in 1872, which is followed by his address to
his constituency after he had been defeated by the negro vote.
Then comes the thoughtful and beautiful address on " The
Ancients and Moderns,'" which was delivered before the Che
raw Lyceum in June, 1876.
The remainder' of the volume is occupied by Governor
Perry's sketches of eminent American statesmen. Among
these are sketches of John Adams, C. C. Pinckney, Christo
pher Gadsden, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John

22 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Randolph, David Ramsey, William Wirt, Henry Lee and
Wade Hampton. Price |1. 50.
For sale by Wilson & Bruchuer, E. H. & J. Thornton, and
S. P. Richards & Son.

(The Cheraw Reporter, March 27, 1888.)
"Sketches by Governor Perry, of South Carolina," is the
title of a volume recently published by " The Ferree Press,"
of Philadelphia. This book, as its name implies, is a volume ,
of biographical sketches of distinguished men in South Car
olina, and other States — men whose lives and actions have
contributed much to the make-up of the history of this
country. In the perusal of the lives of such men as Arthur
Middleton, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. Thomas Jefferson,
Alexander Hamilton, John Randolph, Fisher Ames, Felix
Grundy, John Marshall, Patrick Henry and John Adams, the
reader must feel that he is reading the history of his own
country. The lives of these men are so intimately associated
with all the great principles and stirring events thatcameup
for consideration in their day, they may be said to contrib
ute largely to the history of the Republic of America.
In addition to the concise and interesting sketches of the
lives and character's of those great men, the book contains
much Other valuable matter, such as lectures and addresses
on various occasions. Among these miscellaneous pieces are
the beautiful address to the students of Erskine College and
the able and interesting lecture before the Chera.w Lyceum in
Juur!, 187o. We do not doubt that all who hr-^ard this lecture
will be glad to read it in print. It is full of valuableinforma-
tion and is written in fine style. It is one of Governor Perry's
be.st efforts.
We would think that every .-^iouth Carolinian would wish to
own a copy of this book, for from its pages he can at a mo
ment refresh his memory as to facts in the lives of the great
men of his State and country. Besides, it is pleasant to be
constantly reminded that South Carolina numbered among
her native born citizens as noble a man as Governor B. F.
Perr\'. This book is for sale at McCreight & Wannamaker's, at the
very low price of f 1.50.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 23
«
(Boston AdvertJser, March .31, 1888.)
Biographical Sketches of Eminent American Statesmen, with Speeches, Addresses
and Letters, by ex-Governor B. F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C. Introductory by
Senator Wade Hampton. Prefaced by an outline of the author's life. The
Ferree Press, Philadelphia, 1887.
"Many men have many minds," is a saying which strength
ens in its truth and significance with the degree of the impor
tance of rhe subject which illustrates it. Each addition to
our stock of literature about our civil war, especially of vol.
umes which disclose the opinions, characters and positions of
our public men in it. Northern or Southern, adds to the va
riety and individuality of the views entertained about it and
of the relations assumed towards it. The questions which
are opened and which will be endlessly discussed about that
war ai'e such as these : Was it inevitable or avertible'? Was
it right or wrong? Was it hopeful of success in its primary
object, or partially hopeless? Could men of equal intelli
gence, sincerity and integrity of character take opposite sides
in it, or was there on one side a vitiating, on the other an
ennobhng, element indicating respectively the lack or the
presence of the highest quality in wisdom or principle? And
these alternatives might be multiplied indefinitely. As we
have intimated, each successive biographical volume intro
ducing to us the opinions held and the course taken by men
in public station during the war gives us some varying illus
tration of the proverb which we have quoted. This state
ment finds a very striking confirmation of its truth in the
contents of the volume now before us, and in the sketch of
the character and the course of its subject.
Benjamin Franklin Perry became first known, and then fa
vorably, in this section of the country in 1844, when, as a
member of the Senate of South Carolina, he gave his solitary
vote against a resolution offered in it for the expulsion from
the State of Mr. Samuel Hoar, who had been sent there by
Massachusetts to protest against the police law by which
colored men, seamen, stewards, cooks, etc., were taken from
Massachusetts vessels on their arrival and imprisoned, at the
expense of the owners, till the vessels left port. This act,
which subjected Mr. Perry to great obloquy, was significant

24 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
of .the position which he assumed, and steadily maintained,
as a minority of one, till the opening of the war, and which
barred his public advancement in political life among his fel
low-citizens. There is a discrepancy between two statements which we
find in this volume as to the ancestr-y of Mr. Perry.
In the biographical sketch of him we read that his father
was a native of Massachusetts of English descent, of the
same stock as Commodore Oliver Perry. The father went to
Charleston, S. C. in 1784, and afterwar-d removed to Green
ville, where he was married. But the son, in one of his eai-n-
est speeches in the State House of Representatives in 1850,
deprecating the secession spirit, said : " There is no tie that
binds a man to his native State that I do not feel for Caro
lina. Here, sir, I was born and brought up. Here I have
lived, and here I expect to die. Here, too, repose the remains
of my ancestors." (*) Nor does it relieve the discrepancy much
to state that his mother was a Virginian. But, howeverthis
may be, Mr. Perry was heart and soul a South Carolinian,
proud of his birth-State, warm with the ardor and spirit of
its people, intent upon upholding its local rights. In every
public utterance made by him, including his impassioned ap
peal in the National Democratic Convention in Charleston in
1860, he avows his approval of slavery, his belief in the
rightfulness and even blessed influences and workings of the
institution as a method of civilizing Africans. He believed
and warned his people that a disruption of the Union would
bring the institution to an absolute extinction. He said of
slavery: "I will be as ready as any one to defend it at the
sacriflce of the Union itself, as much as I value the Union."
Here certainly is a marked type of individuality in a man
and in an opinion. Strong, however, as these asseverations
were, they could not diminish the hostility and opprobrium
which he brought on himself as his hearers glared on him
while he argued and pleaded and protested against theblind-

* Note. — He should have said, " Here, too, repose the remains of my parents.'
It was what he meant.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 25

uess, stupidity and folly with which they were rushing to
their ruin. As he walked through the streets of Charleston,
after the discussion in the Convention, he was hissed on ac
count of the noble stand he had taken, (this one brave Union
man), to prevent the breaking up of the Convention; which
he knew would result in the breaking up of the Democratic
party in the United States, and be fatal to the South.
He would not withdra.w with other Southern delegates in
the Charleston Convention when it broke into factions, but
stood for his candidate for the Presidency under a storm of
hisses, through which, however, he made himself heard.
Again he fought secession in the Convention of his State to
declare the dissolution of the Union in 1860. None the less
he followed his State in its exit, pronouncing on it the bene
diction: "You are all going to the devil, and I will go with
you." Being 56 years of age, he did not enter active service,
being represented there by his eldest son, but was loyal to
the Confederacy as Commissioner, member of the Legislature,
District Attorney and -Judge, and he spoke his full share of
fier_y oratory. At the close of the war President Johnson,
with general approbation, appointed him Provisional Gov
ernor of his State. He was denied the seat in the National
Senate to which he was elected, and failed of election when
nominated to the House of Representatives. (1) He con
temptuously opposed the carpet-baggers and the Reconstruc
tion measures.
With strong friends and enemies, he was pure and exem
plary in private life. It is pleasant to read thatinhis stormy
career he enjoyed and occupied himself with literary pursuits
in a well-furnished library. The fruits of his studies fill the
larger part of this solid volume, in which, besifles lectures,
we have a series of sketches of eminent America.n statesmen
all over the country, especially those of the Revolutionary
period. These are written with ability, with appreciation
and general impartiality. It is refreshing to read the strong
and^positive utterances of a, man of such strength and inde
pendence of mind, backed by sinceiity and integrity of pur
pose. He died in 1886 at the age of 81.
For sale by Damrell & Upham.
t He was defrauded of his election by tlio Radicals.

26 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
(The Daily Advertiser, Montgomery, Alabama, April 19. 1888,
One of South Carolina's most distinguished and most use
ful sons was the Honorable B. F Perry. He did not agree
with the dominant sentiment of the State, and opposed Nul
lification when it was the great issue, and was equally op
posed to secession in 1860. But he was true and loyal to his
State during the dark and drear-y days of the war, and as
soon as hostilities ceased was actively at work in theinterest
of the people. He was a powerful man with pen and voice,
and no man ever had the confidence of those who knew him
to a fuller extent. Recently a volume has been published
containing a sketch of his life, together with his addresses
and lettei-s on important subjects. It is a ver-y handsome
book of over 600 pages and is embellished with an admirable
likeness o' the distinguished South <~^arolinian, and a view of
his home near Greenville. Senator Hampton wrote the in-
tr-oduction to the volume, and it is certainly high praise to
be able to say, as he does of Governor Perry, that "Every
line tnat he wrote, every word that he uttered on pubhc af
fairs, was inspired by an ardent desire to promote the best
interests of the State, and, in light of the great events which
have transpired in the last quarter of a century, many of his
utter-ances have proved as pregnant with wisdom as with
patriotism." And again, "The example of such a life as
Governor IVriy's, so pure, so unsullied in all its private and
public relations, cannot fail to exert a wholesome and eleva
ting influence wherever it is known, and in this view the
following volume possesses great inti-insic value, for it gives
the opinions, the feeling, the ver-y thoughts of the writer, ex
pressed with per-fect frankness and with commendable impar
tiality." This book is for sale in Montgomery by Mr. W. C. Holt.
Price f 1.50.

(Boston Post.)
The "Biographical Sketches" by ex-Governor Perry have
been highly spoken of by leading newspapers. The reviewer
of the Boston Post says :
" The late Governor Perry was for more than fifty years a

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 27
conspicuous figure in the politics and law of South Carolina.
Born in that State in 1805 of New England descent, he was
intensely provincial in his feelings, while at the same time,
down to the bi'eaking out of the Rebellion, he was ardently
devoted to the Union. He regarded slavery as an undis
guised blessing, and he saw very clearly what Calhoun and
Jefferson Davis and the rest of them fortunately did not see
— that if the Union were broken up, slavery would be doomed ;
and he therefore stoutly i-esisted both nullification and se
cession. But when his State tried to get out of the Union,
he cast in his fortunes with her, and held several offices under
the Confederate government. When the Confederacy went to
pieces, he returned to his natural allegiance, but he brought
out of the struggle an unaccustomed bitterness, from which
he never recovered, though he lived twenty years longer. He
died in December, 1886, having just completed his 81st year.
By far the most intei-esting and impor-tant part of the vol
ume of his collected speeches and writings now before us, and
one which has a permanent value, is that which relates to
politics. It well illustrates one phase of life and thought at
the South, both before and after the r-ebellion. It comprises
the speech in favor of the preser-vation of the Union, deliv-
er-ed in the South Carolina House of Representatives in De
cember. 1850 ; a short speech in the National Democratic
Convention at Charleston, in May, 1860, giving his reasons
for notwithdrawingfromthe Convention with his colleagues;
an address to his constituents in further explanation of his
course, and a letter on disunion wr-itten a few months later;
a letter to the National Intelligencer in 1866, on national
restoration ; and one or two other papers of lesser impor
tance, besides incidental reference to the subject. These doc
uments all have an historical value and they are well wor-th
being put into a permanent form. They show the point of
view and the course of argument adopted by a strong and
able man, who as well as any one represented the opinions of
the minority in the Southern States.
Besides these political papers there are a Fourth of July
oration, delivered when he was 25, an anniversary address

28 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

in commemoration of the battle of Cowpens, of which the
best part has a political bearing, and some other literary
addresses which indicate taste and culture, but do not re
quire special noti(;e. The last half of the volume comprises
a serif's of biographical sketches, written between 1866 and
1876, apparently for pubhcation in the local newspapers.
They are about forty in number, and include many of the
most prominent men. North and South, of the Revolutionary
era and of a later period. They are the fruit of study, rather
than of observation: for .Mr. Perry saw but few of the men
who.se lives he narrates, and there are, therefore, few personal
rcminisrences. But the sketches are well adapted to the pui--
]iose for which they were written.
VoY sale at Damrell & Upham 's.

(The r>;]rliii';-ron .NVus. Darlington. S (' , Thursday. May 17, 18«8.
l'.iogra])liical sketches of eminent .Vmeiican statesmen, with
sjieeches, addresses and letters by ex-Governor B. F. Perry.
of South Carolina, is one of the most valuable books recently
yjublished. It contains an introductory by Senator Wade
Hampton, which is \c)y tine in itself. Every family in the
State should have a copy of this excellent work. This book
is for sale at the News office. Price ¦'r^l .."lO.

(The Times-Union, .lacksonville, FUi,, .luly 12. 1888.
From the Ferree Press of Philadelphia comes a neatly
bound and well printed volume entitled : "Biographical
Sketches of Eminent Amer-ican Statesmen, with Speeches.
Addiesses. and Letters by ex-(jovernor B. F Perry of South
Carolina." The book has been compiled and published by
tlie wife of the eminent South Carolinian in memory of him
and his life work. It contains over 600 pages, and is embel.
lished with an admirable likeness of the late ex-Governor,
and a view of his mansion, •¦ Sans Souci," near Greenville.
The introduction to the volume is written by Senator
Wade Hampton, who takes occasion to speak in the most
••xalted terms of (Jovernor Perry. It is indeed high praise to

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 29

be able to say, with absolute truth, that "every line that he
wrote, every word that he uttered on public affairs, was in
spired by an ardent patriotic desire to promote the best in
terests of his State, and, in the light of the great events
which have transpired in the last quarter of a century, many
of his utterances have proved as pregnant with wisdom as
with patriotism." And, again, " the example of such a life
as Governor Perry's, so pure, so unsullied in all its private
and public relations, cannot fail to exert a wholescme and
elevating influence wher-ever it is known; and in this view the
following volume possesses great intrinsic value, for it gives
the opinions, the feeling, the very thoughts of the writer, ex
pressed with perfect frankness and with commendableimpar-
tiality." A sketch of Governor Perry's life follows and then the most
notable of his public addresses, among them his famous
Fourth of July oration of 1831, when he was only 25 years
of age.
The i-emainder of the volume is occupied by Governor Perr-y 's
sketches of eminent American statesmen. Among these are
sketches of John Adams, John Rutledge, C. C. Pinckney,
Christopher Gadsden, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Frank
lin, John Randolph, David Ramsay, William Wirt, Henry
Lee and Wade Hampton.
The description of the addresses and of the speeches can
give but a faint idea of their value and their worth. They
must be read in order to be appreciated. They must be
studied in order that their fullness and depth may be under
stood. They are rich in maxims, in judicious counsel, in
happy phrase. But, rich as the published papers are, there
is much more which has not been told.

LETTERS
ExPFtESSING THE APPRECIATION OF THE WRITERS
 FOR 
"Ihe ReminisceiiCEs " and " Biographical Sketcties of Eminent /Imerican Slatesmen,"

Br GOVERNOR PERRY.

Winnsijoro, S. C, May 8. 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
Dear Madam: You will permit me to thank youforacopy
of the volume, "Sketches,"' by Governor Perry, just received.
I shall value it very highly for many reasons, not the least
among which is that it contains a slight memorial of the life
and public services of its illustrious author. I will be glad
when the full story of Governor Perry's life has been told by
an historian worthy of the task — when his splendid example
of heroic devotion to principle which is now the proud herit
age of his countrymen shall have been made the common
property of men in all time to come.
You will pardon me for writing so much at length, but 1
cannot pass very lightly anything which r-elates even indi
rectly to Governor Perry, whose character I admire above
that of all the public men whom South Carolina has pro
duced. It seems to me, as I look back over the history of the
State for the past half century, that he towers a colossus
above all of his cotemporaries, and I am persuaded that his
example for good will be felt, and his words of wisdom heard
when the noisy babble of his inferior but successful opponents
shall have passed into eternal silence.
Thanking you again for the book, I remain
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
Edward B. Ragsdale.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 31
Santa Barbara, Cal., May 31, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Cousin : I had t he pleasure of receiving recently
(through the mail) the book you were so kind as to send ine,
containing t'he writings, &c., of your late husband, and, I may
add, my highly esteemed friend . I am reading it with pleasure,
from time to time, and the very interesting address to the
students of Erskine College, (which in pamphlet form you
formerly sent me), I sent, for the special perusal of my young
est son, Arthur P. Hayne, now at the State University, as
inculcating very useful lessons of wisdom and instruction.
It was a pleasure to be thus r-emembered by my reltitives,
now living at so great a distance. While a sense of the duty
I owed to my youngest sons led me to emigrate (at theter-
rible period of the "Reconstruction times") to this State, and
thus to open to them a fair fleld for success, my heai-t v.'ill
yet always turn with a sad but loving remembrance of my
dear old native State. I have suceeded fairly in my new
home, and my sons have, thank God, not disappointed my
hopes. We (you and I) are both of us now aged. We cannot ex
pect our lives to be prolonged much longer; indeed, at our
time of life we necessarily live much in the past, and it is a
solace to our declining years, that for both of us, our past
has been one which has not cast a shadow upon our present.
The unfortunate civil war has, under the good providence of
God, worked out for us such lessons of good as will tend to
make us, I trust, wiser a.nd better.
I shall always feel an interest in the welfare of all my rela.
tives in South Carolina, and in none more than in you and
yours. Please remember me kindly to my cousins, and be
lieve me to be Very affectionately yours, W. Alston H.\yne.

(The following is an extract from a letter.)
Chester, S. C, July 16, 1888.
My Dear Mrs. Perry : I have your letter of the 11th and
answer it to-day.

32 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

In all my life I do not know that my heart has been ever
more touched than in reading its contents. ******
I know as to this I write to one whose hear-t in this regard
must be in sympathy and union with my ov.n. Your- love
and veneration for Governor Perry, your devotion to pre
serving the memory of his usefulness and greatness, is one of
the most beautiful instances of true affection which can be
found anywhere. Yours has not been the mere conventional
mourning of a widow for a kind husband, but it has been a
loving purpose to i-escue his name and farnefrom the oblivion
which has followed the death of so many strong men at the
South. Take two of Governor Perry's cotemporaries, (older
men however), Waddy Thompson and Warren R. Davis.
They were both men of fine intellects and had been even more
in public life than your husband. Their very names are al
most forgotten. Not so with Governor Perry. Theexer-tions
of adevoted wife have given him a lasting and honored place
in the history of our State and country. I hope to be able
to visit Greenville about the last of August and have the
pleasure of seeing you.
Yours most respectfully and gratefully,
S. Prioleau Hamilton.

Faikmouxt College, Mont Eagle, Texx., Sept. G. 1888.
My Dear Mrs. Pehky: A short time before Yardry Mc-
Bee's death I called on him in Greenville and we had an
eai-nest and most pleasant conversation. When about to
say good bye [noticed a copyof "Reminiscences by Governor
Perry," and showing intei-est in the book I was urged by him
to take it with me. Before 1 returned it he died, and Aunt
Susan asked me to keep it in memoiv of Yai-drv. thus aiviiio-
the book, which was already fully appreciated by reason of
its intrinsic worth and the distinguished life of the author, a
new value to ine.
My brother. Dr. McBee, who is at present with me, has en
joyed the book exceedingly, and a few days ago handed it to
Judge Lea, of Nashville, saying as he did so: ".Judge, here
is a book vou will enjov."

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 38

When Judge Lea returned it his language and enthusiasm
were so pleasing that I asked him to put in writing what he
had said to me, and on yesterday I received the enclosed let
ter, which it gives me great pleasure to present to you.
I often wished to express to you my estimate of Governor
Per-ry, but the opinion of a distinguished man like Judge Lea
is of BO much more value, and he has expressed my senti
ments with so much grace and strength, that I adopt his
language and send it as my own.
Judge Lea was for a long time on the Supreme Bench of
this State, and his opinions, I am told, are quoted more than
those of any other member of that high Court. He is now
the President of the Tennessee Historical Society and is the
moving spirit in its great work.
You were kind enough to send me a copy of the letters re
ceived by yourself after Governor Perry'sdeath, andbecc-use
I have delayed expressing my pleasure at,, and appreciation
of, your kind consideration, I am sure you will not deny me
the privilege of doing so now, nor the less appreciate my
earnestness. I am with high esteem.
Most respectfully, Silas McBee.

MoNT Eagle, Sept. 4, 1888.
Silas McBee, Esq.,
My Dear Sir : I return the book with my thanks and
cannot refrain from expressing the great pleasure I have de
rived from its perusal. Of almost every one of the distin
guished personages of whose lives Governor Perry gives such
an interesting account, I had some general knowledge, and
with eight or ten of them I enjoyed a per-sonal acquaintance,
having heard them speak in Legislative assemblies and con
verse in social circles; and Governor Perry has certainly suc
ceeded in apprehending, and also, in expressing in a happy
style and manner the strong and prominent traits, intellec
tual and moral, which mark and differentiate the respective
characters of these eminent men.
The life of one person whose name does not appear in the

34 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

index of subjects has also been unwittingly and unconsciously
written, and that is a life of the author. From what he so
gracefully says of others, we can readilj' infer what could be
truthfully said of himself. A man must possess mor-e than
ordinary strength and beauty of character, who for a long-
series of years stood firm on the weaker side, fought courage
ously for what he conceived to be the right, and yet retained
the respect and friendship of those whom he strenuously op
posed. The unaffected pleasure with which he sets forth the
excellencies and virtues- of his associates at the bar and in
politics — his rivals — discloses a generous nature and perfect
freedom from anything- savoring of jealousy and selfishness.
He must have been an admirable man — a, loveable character.
Very truly, John M. Lea.

Mont Eagle, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1888.
Mrs. B. F Perky,
Dear Madam : On my return to my mountain cottage I
found a copy (jf the Biographical Sketches of Eminent States
men, and the fly-leaf informed me as to whom I was indebted
for the most acceptable and highly prized present. The read
ing of it will, I am sure, confirm and strengthen the impres
sion which I already enter-tain of the worth, excellence and
ability of the author.
Please accept my thanks and allow me to express the wish
that health and happiness may accompany you through life.
With great respect, John M. Lea.

Columbia, S. C, Sept. 15, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci,
Dear Madam: The book of sketches by your lamented
husband, sent me by your own kind hands, with words of
commendation and gratitude, reached me yesterday.
As a Carolinian to the manner born I claim in part what
ever there is of greatness in the "dead but sceptred sove
reigns" among us upon whom the mantle of high endeavor

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 35

has fallen. Surely among these Governor Perry's name will
always be found.
But, Madam, an additional honor is mine. Not only do 1
possess this work of his own conception and execution, but I
have received it at the hands of his widow, who sends it to
me with kindest messages. For this additional compliment
I am especially grateful.
Your brave, honest son fought a good fight and the victory
remains with him. Columbia greets Greenville upon the oc
casion of his success, and if the people here knew how proud
of him his noble mother is, they would, one and all, see an
other reason why Colonel Perry should have been returned
to the halls of National legislation.
Very truly and respectfully,
Andrew Crawford.

Uplands,
Brookline, Mass., June 14, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Perry: I lost no time, afteri-eceivingyourlast
letter, in purchasing a copy of "The Sketches" at Damrell
& Upham's. From time to time I have read pages of it with
great interest. But absence from home, on our customary
spring journey, and engrossing engagements, since our re
turn, have left me with a huge pile of unacknowledged letters,
to which every day brings additions. I am at last estab
lished in our summer home, to which, however, I cannot give
the name " Sans Souci." Indeed, cares and troubles beset us
all, whatever na,mes we adopt for our places. But I cannot
longer postpone an acknowledgment of your kind letter.
I congratulate you on having issued so handsome a vol
ume. The contents and the portrait give a most agreeable
impression of Governor Perry, and will preserve his memory
more securely than any monument. I doubt not that the
volume will find its way into all our public Hbraries, and will
meet the commendations which it merits.
Believe me, respectfully and truly yours,
Robert C. Winthrop.

36 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Flat Rock, S. C, Oct. 1, 1888.
Mrs. B. F Perry, Greenville, S. C,
Dear Madam : The two books you were so kind as to send
me came duly to hand and I hereby tender you my heartfelt
and most sincer-e thanks for the true kindness and courtesy
you have shown in sending them to me, a stranger to you.
and I hope you will pardon this tardy acknowledgment of
your kindness. I have not been very well for some days and
Ihavealso been so much absorbed in the perusal of the books
that I have not been able to make an earlier acknowledg
ment. It willicive me great pleasur-e indeed to show the books
and endeavor to promote their sale. The people of South
Carolina ought to buy the Governor's books, for our State
iieverhadatruer oi- more patriotic son than he. Undeterred
by popular clamor and the threats of per-.secution, hebravely
adhered and contended for what he believed to be the true
yjolicy ffir our State to pursue, and time has proven the wis
dom of his doctrine. I once more tender you my thanks and
will do what I can to sell the books. They deserve a large
sale. Hoping this may find you in the enjoyment of health, hap
piness and pi-osperity, I remain, dear madam,
Most sincerely yours. D. G. Laxiek.

