The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 25, 1896, Image 7
Who was the Father of
Abraham Lincoln?
The Lexington Historian An?
swers His Critics
And Furnishes Circumstantial Evi?
dence Connecting Calhoun and
Nancy Hanks.
To the Editor of the State :
I have read the criticisms in your
paper and others on the Calhoun and
Lincoln tragedy which, you copied
from the Lexington Dispatch. I
have reviewed calmly and dispas?
sionately, and I hope unselfishly
what those gentlemen in their rage
and temper have seen proper to say
and have considered deliberately the
harsh and abusive terms used by
them to express their indignation. I
am sorry the critics have allowed
their vehemence and sarcasm to get
the better of their judgment and
better sense so far as to use such un?
called for and needless sentiments
Because these gentlemen do not know
these things is no reason they are
untrue.; and because they seem wi I
ling to be satisfied with the situation
and go on believing a falsehood
themselves, because they have con?
tented themselves with what the en?
cyclopaedias have said, is a larne ex?
cuse to try and lessen and berate
men who believe they know better
and are willing to state the reason?
for their belief. There are many
men who believe they knew ali that
is written and believe ail the history
of the past has been written and that
nothing can be added thereto. These
articles from myself and the views
expressed in the papers will go to
the discriminating public and from
that great tribunal from which there
is no appeal each one will receive his
due consideration for the full value
of his worth and the fiery, severe,
vindictive manner will not be con
?sidered argument nor good grounds
of appeal, and to that great tribunal,
in all the sincerity of which I am
capable. ? reaffirm ray sincerity in
making the statement contained in
the extracts from the Lexington Dis?
patch. The part copied was from an
article in a series written for the Lex?
ington Dispatch on "The Handwrit?
ing- of God in the Government of
Men," and was intended to show
from the inspired historians of the
interferences of Providence in the
-civil and political governments of the
world. In the series I went on to
show how great spirits had been
raised up at various times of the
world's history on great occasions,
such as Joseph, Moses, David,
?Queen Esther, Daniel, &c, among
the Hebrews, and Nebuchadnezzar,
Cyrus the Great, Alexander the
Great among the Gentiles, and said
that the indications were that Abra?
ham Lincoln was a great man on a
great occasion, and how any sane
man made it a personal attack and a
.slanderous assault on Abraham Lin?
coln and his mother is to me an un?
explained mystery.
To say that John C Calhoun ever
did or thought wrong is an unpardon
able crime against the history of the
Stale and the one who does it is a
greater sinner than the Gallileans,
whose blood Pilate mingled with the
sacrifices, and a more guilty wretch
than the eighteen on whom the tower
.of Siloam fell. 1 was fully aware of
all the American, Britannica and
Cathcart's encyclopaedias had to say
about it, but did not believe them.
The first got erroneous information
and each one copied. It was the
best they had in reach at the time.
Encyclopaedias are not infallible
any more than other human informa
tion. I believe it ia a settled, fact
for some time that Abraham was not
the son of Thomas Lincoln, but was
an illigitemate child and who the
father was has been the dispute.
His parentage has been claimed from
several directions, but I believe the
paternity of Calhoun is the only one
that is correct I have known of
these facts for several years and the
first impression of mine on that issue
?8 as far back as 24 years And
this is no theory in Anderson county,
and there are living, responsible men
there whose fathers gave them the
tradition and with some of them it
tornes direet from the Calhoun fara
iiy.
The letter of Jas. F. Tribble in the
News and Courier shows very plainly
that Judge Orr had this nonsense in
his head before our civil war and be?
fore Mr. Lincoln was President. I
have letters in my possession show?
ing that to be the impression of
many responsible citizens cf Ander*
sun and Abbeville counties to-day.
The names of two men in Anderson
are mentioned by Mr. Tribble in his
article. He stated that the Hon. B.
