was to fawn upon those in authority to win position or command emolument. He spurned anything of the kind. Although a South Carolinian by birth and breeding, and proud of my State and people, yet I am frank to admit that Carolinians, especially those of the olden day, have too frequently been intolerant of opposition — have not always accorded to those who differed from them that freedom of opinion — that char itable judgment, which they deserved. Mi norities have merited greater rights than they have always received in our State. In Mr. Preston's time, Mr. Calhoun was the power behind the throne in Carolina. His will was law. The people of the State looked to him for guidance, and they fol lowed implicitly wherever he led. Much as I admire Mr. Calhoun — and my apprecia tion of him is very high — I am disposed to think that he was impatient of opposition, that he was somewhat arbitrary and imperi ous in his sway over the people of this State. He was self-assertive in his opinions, and thought that his views and ideas on public matters were necessarily right. Indeed, after forming his opinion he paid very little attention to what others said on the other side. A writer describes this disposition on the part of Mr. Calhoun to pass unheeded the opinions of others, by an expression which was characteristic of him, " Not at all, not at all." And then, too, he would be come so absorbed with some subject which was engaging his attention at the time, that what was said to him passed into one ear and out of the other without making any impression. Mrs. Preston refers to his habit in this respect as follows: "As thus during nullification times, if he had asked you how your family were, and you had answered with that disposition to be sympathized with that we all have under suffering, " One of the children is ill," Mr. Calhoun would have exclaimed : " Ah, but, as I was saying, the concurrent majority, etc.," and neither you nor yours would possess his head or heart one
minute. When Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Preston were most harmonious, I gave that opinion of him to Mr. Preston, so I have not now formed it under pique." In another place in her journal, Mrs. Preston says : " The bill was lost to us by an overwhelming majority. Mr. Calhoun al ways votes with the administration party; and yet last September, he and his friends were in great wrath because Mr. Preston said Mr. Calhoun was an administration man. The truth was too great for Mr. Calhoun to be willing to hear it. Now the " Globe " lauds him, and his men, Pickens, Elmore, and Lewis, call themselves administration men. Sic transit. A year ago they were all in arms against my husband because he would not abuse Mr. Van Buren or his party in advance." In Jenkin's " Life of Calhoun," we find the following expressions attributed to him which I have never admired, and which I think are too arrogant and auto cratic in their tone: 'I never know what South Carolina thinks of a measure. I never consult her. I act to the best of my judg ment, and according to my conscience. If she approves, well and good. If she does not, or wishes anyone else to take my place, I am ready to vacate. We are even." Gov ernor Perry says : " Great men are often ego tists. Cicero and Demosthenes were emi nently so. Mr. Calhoun was not without this foible of greatness any more than he was of another infirmity, which, it is said, belongs to all great men — ambition." Mr. Preston was Mr. Calhoun's colleague in the Senate, and differed from him on a number of important questions. This brought him into a position of opposition and antag onism to South Carolina's favorite son, and he had to pay the penalty. That he felt it keenly we have every reason to believe. Indeed, I have already made a reference to it in an earlier part of this paper. Says Gov ernor Perry: "All the South Carolina Nullifiers became Whigs, and united with Clay and Webster to break down the administra