Rectory,
Augusta, Ga., Nov. 5, 1888.
My Dear Mrs. Perry : As yet I have not been able to
.stud.y the "Biographical Sketches," but coming from Gov
ernor Perry's head and heart, they must be subjects of fruit
ful study. I will take gr-eat pleasure in reading them. As a
youth, with the long imaginary distance that stands between
men and the young, I admired and reverenced your noble hus
band. Yet boys in their dreams and ambitions forthefuture
haveideals : and one of my ideals was Governor Perry. Time
has not changed that ideal, only bringing it out into clearer
light, more distinct and marked setting. If I was a public
man. a politician in the nobler sense of the word, no higher

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 37

aim would animate nie than to be as Governor Perry in many
traits of character. " He being dead jet speaketh." He
shares that glorious immortality, the best immor-tality, living
in spirit to mould and shape coming ages, future generations.
His character and worth should be, will be, a study, an edu
cation to the young men, giving them high aspirations to
yearn for, great qualities and firm principles to cultivate.
The noblest work of God is a, man of principle; and a man
of principle is the true follower of the Christ. I mean the
man who, having clear, well defined principles of right, truth
a.ndduty; will never forsake, nor surrender them, who will
-stand like granite against calumny ; popular opinion, attacks
of enemies; desertion of friends; who would rather be right;
than a popular idol ; who would rather be true to conscience
and God, although solitary and alone and forsaken, than
have the plaudits of the fickle crowd.
The sun moves on steady and unchangeable ; so the man of
principle lives on, governed by one motive, impelled by one
force, loyalty and devotion to truth. He is not swept away
by clamor, stirred by uncertain passion and enthusiasm.
What can be nobler and grander? Would you compare the
world's heroes with such a man? In all his life, pre-emi
nently in the National' Democratic Convention of 1860 in
Charleston, S. C, hissed, reviled, misunderstood. Governor
Perry stands out as the man of principle, the hero of the
unwritten history of God. Unconsciously he had caught and
wrapt himself in the spirit of the Cross and its sacriiice, de
votion to truth, to conscience and God, though reviling and
death follow close upon it.
The man of principle is the prophet of his day— flrst, be
cause he declares the eternal will to men, which is loyalty and
devotion to truth, and, secondly, because he predicts what
will be, as he knows bis principles will be in the end trium
phant, and that an adverse course will bring ruin and de
vastation. Governor Perry was a prophet, warning the people and
their leaders of their folly, and declaring the evil to come.
He declared the truth and foretold the ruin which with the
vision of a Seer he saw.

38 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
What our pubhc life needs to-day, is men of principle and
of strength and uprightness of character, and as an exam
ple in whom these qualifies are combined and cemented by a
noble heart and mind, I would hold forth to the young men.
Governor Perry. Believe me as yours very truly, John Gass.

Columbia, S. C, December 1, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
M\' Dear Madam : Your note advising me that you had
posted to my address a copy of the Biographical Sketches
by your lamented husband, reached me simultaneously with
the book. Please accept my grateful acknowledgments for
it and for the kind words that you employ in transmitting
it. I shall derive great pleasure from reading the book, for
while I was too young to take note of politics at the time
that Governor Perry was making his grand effort to save his
country from the direful effects of an uns-uccessful war, and
moulding his reputation for wisdom, patriotism and bold
ness, yet I have gathered enough of bis life to accord him a
place second to none among the great men that South Caro
lina has produced. In the fight that" time has brought, even
his enemies cannot deny him full credit for his noble effort in
behalf of his country, and if I may be allowed to express a
good wish for my State, it is that, at every critical juncture
in her political affairs, she may be able to find a leader wise
enough to comprehend the situation as Governor Perry did
inl860, and like him bold enough to advocate his convictions
in the face of overwhelming opposition.
I observe that you persist in placing your son. Col. Perry.
under obligations to me. Permit me to coi-rect you again,
by remindir:g you that what little I was able to do for Colo
nel Perry was most cheerfully done, and that in view of his
constant and efticient services in pushing my claim through
Congress, the balance of obligation still stands in his favor.
Thanking you again for the book, and with great respect.
I remain, dear Madam, very sincerely, Joseph M. English.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 39
Greenville, S. C, December 7, 1888.
Many, many thanks, my dear Mrs. Perry, for the volume
containing the writings of your husband, compiled by your
self. It has a two-fold value and interest to me. First, as a
token of your friendship, and then for the intrinsic worth and
beauty of the contents. I read the volume some weeks since
with great pleasure and profit. The lecture before the Lyce
um of Cheraw is in itself a store of valuable information ;
the ending of it especially is touching and beautiful. But it
is all so interesting that one cannot sa.y which is most so.
The orations, addresses, lectures and lives of distinguished
men aregiven in a style of great purity and beauty, I may
say grandeur of language, conveying to my mind an image
of wisdom and all manly and moral goodness in the writer.
Such a man was Governor Perry. Such was his national rep
utation. This and much, much more was he to you and to
his children. What a priceless blessing for time and for eter
nity ! " The memory of the just cannot die."
This volume is a most valuable addition to my library, and
I will leave it to my grandchildren.
With love for yourself and Fannie, I am yours,
Mary Thompson.

University of California,
Berkeley, Cal., Dec. 12, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Madam: I hasten to respond to your esteemed
favor of the 5th of December. The precious volume contain
ing the writings of Governor Perry reached me safely; and I
am quite sure that I sent you a prompt acknowledgment of
its receipt before I had the opportunity of examining its
contents. Since that time, both Mrs. LeConte and myself have again
and again perused the volume, and wondered at and ad
mired the extraordinary wisdom and prescience, (almost
amounting to divination), of your distinguished husband.
And more than all, the manifestations in his writings of
those rare attributes of human character which exalt and

40 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
ennoble humanity, are indeed, precious heritages to us, and.
to future generations. It is glor-ious to witness how the
nobility of his character rose when the gloom and shadow of
adversity of the "reconstruction times/' overshadowed a
humiliated people. The volume is one^ of which you may..
most justly be proud.
We can never forget the period of our residence in South-
Carolina I As memory carries us back along the corr-idors of
time, those thirteen years of sojourn in the "Palmetto-
State" constitute the happiest and most refreshing episode
in the lives of both of us. No institution of learning- ever
had such a Board of Trustees as that which constituted the
governing board of the "South CaTolina College!" No body
of men ever had a keener appreciation of genuine lea,rningand
culture, or manifested a deeper sympathy with those who
were struggling- to comprehend and to unfold the great
principles of human knowledge. It was, indeed, a precious
privilege to be associated with such a group of men ; one of
whom was your honored husband.
My devoted wife, I am grieved to say, is almost a confirmed
invalid. Her power of locomotion is so much impaired, that
she has been compelled to give up society, in a great meas
ure. Fortunately, she is able to ride into Oakland (distant
about four miles) in a carriage to visit our daughter-in-law,
(the wife of our only surviving child, Julian,) and our three
grandchildren. She is also able to walk about the house
tolerably comfortably, and amuses herself very profitably in
reading. Her condition of health is her excuse for not writ
ing to you. She unites with me in the most affectionate re
gards to you. Yours most sincerely,
Johx LeConte.

!) j> A p 0 0 0 -i- <J 9 ^ p i <> ^' o' i 9 "^ "i"-? o'"'*,'"

f^f^^^^^iW^-mmmm^^

N OTICE
OF THE
Speech Before <he 3Ieroliants, Mechanics and Business IMen of
Columbia, Heliverecl Decemher 17, 1853, Thirty-
Five Years Ago,
Bv HON. B. F. PERRV.

(The Greenville Dail.y News.)
A mighty leader of the peoplein the old days was Benjamin
F. Perry, of this county. His thoughts were as free as the
mountain air, his courage was as dauntless, his will was in
domitable. In his long public (.'areer, in which he held the
same position and stood without change for larger liberties
and more con,sideration for the masses of the people as
against the ruling few, he was ojiposed by powers so enor
mous that they would have crushed a weaker man, so ag
gressive that thej' would have frightened one less brave.
Fiery, brilliant and dashing youth, staid, conservative and
weighty old age, social and political influences and the out
lying flunkies with the ready client smile who have waited to
do the bidding of such in all ages of history, were united
against him. He fought his fight with only the hearts of
the people behind him— the plain, honest, lowly people who
were many times foobd and driven a.nd split, confused by
fine words and cunning- tricks to opposing their own in
terests. He lived to see many of the things he fought for
done, to see many of the abuses he had bitterly and bravely
denounced when they were entr-enched in all the power of the
State overthrown, to welcome many of the gallant gentlemen
who in the blindness of loyalty to tradition and rearing had
opposed his refor-ms and insulted and derided him. as fellow
workers with him. He has gone to his reward.
On December 17th, 1853, Governor Perry delivered at Col
umbia an address "to the Merchants, Mechanics and Busi
ness Men of Columbia," on the subject of "Popular Educa
tion." It was preserved and has recently been printed in

42 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

pamphlet form by Mrs. Perry. The following extract from
it fits so periectly some of the r-easoning now being advanced
against the separate Agricultural College and harmonizes so
well with the ar'guments offered by thefriends of that institu
tion 1jhat it might have been delivered yesterday: [As three
thousand copies of the Speech have been printed and gene
rally read, we omit the extract. — Mrs. B. F. P.]
This speech created a tremendous outcr-y at the time.
Many good people believed then, as many good people be
lieve now, that the foundations wer-e about to be broken up.
t)ne by one the barriers in the way of real democracy, of
actual rule by and for the people, which Governor Perry con
tended for for thirty years, he succeeded in breaking down.
The pai'ish system was abolished, a free school system has
been firmly established and is making healthy growth; man
hood suffrage has been obtained, and the people have aright
to vote directly for all their officers. Men are represented in
legislative bodies instead of dollars. * * * * *
What(;ver more is needed to make the work perfect will be
done in good time, if the people will hold to what they have
and go light forward all together.

Wf

LETTERS
Aclnowleiipg the Receipt of llie Speech Before the Merchaots, Methaoics aod Busioess Men
of Columbia, S. C„ Delivered Decemher IJ, 1853, Thirtf-Five Kears Ago,
By HON. B. F. PERRY.

Furman University,
Greenville, S. C, Aug. 22, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Perry: It gives me great pleasure to ac
knowledge the receipt of another of the excellent addresses of
ex-Governor Perry, which you have so generously given to
the public — that delivered before the merchants, mechanics
and business men of Columbia in 1853. Although the author
apologized for its rather hasty preiiaration, he gave his
audience some of his raaturest thoughts.
I have read the speech with interest; and it is gratifying to
observe that the views of popular education which he then
urged, but which were only partially accepted byleadingnien
of the State, are now almost universally adopted; and in
many parts of the State they find practical expression in
well organized public schools. It was, perhaps. Governor
Perry's misfortune to be born a half century too soon. His
views were ahead of his times. The repi oduction of these ad.
dresses of your late distinguished husband, will, at least.
serve to remind us of a debt of gratitude we owe to a great
and good man. I have the honor to remain.
With great esteem.
Yours very truly, C. H. JUDSON.

Office of State Superintendent of Education,
Columbia, S. C, Aug. 29, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam: I cannot say too much in praise of tho
address of Governor Perry sent by you to me. The senti

44 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

ments are elevated and as wide as humanity, and the argu
ment is true in every detail. In my work, I have tried during
my time to impress just such views upon our people. I did
not know that the Governor had irtade such a speech and I
am encouraged to go on with ray duties more diligently.
His life was, however, so busy and so useful that he touched
on almost everything and dignified everything he touched.
Please pi-esent my respects to Mrs. Beattie and your house
hold. With my great i-ega I'd, very respectfully,
James H. Rice.

(From the SuperintendPiit of Public Schools iu Charleston. S. C.)
Charleston, S. C, Aug. 31, 1888.
Dear .Mrs. Perry : On my return to the city this morning,
I found your kind remembi'ances awaiting me. I shall read it
with greal pleasure and I am sure, with equal profit.
The Governor did a- great deal for popular education, and
now that he is gone, his utterances seem to have been pro
phetic. He was right, when he said Icjng years ago, that
" no people can sustain a Repubbc who have not Virtue and
Intelligence," and again, when he said : "Education is of so
much importance in a republican government, that it is the
absolute duty of the Commonwealth to educate her sons."
It was a noble inspiration which prompted you to publish
the sayings of your distinguished husband and to give to
posterity the wisdom of his utterances. With many thanks
for the copies sent me, allow me, dear Mrs. Perry, to subscribe
myself. Sincerely yours,
Henry P. Archer.

Bennettsville, S. C. Sept. 6, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Berry,
Dear Madam: I had just finished "Sketches," by Governor
B. F. Perry, when this morning I received by mail his
speech on popular education, delivered in Columbia, 17th of
December, 1853, recently republished by you, and a copy of
which you have kindly sent me. Permit me to thank vou

Benjamin Franklin Perry . 45
for it. I immediately read it, and am delighted with the
sound and wise sentiments of the address. I always enter
tained for Governor Perry sentiments of esteem and admira
tion, but after reading his sketches and speeches, my ad
miration for him is greatly increased, and I regard him a
great and good man. With sentiments of esteem,
I am, very respectfully,
J. H. Hudson.

LETTERS
Acknowledging the Receipt oe the Second Edition of "In Memoriam,"

(As this Tribute is published more especially for the benefit of the children
of Governor Perry, it is a pleasui-e to his wife to insert a few of the
letters received by her after the puplioation of the second
editions of "In Memoriam" and -'Erskine Address,"
which she deems worthy of preservation )
(From .Judge John M. Lea, foi-merly .fudge of the Supreme Court of Tennessee and
now President of the Historical Societj' of that State.)
Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 3, 1888.
Mrs. B. F, Perry,
Dear Madam: The flrst series of Biographical Sketches
written bj^ your lamented husband I read with much interest,
and the last volume which you were so kind as to send tome
a few weeks ago I have perused with equal pleasure. With
some eight or ten of the distinguished personages whose
lives are portrayed I enjoyed a personal acquaintance, and
with some of them, I may say, an intimate association, and
never in any history or biography were characters more
faithfully and impartially delineated — in fact, mental and
moral qualities are set forth as clearly and distinctly as the
most accomplished artist could have represented on canvas
the physical features of those distinguished men. These
Sketches are not only a most valuable contribution to politi
cal historv, but they serve as models for the style and man
ner in which biography should be written. All of truth and
nothing of exaggeration can be found within the leaves of
these books. Commendation does not savor of adulation,
the just mean is preserved, and scrutiny fails to find one
line of malice, or even a tinge of political ascerbity.
Your husband, my dear Madame, lived in a perilous time
and occupied, on account of his political sentiments, a most
delicate position, the duties of which he bravely and hero
ically discharged. The relation which he occupied towards

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 47

the leading men of South CaTolina illustrates the fact, so
honorable to human nature, that in minds truly generous
and great, difference of opinion need not necessarily degene
rate into personal dislike or hostility, and it is really delight
ful to read the tributes of respect which have been paid to
his memory by those with whom iie diffei'ed on questions in
volving the life of the nation. Seldom in ancient or moder-n
times have we witnessed a spectacle so rare, the commentary
on which is an honor to the people and to the public men of
South Carolina.
The memory of so good and so great a man is a priceless
legacy, and may the evening of your days, dark as they may
be in your loneliness, be lighted up by recollections of him
who was a comfort to you in his life. May health and hap
piness accompany 3'ou, Very truly,

John M. Lea.

Spartanburg, S. C, Oct. 26, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
Dear Madam : I feel highly honored this morning upon re
ceiving a copy of the Memorial of your late husband, and
also a copy of the Address before the students of Erskine
Cofiege. In my boyhood I was taught by my father to
honor the name of Governor Perry, and since growing to
manhood and learning for myself the history of his career, I
have always admii'ed his fearless integrity, as well as his pro
found foresight, which led him to see what we now all see-
that secession would only bring disaster on our country. I
regret very much that I did not have a personal acquaint-
with him.
With many thanks for your kind remembrance, I am.
Very respectfully,
E. E. Bomar.

Columbia, S. C, Oct. 31, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci,
DE.4.R Madam: Please allow me to thank you most sin
cerely for "The Memoriam" of your husband, the late Gov-

48 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

ernor B. F. Perry, and also the "Address" to the Literary
Societies of Erskine College, in 1844. My personal acquaint
ance with the Governor was limited, but I knew him as the
ma/j of Upper Carolina, his name being synonymous of the
courage, honor ajaA integrity ioT which that section was so
characteristic. I heard him in a public speech — I think it was
in 1868 — in our park, and could never forget the speech or
the man. His was truly a moJe/ character and I am having
both the -Memorial and Address nicely bound for my son and
only child, whom you may have seen in your city last year*,
as he was there under Captain Patrick. It may spring from
selfishness in /ne to regret that the Memorial did not con
tain an engraving of his commanding, majestic form and
noble br-ow, but I shall prize it none the less, and it shall
be preserved with my name in your own hand, in my library
for my children's children.
Most respectfully yours, W B. LOWRANCE.

Union, S. C, Oct. 31, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Madam: Permit me to acknowledge the unaf
fected, sincere pleasure with which I received from you, a day
or two since, the Memorial volume of your distinguished
husband, together with a copy of his Address before the
Literary Societies of Erskine College, in September, 1884.
Governor Perry was much my senior, and it was not my
good fortune to be personally known to him, but for many
years I have entertained the most unbounded respect for his
high, dignified and manly character.
The delicate and tender efforts of her with whom he had
walked for fifty years of his life to keep fresh in the minds of
his countrymen his commanding traits and virtues are, of
themselves, the most beautiful proof of his gr-eatness.
After all, the wife is the tr-uest judge of the man, and if her
voice declares that gentleness, nobleness and manliness are
there, it must be so. But when the words of the wife simply
corroborate the sentiments and opinions of the world, how
abundant and how perfect is the testimony!

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 49
No one, therefore, other than yourself can so flttingly and
effectually perform the noble work you have undertaken, and
I cannot but believe that great good must surely result to
all within its scope.
With the earnest hope that your life may be spared until
you have finished your work, in a manner pleasing to you,
and that coming years may bring you only gentle, unbroken
peace, I am, my dear madam.
Most respectfully and truly yours, E. R. Wallace.

Woodruff, S. C, Oct. 31, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam: Please accept my thanks for your
kindness in sending me both "In Memoriam " and the Ad
dress of your lamented husband before the Literary Socie
ties of Erskine College.
In reading the life of the Hon. B. F. Perry one can but be
impressed with the fact that truth, honesty and consistency
will receive their rewar-d in the respect and admiration of
men. So the many testimonies of esteem show the honor
in which your husband was held.
Yours very respectfully, W. W. Simpson.

Union, S. C, Oct. 31, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam: You will please accept my heartfelt
thanks for your attention and regard in sending to me a
copy of the "Memoriam" of j^our beloved husband, to
gether with the address by him delivered before the Lit
erary Societies of Erskine College in 1844; the appreciation
of which language is almost inadequate to express. The
address is certainly an. unsurpassed masterpiece of its kind
that it has ever been my pleasure and privilege to peruse. I
have read this little pamphlet with profound interest, and
find embodied in its pages wise counsel and tender admoni-

50 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

tion. worthy the heed and following- of all — a condensed his
tory of the life and character of many of the world's re
nowned men of all ages — the most illustrious of whom I can,
with pardonable pride and propriety, compare the author:
and my greatest regret is that I had not the privilege of the
companionship and association of so great and good a man,
whose devotion to private and public duty, feai'less firmness
and strict adherence to principle, commanded the respect
and admiration of all— friend and foe. The address of it-
.self, aside from the grand granite shaft, will as well tend to
perpetuate his memory, and, as intended, beneflt the young
of future generations; and the noble work of disseminating
it, should make your name a household word in every family
that has children to rear and fit for the various vocations c)f
life. With tender sympathy and gr-eat respect, I am.
Yours sincerely. John P G.age.

Cowpens, S. C. Nov. 1, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Pekkv.
Dear Madam: Please accept thanks for your kind con
sideration in sending me a copy of the Memorial volume so
appr-opriately and neatly gotten up in memory of your de
ceased husband. Governor B. F. Perry; also, for a copyof
his admirable and eloquent address before the Literary So-
(-ieties of Erskine College, nearly a half a centui'y ago.
I have read them both carefully, and, I trust, profitably.
It was nevei- my good fortune to knov,- Governor Perry per
sonally, though I had seen him a few times, J knew him only
by i-eputation. .Ynd though my feeble pen can add nothing
in the way of eulogy, I must and will say that in my hum
ble judgment. Governor Perry was the most honest, far-
seeing and wise statesman that South Carolinahas ever pro
duced, or in all probability ever will ! Had his wise coun.sels
been heeded, the noblest sons of our Sunny South would
never have been so foolishly and cruelly sacrificed.
While we mourn our great lo.ss in his death, we .should be
consoled by the facf- that he lived to see his predictions lit-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 51

erally fulfilled, and those who differed with him at one time
in politics, ready to rise up and call him " blessed. "
His memor-y will be cherished when the marble that towers
above his grave has crumbled.Sincerely yours, &c.,
John Dewberry.

Union, S. C, Nov. 2, 1887.
.Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
Dear Madam: It is a pleasure to me to acknowledge the
receipt of the " In Memoriam " and the Erskine Address of
your noble husband.
Others have said enough about Governor Perry's distin
guished qualities. I must think that .you, who have gone to
such pains and expense to perpetuate his memory and to
disseminate his words of truth among our people, must
have contributed much to his great success.
Thanking you sincerely for including me among those you
have honored, I am, yours sincerely, B. F. Bailey.

Danville, Va., Nov. 2, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.
My Dear Madam: I acknowledge with pleasui-e the Me
morial and Address sent me, and have read with great in
terest the sketch of Governor Perry's life. Would that there
had been more like him, for then we might have secured our
rights in the Union without the loss of so many of our
choicest lives.
Like him, some of my own people opposed secession, (as
did General Lee himself, as late as January 23, 1861), and
like him, had of course to abide by the State, and share in
the miseries of her people.
I take the liberty of forwarding to you an address deliv
ered last summer by my brother, Thomas Nelson Page, at
Washington and Lee Univer-sity, on ''The Old South."
Hoping that you may Hke the address, I am, with respect.
Your obedient servent,
Rosewell Page.

52 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

No. 32 Broad Street,
Charleston, S. C, Nov. 5, 1887.
.Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Madam : 1 am in receipt of the pamphlet in me
mory of thelate Governor Perry, and the copy of his address
before the Societies of Erskine College in 1844.
I beg that you will accept my .sincere thanks for both ; a nd
my assurance of my most profound respect for the memory
of your late husband. It was my misfortune that my youth
prevented my intimate association with him, but I have read
of him, and heard of him, always with reverent regard for
his virtues, and an earnest desire to emulate those virtues
and his many accomplishments.
I remember very well that while on a visit to your city
more than ten years ago, he spoke words of great encour
agement to me. It was at the commencement of my pro
fessional life, and he made me feel that I had his best wishes
for my success, and I then felt, and now appreciate very
highly, of how much value those wishes were, as they were
honest and genuine as his whole life, public and private, was
sincer-e and faithful.
I shall read and keep these books as guides and helps to me,
and I am, my dear madam.
Very respectfully and faithfully,
Simeon Hyde.

.Abbeville, S. C, Nov. 8, 1887.
Mrs. B. F Perry, Greenville, S. C,
Dear Mrs. Perry : Please accept many thanks for your
kind consideration in sending me a copy of the "In Memo
riam" and also of the address delivered by Hon. B. F. Per
ry before the Literary Societies of Erskine College.
Ill every age it has been a few men who have given a coun
try its renown and glory, and when we trace the pages of
history we find no name that has cast greater lustre upon
our country than that of your illustrious husband, whose
loss was so keenly felt by us all.
In having the courage to express his convictions, under

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 53

any and all circumstances, he has set us an example which
can but be admired by all those who love truth, bravery
and honor. With great respect I am.
Yours very truly, Eugene B. Gary.

Orangeburg, S. C, Nov. 10, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci, Greenville, S. C.,
Dear Madam : Permit me to thank you, and express my
high appreciation of your kindness in sending me the "In
Memoriam " volume of your husband, the late Governor B. F.
Perry, and especially for his very able and instructive
Erskine College Address, both of which have been read with
no ordinary interest and pleasure.
Governor Perry was a grand man, and you have made this
generation your debtor by preserving to them the sketch of
a life that was the embodiment of lofty patriotism, high
principle and superb courage. His name and fame are se
curely fixed in the hear'ts of his State, as well as in the his
tory of her great men and achievements. With highest es
teem and sincere thanks. Yours very respectfully,
T. M. Raysor.