F. Crayton stated that James L. Orr,
who was congressman, governor,
judge, and died as minister to Rus?
sia, when he met Mr. Lincoln bep~?e
the war in Kentucky saw the favor oi
the Hanks family in the person of
Mr. Lincoln. The likeness was so
strong that his inquiries led himto
find out that Lincoln, who was a ris?
ing young man, was the son of a
Miss Nancy Hanks, who had married
Thomas Lincoln. On his return he
narrated the fact and learned from
the Hanks family that about the be?
ginning of this century Nancy
H auks, the sister of Luke Ha
had gone to Kentucky and had I
lost to history-had never been f
since by any of" her iamily. Ju
Orr in accounting for this at the t
to Senator drayton, said tiiat at
that time several families had go?
Kentucky from "this comm
Judge Orr said all this, know
nothing of the under current of
Calhoun trouble. It is certain
beyond- controversy that a Na
Hanks, ?young lady, did about I
time leave Anderson county and
go to Kentucky ; that she ne
came back and was never located
any of the family afterwards
that her brother, Luke Hanks,
mained here,, raised a family ?
died here. It is certain that
mother of Abraham Lincoln wa
Miss Nancy Hanks and came to K
tucky when a young woman. r.
one difference being, the encyclop
dia-8 said she came from Virginia .<
the troth says she came from And
son, S C
This is also strengthened by the {
that while this is a very noted won
her family can't be located in Virgi
or Kentucky. Why do they not loc
the Hanks family in Virginia or K
rocky? Everyone who has read the
of Lincoln feels astonished that no m
is known of the Hanks family in \
?ginia; at)d the scarcity of matei
j about Nancy Hanks is very signifie:
to any one who will impartially view
situation. How do these men accoi
for these two ladies going at the sa
time to the same place and one dis
pearing entirely from history-1
strange that the one who disappears
from ibis State and yet the child a
man is a perfect reproduction of I
brother and kindred io Anderson, S
How strange it is for a stranger fron
distant State (no kin that any one c
sav) should thus give a lad to l
world the very likeness and image
men hundreds of miles away, whom 6
never saw and of whom she nei
heard. And why should he
so far ahead the rest of the Lincol
Hanks family, if any are these? E
is it strange or hard ta account for 1
likeness or his brain and intellect if
take the others and suppose bim
have been the child we are searchi
out, and the son of Nancy Hanks
Anderson? Does not reason point
the reasonable conclusion that uno
such-circumstances the situation m
be very innocently misstated? It is mc
than natural that she and young C
boen would both be interested in m
directing the mind of the public. Ji
at this crisis she is in Kentucky like
meteor fallen from the sky, and no fat
ily record either io history of fictic
except io these encyclopedias, and th
have been exploded long since. T
conditions can all be fulfilled by takii
the truth as history will some day stat
viz : that Nancy Hanks left Aoderso
S. C., aod went to Kentucky and rats
a sou whose name was Abraham Li
coln This accounts for his favor, h
birth in Kentucky, his ability of min
etc., etc She was the daughter of
tavern-keeper in Anderson county, ne
Craytonville, and near where bo
Judge Orr and Senator Cray ton we:
born, whose name was Hanks. It w;
at this tavern tbat young Calhoun fri
quently stopped when traveling by ti
old dirt road in the old line stage in tl
early days.
John C. Calhoun had finished bis ei
ucation at Yale college, had complete
his law course at Fitch field, Conn., an
had settled down to practice at Abbi
ville, C. H. He was just commencin
life, was ambitious and active and gif
ed. It was under these circumstance
that he became acquiauted with th
young girl and daughter of the tavern
keeper. She was several years younge
than he was. It was about this tim
she went to Kentucky. And why g
to Ke- tucky? She went under the con
trol of a horse drover from that State
who, too, was accustomed to take hi
board while in that county at Hank*
tavern, and carried her off fuily awar
of the situation. She never asaii
came to her native land, but was los
to history till after her death and he
resurrection io her gifted son. And i
it is still .'io poor taste and les* truth,'
I will still say that "thus poor Nanci
Hanks leaves her native land and make
her home among strangers." And wil
further say the history of ber couotn
is a monument to her's and her son'i
memory.
To me it is clear that this Nanc}
Hanks is the Naccy Hanks Lincoln o
Kentucky, and how and why she wa<
there is the darkest page in the historj
of John C. CalhooD.
, The Calhoun part in this tangled wei
I will notice in a future article.
Since writing the above, I have jusl
read in the News and Courier of Marci]
15, two articles, one from H. S. H. re
thrashing the same old encyclopedia
tale over again and with a strained ef?
fort to be at the same time
historic, literary and sarcastic,
j thinks that through ignorance and
j a desire for cheap notoriety I have
J entirely gotten up a m-xed medley o?
; one John Calhoun of Massachusetts
! and some information in fictions and
articles in McClure's Magazine. And
the News and Courier, in its headlines,
^strains at a gnat also with II. S. H.,
. .^-?n^doing so they both have to swal
I low CalT^^o digest this same old story
I that has bee,. - discarded Ii. S. H.
: seems to be better adapted to writing
I magazine stories than to catching on
j to historical connection. I don't like
to see a man sail under a false maintop
to shield his cowardice. Another is
from a man k'Sigma," who relates a
conversation ftth a Kentuckian in
1886, who j?d Dear Mr. Lincoln's
birthplace io Kentucky He relates '
: tba1; this Kentuckiaa told him Nancy
; Hanks was "a very pretty backwoods
girl" who was poor and illiterate, and '
a man of means took advantage ot her
and hired Thomas Lincoln to marry her
and guve him tour uegrots. That I
afterwards he sold those negroes und'
moved to Illinois. That Lincoln was a j
man of little force, and thas this mar- j
riage occurred just before or very short |
ly after Abraham Lincoln's birth, and ?
probably be never knew any better- j
but adds very truthfully, "but be ihts
as it may, Lincoln was ne* the father of
Ahraham Lincoln " Th-ese statements,
"Sigma" says, came from a native
Kentuckian who lived near the hirth- |
place of Abraham Lincoln, and said he
"knew many old people who were well
acquainted with the facts." This is a
statement from his- birthplace and
shows that encyclopaedias are not inf* 1 -
tibie.
That Nancy Haoks was a "very
pretty backwoods country girl" is
true, and as he adds, "possessed of
many amiable qualities," is also true,
and that advantage was taken of her
con?dence I believe is equally true, but
will the^e custodians of the "mighty
dead" and those hero worshippers al?
low me to state by whom ? I shall try
to run the fiery gauntlet and will even
dare to say hy w-bom ! This is a part
of unwritren history, but some day will
be true history and accepted by the sin?
cere seekers of the truth.
It is conceded cn all sides that Lin?
coln was brutaHy unkind to little Abe
and for him .?ade Jordan a hard road
to travel, and his severe treatment run
him from home about nine years old.
Why was he so especially unkind to
little Abe? The readers of your
papers have seen enough of this cold
world to know why and ere I say so
have answered this question already.
Yours for truth.
D. J Knotts.
Swansea, S C.. March 18, 1896.
-
Senators by Direct Vote.
j Favorable Report on a Con?
stitutional Amendment.
?
Washington,.March 20 -The senate
committee on privileges and elections
this moroiog made a favorable report
on the ameodmen: to the Coostitut'oo
providing for the election of United
Sutes senators by a direct vote of the
people.
The report is very voluminous.
Among other things it sayB : "In the
judgment of your committee any move?
ment that looks to the right of the
people to be heard directly in
the election of senators cannot but re?
sult beneficiary to all concerned. The
adoption of this proposed amendment
will, in the judgment, of your commit?
tee, bring the senate into more amicable
relations with the people It will re?
lieve prejudices now existing which are
deeply and dangerously becoming fast?
ened upon the public mind. It will
invoke a spirit of mutual forbearance
and respect as between the senate and
the people which unfortunately does
not now exist to that degree that is de?
sirable. lc will restore confidence. It
will teod to eievate the character and
dignity, increase the usefulness, extend
the influence and justly magnify the
power of the senate, and, at the same
time, promote the welfare of all the
people of the republic. The tendency
j of public opinion is to disparage the
j senate and depreciate its dignity, its
j usefulness, its integrity, its power.