Compton, S. C, Nov. 10, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam: Accept my themks for the kind con
sideration that prompted you to forward to me a copy of
the "Memoriam" and Erskine College address of your late
honored and lamented husband. Though but a lad when I
knew him first, and having since removed from near his
home, I deem it an honor and claim the privilege of calling
myself his friend and always admirer. My father, who was
the Rev. C. P. Dean, was a warm friend of your great and
good husband, and held him up to his children as one wor
thy of honor and emulation— and how well do I remember
his stalwart form when in the court house in 1860 or '59—
he first became known to me. It was during the great trial

54 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

between Cooley and Chapman, where he gained, I expect, his
greatest triumph at the bar, and where his comparisons and
invective drove his eminent opponent, Charles Sullivan, Esq.,
from the court room.
Though but fifteen yeai-s old, while a student at Furman
University in 1860, and while all were wild with fanaticism,
and the people had assembled to nominate candidates to the
convention to dissolve the Union, there wer-e none to stem
the current save our esteemed and venerated friend. I was
at heart with him, and I often wished for the temerity to
approach him and tell him 1 was with him in his love for the
Ui'iion. I had some hot words on several occasions with our
boys when they were too rough in their expressions against
him, but I, like him, fell into the current, and after Lee had
surrender-ed found tears too willing to fiow for the wreck of
the " Lost Cause. " Alas! who can tell what had been the
lesult if his sound and sensible words had been heeded.
But God is good. He works in us and through us. in ways
we know not of, and we can thank Him heartily that He gave
ns such a noble man, for us to know and to love and to
honor, and whose works and infiuence will live long years yet
to come, and may He be more than a husband to you, and
guide, direct and sustain you, giving you comfort and con
solation each day as your declining years and strength may
need, and at last meet you on the banks of the Beautiful
River. Please accept my kindest and most sincere regards.
George R. Dean.

Unkjn, S. C, Nov. 15, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry : Allow me to thank you for your kind
ness in sending me copies of the "In Memoriam" of your
noble husband, my dear friend. Governor Perry, and of his
address befor-e the Literary Societies of Erskine College.
both of which I shall preserve for the benefit of my children,
to the end that they may learn all they can of the patriot
and statesman who thought for himself, and boldly as
serted his opinions, regardless of the numbers who differed
with him.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 55

I rejoice that I served with Governor Perry in the Legisla
ture in the winter of 1864, where I had a good opportunity
to behold for myself his nobleness of heart and soul, his
steadfastness to pri 'ciple, statesmanship and bravery.
Had a majority of the people of this State in 1860 enter
tained similar political views to those of Governor Perry,
there would have been no secession^no war.
While visiting my son last week in the South Carolina
College, your grandson. Perry Beattie, came up and spoke
to me. How I appreciarted his politeness, his thoughtfulness
and kindness in speaking to me. I see in him a striking re
semblance of his grandfather. Governor Perry.
Present my kind regards to Mrs. Beattie, and accept for
yourself the sympathies of one who, like yourself, is ac
quainted with sorrow and grief. Yours truly, J. G. McKissick.

(From H. L. Dawes, U. S. Senator from Massachusetts.)
Pittsfield, Nov. 19, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Madam : Please accept my thanks for a copy of
the Memorial of your honored husband, and also an address
delivered by him . Governor Perry has long been honored and
respected by all those familiar with the life and character of
our public men, as well on account of his great moral worth
as his conspicuous firmness of character and courage of con
victions. I do not call to mind at this time any one who
has stood up so bravely in vindication of what he beheved
to be right, against strong current of public sentiment
around him, as your husband. His name and character and
example will prove in after times to be of great value to
the rising generation of public men, and their infiuence will
continue to be felt through many generations. Especially
will his memory be cherished in Massachusetts, for the no
ble and courageous stand he took in behalf of one of the best
of our public men sent to your State under circumstances

56 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
and upon an eri-and especially distasteful to your people.
Thanking you again for these Memorials of him, I am,
with gieat respect and sympathy.
Your obedient servant.
H. L. Dawes.
Note — In 1844 Governor Perry was elected to the State Senate of South Caro
lina, and while a member of that body voted alone against the resolution ordering
the expulsion from the State of Hon. Samuel Hoar, who was sent here by the State
of Massachusetts to test the lerrality of a law relating to colored seamen. Every
other Senator vot^d for it, but Governor Perry spoke energetically against it, and
ha<l his solitary vote recorded on the negative side, declaring that hostile majori
ties had no terrors for bim while he was conscientiously performing his duty.

Aiken, S. C, Nov. 19, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam : Allow me to thank you for the pamphlet
"In Memoriam, Benjamin Franklin Perry," which reached
me a few days since.
To do justice to the memory of your lamented husband
would require a volume; indeed, a history of the State dur
ing that long period in which he was a leader in the coun
cils. For a half century he stood among the ablest of that
distinguished band of Carolinians who made this State
great, beloved by its citizens and respected by the civilized
world. In the providence of God he reached a ripe age. and
honored, respected and beloved, he has passed from the toil
of life, and enjoys the reward reserved for those who love and
labor- for their fellow men.
I trust, dear madam, that j'ou will long be spared to
your family and friends. Very respectfully, James .\ldrich.

Columbia, S. C, Nov. 20, 1887.
Hon. Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.
Dear Madam: Allow me to express to you my many
thanks for the comphment conferred, by .sending me through
mail a copy of the " Memoriam " touching upon the charac--
ter, life and services of your distinguished consort, now de-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 57

ceased. In his characiter was combined in a. remarkable de
gree all those elements of greatness, which command the re
spect and admiration of all thoughtful and honorable men.
He displayed in no small degree that calm judgment, finesse
d'esprit and sagacity so characteristic of a great statesman
during our troubles amidst the clamors of an angry popu
lace and the stormy periods of a revolution ; and when the
" tocsin " for the destruction of the Union was ringing from
one end of the South to the other he stood up like a grea,t
patriot, at one time almost alone, and fought against fright
ful odds for the pr-eservation of his country. He did not
blindly follow the dictum of a few leading politicians, or
take his political opinions from the views or abstract theo
ries of some so-called political philosophers, but had his own
standpoint, and being highly endowed intellectually, exer
cised his own individual judgment and reason in solving the
political questions and problems of his day and time. One
fact that the distinguished and lamented Mr. Pettigru said
of Judge Berian, of Georgia, may, with great propriety, be
applied to him, viz: " He was no pohtician, but a distin
guished lawyer and statesman." It is a curious fact, but
nevertheless one which history will bear out, that some of
the most distinguished men of ancient and modern times
were never appreciated until they had passed away— until
they were dead. They were in some instances even perse
cuted during theirlifetime from the fact that their ideas and
opinions did not run current with the popular ideas and
opinions of their day and time. Such was the case with
Aristides, Socrates, the lamented Pettigru , and many others.
Mr. Pettigru died unfortunately before J^he war closed, but
your husband was more fortunate. He was permitted by a
kind and divine Providence to see it end. Permitted to ap
pear again upon the scene of action during the reconstruc
tive era, and to assist in the building up of his country.
Yes, permitted to realize the fulfillment of his prophesies and
the truthfulness of his utterances.
•'Truth crushed to earth, will rise again,
The eternal years of God are hers ; .»
But error stricken, writhes in pain,
And dies amidst. her worsliippers."
Please accept, madam, the assurarice of my highest con
sideration. J. G. Seabrook, M. D.

58 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Chick's Springs, S. C. Nov. 22, 1887.
.Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam : In thanking you for your highly ap
preciated present, to-wit. the address and life of my much
honoi'ed friend, ex-Governor Perry, the date of that ad
dress carries me back to my first school-boy days, which was
in a little pine log house in the middle of an old field, where
now stands a nice residence, store and church known as Lo
cust Hill, in the upper part of our Countj'. It also brings to
my mind how I used to. about that time, saddle up my horse
on Saturday evening, and gallop off to the postoffice to get
the nice, clean Southern Patriot, which was sent free to my
father during the whole time of Governor Perry's connection
with the paper, or this is my recollection at this time. It
also reminds me of the fact that I voted for him from my
first vote every time the opportunity was afforded. I can
irall to mind so u'.uch of his sayings and doings in the court
house of our County, and at many other places, that I will
read the address, and more particularly the life of the man I
always thougtit so much of. Now, dear madam, allow me
again to thank you, and wish for you many more days of
happiness with your son. Colonel W. H. Perry ; and for him
I can only wish the mantle of his honored father to fall and
cover him completely up. With this very imperfect acknow
ledgement of yours, and with my respects, I am,
Yours truly, R. B. Gibson.

(From the Superititendent of Puplic Schools in Columbia. S. C.)
Columbia, S. C, Nov. 23, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam: The admir-able address of your distin
guished husband and your Mehaorial volume to that noble
man have been received and read with much pleasure and
profit.
Truly is it. as he so well says : "' Nothing can conduce more
to the improvement of the young mind than the reading and
contemplation of the lives of great men, " and his life is an

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 59

illustration of the truth, in the good influence which its con
templation has already exerted. As one specially interested
in education, I must thank you for preserving, for the imita
tion and emulation of the youth of our State and country, a
record of the labors, trials and triumphs of a life whose
watchwoi'd was always " Right," and never" Expediency,''
even under the most trying difficulties and discouragements.
Many will surely be the better and strongerfor reading what
one of " Nature's noblemen " had the courage to dare and
do in the line of right and duty. With great respect, I am.
Very sincerely yours, I). B. Johnson.

Charleston, S. C, Jan. 3, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry', Greenville, S. C,
Dear Madam: I have just received the Memorial of Gov
ernor Perry, together with his address to the Literary So
cieties of Erskine College, which I beg gratefully to ac
knowledge. The fame of Governor Perry, and the eminence of his
character and public services are a part of the inheritance of
the State. They illustrate the history of our people. The
example of such a life is a legacy to posterity. The addi-ess
ia a reflection of Governor Perry's individuality. Its senti
ments flow naturally from such a source. Happy the man,
young or old, who is able not only to appreciate, but to
practice what he inculcates. lam, dear madam.
Yours most respectfully,
B. H. Rutlege.

Methodist Rectory,
Greenville, S. C, Jan. 12, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam: Accept my sincere thanks for the Memo
riam of your lamented husband, and also for the copy of his
able address at Erskine College. I have ^reatTy desired these
publications, but to receive them from your hands enhances
their value.

60 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

From a child I admii-ed Governor Perry, and my admira
tion increased to the end of his. life, and still grows. I am
sure that he more than deserved the high praises which fol
lowed him living, and which embalm his memory now. And
I believe when posterity sifts the men and days past and
passing, his honor and fame will be grvater than they are
to-day, albeit, our whole State and the informed of our
country now mourn "a prince and a great man."
May the Divine Comforter sustain you and yours. W^ill
you accept for yourself and convey to your family most
heartfelt .sympathy. From youi-s mcfet sincerely,
John O. Willson.

Lancaster C. H., S. C^. Jan. 12, 1888.
Mrs. B. F Perry,
My Dear Madam: 1 1'eceived the pamphlet, "'In Memo
riam,'' of your distinguished husband, the Hon. Benjamin
F. Perry, which you so kindly sent to me the flrst week of
the new year. I was away from home at the time the
pamphlet came for me, otherwise it would have been ac
knowledged sooner. The Memoriam is a just tribute to the
life, character, and public acts of .your husband.
Governor Perry was a man of decided character. He not
only possessed ability and integrity, but he possessed moral
courage in a very high degree. He was a bold, forcible and
impressive speaker. He was one of the leaders of the Union
party in South Carolina, and the denunciations and frowns
of party never caused him to shrink from the maintenance
and defense of his principles. Although he differed from the
dominant party in the State, yet he was always regarded as
an honest politician, and true to his convictions of right and
duty. It was my good plea.su re to know Governor Perry, and to
receive from him acts of kindness.
Thanking you for your kindness iu sending me the pamph
let, I remain yours very truly,
George M. C. Witherspoon.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 61

(From Bishop Stevens.)
211 Bull Street,
Charleston, S. C, March 16, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
DearMadaai: I return thanks for the compliment paid
me by sending me a copy of "The Memorial Tribute" to
your husband, Hon. B. F. Perry.
Though never having a personal acquaintance with Gov
ernor Perry, I have always regarded him with the highest
admiration for his integrity of character and unswerving
devotion to principle.
I shall never forget the splendid triumph of his moral
worth, when in the Democratic Convention of 1860, in this
city, he controlled the excited and opposing body, and com
pelled them to listen respectfully to views not one rehshed or
agreed with. Very respectfully,
P. F. Stevens.

La Grange, S. C, March 27, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
De.\r Madam: Please accept my thanks for your kind re
membrance of me in sending the Memorial pamphlet of
your noble husband.
He obtained and justly merited the admiration of all the
the people of South Carolina. I have never heard his name
mentioned except in the highest terms of regard.
No man could leave a greater legacy to his sons than the
nobility of soul which seems to have characterized every ac
tion of your lamented husband. I shall always keep the
Memorial of GoA'ernor Perry, and regard it as a just tribute
to one of the grandest and most illustrious men that South
Carolina has ever known. With sincere respect, I am.
Yours truly, John G. Mobley.

Laurens, S. C, April 24, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam: I have the honor to acknowledge the re-

62 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
ceipt of a copy of "In Memoriam, " your beautiful tribute
to the memory of your distinguished husband, together with
the address delivered before the Literary Societies of Ers
kine College, both of which I shall read and preserve with
pleasure. It is indeed fortunate for posterity that you have
preserved these evidencf>s of the love and esteem in which he
was held, for while the generation of to-day needs no re
minder of him, they will serve to give his example to others
yet to come. On sever-al occasions it was my good fortune
to hear him in public, and his words of wisdom have never
been forgotten. His keen foresight in the councils of State
and the independence of his course will not only make him
immortal in American history, but will vouchsafe to his pos
terity the honor and respect which his name inspires.
Yours with the greatest esteem,
Frank P McGowan.

Washington, D. C, May 29, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C,
My Dear Madam: I feel very much obliged by your kind-
ne.ss in sending me copies of the "Memorial" of your hus
band and of his address at Erskine College in 1844. I am
very glad to have a permanent record of such a life as his
has been. Ever since I have been able to form an opinion on
such a subject, I have thought him one of the wisest, bravest
and most enlightened men of our State. To the satisfaction
of seeing the present honor done to his memory, I think you
may well add a reasonable hope that posterity will do even
more. With the assurance of my sympathy in your gxeat loss.
believe me. Yours very truly,
James Lowndes.

Columbia, S. C, Dec. 17, 1888.
.Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam : Knowing that 30U would receive so many
letters from the distinguished friends of your late husban(i.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 63

the Hon. B. F. Perry, I felt reluctant to add my feeble trib
ute to his worth and eminent services.
I knew him for many years, and although I differed with
him politically before the war, I always aclmired him for the
boldness and independence of his character, his strength of
intellect and his manly and noble bearing. When it was my
good fortune to see him, as I often did in our Legislative
halls, battling- with all the force of his powerful intellect,
singly and alone, in defense of what he believed to be right
and best, with nearly the whole State against him, Ifelt that
I was in the presence of a Roman who would do and dare all
for his convictions.
After the war we were drawn nearer together because our
.sentiments were alike, and I Jiave always regarded it as the
greatest compliment ever paid me, when he arose in the Con
vention of 1876, and nominated me as a delegate to the
National Convention.
You are engaged in a noble work in handing down to pos
terity the virtues and noble character of such a man, and
permit me to say I honor j'ou for it.
Very truly yours,
William Wallace.

Greenville, S. C, Feb. 18, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.,
Dear Madam: Your valued favor of recent date was
promptly received, as were also the "In Memoriam" and
"Erskine Address." I had not seen the "In Memoriam,"
and with great pleasure, seated v/ith the members of my
family around the fireside, on the night of its reception, I
read it to them, who were likewise greatly interested. I had
read the "Erskine Address" twice before, but am much
pleased to have it in pamphlet form. I have carefully flled
it for future reference.
You will see from the enclosed list that I have executed
your request. I have done so for four reasons: First— Be
cause of the very great value of the Address. Second—
Because I think those named would highly appreciate it.

64 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
Third — Because they possess good opportunities to dis
tribute it amongst the children of our county, and a few, as
you see, are in other Counties. Fourth— That you may have
a full list of the trustees and white teachers of our County
from which you can select.
From a boy, I was taught by iny parents, who were great
admirers of Governor Perry, to look upon him as a noble
man, pure and upright in heart, brave and fearless when
moved by convictions of the justice of his cause, honest in all
opinions and dealings, just to all accor-ding to his judgment
of the right, possessed of natural ability, by industry and
perseverance a master of his profession, a statesman of high
order, and familiar with the writings of all good authors.
Added to this teaching, when yet quite a lad, I was given the
opportunity, which I gladly embraced, of reading- his "Re-
minis(;ences of Great Men" as they were pul)lished in the
newspapers, and their good impressions were many and
strong. I shall never forget when I first saw Governor Peri'y. The
occurrence made a deep impression on my mind. I was sent
by my father with a note to him for some legal advice. On
my waj' I had many thoughts and really wondered if I
should indeed see him of whom I had read and been
told so much. I entered his office and was re
ceived by him with as much civility and politeness
as if I had been a man, though I was very much fright
ened at the thought of having to go into the presence
of so great a man. He enquired my name, which I
gave, and presented the note. Seeing that I was cold, for
the morning was chilly and I had ridden some distance on
horseback, he turned to make special arrangements for my
comfort by the glowing fire. When I was seated he r-ead the
note and turned to his desk and wrote his reply. While he
wrote, being somewhat behind him, I sat and gazed at him
in perfect boyish amazement. When he had finished the re
ply he turned and handed it to me, and at once, to my very
great astonishment, entered upon a general conversation
about our neighborhood— the people. He seemed as famil
iar with their names as I was, their health, stock, crops, high

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 65

water, etc., to all of which I made the best answer's I could.
When I was ready to go I received from him the same kind
ness and courtesy as that with which he received me. When
out of his office I soon bec^ame myself again. I was indeed
alight-hearted, happy boy, for I had really seen Governor
Perry. This taught me the lesson that no boy need ever
fear to go into the presence or a truly great man, for he
would receive nothing but the kindest treatment and con-
sidei'ation, such as 1 had received from Governor Perry.
This lesson has served me well on many occasions since, and
I shall never forget it. I appi-ehend a general distribution
of this excellent Erskine addi'ess, such as is proposed by you,
will sow many good seeds that will spring up and bear much
good fruit as the boys into whose hearts they lodge, ripen
into manhood, and throughout their lives will they reflect
it. 1 ain, with great respect, W. D. Mayfield.

Beauvoir, Miss.. Dec 28. 1888.
Mrs. B. F Perry,
Dear Madam : I regret to And from your letter of the 5th
instant that you have not received mine acknowledging
your kind consideration in sending to me the biographical
sketches of eminent American statesmen, among whom was
your deceased husband. So far as he and I differed as to
policy it did not pi'event entire concurrence in feeling and
wishes for the future of our section, and surely detracted
nothing from my r-espect for his character and judgment.
The consciousness of the rectitude of our own motives must
always excite toleration for those who may not agi-ee with
us. May God's best blessings rest upon you, is the sincere wish
of vours Jefferson Davis.

Governor Perr]| lo His Law Olce aoJ 3i llo.Tie, at "Satis Sou:

(The following notice of Governor Perry by his attached friend, Hon. C. W.
Dudley, gives so graphic an account o him that it is thought
worthy of u place in this Tribute.)

(We C"py the following paragraph, in which Governor Perr^' is so kindly spoken,
of. from the last issue of the Marlborough Planter, published at Bennettsville.
whose editor. Colonel C. W. Dudley, recently paid our city o visit. — Enterprise and
Mosntnini'i^r, GreenviJle, .^'. C, September 12. 1S77.)
But '' si ruat caelum" our r-eaders shall not pass over the
fact that we saw in Greenville that noble Roman, Governor
Perry, and his interesting family. He resides about three
miles from the city, with a panorama of hills and mountains
in full view of a splendid building now in process of construc
tion and nearly finished, in which he proposes to spend the
lattei- years of his life, in elegant retirement. Itisnotsajdng
too much when we venture the assertion that Gr-eenville has
been built up around him. That he is the great centre postof
theinilustiies and the educational advantages now so promi
nent in that city. The world has not been mistaken in sup-
po.sing that where such a man has so long been honored by
the confidence of the people, they themselves love the princi
ples whit:h have adorned his life, and form a society in which
it would be well to mingle. Consequently Greenville attracts
vi.sitors from every section of the country. It is in the direct
route to Cagsar's Head. Flat Rock, and other points where
health and recreation may be found, and is a resting place
on the way, where the excursionist who ever knew Governor
Perry rarely fails to call and pay his respects. Heis punctual
in attendance at his office every day, but has shunned the
court house during radical rule as a pestilence. His son,
Mr. W H. Perry, is in active practice, and has relieved him
from that duty. Governor Perry makes no compromises of
principle, nor bends to any considerations of mere expe
diency. His lofty nature has felt nothing but scorn and con-

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 67

tempt for radical official fraud, and he has never failed to ex
press it, in the mo.st unmistakable manner. Hence, he has
not bowed befoi'e their authority, nor recognized them, in
court or out of it, except as objects of disgust and abhor
rence. His law office, atthetime we called, was like acrowded
levee. After remaining there about an hour, enjoying the
luxury of conversation, such as the most intelligent people
like to indulge in and to hear, we bowed ourselves out and
retreated to make room for others.
We could not help thinking that Governor Perry was hke
a great beacon light in the State, attracting- by his high
character the eyes of the whole population, and inviting
them to stand upon the same pedestal he has always occu
pied. Just such men as he are moral disinfectants, and if it
were in the order of nature, we would hope that he might
never die, and never grow older.

(This letter and description of Sans Souci, by Governor Perry's young friend,
McDonald Furman, was received while this Tribute was being compiled,
and is so much appreciated that it is thought proper to place it
among the other valuable contributions to the memory
of this great man.
Ramsey, Sumter County, S. C, Dec. 15, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Perry : You will find enclosed an article which
appeared in to-day's Sumter Advance, giving an account of
the day I spent at .S'ans .S'ouci six years ago. At the time I
wrote the account in my diar-y I had no idea of everpublish-
ing it, but since then I have thought that it would form an
interesting article, so I have had it published. Governor
Perry had many admirers in this section of South Carolina,
and this account of his home will be of interest to them.
This is, I suppose, one of the fullest accounts of Sans Souci,
which has ever appeared in a newspaper. The day I spent at
Sans Souci was one of the most enjoyable of my school life
in Greenville, and it is a day which I will alwayshold in pleas
ant memory.
I hope you are in the enjoyment of good health. With

68 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

kind r-egards to yourself and the other members of your family.
I remain sincerely \'ours,
McDonald Furman.

It is two years this month .since the vetei'an statesman.
Benjamin F Perry, died. Governor Periy was not only a
statesman, he was also a jurist and a man of letters. Seve
ral years ago the writer of these lines was a cadet at the
Greenville Military In.stitute. and I used sometimes to vi.sit
Governor Perry at his law office and chat pleasantly with
him. In June. 1882. I spent, by invitation, a day at Sans
Souci. as the Perr-y mansion is named. It is situated about
three miles frorn the city of Greenville. As it may be of in
terest to your readers to leain something about the home oi
rliis (Jistiniini>hed South Carolinian, I aive below an account
of the day I spent at .sV/n.s- Souci. It is copied (and some
what condensed) from a diary I kept at that time.
Peir.N' Beattie (a arandsun of Governor- Perry) came for
rue in a bui:;i-.\ and 'Ir-ove me out. I found the ride ver'_\
pleasant. At l.-ist we approached Snns Souci. Mrs. Perry
met nip at the door with a friendly smile. Her daughter,
Mrs. William Beattie, was ther-e, and she. Mrs. Peri-y and I
were smm eniiaucd in a pleasant conversation. Presently
Governor Perry returned from lii.s law office, accompanied by
young Sam Townes. who also spent the day there. After
partaking of some nice fruit. Perry Beattie carried Townes
and myself into the cupola, on top of the mansion. The
mountain view from this point is lovely, and it appears as if
some beautiful picture was spread out before you. .\ per-son
<-an see mountains in three States from the cupola, viz:
South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
Next, Beattie carried us over the grounds and to the staole.
which is a large and handsome brick building, and everything
is most complete about it. Near the mansion is a small
stream, with a tiny fishpond on it, in which are some carp.
.S'ans Souci is a large and beautiful brick mansion, and in
some places pretty vines are being trained up its sides. The
grounds ar-o beautifully laid off. .\fter rambling over them.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 69
we went into the library, which is a most valuable and ex
tensive one. It is contained in two rooms separated byfold-
ing dooi's. Governor Per'ry has a great many works relating
to American history, which I looked at. Gentle reader, you
who love books and delight to glance on the pages of history,
you can imagine what a delightful time I had. While I was
in the libr-ary I heard sweet strains of music which proceeded
from a music box.
After awhile we went to dinner. After this was over, we
returned to the library, where we engaged in pleasant conver
sation. The Governor did not remain long inthe library ; he
appeared as though he felt fatigued. I presume he took an
afternoon nap.
Later on in the afternoon Beattie took Townes and my
self to the orchard, where we found a tree loaded with deli
cious cherries. After eating as many of them as we wished,
Mrs. Beattie took us over the garden, which Governor Perry
informed me he attended to. After our stroll through the
garden, Townes and I said farewell and returned to Green
ville. I knew I should have a good time at S'ans Souci, but I
had a far better tirne than I even anticipated having. Gov
ernor and Mrs. Perry are so kind and hospitable; they have
such a valuable library, and such a delightful place, that a
visitor could not help but have a pleasant time at Sans
Sqjjcj, McDonald Furman.
Privateer Township, Dec. 1, 1888.

Greenville in the Long ago.

THE ORIGIN OF THE GREENVILLE FEMALE COLLEGE.
Charleston, S. C, May 17, 1887.
Dear Mrs. Perry: The copy of the Baptist Courier,
published at Greenville under date of April 21, 1887, and
containing the pleasing allusion to your lamented and dis
tinguished husband have come safely to hand. I have read
the article in it, entitled "Gi'eenville in the Long Ago," and
write to thank you for- the privilege. I had always been
under the impression that the Gover-nor had been largely in
strumental in securing the site for the Female College, but
never before knew that he had i-endered pi ofessional service
in effecting a transfer of the Academy building to our Baptist
friends. It is but another evidence of his large heartedness
and catholicity, and I am dehghted that the record of his
many and unostentatious charities is being made in the
public press. Governor Perry was profound and I feel that
too much cannot be said of him.
With many thanks for your very kind remembrance, I am
dear Mrs. Perry, Respectfully,
Henry P Archer.

(The Baptist Courier. April 21, 1887.)
(The recent death of Hon, Benjamin F. Perry brings to the recollection of the
older citizens of Greenville many of the stirring events of his long and useful life,
and among the reminiscences of his i)ublic services none deserve more grateful re
cognition than the part borne by him in securing the establishment of the Green
ville Female College, with which his fellow citizens will ever link his name in grate
ful remembrance. As a testimonial of the services rendered, personally and pro
fessionally, for which he refused to accept pecuniary rewnrd, thn citizens of Green
ville presented him with n pair of silver pitchers on the 22d of .luly. 18.58, and the
following report, of the speeches made on that occasion will furnish t\e reader of
to-day with interesting fo.cts connected with the inception of an enterprise now so
vigorous and flourishing. The account was publis^'ed in the Patriot and Mouu-
tainerr. and is copied from Governor Perry's scrap book.— Eds Courier.)

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 71

Presentation Address.
The following are the remar-ks of Dr. Randell Croft, on the
occasion of presenting to Hon. B. F. Perry, in the name of
the citizens of Greenville, two costly silver pitchers:
Maj. Perry : The pleasing task has devolved on me of pre
senting to you these beautiful silver pitchc^r's, as a small
token from your numerous friends and fellow citizens of their
high respect for your many public and private virtues, and
in appreciation of your distinguished services in the various
posts of trust which you lia.ve filled fcjr many years past, and
also in procui'ing the legal transfer of the lands of the Gr-een
ville Academies to the State Convention of the Baptist
Denomination in South Carolina, for the establishment of
the Greenville Baptist Female College. I am proud in
being the chijsen medium of conveying to you these
testimonials of their respect and esteem. In performing
this grateful office of friendship, believe me, sir, when I assure
you that I not only concur most heartily in the tribute thus
offered to your merit, but will always cherish the recollection
of it as one of the most pleasing duties I have ever been called
on to perform.
In every field upon which you have entered, your fellow-
citizens have witnessed with just pride and satisfaction your
devotion to their best interests, your noble integrity of pur
pose and thorough knowledge of the great questions which
bear on the general weal of the nation. You, sir, have ever
been foremost in any and every public-spirited work which
has come in your way ; with energy that never tir-es, and with
skill and tact which seldom fails, you have been the Polar
star to whom all eyes have been turned in every difficulty,
and in whom all hearts have trusted in every emergency.
Deterred by no danger, awed by no presence, and shrinking
from no responsibility, you have ever moved as some grand
embodiment of power. You have been instrumental in
assisting to raise up the noble building in which we now
stand, dedicated as it has been to Minerva and thethorough
educating of our daughters and sisters ; and though there
may have been those who conscientiously and honestly

72 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
differed from you, thosefeehngs are now buried and forgotten.
and all are pleased to see this noble edifice r-earing its broad
frontlet to the sky, like a fairy palace her-e upon the swelling
hill-top rising up in our midst, and is destined to refiect much
light upon the fair daughters of Ca,rolina and her sister
States. I would not be discharging the duty which I feel in
cumbent upon me, were I to neglect mentioning the many
valuable and eflacient services yon have i-endered, not only
our State, but our town. Ever alive to all schemes for the
advancement of education, you have taken at all times a
lively interest in our Female College, which, under its able
and efficient faculty, is scattering broadi-ast the most per
fect system of female education.
And perhaps there is no safer nor surer mode of diffusing
knowledge and wi.sdom in a communiiy than by the radical
education of its females. Have educated mothers. Theii-
influence over their offspring is constant and great. Com
mencing at an early date, her influence is steady and con
tinuous; and being implanted in infancy, is never forgotten
or rejected. Of all the blessings to a community, there are
none which tend so well to elevate the standard of moral and
intellectual worth, as religious and educated mothers. Thus
it is a conceded point, that female colleges are of much in
trinsic value to our State and the republic.
Greenville by her literary institutions has made herself the
Athens of Carolina, and from having been a small, quiet vil
lage, is fast expanding into a large and populous town — her
sti'eets crowded with commerce, and her academic groves r-e-
sounding with the teaching of science and the diffusion of
truth and knowledge. To no one more than to yourself are
thanks due for all these literary privileges and blessings.
Reared and brought up in this community, it has long
since known your sterling virtues. You have wrung applause
even from the reluctant, and gained lustre from your rivals.
The still but steady intellectual and moral triumphs of your
victories are emblazoned on the page of our history. Still
you must not expect to escape attacks which your greatness
has invited ; for, "be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 73

thou shalt not escape calumny." At the Bar you have not
only reached the highest standard of forensic power and
mature erudition, but you have constantly and steadily kept
in view the great ends of equity and justice, as of far higher
importance than the mere triumphs of the advocate. In the
Legislature you have, by a true devotion to the interests of
Carolina, aided in enacting many laws of va,st importance to
the present and future generations. Nay, you have gone
further. By your own forecast and wisdom, you have
stamped your mark on the age in which we live in characters
indelible. You have built for yourself an en viable reputation.
In politics always consistent, flrm and true to your honest
convictions, you have towered far above the ordinary level,
and commanded the high r'espect and admiration of those
who diffei'ed from you most. You have been ever recognized
as the fearless and able champion of truth and justice — the
firm and steady friend, the open and generous opponent. In
every department of your labors, your character stands foi'th
like some fair Corinthian column — majestic in its strength,
just in all its proportions, resting on a base of broad dimen
sions, rising in perfect symmetry, surmounted with a capital
of unequaled perfection and beauty, presenting- to the eye a
specimen of completeness and strength— the just embodiment
of the truth that there must be wisdom to devise, strength
to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important
undertakings. I might dwell longer on your valuable services to the cause
of education, both in our own district and the Stateat large,
but, sir, lam not here toeulogize. Y'our deeds are on record as.
a part of your country's history, and your virtues are en
shrined in the grateful hearts of your countrymen. Both
shall live long after you have been gathered to your fathers.
And now, in the name of your friends, allow me to present
to you these pitchers, which I know you will keep and hand
down to your children as an enduring token of the love and
esteem of those who knew you long and well; and also as a
beautiful and lasting memento of their father's identiflcation
with the cause of female learning and woman's happiness.
I have only to add, sir, that along with this slight tribute I

74 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
now, as the organ of yourfriends, present you, wish to a.ssure
you of their continued interest in your welfare, and to convey
to you their best wishes for- your future happiness and pros
perity, and that they join mein wishingyou health, happiness
and political distinction in time, and in eternity endless joys.
Remarks of Hon. B. F. Perry.
Dr. Croft: I accept, sir, with mingled emotions of pride and
gratitude, the beautiful testimonial of my fellow-citizens of
Greenville, so flatteringly tendered by you on the present oc
casion. No event of my professional life has impressed more
strongly the feelings of my heart. To know that my services
are valued and appreciated is a high consolation, but it is a
much higher one to know that I have personally the r-espect
and esteem of those with whom my life has been spent, and
to whose service, professionally and politically, its best ener
gies have been dedicated.
You and 1, sir, were school companions, and an unbroken
friendship of thirty-five years has existed between us. To
this, sir, and the kindness of yonr nature and the warmth of
your heart, ever alive to friendship and friends, more than to
any merit of mine, must be attributed the complimentary
terms in which yon have seen proper to address me. My fife has
been an humble one, and my sphere of action very limited,
but in my humble and limited way I have endeavored to dis
charge my duty faithfully and fearlessly. This is all the
merit I have. It is true, the statesman, patriot and hero can
claim no higher.
In procuring the transfer of the Greenville Academies for
the endowment of a female college, my professional services
were rendered freely, voluntarily and zealously, without the
hope of fee or reward, except that most grateful of all re
wards to an honorable mind— the consciousness of having
done a public good. Throughout my exertions to accomp
lish this most laudable purpose, I felt that I was laboring in
a noble cause— the cause of female education— whose im
portance you and others here to-day have so well illustrated
in your brief remarks. What greater blessing can society

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 75
secure than the education of her daughters '? It appeals to
the heart of every one.
The transfer of the Greenville Academies was a necessity
springing out of the circumstances which surrounded us.
For-ty years ago, the citizens of Greenville, then a village
composed of a dozen or two stragling houses and a popula
tion of a hundred and fifty or two hundred per-sons, deter
mined, with a public spirit and liberality which reflects the
highest credit, to have within their own httle community the
means of educating well their sons and daughters. They
were unwilling to send abroad their children to be educated.
They felt the importance of a child being under the constant
care and watchfulness of the parent. They were also in
fluenced by a more unselfish consideration than all this.
They were anxious that those v^ho had not the means of
sending- their sons and daughters from home to be educated
should have access to classical schools within their own
neighborhood. For this purpose the Earles, Thompsons,
Clevelands, Toneys, Blassingames, Sloans, Craytons, and
others subscribed most liberally to the erection of two beau
tiful brick Academies in the village of Greenville. Vardry
McBee, our worthy and public-spirited patriarch and land
grave who still survives to bless his country with his noble
charities and munificent public donations, gave this mag
nificent site, with surrounding acres, for the location of these
schools. The Academies went into immediate opei-ation, and flour
ished and prospered, disseminating a most benign influence
throughout the district. I am gratifled to see here, on this
occasion, the venerable gentleman. Dr. Johnson, under whose
care and management the Female Academy was so long con
ducted with honor to himself and the highest usefulness to
his country, and to whom so many of the ladies of the up-
country are indebted for a thorough and hberal education.
A chano-e ca,rne over the people. The spirit of education
went abroad, and hundreds and thousands felt its influence
who otherwise would have been destitute of its liberal advan
tages. Our little village grew and prospered, and became
a place of fashionable resort in the summer months for the

76 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

wealthy and reflned planter and merchant of the low coun
try. The commerce of Greenville, its agriculture and me
chanic arts kept pace with the progress of education. And
now, sii', this mountain village ranks as the third town in
the State, and next to the capital of the State — two miles in
extent, with a population ofthreeorfourthousand person».(*)
The establishment of that noble institution in our midst,
the Furman University, which is disseminating its influence
all over the State, gave a new and higher impetus to the
cause of education, and superceded entirelj' the necessity of
the Greenville Male Academy. This induced the enquiry
among our citizens as to the propriety of establishing a
higher standard of female education in our community, and
uniting the two Academies in the endowment of a female
college, with liberal contributions in money on the part of
the citizens for its support. A town meeting was called to
consider the proposition. The ladies became interested in
the question, as well they might. They honored us with
their presence at our pubhc meeting, and cheered us on by
their smiles and appr-oval. Fighting- under such auspices
and in such a cause, it is not strange that we were successful.
The question then came up in the Board of Trustees of the
Academies, and was car-rned. Every step taken was an ova
tion triumphal. In order to satisfy the consciences of the
over scrupulous as to our legal right to make the transfer,
we T-esorted to the Court of Chancery. Through all its his
tory, this high Court has been the guardian protector of the
rights of women and minors. Here again the ladies met us
and graced the Court with their presoTH-e. and listened with
seeininti- interest to legal arguments on trust and corpora
tions. His Honor, the Chancellor Wardlaw, ordered the
transfer- to be made. An appeal was taken from his decision.
It was argued elaborately before a full Bench of Chancellors.
They decided that the Trustees could have made the trans
fer without the aid of the Courts. This was in conformity
with the legal opinion I had first given.
Hut ill Older- to make assurance doubly sure, we appealed

'iNoTL —In IfiSK lia,s a population of bet-ieea nine and ten thousand

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 77
to the Legislature, late in the session and late at night as my
friend and colleague. Perry E.Duncan, now present, well knows.
The bill passed the House sub silentio. It was a march
stolen on the enemy. But in the Senate their agents met it,
and it was nobly fought through by our Senator, Col. Brock-
man, a,bout 12 o'clock, who then retired to sltiep on his laurels.
We had now to carry the question in the Baptist State Con
vention, or all was lost. Here once more we were indebted
to the influence of the ladies. They came to the discussion.
During its progress, they influenced those who came to op
pose to become its warmest advocates. They pointed out
the beautiful location to the members, commandingamagni-
ficent view of the mountains and overdooking the village.
They spoke of the value of the property, the liberal sub
scriptions of their husbands and brothers, and its great im
portance to the community. All they asked was for the Con
vention to take charge of the valuable property and manage
it for the education of their daughters. The transfer was
made and accepted.
Now, sir, I appeal to the opponents of that measure,
whether all that was predicted throughoutthe discussion has
not been realized? What was then said at our public meet
ings and in our Courts as prophecy has now become the
truth of history. The mothers here present and their fair
daughters can rise up as witnesses for me. This beautiful
structure, classic in all its proportions, dedicated as you
have said to Minerva, at once the pride of our village and
the ornament of the place, bears me witness. An able and
learned corps of professor-s in every branch of female educa
tion, one which would do honor to any similar institution in
the United States, is my best witness. The compositions
read in our hearing to-day from the graduates would not
only do credit to the graduating pupils of any college, male
or female,- but would do no discreditto the learned professors
of those colleges for thought, taste or sentiment. Young
ladies are sent here from every part of the country to be
educated. Gentlemen with their famdies are settling here on
account of our colleges, adding to the interest and pleasure
of our society, and contributing their wealth to the growth

78 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
and prosperity of our town. The merchants, mechanics,
farmers and boarding-house keepers are all reaping the rich
fruits of their atti-action, whilst our children ar'e blessed to
bless others with the great principles of learning, education
and science
The most sanguine hopes of our citizens have been realized,
and the Greenville Female College is es^tablished beyond con
tingency. Our beautiful village, with its noble scenery, fine
chmate, railroad facilities, and abundant sur-rounding
agricultural products, will continue to attract hither the
wealth and refinement of the country throughout its length
and breadth. All ai-e impressed with the importance of
female education. Woman is i-ecognized as the intellectual
companion of man, and should be his co-equal in education.
The influence of woman on society is more deeply felt than
that of man. To her belongs the training of the child for
good or evil, which he never forgets in a.fter life. From the
mother the son receives his early religious principles, his
virtue, his sense of honor and propriety. Virginia's great
orator and statesman, John Randolph of Roanoke, erratic
in everything, once said, most beautifully and feelingly, that
he would have been an infidel but for the remembrance of his
mother's taking his httle hands between hers in childhood
and making him repeat every night before going to bed the
Lord's Prayer.
If we will examine into history, we shall find that great
men have always had great mothers. The mother of Lord
Bacon, styled by the poet the greatest and wisest of man
kind, was a. woman pre-eminent for her intellectual endow
ments The mother of Napoleon, whose genius over
shadowed that of all others in ancient or modern times, was
a most remarkable woman. Washington's mother was
woi'thy of her illustrious son, and a higher compliment no
woman can receive. So were the mothers of Jefferson,
.•Vdams, Clay, Calhoun and Webster.
In many of the higher qualities of our nature woman is
superior to man. She possesses in an eminent degree that
wisdom of the heart which never errs, and always brings her

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 79
to conclusions correct where man's reason and judgment may
fail him.
There is one error in female education which is radical and
pernicious, and should be corrected. Our sons never complete
their education before they are near grown, twenty or twenty-
one years old. How is it then possible for our daughters to
be educated by the time they are fifteen or sixteen? Whilst
such a course is pursued their education must be superficial.
It is impossible for their young and tender minds to be
thoroughly taught, and their education complete at such an
age. When they quit school at nineteen and twenty, they
will find that they have only laid the foundation of a good
education, and its superstructure has yet to be built.
Happiness is the desire of all, and I know all are anxious
to commence its early pursuit in this wide world. Let me
hei-e tell my young friends that they must search for it not
only at home but within themselves, or they will never find
it. God in His infinite wisdom, goodness and mercy, has
ordained that happiness shall belong to no class, rank or
position in society. Honor, wealth and distinction cannot
give it. Nor is poverty, obscurity or humility a barrier to
its possession. We must look to the heart, the mind, educa
tion and temperament, for happiness— nowhere else.
In conclusion, sir, let me return through you, to myfellow-
citizens of Greenville, my most grateful thanks for their
valued and unexpected present. Tell them, sir, that their
kindness has filled my heart with feelings to which I cannot
give utterance. Say to them that these costly pittdiei's, with
their honoring inscription, are valued above all price, and
9ha.ll be treasured with my life and honor. They shall
descend to my children and to my children's children, to in
spire their hearts with those feelings of respect and af
fection which I have always felt toward the people of Green
ville. All that I am. all that I ever expect to be, I owe to
their kindness and generous support, politically and profes
sionally. In the darkest period of my life, amidst cruel abuse
heaped On me for sustaining and defending the cherished po
litical sentiments of the great heart of Washington and his
dying leo-acy to his countrjasien, they rallied around me and

80 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
gave me their entii'e confidence. And here I say, in their de
fence and in my defence, that my heart never felt nor my mind
never conceived a feeling or sentiment towards my country
which was not in accordance with every act and every word
of the great Pater Patria. Brought up in the political school
of Washington, I have made war against sectionalism all
my life, as destructive of the best interests of the Republic,
whilst I have defended with equal zeal the Federal Constitu
tion, the rights of the States, and the true interests of the
South. In my fidelity to the Union, I have notloved less but
more the State which gave me birth and is my home. To
her my first allegiance is due ; but far above this feeling and
stronger than this tie, is my love and devotion to Greenville,
her people, her institutions, her mountains, and everything
that is hers.

SPEECH
Before the Merchants, Mechanics and Business Men of Columbia, Oecemher 1/, 1853,
By HON. B. F. PERRY, of Greenville, S. C.

Fellow-Citizens : It is with great pleasui-e that I appear
before you this evening to address the mechanics, merchants
and business men of Columbia on a subject of so much im
portance, and so deeply interesting to all of us, as that of
Popular Education. Your kind invitation yesterday morn
ing, and the manifestations of regard which you have given
me, have found a lodgment in my heart which neither time
nor circumstances can displace. I regret, fellow-citizens, that
the short notice given me, and my legislative duties since,
have prevented me making that preparation which my re
spect for you and the importance of the subject demand.
But such as I have I give unto you.
Every one who loves his country, and every one who loves
his fellow-man, should feel and take a deep interest in popu
lar education. What can give the heart of the patriot and
philanthropist more real gratification than to see his fellow-
man placed in a condition where he may acquire knowledge
and virtue, religion and ha,ppiness and prosperity? Can any
one be insensible to those means which are to elevate and dig
nify the human mind, which are calculated to raise the hum
ble and lowly from vice to virtue and from ignorance to
knowledge. On popular education depends the stability and contin
uance of our Republican institutions. No people can sustain
a Republic who have not virtue and intelligence. All history
proves the truth of this assertion. Look at Mexico, in a
constant state of revolution and despotism, and all the time
struggling for a Republican form of government. Not one
man in one hundred of that unfortunate people can read and

82 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
write. So rare is the capacity to write, that one meets in the
streets of Mexico professional letter writers, with ink and
pen, ready to be employed by the thousands who are unedu
cated and who may wish to corr-espond with a friend or a
sweetheart. I..ook at France, with all of her- science and lit-
ei-ature, but still without popular education, pulling down
her Republican form of government as soon as it is estab
lished !
Some years ago, when Louis Philippe was hurled from his
throne and the French Republic estabhshed on its ruins, I
congratulated the cause of human liberty and Re^publicanism
on the establishment of a yjopulai- government in the centre
of Europe, sur-roundeil by kings and emperors. I thought
the people of France capable of self-government, from the
fact that their landed estates were divided into the smallest
farms imaginable. I thought this would give the people an
interest in government which would secure and perpetuate
the Republic. But I did not reflect on the want of po])ular
education in France. The great masses of people there are
still unable to read and write, notwithstanding the science
and literature of the chosen few.
In ancient Greece there was very little education amongst
the masses, and the powers of government were in the hands
of the educated few. Athens was a republic only in name.
The people weiegoverned absolutely and despotically, though
voluntarily, by their orators and great men. In no country
in the world, perhaps, had an orator more complete control
(jf the masses than in Athens. He moved them and swaj'ed
them at his will. They came to hear him togetinformation,
and in their ignorance were unable to controvert anything
he said or did. How different it is in modern times, and
especially in these United States, where popular education is
so general. Here the orator addresses those on the same
platform of knowledge as himself. The audience are his
equals in education, in knowledge and in thought. The views
he may express are the same views which have occurred to
hundreds whom heis addressing.
In Rome there was more of popular education tha.n in
Greece, and more of self-government during the existence of

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 83
the Republic. But still, education was not general, as it is
in modern times; and necessarily could not be, whilst the
art of printingwas unknown to the world. Books were scarce
and costly whilst in manuscript. It was a la;bor to make a
single copy of a history or philosophical work. Thanks to
the art of printing, this is no longer the case. And a free
press, whilst it dissemminates knowledge and information,
has become one of the great bulwai-ks of liberty and virtue.
But a servile and slavish press, the mouth-piece of cliques
and parties, is one of the greatest curses which can be inflicted
on any country.
In the dark ages which ensued the fall of the Roman Em
pire, all the learning and education of the world were con
fined to the clergy. They, too, had all the power and politi
cal influence of Europe in their hands, showing that educa
tion and political power are inseparable. The kings and
princes of Europe were, in the dark ages, under the control
and influence of the educated priesthood. At the will of the
Pope they were dethroned and made beggars in their own do
minions! They were ignorant and so were their nobility.
Reading and writing were rare qualities amongst sovereigns
and lords. They had seals for the purpose of affixing their
signatures to deeds and gTants!
But, fellow-citizens, a great change has come over the world
since those days. The tyranny and despotism of Europe
have, in a great measure, been dispelled by popular educa
tion. As the human mind has been enlightened, the shackles
of despotism have fallen from the hands of the people. All
the governments of Europe have become freer and more lib
eralized, and the people have become more educated and more
intelligent. In this respect the United States are peculiarly
blessed, and have been since the first settlement of the Colo
nies. The Pilgrims of Massachusetts wereeducated. They could
read and write. Their education caused them to feel deeply
their religious and political oppressions. Their minds were
elevated, and they had imbibed a spirit and energy which
forced them to leave their homes and their country and kin
dred, and seek a habitation in a howling wilderness rather-

84 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
than submit their necks to the iron heel of the oppressor.
They believed it to be their sacred duty to teach every one to
read the Word of God. Popular education was thus handed
down from ,sire to son amidst the descendants of the Pilgrim
Fathei-s. It« effects and con.sequences are now blessing all
New England with r-eligion, morality, literature, science, re
publicanism, wealth and prosperity.
The Roundheads and Cavaliers of Vir-ginia also brought
\rith them a love of popular education and a love of lib
erty which nothing has or can depress. So it was
with the first settlers of South Carolina. Shortly af
terwards came the Huguenots, who were French arti.sans
and mechanics. They wereeducated and with theireducation
had imbibed a spirit of freedom and a love of religious toler
ation. Fr-om the.se mechanics have descended many of the
first families of South Carolina.
But, fellow-citizens, look these United States over and ask
youi-selves what this popular education, this half-education,
the scorn of some, has done for the country, and the great
men of the country. George Wa.shington was no graduate
of a college, and there was nothing thorough in his educa
tion. He had received only the cf)mmon rudiments of an
English education — such as the common boys of the country
now i-eceive at the commonest schools of the country. He
was a good surveyor and wrote a fair and legible hand. With
this small capital in the way of educatioi. to commence with,
he improved himself and rose to an elevation, in moral great
ness, which no other man in the world ever did possess. He
e.stabhshed a republic and achieved the independence of his
country. Long may this great and glorious confederacy of
sovereign and independent States endure as the monument
of his virtue, wisdom and patriotism !
Dr. Franklin was another of those half-educated boys, who
some would have us believe are rendered vicious and idle by
a little school instruction. He was the son of a poor tallow
'•handler, and to say that he was half-oducated is saying
more than was true. He could read and write and cypher a
little, and that was the extent of his education. But with
this little smattering of knowleflge, what did he do? He was