If there is any cause for this tendency
in the public miod, it should he re?
moved without delay. Although the
senate of the United States should be,
I and in fact is, the most dignified as
. well as the most important legislative
; body in the world, the tendency in pub
! lie journalism and popular mind, is in a
i large degree to detract from its import
; ance, mimimize its djgnity and power
j and cast, the spirit of obloquy over and
; around it and its members While
; the committee is of the opinion ?hat the
j impression which leads to all this is to
i a vsry great extent, at least not well
I founded, yet it is a fact that cannot be
, ignored, that it exists."
j "One weighty and principal objec
I tion to the present system of electiog
senators by the legislatures of the re?
spective States," the report continues
"is that the power and right of the in?
dividual voters are hedged about and
circumscribed, his will is manacled, his
volition paralyzed, he cannot vote for
bis choice. He cannot, in fact, vote
directly at all, but must content him?
self with casting a vote for members of
the legislature who may or may not
properly represent his wishes in the
vote they may cast for senator. It car?
ries with it the implication that the
people, the qualified voters of a State,
are, for some reason unfit for the full
exercise of the elective franchise, ex
cep' in a qualified and largely restricted
sense. The present system is in prac?
tice, purpose and effect, a declaration
that for some occult reason which is in
no way made manifest, it is unsafe and
uoprejudicial to the public interests to
commit the election of senators to tito
vote of the people. Th..- Committee
points out that thc material interests of
the State suffer by reason of protracted
senatorial confects that, are frequent oc?
currences. Instances in New York,
Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho
Wyoming and Kentucky are cited.
The recent, contest before the legisla
ture of the State of Delaware, says the
report, "is fresh in the public mind,
resulting in the claim ^oow pending of
Mr. Dupoot to a seat in the senate,
while the daily reports of the interouin
able contest in the legislature of the
State of Kentucky with no results.
marjy weary months nf fruitless ballot?
ing, add." strength to the proposition of
your committee "
Continuing on ibis line the report
Pay? : "But another vital objection o
the election ot senators by the legisla?
ture and in /aver of the change pro?
posed must be apparent to all. How
frequently is u true that in the >t lec?
tion of members of a ?late l?gislature
at a time when such legislature has as
one of its dmies the ?lection of a sen?
ator, every considera"ion is lost sight of,
except rb? solitary one as to how can?
didate*, if elected, will vote ou the
question nf the s na'nrship. The
question, as to the candidate^ qualifi?
cations for the business nf general leg?
islation or the views he entertains witm
reference to the great, material interests
of the ??tate are wholly lost sight of.
Popular opinion has, the committee says
taken hofd of the subject, and the de?
mand for this change is loud and em?
phatic. The belief in the public mind
is rapidly gaining that proper deference
is not giveu by the senate ? f the Unit?
ed States to the demands and interests
pf the people and that is largely dc?e
to the fact, that senators do not owe
their positions to the people who are
permanent, but to the 'legislatures,
which are transient.''
to conclusion, the committee says :
"The people demand a voice >D the
election of senators and such demand
in the judgment of your committee
should be respected. So, whatever
may be said to the contrary,, whatever
?.may be thought of the sanctity of the
jj Constitution as it stands, it must be ad
j mitted by all that the people are be
I coming restive under its restraints on
I the rights of those entitled under the
j O' dtitution and laws to exercise the
' ..ive franchise. The movement of
...e people io the interests of the peo
pie, as on many other questions, is
stalwart and ui iversal and the sooner
this great fact is rec ??.ized by the rep?
resentatives of the people the better."
Dehorning Milk Cows.