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 85

a printer's boy, and whilst others were idling away their
time, he was using these' implements, obtained at a common
school, to unlock the whole range of science and make him
self the most illustrious philosopher of his age! He became
the friend of the great and the learned and the companion of
nobles, princes and kings! His discoveries and inventions
were the admiration of the world, and have proved him one
of thegreatest benefactor-s of mankind ! Whatcould hehave
been without the little education he received in childhood?
Perhaps a good tallow chandler, though pos.sibly a vicious
and wicked man and a nuisance to society, instead of a pa
triot statesman, philo.sopher and philanthropist!
In passing through the upper part of the State some years
•since, I met an old lady, Mrs. Stephenson, who had been the
school companion of General Jackson. She told me an inci
dent in his life that I never knew before, but which I have
since seen stated by his biographer. When a boy he worked
at the saddler's trade, near the Waxahaw's, in Lancaster
Distriit, with a man by the name of White. His education
consisted of a knowledge to read and write and cypher. But
with this little learning, he made his way to the Presidency
of the United States, and became the most popular Chief
Magistrate since the administi'ation of Washington.
Alexander Hamilton, perhaps the greatest intellect the
United States ever produced, quit school at thirteen, with
only the rudiments of a common English education. Clay,
the greatest and most accomplished of American orators,
had nothing more than a common popular school education.
General Green was a blacksmith and received his whole edu
cation in the common schools of Rhode Island. But, having
been taught to read and write, he procur-ed books and im
proved his mind. He became a well informed man, and
ranked, as a General, next to Washington. He reconquered
South Carolina, and restored her to the American Confederacy.
Roger Sherman, one of the greatest men of the old Congress,
was a shoemaker. Patrick Henry had very little education,
yet he had enough to shake the throne of Great Britain to
its centre and infuse into the minds of the American people

86 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

the seeds of a revolution which established their indepen
dence I
But one of the most remarkable instances of self-education
in the United States is that of the present Governor of Ten
nessee. He was married early in life and his wife taught him
to write after their marriage. He was a tailor, and traveled
with his wife on foot from North Carolina, wherehe was born,
into Tennessee. There he established himself as atailor and
for many years car-ried on his trade. Whilst a member of
Congr-ess he still kept his shop. He is now Governor of Ten
nessee! (*)
I might mention very many of the greatest names of Eu
rope, whose education was not superior to those I have al
ready named. Shakspeare himself was of that class. Ben
Johnson was a bricklayer. Burns, the great poet of Scot
land, who sung to the human heart as no other poet ever
did sing, was a ploughman and a common laborer — and but
for his little schooling the world would now be without his
poems! Napoleon Bonapaite himself was no classical scholar or
college graduate. He was the student of a military school,
and was thoroughly taught the science of war as it was then
understood. But he was thor-ough in nothing else. Yet he
became, in the strength of his power' and glory, the destroyer
of the thrones and crowns of all continental Europe. Kings
and Emperors were his playthings, and he moved them at his
will, as if they had been on a chess board. Many of his field
marshals had still less of education.
What is education, thorough or par-tial, but the means of
opening to the human mind, the vast treasures of science and
learning? Education is like a rnechanic'stools. It is the in
strument with which he acquires knowledge, power, weal th and
happiness. A poor education may be likened to a poor a.xe,
which requires harder blows and more of them, to cut down
a forest tree. Still it is better to have a. dull axe than none
at all. But I am told a little learning is a dangerous thing!
How can that be? There never was a greater falsehood per-
(•)NoTE. — Andrew Johnson, afterwards President of the United States.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 87
petrated than is contained in this quaint saying. Is a little
religion worse than no religion at all? Is a little charity
worse than none? Is a little money worse than no money?
Who ever heard of such a, monstrous pr-oposition ? No, fel
low-citizens, it is certainly best to ha,ve a thorough educa
tion, but it is much better to have a smattering than none
at all.
We ar'e so constituted by an all-wise God that we must
have employment. Man cannot be idle. If not pr-operly em
ployed, he will be idly or viciously em ployed. Thedandy has
his employments as well as the mechanic. The fashionable
lady who spends three or four hours ever-y day at her toilette,
is perhaps as constantly employed as the housewife who su
perintends her domestic affairs. Nor can we always be em
ployed at the same pursuit. Variety is said to be the spice
of life. So it is with the mechanic, the laborer, the law
yer, merchant and doctor. We alt require relaxation.
When the mechanic is tired of his labor he may seek and en
joy rest with a good book in his hand. In this way he im
proves his mind and his heart, and elevates himself by his
recreation. But suppose he is without education and does
not know how to read and write? He will have to seek
amusement in some other way than by resorting to books.
Perhaps he will indulge in some wicked sport.
But how inestimable is the value of knowing how to read
and write, when the humblest man goes from home or moves
into a strange land, and desires to correspond with his
friends and relations. Is not a little learning, then, of value,
and to be prized as contributing to the happiness of fife?
What would the condition of the mechanic be without the
ability of keeping his accounts and making his calculations,
in regard to his trade? Popular education is properiy
attainable in four places, and all four are, in some measure,
absolutely necessary to education in a republic. The school
house, the church, the ballot-box and the court house. At
school the boy learns to read and write. This puts the key of
knowledge into his hands. With it he unlocks the treasures
of philosophy and sciences and history. His intellectual
faculties are expanded and his mind enlarged. At church he

88 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

becomes aeqiiainted with the worship of his God, and his
heart is improved and filled with the holy precepts of re
ligion. In the exercise of the elective franchise he practises
the duties of a republican citizen. He is made to think of
politics and political questions, and inform himself in re-
fei-ence to them. They who would deprive the people of the
right of electing their legislators and chief magistrates are
unwilling to acknowledge the right of the people, or the
ability of the people to govern themselves. Our members of
the Legislature now think it is better for them to exercise
the right of voting for Presidential electors, and that the ex
ercise of this popular and constitutional right on the part of
the people would be mischievous! They don't think it will
do for the people to have so important an election as this in
their hands. They are willing to dole out to them the minor
elections, such as clerks, sheriffs and tax collectors. This is
about the grade of their capacity ! But it would never do for
them to vote for President and Vice-President.
The other source of popular education is the court house,
where the citizen meets and hears the laws of his country ex
pounded and enforced, where he sils on juries and hear's cases
argued and illustrated. As a juror, he is a part of the gov-
ei-nment. This fits him for the exercise of popular rights.
The trial by jury and the administration of justice according
to the common law, is agreatpropin republican government.
Education is of so much importance in a republican gov
ernment that it is the absolute dnty of the com mon wealth to
educate her sons. It is a duty that never should be neglected
by the State. No matter what the cost may be, it should be
performed faithfully and sacredly. This New Engla.nd has
done by means of her free .schools. Rarely, indeed, can a
citizen of those States be found who is not able to read and
write. The whole country is divided into townships, and
each township, has a free school in its centre.
The State of South Carolina has done much towar-ds the
education of her citizens, but I am afraid it has not been pro
ductive of as much good as it ought to have civen to the
country. For more than fifty years past an appropriation
of twenty or thirty thousand dollars has been annually made

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 89

for the support of the South Carolina College. Thirty or
forty thousand dollai-s have likewisebeen appropriated every
year for the education of the poor. This fund ought to have
been distributed according to white population, and not in
proportion to taxation and white population. In many of
the Districts it is thought that the appropriation is not pro
ductive of as much good as it might be, in consequence of
mismanagement. It has been said by those opposed to popular education,
that the State has no right to interfere with the education of
the people ! This would defeat the appropriation for the sup
port of the college. Surely, if the State can appropriate
money and inter-fere for the education of the sons of the
rich, she may do as much for the sons of the poor.
The South Carolina College is a noble institution. It
affords the means of educating our sons at home, instead of
sendiugthem abroad, which would be a constant drain upon
the State. It is proper, too, that ^oung men should be
educated where they expect to live.
The whole State ought to be divided into townships, as the
New England States are, and in the centre of each township
there should be a school free for all children, rich or poor.
This school should be supported bj' the State, and then we
should have free schools, and all would be educated. In
towns and villages education is more easy, inasmuch as the
children are more thrown together.
The wealthy have a deep interest in the education of the
poor, if education tends to make the citizen wiser and more
virtuous. It is something, and a very high consideration,
for the possessor of wealth to know that his property is in
the midst of a peaceable and virtuous community.
In conclusion, fellow-citizens, I will notice an opinion which
prevails with some in South Carolina, as degrading and in
sulting to labor and the laboring classes as it is false to
hberty and republicanism. This opinion has found favor in
high places, and has been inculcated and enforced with talent
and learning by some of the aristocratic few who ar-e able to
live without labor. It is said that education, and thorough
education, is necessary to republicanism, but that they who

90 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

labor have no time for education and reading, and therefore
cannot be educated, and consequently ought not to exercise
the rights, and privileges, and duties of a republican citizen.
Reference ha+s been made to the .Vthenian Repubhc, where,
according to Lord Brougham, in his Political Philosophy.
there were three hundred thousand slaves, and only thirty
thousand freemen. Hence, it is contended that slavery is neces
sary to republicanism, in order to afford thelaboring classes
who ought to be excluded from republicanism, and who are
unfit to exercise the rights which belong to a republican
citizen .
Such doctrines, in my humble judgment, are insulting to
public opinion, founded in an utter ignorance of the whole
subject of labor and education, and tending to t^'ranny
over the laboring classes, disfranchising them and making
them serfs and slaves! I deny that labor is inconsistent
with education. I have already shown that they who have
labored at the plough, in the blacksmith shop, as shoemakers,
saddlers and bricklayers, printers and surveyors of lands,
have been amongst the most distinguished poets, statesmen,
philosophers, orators, patriots and warriors that the world
ever produced, from its creation to the present day. I am
now prepared to show that every laborer, whether in the
field or in the mechanic's shop, has abundant time to read
and improve his mind ; and if he has been taught to read and
write in his infancy, he is very apt to do so in a greater or
less degree. No one does labor or should labor more than
ten or twelve hours in twenty-four ; very few labor so much.
It is not necessary that anyone should, for his support. No
one need sleep more than seven hours. This leaves five, or
six, or seven hours for recreation and reading to every labor
ing man in the community. There is also one day in seven
when no man works, in a civilized and Christian community.
A portion of that day, after our religious duties in church
and elsewhere are pei'formed, may be devoted to the improve
ment of the mind by reading good books. Independent of
all this, there is weather, and times, and occasions when the
laborer in doors and out of doors is prevented pursuing his
daily vocation. All of this time, or a portion of it, at least.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 91

may be devoted to reading and education, and the improve
ment of the mind. The ploughman may read while his horse
is eating, and the mechanic whilst heis restingfi-om his labor,
or waiting for it to commence.
.Vlthough they had slaves in Athens, and although they
have slaves in the Southern States, yet there were fr-ee men
in Athens, and there are free men in tae Southern States, who
have to labor for their daily bread, and who have shown
themselves as tit to exercise the rights of republicanism, as
the idle drones of society, who ar-e consumers without being
producer's. From my knowledge of mankind, I would unhes
itatingly rely sooner on the judgment of an educated me
chanic or laborer in the aft'airs of State, than on one of these
educated non-laborers. If I v.-ere called upon to deny the
rights of republicanism to the one or the other, it should be
to the idle, and not to the industr-ious.
In the Northern States and in theNorthwestern States, and
in a. majority of the States of this Union where slavery does
not exist, they have as much republicanisn* as we have in
South Carolina, and have shown themselves as fit toexei'cise
all the rights of republican citizens as South Carolinians.
Their State constitutions, their laws, regulations and insti
tutions prove their republicanism. Their wealthy their pros
perity, their popular education, their free schoolsystem, their
literature and general intelligence, their success in all the arts
and sciences, and mechanic branches of industry, illustrate
the virtue and wisdom of their republican system of govern
ment, and show that labor is not antagonistic to education
and republicanism.
In parting with you, fellow-citizens, let me urge on the me
chanics and business men of Columbia the proprrety of estab
lishing literary societies amongst you, where all who desire
may have books to read. Although books are very cheap,
yet^few of us are able to purchase all that we may desire to
read. Never forget that you are freemen, that you are re
publican citizens, as well as Christian men, and that you have
a duty to perform to the republic, as well as to your God,
and to vour families. Fakewell.

GOVERNOR B, F, PERRY, OF SOUTH CAROLINA,

(This communication from Rev. Dr. H. Melville .lackson, of Grace Church, Rich
mond, Va.. was received too late to occupy its proper place
in this Tribute to his friend.)
(Southern Churchman, Richmond, Va., Dec. 20, 1888.)
This remarkable man and eminent statesman, who but a
short time ago brought to its close a long and useful fife, is,
perhaps, owing to the privacy and seclusion in which he
spent the closing years of his life, but little known to the
younger men of the pr-esent generation.
And yet there are few men of our times whose lives are so
well worth the knowing. The sterling integrity and strength
of character, the firm adherence to principles, the undaunted
courage of conviction, the manliness and self-restr-aint which
he constantly displayed through stormy and tur-bulent times,
constitute him a worthy exemplar of youth.
The recent publicatiou of his Speeches, Addresses and
Sketches of Eminent Men (*) is the occasion of this paper.
That publication is itself a graceful tribute to his memory
by his wife, the noble helpmeet of a noble man, who has cho
sen the best products of his thought and pen, and given them
to the world with the proud conviction that they establish
his title to remembrance and fame.
The speeches which this volume contains are of greatvalue
to the historian and the student of the period in which they
were delivered . Governor Perry occupied a unique position
as the leader of the Union party in South Carolina, the po
litical opponent of Calhoun, and the unwavering antagonist
of the nullification and secession doctrines which resulted in
civil war. As early as 1831 , then a young man but twenty-

{*) Biographical Sketches of Eminent American Statesmen, with Speeches, Ad
dresses and Letters, by ex-Governor B F. Perry, of Greenville, S. C. For sale in
Richmond by West, .lohnston & Co.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 93

six years of age, he foresaw the end, gave evidence of his truly
wonderful political foresight, and began his predictions of
coming events, which fell unheeded by the excited, exaspera
ted and ebullient men of his time. In his Fourth of July
oration delivei'ed in that year, remarkable for its maturity
of thought in one so young, he pointed out the evils which
would follow upon a dismemberment of the Union, and de
clared that he was unwilling "on any account toputin jeop
ardy this Union, this government, our independence and our
name as a people." This declaration is the keynote of his
career, and consistently through his whole life he fought the
spirit of disunion with a stubborn gallantr-y, with apolitical
sagacity', and with a noble forgetfulness of self which distin
guish him among eminent compeers as a great and good
man. One cannot avoid speculating how differently history
might have been written if his generation had butlistenedto
the powerful and pathetic pleading of which these speeches
are full, and had been guided by the wisdom which time has
so amply justified.
We are accustomed to look in the annals of war for our ex
emplars of heroic conduct, and we are justified in this, if phy
sical courage is to be rated higher than moral. But wh(j
does not know that moral courage is the quality which lifts
heroism out of the animal and into the intellectual life and
endows it with all the splendid attributes of the soul?
The man who is content to be maligned, misunderstood,
hissed, scorned, jeered, scoffed for truth's sake, for the sake
of his principles, is, after all. a nobler man and a grander
hero than the defenders of the pass of Thermopylae. A Lu
ther calmly facing an angry council with the memorable ut
terance: "One with God is a majority." is a nobler figure
than the trained gladiator of the circus whose courage is
shared, and perhaps surpassed, by the brutes. It is always
so easy to hedge and trim. It is always so easy to say the
many are probably right. But the spectacle is superbly in
spiring when a man who has reached a settled convirtion of
the right stands for it against his enemies, and, harder still,
against his friends; stands for it through the weary
contesting the tide of popular opinion, and volnntari

yeMi's. v s,-u--

94 Benjamin Franklin Perry.
rificing his popularity, hope of preferment — political or other
and the cherished ambitions of a lifetime upon its altar.
Such ai spectacle does the life of Governor Perry afford us.
It is not for us to (piestion whether he was I'ight and the
many were wrong. It suffices to recognize in his career a
iiian who stood for his convictions with a stalwar-t consis
tency and rigid firmness, which neither seductive persuasion.
The alienation of friends, the hisses of the rabble, the sense of
isolation, nor- the tr-emendous influence of popular fur-ore and
clamor could shake for an instant. I call this a valuable
moral lesson, valuable to the young men of these times, and
the life which contained and embodied it is worthy of all
honor and r-emembrance.
Of his speech delivered before the South Carolina House of
ilepresentatives in 1850, in opposition to disunion, he said :
'I leave it as a legacy to m.y country and to my children ;"
and when it is remembered that hestood all but alone in that
";)ody advocating measuresthe most unpopular-, and with his
one arm endeavoring to stay the rush of a whole people, it
;nust be confessed that no nobler heritage can man transmit.
His sons can receive it at his hands as the attestation of
the courage, fidelity and integrity of their sire.
It is not my purpose, nor have we the space, to analyze
the speeches which this volume contains, or even to quote
ii-om them. They are the utterances of a man versed in
oohtical affaii-s, of which he was a profound .student. Those
which are literary in character show a wide acquaintance
vvith the world of letters. The.y abound with elegant and in
structive thoughts, expressed in choice language, often
eloquent, but severe in its classic simplicity. While there are
jjassages in these speeches which in rhetorical gr-ace and dic
tion, purity of style and cogency of thought may be truly
styled eloquent; yet it is quite evident that his eloquence
consisted rather in the tremendous moral earnestness of the
man than in the arts of the rhetorician and the declaimer.
But we have left to ourselves too little space in which to
speak of what, to the general i-eader, is the most interesting
]>ortion of this book. "The Sketches of Eminent Men,'"
which compose a principal part of the volume, have, indeed.

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 95

great literary merit. .Vlmost every ina.ii prominent in .Vmeri
can life is delineated in these pages with an accuracy of touch,
a. boldness of outline and a faithfulness of portraiture which
leaves scarcely anything to be desired. The Sketches are
enriched with a copious fund of anecdote, which lends its
peculiar charm to the narration of facts, and leads the read
er on, only to leave him at the end with the regret that there
is no more. Otis and Pinckney and Crawford, Washington,
.Adams and Jefferson, Henry, Webster, Randolph and Choate,
and many others distinguished in politics, in science, at the
bar and on the bench are introduced tousin detail and made
to us familiar personages in the history of our country. We
cannot avoid expressing the opinion that it were better to
have published these Sketches in a separate volume as a con
venient handbook of American biography, in which form they
would, no doubt, have attained a wider popularity.
And now this brief review must be brought to a close. It
is at the dictate of a warm personal affection and regard for
him whose literary remains are enshrined in this volume that
I have ventured to vi'iite. If anything I have written shall
seem strained or exaggerated, let it be set down to the high
admiration 1 entertain for one of whom I have said elsewhere
that he comes nearer to my ideal of a public man— a man of
affairs— than any other- 1 have known. H. Melville Jackson

96 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

Office of We.st, .Iohnston & Co.,
Richmond, V.v., .Ian. 8, 1889.
Mrs. B. F. Perry. Greenville, S. C.
De.4R M.vD.i.M : Thinking it may be some satisfaction to you, and perhaps useful
in disposing of your book, we enclose a letter received by us to-day, from a Kentle-
mnn to whom we had sold a co])y of yonr book.
Very respectfully, etc., West, .Iohnston <Sc Co.

Kabletown, Jefferson Co., W Va., Jan. 4, 1889.
West, Joiinsto.v & Co., Richmond, Va.,
Gentle.\ie.\ : I was the recipient, by the mail of last even
ing, of your letter of the 1st inst., accompanied by the vol
ume containing the sketches of ex-Governor B. F Perry, of
South Carolina. It is unnecessary for me to comment upon
the extraordinary ability, patriotism, courage and devotion
to his convictions, which resulted from his deliberate and
dispassionate consideration of the momentous issues with
which he was (-onfronted ; and stood almost solitar-y and
alone during the most stormy, critical and ti'ying period of
our nationalexistence.
1 cheerfully send a i-egistered letter for two dollars, as it is
difficult to send sixty-nine (-ents in change. In acknowledg
ing the payment, you maysend thechange due me in stamps.
The volume is remarkably cheap, and I hope to be the
means of enabling you to sell other copies as soon as I have
an opportunity af exhibiting- it to m.y neighbor's.
In conclu-sion, I have no prefix or title to my name. Am a
farmer of humble pretensions. Without appearing vain (I
hope), I will add it has been my lot to fill quite a number of
responsible positions within the States of Virginia and West
A'irginia. Was a Union member of the Virginia convention
ill 1871 ; recollect distinctly the trials Governor Perry under
went in opposing nullification and secession.
Very truly yours, etc., IvOGAN Osbukn.

EXTRACTS

Letters of Governor Perrj to His Wife, Itiirtj-Nine Kears dgo,

(The speech alluded to in this cxtiact is the great one delivered by Governor I'eri -y
in theSouth Carolina Legislature, in 1 850, and left by him as a ' legacy to his
country and his children," and published in -'Biographical Sketches,
of Eminent American Statesmen, Speeches, .Addresses." i-tc)
Columbia. S. C, Dec. 12, 1850.
****¦*"* Yesterday I got the floor after
Colonel Leitner had spoken. As soon as it was known that
/had the floor, I sawpersons begin to seat themselves ; there
was some anxiety or curiosity to hear me. It was known
that I differed from the other members in regard to my views
about the Union. Entire and profound silence prevailed over
the House. I had spoken but a very short time before I saw
thefaces of the members turn pale. They seemed amazed at
my boldness, yet felt deepl.^^ the force of mj' argument.
Professor Williams, of the South Carohna College, came to
nie this morning and said that he gave me his heart as cor
dially as he did his hand — that he was in ecstacy with my
speech, although he did not hear it — his son did. I saw Colo
nel O'Hanlon sitting with a face beaming with joy, but I
have not seen him since. Mr. Middleton said to me this
morning that I had amazed the House with my ultraism
and boldness. I thought so too. The newspapers have all
spoken respectfully of my speech, but r'egret that any one
should hold my sentiments. Colonel McGowan replied to me
yesterday. Colonel Dargan (brother of the Chancellor) re
plied this morning, and Colonel Lyles, of Fairfield. They
were all very respectful.

98 ' Benjamin Franklin Perry.

House of Representatives, Columbia, S. C, Dec. 7, 18.52.
*¦ *¦ * * « * Monday I went to the com
mencement in the College, and was pleased with the perform
ance. P. E. Griffin, of Society Hill, delivered a very fine
;)Oem, representing a con vei-sation between Sir William Wal-
la(!e and Bruce. In speaking of Hru(-e, he addressed me so
personally as to attract the whole College, (governor Means
said to me that Griffin had made me the Sir William Wallace
of his poem. The first part of his address spoken by Bruce
ro Wallace, was very much like some of the abuse heaped on
me by the Secessionists : ambition, traitor. &c., ^c. But at
the close of the poem, findingoutthe /-e^ii sentiments of Wal
lace, Bruce says to him: "Voir, I acknowledge you as a
fiHtriot. pure and devoted to your country."

Ofkick of South Carolina Lunatic .Vsvlum,
Columbia, S. C, Dec. 29, 1887.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
DearM.\dam: During the session of the Legislatui-e its
Committees keep me unusually busy, so that when your fii-st
letter came I ventur-ed to postpone a reply until I could find
time to make a satisfactory statement. The subject of your
'etters is of so much interest that t must even now have
your indulgen(-e a few days longer. The poem alluded to was
:ny gr-aduating speech. Believing that the attention it at
tracted u as due more to its novelty as a commencement ex-
ei'cise than to its merit, I refused consent to its publication.
[ had therefor-e only the original manuscript, which was car-
¦red off by Sherman's burners when they pillaged my office
at Society Hill. I have sometimes thought that I might be
able to reproduce it, but my life has been so busy that I have
not found time to attempt it. When 1 received yonr very
complimentary letter I thought I would wait a short time to
see if I could not recall my old College composition and send
it to you. I can only promise that in a few days I shall send
you at least a statement of my recollection of the incident,
very distinct in m v memor-y, of having selected Governor

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 99

Perry, then a Senator fi'oiii Greenville, to personate Sir
William Wallace, the hero of the dialogue with Bruce.
Trusting that you will allow me a little moi'e time to re
fresh my memory, and thanking you for your kind allusion
to Mrs. Griflin and to myself, and begging you to believe me
one of your distinguished husband's most enthusiastic a.d-
mirers. I remain very sincerely yours, P. E. (irRIPPIN.

Preface to Private Journal.

(In compiling this Tribute to my husband, 1 had no idea of putting in it anythinR
so personal to myself as this tribute of the husband to the wife, contained in
the Preface writted in her -lournal. But as 1 am endeavoring to set
forth his nobility of character and his exalted virtues, I deem it not
inponsistent to let this outpouring of his noble heart have a
place in this tribute, as it proves more than anything else
can his pure and noble nature. — Mrs. B- F. P.)
This little book is respectfully presented to Mrs. Elizabeth
Frances Perry, by her loving husband, with the earnest re
quest that she will appropriate it as her journal. In after
life it will be a source of great satisfaction to refer to the
remarks and comments which will here be made on the pass
ing events of the day.
For several years past I have kept a journal of my life, in
which I have recorded all the incidents which have happened
to me during that time. I have told where I was and what
I was doing; whom I saw and what they said. But even
more than this, I have written the inmost secrets of my
heai't, the feelings and impulses of my nature. This afforded
me great pleasure at the time, and has often given me much
greater pleasure since, in reading and looking over it.
Let me, then, advise you, my dear wife, to begin your jour
nal to-day. Make it a sort of diary. Set down in the even
ing what you have been doing that day, whom you have
seen, what you have read, the work you have been at.
whether the day has been pleasantly and profitably spent.
When you travel or leave home, let this book be your com
panion, and write down in it all you see, etc. In doing this
I do assure you that you will make a book of interest to
yourself in after life. It will be a record of your feelings,
opinions and views every day. In looking over this book
years Iience, it will give you great pleasure to compare your
feelia»'s and views at different periods of your life. You will

102 Benjamin Franklin Perry.

be amused at the honest changes you have undergone in
your opinion of various persons and differ-ent subjects.
How interesting, how deeply interesting, it must be to me
to turn to my journal and read over the remarks I made on
first seeing you ! How little did I then think that you wer-e
so soon to be my wife! I had, it is true, frorn our- first ac
quaintance, secret aspirations and hopes, but there were
fears and apprehensions, and I had almost given over the
idea of changing astate in which I had enjoyed so much ease.
tranquility and pleasure, free of almost all the cares and
ti'oubles of life. But that moonlight walk proved too much
for my philosophy. Never was love more sudden than mine,
and never was man better pleased with the object of his love.
on becoming intimately acquainted with her.
You were then only seventeen years old ; your person was
slender, and might almost be taken as ainodel of symmetry :
your weight was one hundred and one pounds, and you wei'e
of the ordinary height. Your features are of the Grecian
(!ast — small, delicate and exquisitely formed; auburn hair,
soft, blue eyes, high, smooth forehead, beautiful mouth, chin
and nose. In your face there was a sweetness of expression
and a mild, benevolent. Christian look which methought 1
had never before seen. Your complexion was fair and beau
tiful, and the bloom of health ever to be seen on your cheeks.
In disposition, I found you mild and amiable, and I have
seen nothing since our marriage to alter the very exalted
opinion I fir.st formed of your good nature. Your manners
were pleasant and engaging, though rather i-etiring and diffi
dent, which endeared you the mor-e to my heart. I found in
your nature that modesty which is the highest trait in female
character, and without which the most accomplished and
brilliant of your sex are despicable in my eyes. In convei'sa-
tion, though unassuming and unpretending, you were lively
and interesting. Your mind had been well cultivated for one
of your age. You had acquired a taste for reading, which 1
hope will be cultivated with care and assiduity. In your
dress, I found you were very tasteful, though never gaudy or
splendid. I never saw anyone so simple, and yet so tasteful
and particular. You wore then, as you do now, your hair in

Benjamin Franklin Perry. 103

cui'ls, which gave you a peculiar, girlish and striking appear
ance. Your voice was the sweetest and softest I ever heard.
You pei'formed most charmingly on the guitar, and almost
created within my bosom a fondness for music. It was thus,
my dear wife, that you appeared to me when I first began to
love you, and, although we have now been married nearly
three months, you are still the same soft, lovely and beauti
ful being I have just described. If you have faults, they are
not perceptible to me, and can only be the faults of youth
and inexperience. Nor is it to be wondered at that you, pos
sessing all the charms I have just given you, should have
made so easy a conquest of my heart.
I had been from childhood of a sober, sei'ious turn of mind.
Devoted to books and study, I was never fond of company
or society. I early imbibed a pi'ejudice against the insinceri
ty of the one and the heartlessness of the other. In my man
ners, I was plain and unpretending, and that proud nature
God has endowed me with ever scorned to humble itself or
act falsely. Hence, I was no courtier or Chesterfield.
But I forbear to give you a sketch of my own character in
your journal. This I will leave for you to dr-aw. I have
done so in my own journal, and with an impartiality and
correctness which might surprise you. My faults, which are
many, are told with the honest frankne.ss of one who feels
and knows them, and who would gladly remedy them, but who
cannot conceal them.
In conclusion, let me say that if you will only write one
sentence every week in this book, for twenty years, it will, at
the end of that time, afford you more interest to look over
its paji-es than anv other book in the worid.
July 12, 1837. B.F.Perry.

WILLIAM HAYNE PERRY.

(it IS not deemed inconsistent in this Tribute to the Father to publish ;i Sketch
the Sod, written by a discriminating and appreciative friend at the time
William H. Perry was first elected to Congress in 1884; alsoafew of
the letters received congratulatory on his re-election to Congress
for the third term, and published unknown to him.)

William Hayne Perry, Congressman-elect from the Fourth
District of South Carolina, was born in the city of Greenville.
He is the son and eldest child of ex-Governor Benjamin F.
Perry and of Mrs. Elizabeth Frances Perry, a niece of Robert
Y. Hayne, distinguished as the compeer of Webster in the
United States Senate, and afterwards the honored Governor
of South Carolina.
He attended the various and most approved elementary
schools of his native city, and at a comparatively early age
entered the Furman University, then r-ecentiy established at
that place, and remained for several years successfully pursu
ing his studies until he was graduated. After this he was
sent to the South Carolina College at Columbia, an institu
tion of great renown and usefulness and scarcely second to
any in the laud. Here he remained not more than five or six
months in the junior class, the exercises of the College being-
suspended at this time in consequence of a rebellion among
the students. His father then sent him North, where he en
tered the junior class at Harvard University, Cambridge.
Here he remained two years, graduating with distinguished
honors in a large class and being appointed fifth orator on
the occasion of thecommencementexercises of the univer-sity.
Upon leaving Harvard he and his friend, Mr. Memminger,
of South Carolina, made an extended tour through Canada
and many of the Northern States.
Upon his return home he at once began reading law, and
after two vears stud v was admitted to the bar at Columbia,

106 William Hayne Perry.
and commenced the practise of his profession in co-partner
ship with his father.
In a very short time thei'eafter South Carolina seceded from
the Union, and he immediately volunteered his services as
private in a ti-oop of cavalry known as the Brooks Troop,
after-wards incorporated into the Hampton Legion and com
manded by the distinguished General of that name.
In this troop he served dur-ing the whole war under the
leadership of Stewart. Hampton and Butler, with great
gallantry and credit to himself in mo.st of the battles fought
by the army of Northern \'irginia.
Although a private, such was his popularity with his com
rades in ar-ins, that at the i-eorganization of the troop to
which he belonged he was elected first lieutenant of his com-
jian\-. Towards the close of the war. his company having
been in the meantime attached to the 2d S. C. regiment of
cavalry, he was transferi-ed with this command to defend the
sea (-oast of South Carolina, and was in .j-aiious severe en
gagements with the enemy.
While on the coast he acted as adjutant of his regiment.
and served in this capacity to the end of the war, and was
with his command on dutyin and around Wilmington, N. C,
at the time of the surrender of the army under Johnston.
On several occasions his conduct was such as to elicit the
!-ipecial noti(-e and commendation of his superior officers. In
all the (jualities of the soldier he had no superior. None
mor-e brave, none more modest.
After the suiTender of the Confederate armies he returned
home, and resumed the practise of his profession in connec-
lion with his father, and was immediately elected a member
( if the State convention at the head of the ticket, and shortly
afterwards was elected a member of the Legislature, and
participated with the Democratic party in all the political
(iiiestions of the period of reconstruction.
In 1868 he was elected SoHcitor of the Western Circuit by a
majority of about two thousand votes over his opponent,
a nd discharged the duties of this office for four years with
great ability, firmness and fairness.
At the next election in 1872, the State government having

William Hayne Perry. 107

passed into the hands of the infamous negro and scalawag
regime, Col. Perry lost his election by the negro vote of Ab
beville, which County had been added to his Circuit for the ex
press purpose of defeating him.
He then devoted himself to his profession with renewed
energy and zeal, and had a large and commanding practise,
his father having in the meantime in a great measure with
drawn from the practise before the courts in consequence of
the disgust and prejudice which he entertained for the radi
cal judges who presided in the courts with ignorance, impu
dence and want of principle.
In 1880 Colonel Perry was elected State Senator from Green
ville County, and served his County for four years in this
capacity. Declining a, re-election for the same, his County
without his solicitiou by a unanimous vote for the second
time presented his name to the congressional convention as
a candidate for Congress, and,receiving-the nomination from
that convention, he was elected November- the 4th, 1884, to
represent the 4th Congressional District of South Carolina.
It will thus be seen that his native County has bestowed
upon him nearly every office in her gift : member of the State
Convention, Legislator. Solicitor, Senator and Congressman.
He has also received favorable and flattering mention from
various papers of the State, in connection with the governor
ship thereof. After the war he was appointed colonel of cavalr3-
by Governor Orr, and in 1881 Governor Hagood made him
one of his aides.
As a pubhc man Colonel Perry has proven himself a wise
and careful legislator, noted for his quiet, but active and
practical usefulness. His public life inspires a just confidence
in the soundness of his judgment and the integrity of his pur
pose. He has been a lifeJongDernocrat, and hasmany of the
attributes and ''native virtues" of his more distinguished
father ; incorruptible integrity, conscientious and consistent
to his convictions, "sustaining whatever he believes to be
right with boldness and determination, and opposing with
his whole nature what he conceives to be wrong," with that
disregard for consequence, without which, as has been truly

108 William Hayne Peiry.
said, nothing gr-eat, either- in thought or action, can be ac-
eomplished. Reared by his father in that school of political ethics and
.statesmanship to which he belonged and was a leader in the
pure and better days of Carolina's history, he has none of
the sordid and selfish arts of the demagogue and political
Trickster. It is this pui-ity of character joined to the high
qualities of a well-balanced mind that has enabled him to
enjoy for so long a period the confidence and respect of his
constituents. -Vs a professional man and practitioner he is honorable, fair
and conscientious; never resorting to, or employing any of
the more doubtful practises of the profession.
-Vs an advocate, without" being rhetorical, he has great
weight and influence beforea jui-y. His language is clear and
(onden.sed ; his manner natural, earnest and impressive, and
gives force to all he says. •' He speaks for a pui'pose, and
never for mere display, and seldom any display of elaborate
])i-eparation." Without being a scientific lawyer, he is perhaps what is far-
better for- him.self and his clients, an admirable practical one.
In character Colonel Perry is manly, truthful and modest.
He enjoys a [jersonal character " which stamps a credit upon
all he says,'' and is admired by all who know him for- the
])urity and dignity of his private life.
He is i-eticent and unambitious, indifferent alike to honors
and distinctions; and left to himself his friends believe he
would prefer the retirement and more quiet life of a private
station. In his social life he is unobtrusive and retiring; simple in
his tastes, habits and manners; hone.st in his dealings, sincei'e
and truthful in his intercourse, a staunch and faithful friend.
He is handsome and striking in person, with a countenance
expressive of frankness, firmness and sincerity; in figure
manly and stalwart, with no touch of effeminacy about it.
By judicious management he has acquii-ed and has well in
hand an ample foi'tune, and is a bachelor, but young enough
to change his views and form new attachments.
In the full vigoi- and prime of manhood, with intellect

William Hayne Perry. 109

strengthened by experience, his friends, judging the future by
the past, confidently predict for him an honorable and use
ful career in the new sphere of life upon which he is about to
enter. In every position to which he has so far been called
by the partiality of the people he has shown himself worthy
of their confidence and respect., As a man he is without re
proach, a patriot without stain, and a soldier without fear.
" In all his armor there is no flaw in which envy or malice
may lodge a shaft of criticism."
Col. Perry lives with his father three miles from the city of
Greenville, at his valuable country seat, "Sans Souci," a
home of beauty, comfort and hospitality, with its spacious
and beutiful residence surrounded with its ornainented and
neatly kept grounds. Prettily situated on one of the out^
lying hills at the foot of Paris Mountain, the view is wide and
expansive. Undulating over vale and meadow, hill and dale,
it breaks itself on the eastern slopes of the distant Blue Ridge.
"Where distance lends enchantment to the view,
.\nd robes the mountain in its azure hue."
Here he enjoys relaxation from the cares of his profession,
and leads the life of a. country gentleman, surrounded by all
those seductive charms of a home presided over by taste,
culture and refinement.
"More sweet than all tht landsdape smiling near."
E. C.

mmMMMMMl

LETTERS #
Receiveil Congratulalorf on Wiliiam H, Perrf's Re-election to Congress for ttie Iliiril Term.

Union, S. C, Sept. 17, 1888.
Mrs. Governor Perry, Greenville, S. C.
My Dear Madam : Doubtless you have ere this received
from many distinguished friends hearty congratulations upon
the triumphant re-election of youi' son to Congress, and en
couraged by the recollection of kindly courtesies received at
your hands and from members of your family, I venture to
hope that you also will accept this expression of my gratifi
cation at the happy result of the contest.
However much your son may have been indebted to the
devotion of a noble brother and the active zeal of friends, it
was, after all, his opvz2 high character, and the rare ability
which characterized his public utterances during the canvass
that WOP the victory.
I have never known any one (of whom our peojile of Union
had known so little before) to inspire them with such en
thusiasm as your son did in the late canvass. His speeches
did the work, and the more they heard them, the better were
they pleased.
Your friend. Judge Wallace, said when asked about Wil
liam Perr'y's character and ability : " He is an able lawyer,
a gentleman of highest honor and integrity, and there is no
man in whom the people of Greenville, who know him best,
have more implicit confidence in every relation of life."
Will you do me the kindness to extend my felicitations on
the happy event to your daughter and daughter-in-law.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
David Johnson, Sr.

William Hayne Perry. Ill
^ ^ Columbia, S. C, Sept. 19, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Pfrry, Greenville, S. C.
Dear Madam: Let me thank you for the kindly notice
taken by you of mynote of thanks acknowledgingthevolume
of sketches recently sent to me by you.
In reply to your question, to whom could you send some
mark uf Appreciation for the part they took in supporting
your son's cause, I cannot pretend in a short note to make
mention of one fiftieth of the deserving ones without giving
iis6 to invidious distinctions. We all worked night and day:
With your permission, however, I will give you a few names:
Hon. John T. Rhett, Mayor of the city ; Hon. John C. Seegers,
Member df Legislature; Hon. F. W. McMaster. Senator from
Richland; Hon. J. H. Pearson, Judge of Probate.; Col. Wil-
ham Wallace, ex-State Senator from Richland ; E. R. Arthur,
Esq.. Clerk of Court; Samuel W. Rowan, Esq., Sheriff; W. J.
Oathcart, Esq., City Clerk and Treasurer; C. 0. Marshall,
Esq., ex-Representative; J. C. F. Sims, Esq., one of our
largest planter's; E. D. Gillmore, Esq., our largest landowner;
C. A. Calvo, Jr., Esq., proprietor of the Daily Register ; John
W. R. Pope, Esq., editor of the Daily Register ; Captain J. P.
Meehan, of the Hook and Ladder Company ; E. J. Brennen,
merchant. Alderman, and prominent candidate for the Leg
islature; J. H. Davis, prominent merchant; Col. W. C. Swaf-
field. insurance agent; Capt. J. S. Leaphart, capitahst;
Joseph M. English, one of our worthiest citizens; Wm. H.
Lyles, Esq., distinguished member of the Columbia bar; D.
C. Ray, Esq., attorney at law; A. W. Ray, Esq., attorney at
law ; Charles Narey, merchant; John A.Crawford, Esq., large
factor and cotton buyer; John McMaster, Esq.; Col. T. J.
Lipscomb, Superintendent Penitentiary; Dr. P E. Griffin,
Superintendent State Lunatic Asylum ; J. M. Crawford, mo.st
progressive farmer here ; Julius H. Walker, Cashier Loan
and Exchange Bank.
A very large number of our most respected citizens voted
for your son .
No one need be ashamed either of the support or of the
supporters your son had in this community, for they came
to his assistance from all the walks of life, each one of which

112 William Hayne Perry.

endorsed his cause as a public servant who had served al'
alike, faithfully and honestly.
The correspondent of the Charleston News and Courier,
says: "Col. Perry had the support of a large majority of
the artisans and clerks and the Penitentiary guards and
Asylum attendants almost in a body. His campaign was
quietly but thoroughly conducted by Capt. Pat Meehan of
the Phoenix Truck Company."
No man could win higher praise than is conveyed by this
criticism: He served all alike in his public capacity, and
laborers, clerks, professional men and artisans — all being
good Democrats — yielded him a ready support which has re
sulted in the overwhelming defeat of his opponent. Please
add inj' name to your sou's warm friends.
Very truly and respectfully,
Andrew Crawford.

Columbia, S. C, Oct. 5, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Sans Souci,
My Dear Madam: Let me thank you kindly for the com
pliments you have again and again paid me by selecting me
(out of the host of good and true friends Congressman
Perry has in this community) to whom to express your ap
preciation of Richland's support of him in the recent cam
paign. I repeat that I have never known a more fairly con
ducted political campaign than the one in which he was vic
tor-, nor have I ever known higher bearing in a candidate
than that exempfified by Colonel Perry throughout the or
deal culminating in his selection as the candidate of our
party. In pubhshing the letter alluded to in relation to your hus
band, I shall feel flattered to have you make use of anything
emanating from me for the purpose of aiding in the
depicting of a character upon which has fallen the mantle of
history. Yours truly,
Andrew Crawford.

William Hayne Perry. 113
Lauren^, S. C, Sept. 13, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam : Allow me as an old friend of your noble hus
band and of your son. Colonel W. H. Perry, to tender my
congratulations on the re-election of the latter to Congress.
I think I can enter into the feeling of honest pride and pleas
ure which the news of his success must havegiven his mother ;
for there is nothing that more thoroughly gratifies a parent
than distinction won by an honorable, gifted child.
Colonel Perry is the victor in a closely-fought contest, and
has retained the respect of his opponents. This in itself is an
achievment few men in political life have won. Mrs. Moseley
joins me in these expressions. W^ith the highest regard, I am,
RespectfuUj' yours,
George F. Moseley.

Union, S. C, Sept. 14, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Perry: Accept my thanks for the beautiful
copy of the "Sketches by Governor Perry, of South Caro
lina," which you kindly sent me. I appreciate the gift so
much; the very correct likeness of your illustrious husband,
contained in the book, increases my admiration for it.
Strange coincident, the book reached this place amid the
booming of our cannon in honor of the re-election of your
son. Col. William H. Perry, to Conaress. Wishing you
health and much happiness, I am.
Yours truly, J. G. McKissick.

Columbia, S. C, Sept. 14, 1888.
My Dear Mrs. Perry : I have rejoiced with you all over
the victory of Col. Perry, and did all I could here, in my way,
to secure it. It would"^ have done you good to see how his
friends worked for him on election day.
The Columbia correspondent of the News and Courier said
the business men and merchants all voted for Duncan, but
this is a mistake, for I know that many of our most prorni-

114 William Hayne Perry.

nent men of business supported Colonel Perry on the business
principle that his experience in Congr-ess made him the more
efficient man of the two. His speech here made him friends
and supporters among thinking men who do not take part
in active politics. He never could have carried the city of
Columbia as he did, if men of influence had not given him
their warm support. The vote in Greenville County was
splendid and a great tribute, considering that it was the
third time in a month the people had been called to the polls.
1 am truly glad to learn that Perry is to come back here.
I think it a great mistake for our boys to change their
teachers and schools. It has been the bane of iny own sons,
and has had much to do with their ill success at books. Let
Perry stick to his own State and people, and after life will
tell its worth to him. I want him to look upon our house as
a home, whei-e a hearty and loving greeting will always
await him.
Love to dear Fanny. Kiss Emily for me.
Ever-, my dear Mrs. Per-ry, your friend, E. Capers.

Columbia, S. C, Sept. 15, 1888.
Dear Mrs. Perry: It is with great pleasur-e that I write
you at this time, knowing that yon are happy at the i-esult
of last Tuesday's election. And I assur-eyou the friends of
your son in Richland ar-e more than delighted over his victo
ry and the good work they did here. It was quite a surprise
to both sides. The day before the election, Mr. Duncan's
friends claimed that Richland would not give Perry one hun
dred majority. But when Tuesday came, and the Duncan
friends saw how the Perry boys were working, they soon
gave up all hope of Richland cutting Perry's majority down
below one hundred. I was at the box in our ward, in the
(ity, and it was soon seen that we would give Perry three to
one, which we did exactly at our precinct, Duncan receiving
."il votes and Perry 153. The Rev. Mr. Capers voted at our
ward, and when he came to vote, he picked up a ticket and
said he wanted to vote for his friend Perrv. I don't think

William Hayne Perry. 115

there ever was as much interest taken in an election here
since the war, and when the result of Richland was known,
you could see groups of Pei-ry's friends on the streets with
smiling faces, and the Duncan men, I must say, looked very
sad. "We know there are a great many who are sorry for
what they did, but Perry's friends here are very forgiving,
and in future I guess the defeated ones will come to us for
advice — that is, if they want to get on the strong side, which
is the side of justice and truth.
Now that it is all over, I want you to say to your sou,
Hon. W. H. Perry, that he should never forget Richland's
interest in Congress.
I will now close, hoping this may reach yau safe and find
you in the best of health. With best of wishes for you and
all the members of your family, I am.
Your friend,
George V. Hennies.

Columbia, S. C, Sept. 17. 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
Dear Madam: Please accept my congratulations on the
success of your son. He is the " right man in the right place,"
and you should be proud of him. With many kind wishes
lam. Very respectfully,
P. B. McCoy.

Office op St.\te Superintendent of Education,
Columbia, S. C, Sept. 17, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam : I certainly enjoyed reading your very
interesting letter, and my sympathy was fully drawn out as
I saw your natural mother's solicitude for the success of your
son. I now hasten to congratulate you upon his very hand
some election. He deserves it every bit, for Willie Per-ry is a
genuine man, and I regret to say the worldis notfull of them.
Having known him from an early age in many relations, I
am gratified to speak knowingly, I never knew him to do

116 William Hayne Perry.
anything wrong except remaining- single (*). He is really
too modest and does not count for all he is worth, for I am
sure South Caroliim has no truer man or more faithful public
.servant. Please accept my most heai'ty good wishes for this
fitting up of his third term. Very Eespectfully,
James H. Rice.

Columbia, S. C, Sept. 17, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.
Respected Mad.\m: You will please accept m3- many
thanks for the very valuable pamphlets you thought I was
worthy to have mailed to me. To have had this attention
bestowed by .you I cei-tainly consider- a very great compli
ment. It was never my good fortune to form the acquaint
ance of your distinguished and much-lamented husband,
ex-Governor B. F. Perry, yet I knew him — knew him to honor
and respect, for his learning, great thoughts and goodness.
The address delivered by him in this city, in 1853 I had the
jjleasure of hearing. Rest assured, Mrs. Perry, that those
jiarnphlets are highly prized by me, and will be treasured,
often read and i-ef erred to.
I should have sooner acknowledged the receipt of those
most interesting papers, but deferred that I might have the
pleasure of extending at the same time my hearty con-
gi-atulatious for the success of your honorable son. Col. W.
H. Perry, in again by a very large majority receiving the
renornination for Congress to r'epresent the Fourth Con
gressional District. This victory was won by true merit
alone, and his many friends of Richland rejoice the more on
that account.
Again, dear madam, accept my thanks for attention shown.
May heaven's choicest blessings be showered upon you and
your family, is the humble prayer of
Your most obedient servant,
Charles E. Kirk.

(*) Which '¦ wrong" he corrected the following Octolier 17. 1888.

William Hayne Perry. 117

House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C, Sept. 25, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.
My Dear Mrs. Perry : Thanks for a copy of the Green
ville Enterprise and Mountaineer, recoi-ding the details of the
handsome endorsement of your son and my esteemed col
league, at the late primary.
It was a deserved recognition of faithful and efficient ser
vice, and I beg you to accept my congratulations over a re
sult which must have been eminently gi-atifying to yourself.
Very respectfully and truly yours,
Samuel Dibble.

Greenville, S. C, Sept. 27, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry' : I think Prof. Morrison is the author
of the review of the great speech of your distinguished hus
band and my dear friend, contained in the last number of the
Southern Christian Advocate. Of this I am not quite sure, but
will ascertain with certainty, who is the author and com
municate the fact to you.
Let me assure you the triumphant election of your
distinguished son could not have been more gratifying to
yourself and family than to the writer hereof. The victory
W. H. Perry achieved in the contest, shows, beyond all ques
tion what a grasp he has upon the affections and confidence
of the people. He had a Greek to meet in his opponent, a
gentleman of great personal popularity— a foem an worthy
of his steel, and notwithstanding all this, your son's victory
was a Waterloo defeat to his competitor. Very respectfully,
John M. Stokes.

Columbia, S. C, Oct. 1, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville, S. C.
My Dear Madam : 1 desire to return my sincere thanks for
the copy of "Sketches by Governor Perry," recently received,
and also for the other pamphlets previously sent me. My re
collections of your distinguished husband are of the pleas-

118 William Hayne Perry.

antest, and I had great admiration for him, both as a. man
and a statesman. I therefore prize very highly the produc
tions of his pen you have sent me, and shall recommend them
to thecareful perusal of my children. Your son, Hon. W. H.
Perry, was as you know a Lieutenant in my Regiment, the
2d S. C. Cavalry, during the late war, and always acquitted
himself with credit to his name and his State. I entertain
the highest regard for him, and congratulate you and him
heartily upon his renomination to the seat he has heretofore
so worthily filled in Congress. I have taken occasion to
tender to the young men in my employment the thanks you
have so kindly expressed for the interest they took in the re
nomination of your son.
With much respect, I have the honor to subscribe myself,
Your friend, T. J. Lipscomb.

Campobello, S. C, Oct. 21, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry,
My Dear Madam : Your kind letter of October 18, is re
ceived and I take great pleasure in replying to the same, and
not only to do this, but to acknowledge myself the happy re
cipient of the book you sent me containing Sketches,
Speeches, &c., of your eminent, noble and patriotic husband,
which is presented me in reciprocation for the small volume
I sent you. I would have acknovdedged this valuable gift
sooner, but for the fact that it came to Landrum instead of
this place (Campobello) where I receive most of my mail.
While I was expecting nothing in return from you, I can
assure you that nothing- you could have given me would
have been more appreciated. I find myself constantly
dwelling upon its interesting pages, and soon will have read
it through. I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted
personally with your husband while reading medicine with
Dr. Earle in Greenville in 1806 and have not only admired,
but idolized the purity of his exalted character and every
thing- pertaining to the same. While engaged in writing
some historical sketches for one of our county papers a few

William Hayne Perry. 119

years ago. I corresponded with him, and shall never forget
his kindness in furnishing me such valuable information as
enabled me to complete that which I had undertaken.
You are correct in statiug that I am a friend of your son,
the Hon. William H. Perry, and one of his main supporters
in the recent Congressional election. We were together for
three years in the same regiment in the army. I knew him
pleasantly during the year I spent in Greenville, and have
met him often since. We were both members of our State
Legislature at the same time — he a member of the Senate and
I a member of the House.
During all this time, Ihaveadmii-edhimas a plain, upright,
honest and patriotic gentleman, adorned with the dignity
and intellect of his distinguished father. Without any senti
ment of flattery, I can assure you that he is a representative
man among the people, and although he may, from personal
preference, decline re-election two years hence, I hear it al
ready' mooted by intelligent thinking ones, that the public
interest will demand that he longer serve the people. Certain
it 'is that he will not be allowed to remain inactive verylong.
The times will demand that he be called into other impor
tant and responsible spheres of usefulness. Be this as it may,
no one will look with more pleasure and pride to his contin
ued elevation than myself. I have been, and will always re
main, his humble friend and supporter.
We received the wedding card of invitation to which you
refer, and, if it is not imposing too much on you, will request
that you convey to the happy pair, for myself and family,
our thanks for the compliment, and our kindest wishes for
their future weffa-re, happiness and prosperity.
I thank you for your kind invitation to call upon you in
person in Greenville, and hope at no distant day to be able
to avail myself of that pleasure, and with many kind wishes,
etc., I am, with the highest esteem and veneration.
Your friend and humble servant,
J. B. 0. Landrum.

120 William Hayne Perry.

Columbia, S. C, Oct. 8, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Gi-eenville, S., C.
My Dear Madam: I beg to thank you for the papers re
ceived yesterday, and for the photograph received to-day. I
have always entertained profound respect for the memory of
your distinguished husband, hence, his pictui-e cannot fail to
be fully appreciated. I have never had the pleasure of meet
ing you, but I shall value your picture as the wife of one of
South Carolina's most distinguished sons, and as the mother
of one who has rendered me service simply because I was one
of a numerous constituency. To Col. William H. Perry I owe
a debt of friendship and gratitude for substantial aid and
for constant courtesies, in return for which any little service
that I can render him will be wholly inadequate, and there
fore his picture is in more than friendly hands. As the sister
of two esteemed friends, I shall value Mrs. Beattie's picture,
and hope some day to have the pleasure of knowing her, as
well as yourself, personally. As for the picture of the sweet
little sister of Mr. Beattie, I shall value it because I love
children, and because the little face appears to beam witli
amiability — Nature's fairest ornament to her sex. So, you
see, my dear madam, that, as a whole, the picture is thor
oughly appreciated. You will be good enough to pardon
my seeming familiarity in alluding individually to the faces
in the picture ; my appreciation of it could not be well at
tested otherwise.
With friendly greetings for your son, Mr. B. F. Perry, who,
I suppose, is with you, and with sincer-e respect for yourself, 1
remain. Very respectfully yours,
Joseph M. English.

William Hayne Perry. 121

Greenville, S. C, Sept. 16, 1888.
Mrs. B. F. Perry, Greenville City,
Dear Madam : Please accept many thanks forthe valuable
book given me, and lassureyou that "Sketches by Governor
Perry, of South Carolina," occupy an honored and highly
prized position in my Library. I appreciate the work
because it contains his writings, likeness and impress, and
was given me by you upon a day I shall long remember with
great pleasureand pride. Now that the fact is fully confirmed
and conceded on all sides, I desire to tender to you my most
hearty congratulations upon thesuccess of your distinguished
son. It is a grand victory in which you do not share alone.
In him I feel that we have a puplic servant in whom may
be reposed implicit confidence, and that in the Congress of the
United States he will discharge the duties of that high office
with credit to himself as well as great benefit and fairness to
his constituents. It is a pleasure to me to know that every
one of my name supported Col. Perry, and I sincerely hope
the friendship which began with the fathers, will continue to
augment as long as the names Perry and Gilreath are known
in this land.
With me the name of Governor Perry shall be handed down
to posterity as thegreatest and truest man South Carolina
has ever produced. May his sons, as they are doing, emulate
his noble virtues and follow in his illustrious footprints.
Truly your friend,
Herman G. Gilreath.

EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH
delivered bv
Coil Henrf D, Capers at liie iVIass Meeting at Greenviiie tiie Evening Before tiie Congressionai Election,

I have not language to express to you the gr-atification
that I, in common with others who were with me, experienced
during the past winter when looking down upon the Na
tional House of Representatives in session I recognized the
influence and the respectable caste of those who were
there to represent the sovereignty of this grand old historic
State ; when from every Congressional District the people of
this Commonwealth, distinguished from their earhesthistor-y
through their representatives, in every department of social
life, were recognized in the National Legislature as the peers
of the best, from stilted New England or from reckless
Illinois; when I met such men as Dibble, Hemphill, Tillman,
Dargan, Cothr-an, and your honored and worthy representa
tive, William H. Perry, illustrating in their personal influ
ences their r-ecognized characters as ti'uemen, their intelli
gence as legislators, and their virtues of citizenship, a,
sovereignty of manhood and of intelhgence.
Among these your Representative was recognized by Dem
ocrats and Republicans as a man of the highest personal in
tegrity, of a deliberfcite sound judgment, who in formulating
the work of Congress in the Committee rooms was always at
his postof duty and ready with reason and in sober judg
ment to exercise the functions delegated to him by his con
stituency and prove himself a safe adviser. My friends, it is
a great mistake to suppose that the noisy member of any
dehberative body, who is ever ready to display the periods
"of rhetoric and to secure the printed applause of a reporter,
is either theman of influence or the safe director in public

William Hayne Perry. 123

affairs. Those who think the most a,re apt to speak the
less. Knowing his personal character for unimpeached integrity,
his influence in the House of Representatives and before the
Committees of this great legislative body, the respect he
commands from all, whether of his party or of the opposition,
furthermore, that he has to his acquired experiences in two
terms of service to add the strength, soundness and balance
of a mind just reaching- its prime, in the strength of a
vigorous manhood, I would, were I allowed so to do, for the
good of the people and the honor of this Commonwealth, lay
the burden of representing them upon William H. Perry —
upon him who stands before his people to-day with a record
clean of reproach, and with nothing to explain or to ex
tenuate, but with much for you to commend and for you to
be proud of.

WITH THE RESPECTS OF MRS. B. F. PERRY.

ADDRESS

DELIVERED BEFORE THE

LITERHRY' SOGIETIES
OF
Ipskirpe ©ollege,
BBBEYILLE DISTRICT, S. C,
ON THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY,

SEPTEMBER 18, 1844.

By B. K. perry.

Delivered forty-three years ago, and re-published by his wife, that his w'ords^
of wisdom may still benefit the cising generation.

GREENVILLE, S. C.
1887.

THIRD EDITION,

Philomathean Hall, Sept. 18, 1844.
Major B. F. Perky:
Sir : — We, the undersigned, having the honor of
representing the Philomathean Society, after having
heard your very eloquent and elaborate address on this
day, do tender you our individual thanks for honoring
us as you have done, and request a copyof same for
publication, desiring that the noble and profound senti
ments contained therein may be disseminated throughout
our country. Yours respectfully,
A. F. QUAY, )
W. A. STOKES, y Commitlee.
J. F. DONALD,]

Lindsay's Hotel, Sept. 18, 1844.
Gentlemen : — A copy of the address which I had the
honor of making before you to-day is herewith sent you.
It is at your disposal.
Permit me again to express to you the high gratifica
tion which your performances to-day have given me.
They would have been creditable to any college in the
Southern States. And I can but express my regret,
that the modesty and diffidence of your learned presi
dent and professors have prevented their institution
being so well known abroad as it ought to be. Eut
their merits, and the merits of Erskine College, are
destined to be known and appreciated by the whole
country. With great respect, gentlemen, I am yours, etc.
B. F. PERRY.
Messrs. Quay, Stokes and Donald, Committee.

ADDRESS.

An illustrious poet has said, more in the spirit, of
phiiosophy than of song,;, that "the proper study of
mankind is man." The wisdom of this remark c^n but
strike the mind of every one. It is not only the proper
study of man to know his own faults and ijHiperfections,
to find out his own intellectual powers and ability, so
that he may govern his passions and evil propensities,
and cultivate judiciously those gifts of mind and body
which God has bestowed upon him, but it is proper that
he should study the lives and characters of his fellow-
men, see their faults, and learn to imitaite their virtues.
Npthing can coilduce more to the improvement of the
young mind than the reading and contenaplaition of the
lives of great men — men who have borne an illustrious
part in the affairs of t^iis work!. ,i,It is by knpwing Eirjd
studying their virtues, their noble deeds apd heroic
daring, that \ve are inspired, with emulation and encour
aged to imitate their noble examples. In the history of
such men we a.re taught by example to turn from vice,
and to admire and lave virtue. We see how great and
happy they have become, how much they have been
honored, and what noble rewards they met for their
well-doing in this life. And although in many insta,nces
their cotemporaries may have been ungr^iteful, yet suc
ceeding generations l|a;^^ never faile4 to ^o them justice.
It is said that men are knpwn apdtQ, be judged by
tl^e, company they. keep. That thefe is something in
human nature w;hicb h^s a tendency tp adapt itself to
the circumstances which surround us niust be obvious to

4 Eeskine College Addkess.
every one. And it is perhaps fortunate that we are so
constituted — otherwise our unhappiness and discontent
would be greatly augmented in this life. Is it not some
thing, then, to be in company with the wise and great
who have gone before us ? In the study of biography
we are in such company. We are made familiar with
their lives, actions and thoughts, and they leave their
impress upon our own characters and feelings.
No man ever read the autobiography of Franklin,
and studied his character, without feeling himself a
wiser arid better man. The young, entering upon the
trying and busy scenes of this world, feel thettiselves
stimulated and encouraged by the trials and difficulties
which beset the early path of that sage benefactor of
mankind. In the character of Franklin there was a
rare combination of wisdom, simplicity and greatness,
without one feeling of envy or unkindness towards his
fellow-men. His sole object in this life seems to have
been to do good to others, and to prepare himself for
doing the greatest good. There is no one whose life is
more worthy of being read, or whose character can be
studied to greater advantage.
He rose from the humblest walks of life, without
education, and without the aid or assistance of at.y one,
to be, in the language of the Earl of Chatham, " an
ornament to hurnan nature, and the admiration of all
Europe." The secret of his rise and greatness was his
industry and integrity of purpose. They naturally and
necessarily lead to the cultivation of those other virtues
which so beautifully adorn his character. And there is
scarcely one in which he did not excel. He knew well
that no one could be great or useful without industry,
no matter what may be his talelit or genius.
Let me here remark that this principle cannot be too
strongly impressed upon the minds of young men. In
every pitrsuit of life, industry and application are every
thing. The human mind is so constituted that we
cannot be altogether inactive. Employment of some

Erskine College Address. 5
kind we must have. If not usefully and wisely
employed, we shall certainly be engaged unwisely or
viciously. Hence the absolute necessity df selecting
some useful pursuit in life, and early learning habits of
industry and study.
The industry of Franklin was as remarkable as his
success in life was wonderful. Whilst an apprentice
boy he lived on bread and water, in order to have time
to read while his companipns were gone to their meals.
He was equally industrious in after life, wherever we
see hiffij ^whether as an editor of a newspaper, the col
onel of a regiment, a member of congress, the eriibas-
sador at foreign courts, or the sage and philosopher
amidst the learned societies of Europe. He was a man
of great observation as well as industry, and no
opportunity escaped him, either at home or abroad ill
noticing and treasuring up the remembratice of every
thing which came before him. In this way he made
many of his most important discoveries in natural phil
osophy. He tells us that he reaped the truth of a
proverb which he was early taught by his father:
"Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he will stand
before kings and princes." He had the honor not only
o{ standing before many kings and princes, but even
that of sitting dovm at the same table and dining with
some of them,
Framklin's benevolence and' justice were equal to his
industry and economy. No one had the good of man
kind more at heart than he had ; no one ever labored
more assiduously to improve the condition of his fellow-
men. He practised what few seem to know, that the
most acceptable service we can render our God is that of
doing good to one another. He refused to take out
patents for his important discoveries in the useful arts
because they were discoveries which would lead to the
comfort and benefit of mankind, and to the free enjoy
ment of them he would lay no restrictions. So high
was his sense of justice that he gave to charitable and

6 Erskine College Adj>ress.
public purpopes all that he had sayed. from his salary
whilst in the employment of his country,
Franklin united in his character the Btmplicityi of a
child with the wisdom of the sage. His boldest and
most brilliant experiments in natural philosophy were
conducted with a simplicity truly amazing. A silk cord,
a key, and a piece of bitown paper, were the only appa
ratus used by him in drawing down the lightdings &om
heaven. The character of Washington ia a noble and proud
model for the study of the patriot and hero. History
can give us no other example at once so perfect and so
illustrious. He was an utter stranger to that feeling
which has darkened the character of so many who have
rendered great services to their country. He possessed
a proud parity of purpose and magnanimity of spirit
which never permitted him to entertain one selfish feel-
ing-^all that he did was for the good of his country,
wholly and solely. He lost sight of himself altogether
whilst in the service of his country. His greatness
sprang from and rested on a pure heart and unerring
judgment. He made no pretensions to the brilliancy of
genius or the wisdom of learning. His only ambition
was to be useful to his country. He cared not for power,
and looked with indifference on mere honors. He ac
cepted office only to render service to his country.
In the character of this great man there is one feature
which we cannot study too much. Like Franklin, his
aim through life was to master himself and have the
control of his own feelings and passions. He was by
nature a man of violent temper, strong feelings and
passions. They would have often led him astray but
for his command of himself. And his self-control was
as perfect as his ambition was spotless.
How few are there in this world who mrke it their
study to control and master their own passions and bad
feelings ! And yet how important is this study in the
life of every one. How much of evil, how much of dan-

Erskine College Address. 7
ger, and how much of misery and ruin should we avoid,
if we were to do so, Franklin's self-scrutiny carried
him so fkr as to make him keep a diary of his faults
and errors. He not only rose in the morning with a
determination to do well, aod restrain all of his evil
passions and propensities, but at night he inquired of
himself whether he had done so, and wrote down every
omission. In the lives and characters of most great men, we shall
find that their greatness is too often sullied by some
weakness or glaring faults of character. Few men are
perfect. But we may profit as much by the /awffis of
great men as by their virhies. Like ddrk spots on a
bright picture, we see them the more readily, and more
deeply regret them on account of the brightness of the
picture. Su^jh must be the feelings of every one in contemplat
ing the character of Lord Bacon, who has been justly
styled "the wisest, greatest, basest of mankind." He was
endowed by nature with a mighty intellect, a genius
which seemed to encompass the whole circle of human
science. He had amassed treasures of learning which
no one man ever before possessed. And yet, with all
his genius and learning, he possessed weaknesses and
faults which would have sullied the character of the
humblest man who lived in his day dnd time. One
would naturally suppose, too, that such a man, possess
ing a mind imbued with so much wisdom and philoso
phy, would soar above the ordinary vices and frailties
of our nature. But not so. Lord Bacon has been
charged with base ingratitude to his friend and patron,
the, Earl of Essex. He not only forgot all the magnifi
cent presents which the noble earl had ever made him,
and all the generous acts of • kindness which ' he had
received at his hands when poor and humble, but he
sought the' blood and life of his patron with all the
insolence and vengeance of a malignant and unprinci
pled persecutor. He has likewise been charged With

8 Erskine College Address.
bribery and corruption whilst discharging the high
duties of Lord Chancellor of England.
That these charges are tune, to the extent to which
they have been made, may admit of some doubt. For
his conduct towards the Earl of Essex there are some
excuses offered by his biographer. But no excuse can
palliate the crime of ingratitude so wanton and so foul.
That he received money from suitors whilst Lord Chan
cellor is very certain ; but it was then the custom and
habit of that court. And although Lord Bacon never
refused money which was offered him as a bribe, he
nevertheless decided all of his cases according to law
and equity, without being influenced by the bribe which
he had pocketed.
The great faults in the character of Lord Bacon
grew out of his want of firmness — a natural defect in his
character, which no genius or learning could supply.
But for this infirmity, terrible as it proved in its conse
quences, his character would in all probability have
been as bright as his genius was illustrious. He wanted
firmness to resist the overtures and commands of his
sovereign. Owing to this, he engaged in the prosecu
tion of his early friend and patron, instead of boldly
resigning his office, and giving up all future honors at
the Court of Elizabeth, Owing to this want of firm
ness, he was induced by the threats and perauasions of
King James and his infamous minister, the Duke of
Buckingham, to plead guilty to all the charges of high
crimes and misdemeanors which had been preferred
against him. Had he possessed the high, indomitable
courage which should have belonged to his genius, he
could have defended himself with great plausibility, if
not with entire success. But then the odium which
fell on his head would have had to be borne by the king
and his favorite minion.
Without firmness and high moral courage no man can
act correctly, no matter how pure his principles may be.
Without firmness no man is to be depended on in any

Erskine College Address. 9
great emergency. He may know the proper course to
pursue, and resolve to pursue it, but he will not be able
to resist the importunities and threats of those who
would mislead him.
In his philosophy. Lord Bacon manifested as much
boldness and originality as he did meanness and sub
serviency in politics and law. This was because he had
not to contend with his fellow-man. He was left in
the field of philosophy to his own genius. And it is
strange that one should have the boldness to explore the
mysteries of nature, and to pry into the highest works
of his God, and yet want ^rmness enough to resist the
importunities of an unprincipled courtier. However
eorrupt Lord Bacon may have been in law and politics,
or friendship and morals, he was perfectly pure and
correct in his philosophy. In other matters he may
liave sought honors, or been mercenary in his feelings,
but in this-, his great system of philosophy, he sought
only truth. ' - »
Lord Baacon lived in the most illustrious age of Eng
lish history, and was surrounded by many of the greatest
and ; most remarkable men the world ever produced.
Shakespeare and Ben Jonson were his cotemporaries.
Lord Coke was his great rival at the bar and his victor
at the shrine of beauty. The learned, brilliant and
accomplished Sir Walter Raleigh flourished at the same
eourt, as did the equally unfortunate Essex. But the
genius of Bacon was towering invisibly high above them
all— nff one approached him, and no one was to be coni-
pared to bim. He stood alone in the greatness of his
learning and the splendor of his mighty genius.
To pass from the character of Lord Bacon, the great
statesman, lawyer arid philosopher, to that of Napoleon
Bonaparte, the hero and conqueror, is easy and natural,
although they differ so widely iu many of their essentials
of greatness, Bonaparte^ without any learning, to be
ealled by that name, possessed a genius more gigantic,
an intellect more mighty than ever before fell to the lot

10 Erskine College Address.
of human nature. No one can readi his- life and study
his character without, being struck with awe as to the
extent of his genius ; dndi ability, i ; What others learned
by hard study and laborious research, he seemed to'have
by intuition. He had scarcely ever read a legal princi
ple in his life, and yet in the formation of the Napoleon
Codfe he showed himself more familiar with the prin
ciples of law than the wisest and moSt learned lawyers
of France. As a civil rulef' he never had an equal. It
is, doubtful whether fill the sovereigns of the earth, from
the creation of the world tq the present time, could fur
nish, if their rarest and highest gifts were selected, the
materials to compose so great a governor of mankind
and ruler of nations as Napoleon Bonaparte.
As an orator few men ever equalled him, if we are to
judge of eloquence by thcieflects' which it produces on
the audience. Bonaparte would say more striking things
in a speech of ten minutes than was ever said in an hour
by Cicero or Demosthenes. He could accomplish the
intended effect of a speech befljre the polished (Roman
or Athenianj would be able to get through the.exordium.
As a writer his style is worthy of being taken t as a
model by every one who wishes tc express his ideas in
the fewest words and in the most forcible manner. He
is also the most voluminous writer the world has/ever
produced* It is said by Allison, in his charming history
of Europe, that Napoleon wrote more than Voltaire,.
Bolingbroke and Sir Walter Scott, all put together.
This he did in the midst of his army on the field of
battle, and whilst governing^; with the minutest particu
larity, the- varied interests of the millions who were
subject to his sway, ,
As a gfflieral he surpassed all the <!onquerors,who had
ever preceded him, lb is true that Alexander was a-
younger man than Napoleon when he made his Eastern
conquests, and the countries isnbdned may have equalled
those conquered by Napoleon in population and extent
of territory, but the Persians, ' Egyptians and Indiana

Erskine College Address. 11
were an rffeminate and luxurious people, and never have
been able. to. witJistand a hardyj disciplined and organ
ized force. The conquests of Great Britain at this time
in a portion of that country, show the facility' with
which an army may pass through these Eastern nations.
There seems to be something in the. climate of a South
ern people which enervates and enfeebles them. :
Hannibal may, with more propriety, be comparfedrto
Napoleon as a general. There is some analogy between
them and their fortunes. They both' had to contiend
with the same difficulties in many instances, and they
both fought against disciplined forces, experienced gene
rals and a highly civilized people. They were both
highly successful for a time, and were both ultimately
conquered ; but Napoleon knew how to improve on a
victory and secure a country when once conquered.
This the Carthagenian seems not so well to have under
stood. Julius Ceesar and Napoleon Bonaparte were very
much alike in their characters and conduct as generals —
attending to the comforts of their soldiers, enduring
fatigue, exposing themselves to danger, robbing the con
quered countries to maintain their own armies and cor-
rnpl their own citizens. They were alike in the rapidity
of their movements and the secrecy of their attack.
But . Caesar^s conquests were all made over a barbarous
and half-civilized people, except the conquest of his own
country. In point of intellect there may also be insti
tuted some sort of comparison. Julius Gsesar was one
of the first orators of Rome^perhaps next -to Cicero
himself. He was also a beautiful writer, as may be seen
by his Commentaries. That he was a wise and success
ful governor of mankind cannot admit of a doubt.
The great fault in Boqaparte'S charaiten was his'
sdfishnessi,. This led to all the errors of his 1'^.- He
was by nature kind-hearted arid • affectiona te. Ihdre
was nothing of cruelty in his temper or disposition,
except' when it become necessary' to promote his own

12 Erskine College Address,
selfish views. He loved Josephine ardently and pas
sionately ; she had shared with him his humbler fortunes,
and had patiently endured with him the I fatigues of
some of his campaigns; but he put her away and mar
ried a women whom he had never seen, because she was
the Arch Duchess of Austria, and he was anxious to have
an heir to his throne. He loved his brothers, and made
them, kings and princes ; and yet he treated them like
slaves for the gratification of his own ambition. He
loved his officers and crowned them with honors, wealth
and distinction ; he was as kind as a father to his
soldiers, and has been seen administering with his own
hand to the humblest wants on the field of battle ; he
studied the comforts of his army with a philanthropy
which would do credit to a Howard ; he has been known
to yield his own horse to his sick soldiery, and expose
his life in the hospitals of Egypt attending to their
comforts. But in order to gratify his unhallowed ambi
tion to gain a battle or conquer a nation, or add a new
laurel to his brow, he would sacrifice officers and men
by thousands and hundreds of thousands.
In one respect he was certainly the opposite of Lord
Bacon. There was no want of firmness in his character.
His courage was indomitable. Nothing could shake it.
To his mind there were no terrors. He cared not for
the combined forces of Europe. > With an army of fifty
thousand men he would undertake to conquer one of
three hundred thousand. We see him, almost solitary
and alone, escaping from Elba, and throwing himself
into the midst of an army of ten thousand, sent to
capture him. Without an army, and without a dollar
in his treasury, we see him putting himself in hostile
array to the combined forces of England, Austria,
Prussia and Russia. Neither power nor wealth, nor the
smiles of beauty, nor the fascinations of glory and fame
could make him yield or falter in his resolution.
But for his 'selfishness, Napoleon would have been
one of the best, as well as one of the greatest of men.

Erskine College Address, 13
His fame would have been sullied by no crime, though
It might have been far different from what it is in
splendor and briUiancy. But in how many characters,
great and small, do we see this same fault blazing forth
conspicuously and marring and destroying all that is
beautiful or useful in their lives. How common a
fault is it in the character of mankind. We find it more
or less in the heart of every one. How hard, therefore,
should we endeavor to guard against it. In the char
acter of Bonaparte, how fatal was it. With what
crimes did it cover him all over. For twenty years it
destroyed -the peace of Europe, ov^-turned Empires,
subdued nations, and destroyed the fairest and richest
cities of the earth.
There is much to study in the character of Dr, John
son, the great moralist— i-many traits to admire and some
to condemn. His life^' as written by Boswell, is,
perhaps, the most admirable specimen of biography to
be found in the English : language. It makes us
thoroughly and minutely acquainted with the man.
.And how different does Dr, Johnson appear in the pages
of Boswell from any character j which we may form of
him from his own writings,^ In fact this great leviatiian
of literature had two characters — the character in which
he wrote, calm, dignified and philosophical — and the one
in which he spoke, which was impatient, violent and
rude, approaching vulgarity. He was overbearing and
insulting in his conversation and intercourse with his
fellow-men. But in his writings he acts and speaks the
moralist and philosopher in every line. His style of
writing is stiff arid formal, showing great labor of
thought in the formation of his sentences. But he con
versed in a free, easy and natural style.
Dr. Johnson was a man of great learning and ability,
great labor and industry^! but not regular in his studies
or mental efforts. He was a most kind-hearted and
charitable man, but he had no respect for the feelings of
others. No man would' relieve physical want or suffer-

14 Erskine College Address.
ing more cheerfully than Dr, Johnsori, or make greater
sacrifices to do so; but he wobld ' inflict thfe greatest
mental anguish without being moved, and do it With a
deliberation truly savage, ' He was a man of great and
sincere piety, but his religion was not free from the
blindest superstition. With all of bis strength of intfel-
lect he was possessed of weaknesses which would be
laughed at in a child. He believed in ghosts and would
always enter the house with a particular foot first, never
being known to enter with the other foremost. He was a
very patriotic man, but he most cordially despised those
who differed with him in politics, although they were
equally patriotic with himself. Such were some of the in
consistencies in the character of this great man, and they are
found in some measure, in the character of every one.
Dr, Johnson had great confidence, as well he might
have, in his virtue, morality and piety. He was a
philosopher, and could advise others to look with
indifference on this life and all its charms and pleasures.
He was wedded to no absorbing pleasure, and had no
strong ties or attachments to bind' him to this world.
A.nd yet he could never contemplate death without the
greatest horror. The idea of dying would always fill
his mind with terrors unspeakable.
But the great fault iri his character was his want of
manners, his violence, his rudeness and his coarseness.
If he had tried as hard to improve his temper and
manners as he did to treasure up learning, he might
have left behind hiin a more enviable character; one
which we could study and imitate to much greater ad-
vantsige. 'The scholar and learnt' man is too apt to
disregard' the study and practice of those courtesies and
amenities of life which make our intercourse with each
other pleasant and agreeable* Manners are to be ac
quired as well as science and literature, and they are just
as important to us through life. '
One of the proudest and noblest characters in English
history is that of John Hampden, He was a gentleman

Erskine CoLiiEGE Address. 15
by birth and education.'. He was a gentleman in
manners, ifedings i aud ddtercpupse ¦ with . his. i feHow-meri ;
a country g^lleman of learning, talents, high honot and
obble patriotisDi. He was a bold and disinterested man,
iriodest and unassuming; he never thrust himself
forward in the world.' When a great and terrible crisis
¦came in the affairs of his country,)hecheerfully took the
position of danger and responsibility; he placed himself
at the;bead of those who were contending for theconsti-
¦tutionali rights and liberties, of England, and nobljf did
he sustain his position. His character miay. well be
studied. It is a model for the gentleman, the scholar,
the statesman, the patriot and the noble and disinter
ested man. His firm spirit and high sense of justice
¦could not see the laws and chartered rights of his country
trampled upon by a tyrannical and perfidious sovereign
without nobly exposing his person, his fortune and his
life iri their defence. He was the more moderate of his
party, and the most disinterested of all who thought of
opposition to Charles the First. But no sooner did he hear
that the great privilege; of an iEnglish Commoner, that
of Lgranting supplies, was to be taken from i him, and
-taxes levied in the shape of ship money, ;thatl he deter
mined not to pay those taxes, however trifling his share
of them might be. Unfortunately for his country, un
fortunately for English liberty and. the cause of
humanity, he fell in the first skirniish which took place
between the King and his Parliament. For purity of
purpose, devotion to the principles of constitutional
liberty^ high and unflinchiagfirmness in defence of those
principles, he hashadlbut one equal; that was Wash
ington ; and like Washington, his public career is faulit-
less. Well may he be taken as the' patriot mddel.
The character of the Eaii of Chatham, the great
Commoner ofi England, is. that. of/ a proud patriot,
possessed-, of all the greatoess' of a, bold, ancj fearless
statesman, brilliant and overpowering in his eloquence,
but with none of the' simplicity, of true greatness. Every

16 Erskine College Address.
thing which he did, every word which he uttered was
done for effect. He was, indeed, as his critics have
said of him, a stage actor. . His whole life was a piece
of acting, but it was noble, brilliant and dazzling. He
was, however, a pure patriot, incorruptible, and if ambi
tious of power, it was only for the purpose of serving
his country more effectually.
The eloquence of Chatham was of the highest order.
The speaking of no man perhaps ever produced a more
grand effect on his audience. His denunciations, his
sarcasm, his scorn, were terrible and overpowering.
Much, however, of the effect which his speeches pro
duced, was no doubt owing to his manner. He spoke
to a few hundred persons and not to the English nation.
His speeches were not to be reported, and therefore his
only care was about their immediate effect* He
believed with the great Athenian orator, that action
was everything where a speech was only to be heard.
But action is nothing when the speech is to be read, and
all speeches are now made with that view. There
can be no doubt that this fact has had a most fatal
effect on modern eloquence. No longer do we witness
in the halls of legislation the fire and energy of Demos
thenes or the thunder and lightning of Chatham. In
their places, we have a cold and verbose eloquence
which, instead of firing up and carrying off the feelings
of the audience, only tends to make them more dull
and lethargic.
The difference between listening to a speech and read
ing it cannot be better illustrated than by reference to
the speeches of Edmund Burke and Patrick Henry.
The English language does not afford speeches more
profound, more philosophic, more brilliant or more
eloquent than, those of Burke, His style is indeed rich
and magnificently ornate, but the statue is worthy of
the drapery,. His argument and illustrations are as
able and as beautiful as his language is ornamental.
Whilst reading his speeches, we know not whether

Erskine College ^^ddress. 17
most to admire, his profound reasooing or his riph and
gorgeous style. One would suppose from -reading these
speeches that the, eloquence of such an orator .would
have been irresistible and overpowering— thajt the still
ness of^ death would have prevailed whilst one pf them
was beiBg delivered in the House of Commons, a,nd. that
crowds would, have gathered from all parts of the great
metropolis of England to hear them. But how different
was the fact. Burke could never get a respectable
audience to listen to one of his speeches. The announce
ment of his intention to speak was literally a clearing of
the House. Even friendship and respect for the
speaker could not induce many to be»r the infliction pf
his dullness. One pf his speeches, that pn American
taxatipn, was said to be so dull that an intimate friend
could not endure its delivery, but sneaked out- , of the
House of Commons under tables and benches to pre-
vent being seen. The next morning, however, when
that speech was reported in the London papers, this
friend not only read it, but .wore out the newspaper in
reading it over and over again. ;
How different are the speeches of Patrick Henry.
The thrill of his eloquence has become traditionary in
Virginia, and yet tradition cannot tell us what he said.
The effect is remembered, and has been repeated from
father to son, but the words were forgotten as well as
the sentiment or idea expressed. His powers as an
orator were, however, irresistible. No one ever thought
of leaving the Virginia House of Burgesses whilst
Patrick Henry was speaking,^ Nor did his audience
think of anything else whilst he w.xs speaking, except
what fell from his lips. He held them spell-bound,
physically and mentally. Their thoughts, their reason,
their judgment, and their feelings were all, for the tinje
being, surrendered to him, and he made them think, fml
and act as he pleased. .i i , . .
Fortunately for the fame of his eloquence few.pif; his
speeches have been handed down to us. Those that we

18 Erskine College Address.
have, and some of them were regarded as his greatest
efforts, are so destitute of all the essentials of great
speaking and eloquence, that they Would do no credit to
a school boy. Whilst reading them we naturally in
quire of ourselves whether it is possible such speeches
could have come from the Virginia Demosthenes; and
above all, whether they could have produced the w'on-
derful effects they did on the people of Virginia.
In the Virginia debates on the adoption of the Fed
eral Constitution, we have the speeches of Patrick
Henry, Chief Justice Marshall and James Madison,
thrown side by side. Henry was incomparably the
most eloquent of the three, if we judge from the repu
tation they have left behind them. But it will not do
to compare their written speeches. We had as well
think of instituting a comparison between the efforts of
a young Sophomore and those ot a profound statesman
and orator.
We have a few of the speeches of Lord Chatham.
Those that we have are more the speeches of Johnson
and the other reporters than they are of Chatham.
None of his speeches were written out by himself, or
even corrected by him. They must, therefore^ be badly
reported ; but after making these just allowances they
fall very far short of his reputation as an eloquent and
powerful debater. It is said that Lord Chatham was
nothing in reply — that he did not care for the last word
in debate, which was always a matter of so much im
portance to his great rival, Lord Holland. Like Demos
thenes, he could say nothing unless he had thought
beforehand on the subject.
This trait in the character of certain great orators
deserves our serious corisideration. It is said that Demos
thenes never could be induced to take a part in any
discussion without previous preparation. When called
on by the Athenians to reply to some one who had
spoken, he kept his seat, and could not be induced to
jspeak. But Demosthenes was a mere orator. He was

Erskine College Address. 19
not, like Gicero, an accomplished scholar and profound
statesman — a man of great learning and science. Hence
the reluctance which he had to speaking without prepa-
ratipn. It is idle to suppose that any one can speak
well on a subject which he has not thought of and
studied at some period of his life. And, on the con
trary, it is an easy matter for any one to speak on a
subject familiar to his mind, and which he thorQughly
comprehends. Nothing can be more erroneous than the
i<^ea that some men are more eloquent without any pre
paration at all. If they had been eloquent on the spur
of the occasion, it is always owing to- the fact that the
subject has long occupied their thoughts and feelings.
If they had not studied the subject of their speech the
day before, they had the year before, or at some pre
vious time. . .-.¦'¦'¦¦
It was thought of Sheridan, that many of his most
magnificent bursts of eloquence wfere impromptus^— ihat
they were made extempore, and without previous thought
or preparation. But instead of this having been the
case, it was afterwards discovered that he had written
out at length all ot those eloquent speeches whiph
seemed to have been,, the production of the moment.
He had, however, studiously concealed his labor and
preparation from his associates. Such, too, will be found
to he, the case with all ready and eloquent sppiakers. It
is a mistake to suppose that any one can be great with
out an effort — and equally mistaken is the notion that
any one can be eloquent without study.
Eloquence and liberty . are congenial. They have
always flourished together. The pne cannot exist with
out the other. And the world knows nothing of elo
quence, except as it existed in Greece and. Rome, and
still exists in England and America. The French
nation never produced an orator until the spirit of lib
erty burst asunder the chains which had so long enslaved
that people. The first germs of French eloquence are
to be found in their Revolutionary iassembly.

20 Erskine College Address.
'Mirabeau is, perhaps, the first Frenchman who de
serves the name of an orator, and he was by far the
greatest, as well as the first. His eloquence was of the
most powerful and commanding order. He governed
the National As^mbly from the time he first took his
seat in it to the day of his death, with absolute power.
He was a man of great talents, great boldndSSj com
manding person and huge, hideous, though intellectual
bead arid face. He was a nobleman by birth, but had
been rejected by his own order in the elections. He
then became the representative of the people, and swore
Vengeance against that nobility from whose confidence
and society he had been expelled. During this stormy
period of French history there arose many orators and
eloquent men. They disappeared, however, as soon as
the tyranny of Robespierre had gained the ascendancy.
' On the accession, of Napoleon to power, he soon sup
pressed what little of eloquence had again sprung up in
the French Chamber of Deputies. But he was the great
and munificent patron of literature, the arts and sciences.
And how different is the spirit of literature from that of
eloquence. The one seems as naturally to seek the quiet
and stillness of despotism as the other does the rough
and stormy violence of liberty.
In the existence of great men there is one thing
remarkable. If we look into ancient and modern his
tory we shall see that most great men have existed in
clusters. They have seldom appeared solitary andklone,
but have always ' had cotemporaries and associates in
their greatness. Homer and Hesiod, the most ancient of
poets,' and still the most remarkable, were supposed to
have lived about the same time. Herodotus, the father
of historians, was the cotemporary of Thucydides and
Xenophon,'two'of the most beautiful of ancient histo-
torians. Sophocles, Euripides and ^schylus, the most
distinguished dramatic poets of Greece, flourished about
the same era. In philosophy, there were living at the
same time, Socrates and Plato-^the tutor and pupil

Erskine College Address. 21
teaching ' the immortality of the soul, and inculcating
the sublimest principles of morality and virtue. Demos-
tbefieS; flourished with many orators, Lysias, Isocrates
and others, who would have been more conspicuous but
for his own great and overshadowing eloquence. He
was" also the cotemporary of Aristotle, the most distin
guished of ancient ' philosophers. And Aristotle was
the friend and tutor of Alexander, the greatest captain
and conqueror of antiqriity. Themistocles, Aristides
and Alcibiades, the most eminent of Grecian statesmen,
were all cotemj)oraries a!nd rivals.
If we examine Roman and English history we shall
find the coincidences of greatness' at particular eras
equally ' ds remarkable. Cicero, the greatest of
Eoirian orators, was the cotemporary of Julius Csesar,
the greatest of Roman generals. The Augustan age of
Home was distinguished by a gakxy of great names —
great in everything brit eloquence. The capital and
niistrdfes of the world had then lost too much of the
spirit' of liberty for eloquence to flourish 'vtithin her
walls. But she was great in literature, science, refine
ment and civilization, Horace and Virgil at this
period lived and wrote their immortal poems. Many
others might be irientioned.'
In England, I have already referred to the age
of Queen Elizabeth, when Lord Bacon, Sir Edward
Coke, the Cecils, Sir Walter Raleigh, Shakespeare, Ben
Jonson and others, almost equally illustrious, lived
and 'flourished. I have also spoken of another period
of English history which produced the Earl of
Chatham, Dr, Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke and
Lord' Holland: Charles James Fox, who '^has been
called the' Demostheries of England, and William Pitt,
the great statesman, who became Prime Minister pf
England at tue age of twenty-four, were the sons of
Lord Holland and the Earl of Chatham, and may be
referred to the same age. Dr. Oliver Goldsmith was
also their cotemporary, than whom the world has pro-

22 Erskine College Address.
duced few poets more beautiful, or prose writers more
elegantly simple and natural. About the same era
there lived Burns, the immortal ploughman of Ayrshire
and poet of Scotland. The age of Queen Anne is
another period in English history, bright with a galaxy
of illustrious names. Addison, Pope, Swift and Steele
were amongst those who adorned and elevated the
literature of England at that time.
If we were to examine the histories of France, Ger
many, Italy and Spain, we should find coincidences
equally as remarkable. The history of America, too,
would afford many instances. I will mention one. It
is near us. The District of Abbeville has produced
fawr men^ who are now living, and one of whom would
be enough to have immortalized an age or a nation.
The proudest period of Roman greatness would have
been adorned by such a man as Langdon Cheves. For
greatness of intellect, profound wisdom, boldness and
purity of purpose, he has no superior. He has dis
charged the duties of every station which he has filled
with an ability which has -never been surpassed. As a
Judge, he was learned and profound ; as a member of
Congress he displayed great wisdom, and an industry
and ability which have been seldom equalled ; as a
financier, at the head of the great banking institution of
the country, he evinced a boldness, a sagacity and wis
dom which have never been surpassed. The honor of
his birth is due to Abbeville District — the city of
Ch^jleston, however, claims the double honor pf having
distinguished, and been distinguished by him.
John C. Calhoun, as every one knows, owes his birth
to this District. Had he been born in England instead
of the United States, he would have graced the bright
est period of her history. As an orator and parliamen
tary debater, he would have ranked with the Foxes and
Pitts. As a man of genius and a brilliant statesman,
he would not have been surpassed by the proudest
names of which England can boast. In private life he

Erskine College Address. 23
has always sustained a character pure and spotless.
His career in Congress was a most brilliant one. He
entered the House of Representatives a very young
man, immediately precedirigthe declaration of war, and
his devotion to business, united with his genius and
ability, soon placed him at the head of that body, filled,
as it was, by the greatest men the country afforded.
General McDuffie, though not a native of Abbeville
District, was educated and brought up in it, and now
resides here, after having long represented the District
in Congress with distinguished honor to himself and
country. As an orator, his bold and fearless eloquence
at the bar, in the House of Representatives, and in the
Senate of the United States, has placed him amongst the
most distinguished speakers of this Or any other age.
For many years he had no equal, no rival in the halls
pf Congress. He stood, as it were, alone, the master
spirit of that great assembly, towering far above his
compeers arid associates. '
James L. Petigru is a native of Abbeville District,
He is known only as a lawyer, and an upright, pure
and noble-hearted man. Like Sir Samuel Homily, he
has devoted himself to his profession, and in learning
and ability he is surpassed by no one, either in the
United States or England. The resemblance between
him and Romily is not altogether professional. There
are many traits in their characters strikingly similar.
They were both of French descent, and rose from the
humbler walks of life. There is a simplicity, a benevo
lence and a pureness in the character of both which
we seldom meet with. They were both devoted to their
profession, and cared not to mingle in public affairs.
Like the great English lawyer, Mr. Petigru is the
admiration of his friends and associates.
There are many others, natives of Abbeville District,
who might be named, filling high places in this and
other States. When we see such a cluster pf great men,
all springing frpm one district, at one and the same

24 Erskine College Address.
time, well may that District claim to be the Athens of
South Carolina. Well may she, like the Roman matron,
when asked for her jewels, point to her soils.
But Abbeville has now given another claim to this
distinction. She has not only sent forth her sons, like
the proud city of Greece, to fill the highest offices
within her own and the neighboring States and the
Confederation, and to receive the highest and noblest
honors which their country can bestow, but she has now
erected a College, where her sons, and the sons of her
neighboring Districts, and the adjoining Sta,tes, may
reap the advantages of a thorough and complete educa
tion. No higher evidence can be given of the virtue,
intelligence and intellectual attainments of any people,
than the establishment of schools and colleges. Nor can
any stronger guarantee be offered that a people will
remain wise and virtuous.
The founders and patrons of Erskine College will
long receive the gratitude and thanks of the country.
Their sagacity and wisdom were shown in the location
of this institution. It too frequently happens that where
schools and colleges are founded in towns and cities, the
temptations to dissipation and extravagance are so great
that it may well be questioned whether the students
derive more of benefit or injury from their collegiate
course. Here they are removed from all such tempta
tions, and their only pride and ambition must be to
excel each other in their studies. The foppery and
frippery of dress cannot excite their jealousy or rivalry.
The students of this institution will go hence, with
their minds imbued with the great principles of science
and literature, virtue and religion. These are the
foundation on which their future happiness, fame and
]>rosperity must depend. From other similar institu
tions, surrounded with all the fascinations of vice and
extravagance, it too often happens that the student car
ries with him into the world, feelings, principles apd
habitsj there contracted,, which prove his ruin and

Erskine College Address. 25
destruction. The fond parent, instead of being proud
of him, for his virtues and attainments, will have to
repent in pain and sorrow, the disgrace and misery
which their love and kindness have brought upon one
of their own offspring.
Gentlemen op the "Philomathean Society:"
I have the pleasure of distributing amongst you the
honors which your talentSj industry and good behavior
have won for you. Here they are — take them, as the
just rewards of your merit — but do not look upon them
as filling the measure of your fame and usefulness.
Instead of having passed through the labors of your
life, you are now only on the verge of them. Yonr
education, instead of being finished has only commenced.
The foundation is laid, nothing more. You are to buikl
hereafter the superstructure. If you have been hereto
fore industrious, you must still be more so, as you
advance in life, and your cares and responsibilities
increase. Do not flatter ypurselves with the belief that
this life is pne pf ease and pleasure. We were placed
here by an all- wise Being fpr higher and nobler pur
poses than the mere enjoyment of idle pleasures. ¦
Let me entreat you, gentlemen, by all that can endear
you to life, to apply yourselves at once to your different
professions and pursuits. Enter on the study of them
immediately, and steadily persevere in them, as long as
you live. Never permit yourselves to be disheartened,
or to hesitate in your onward course. Industry and
prudence, honor and integrity, will never fail to crown
your exertions with success.
You were told by the learned, eloquent and pious
Judge who addressed you on your last anniversary, that
the end and aim of all our exertions was happiness. Let
me tell you that idleness and happiness can never exist
together — I care not how much of wealth, luxury and
splendor may surround you, il you wish to he happy,
you must not be idle. It was intended by*the Creator
of all things that we should all labor. By the sweat of
his brow man is to gain his livelihood.

26 Erskine College Address.
If you select one of the learned professions for a pur
suit in life, you must not do so under the impression
that it will not be necessary for you to labor. Your
life, on the contrary, if you aspire to any of the honors
and distinctions of your profession, will be one of end
less labor. And whilst you are pursuing your studies
or profession, let me beseech you to avoid all tempta
tions which may be thrown in your way. Avoid all
bad company, all evil or idle associates, as you would
shun vice itself You will very often meet with person.s
high in life, surrounded by wealth and fame, who are idle
and vicious. Shun them and their society as you would
a ipestilence. By your associates are you known, and
every one of you must rise or fall to the level of the
company you keep.
The next danger I would caution you against, is that
of giving way to your passions of anger and resentment.
Be slow nnto wrath, is the command of our holy and
blessed religion. Never cease to bear in mind that it is
more magnanimous to forgive than to resent an injury.
True courage is more often tested by the one than the
other. A coward is very often tempted to resent some
insult or imaginary grievance, whilst a brave man only
has courage to forgive or pass it by unnoticed. Be sure
that you are always right, and no circumstance can then
force yon into any personal altercation with your fellow-
man. The painful and agonizing event which has so recently
cast a melancholy gloom over the walls of this institu
tion, and filled your hearts with the bitterest pangs of
sorrow and mourning, should be an awful warning to
you through life, to restrain your feelings and govern
your passions. In a moment of thoughtless excitement
and passion, caused by some trivial and unimportant
congideratiori, a fellow-student, filled with high hopes
and expectations, has fallen by the hand of his Colltjge
companion, who, perhaps, had never entertained towards
him «ny oth^ than feelings of kindness and love. How

Erskine College Address. 27
forcibly does this sad and painful catastrophe illustrate
to us the truth of the remark, that when passion rules,
reason is dethroned — we are no longer masters of
•ourselves. In conclusion, gentlemen, let me impress on you, as
you are about to leave this institution, to carry with you
and treasure up in perpetual remembrance, those great
principles of virtue, morality and religion, which have
been taught you by your learned President and Pro
fessors. If you are disposed to regard your happiness
and prosperity in this life, and your future welfare in a
world to come, these are the lessons to which your minds
will most often revert, and which will be the last to
depart from your memories. You have been long asso
ciated as companions and friends. Let me assure you
that early friendships, like early lessons of piety and
¦religion, are the most permanent. You are now going
to separate, perhaps forever. In all human probability,
your destinies may be cast in different and distant coun
tries. You may never meet again in this world — but
let this be your bond of union and sympathy. At
night, when you have offered up your prayers to God,
and in the morning, when you have returned your
thanks for your preservation during the past night, let
your thoughts revert to your Alma Mater, and her
lessons of wisdom and religion, which were taught you
all in common. Go, prosper and be happy. My
earnest and fervent prayers go with you.

VALE UNIVERSITY

i..8 5 3b