Dehorning milk cows is becomiog a
general practice. The results are satis
factory, but the operation is cruel. Be?
sides being dreadfully painful, it must
be a severe shock to the cow's systcmj
However, in the opinion of most dairy?
men, the end justifies the means. A?
many of our dairymen raise tbeir cows
we suggest to them the experiment ol
preventing horns from coming as being
preferable to cutting them off after the
cow is growD. We note in a bulletin
from the Georgia Experiment Station
the following :
''The germ or embryo horn of a very
young calf mar be easily and quickly
destroyed. Take a stick of caustic pot
ash, dip the ends in water, rub it for
about ten seconds on the spot where one
horn is to appear. Then wet git again
and apply in the same manner to the
other horn. Repeat the application
immediately. Nothing more will be
necessary. The oalf will never have a
horn if the operation be performed be?
fore it is three d^ys old."
Sewing .Machines and Organs cleaned and
repaired at the Sumter Music House.
In going to get a drink stop and t'.-.inls
what bargains in Pianos, Organs and Sewing
Machines are to be had at the Sumter Music
House, in the Masonic Temple building.
Shortens labor, lessens pain,
?;' diminishes clanger to life of
both mother anti child and leaves her in condi?
tion more favorable tx? speedy recovery.
"Stronger after than before confinement"
says a prominent midwife. Is the best remedy
FOR RISING BREAST
Known and worth thc price for that alone.
Endorsed and recommended by midwives and
all ladies who have used it.
Beware of substitutes and imitations.
Makes Child-Birth Easy,
Sent bv Express or mail cn receipt of price,
$1.00 per bottle. Boole "TO MOTHERS*'
mailed free, containing voluntary testimonials.
BRADFIELD REGULATOR CO.. ATLANTA, GA.
SOLL) BT ALL DRUGGISTS.
Master's Sale.
State of South Carolina,
COUNTF OF SUMTER.
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
W. Moultrie DcLorme, Plaintiff, ayainst Sarai
Adams, Louisa Gadsden. Rebecca Hamilton,
John Adams, Mack Adams, an in/ant undei
the age of fourteen years : George Mor.tgom
ery, Mark Montgomery, Aaron Montgomery:
and Sarah Montgomery, Defendants.
BY VIRTUE of a decretal Order in the
above enti'led action, dated March 14.
I 1806. I will as Master tor Sumter County,
j sell, on the salesday to wit : the first Monday
: in April next, 1S96, being the six'h day o'
j stud monti;, between the hours of ll o'clock
j in the forenoon and 5 o'clock in the after
I noon, ai .Sumter Court House, in the .City ol
? Sumter :
All that parcel or tract of land situate in
? Sumter County, in the Stute aforesaid, con
? taining thirty-four nnd one-half acres, more
i or le.-s. conveyed to George Adams, deceased.
I by James D. Standing, by d^ed. dated 15:li
March, 1875. and recorded in the office ol
I the Register of Mesne Convey aaec for Sumter
i County in Book V.. at paged'?S: hounded on
the North by the parcel of in?d conveyed tc
; John Adams : on the Hast by lands, now or
formerly, of james I>. Blanding : on ;ht
South by lands conveyed by James I). Bland.
ing, and West by laud formerly of Dr. J. M.
PittS.
Terms, cash. Purchaser to pay for papers,
W . H. INGRAM,
Master for Sumter County.
March 16th, 1895.
t/fa Iii UfiMX^f
The largest oiece of .good
tobacco ever sold for io cents
and
Tne 5 cent piece is nearly as
large as you .get of other
high grades for io cents
Webster's
Unabridged
POR $2.
In Full Leather Binding.
For f l. ?O,
In Heavy Cloth Binding.
These prices are offered only to Subscribers
to the Watchman and Southron
*' ho pay one year in advance. It is an unprecedented offer
arici was never approached in this section.
-FOR
^tffe You obtain the best weekly paper in the
^Q&o&P%W State-eight pages of the latest news and
miscellaneous reading and a Leather Bound Webster's Una?
bridged Dictionary, former price of Dictionary $10.
I have bought a lot of them at a reduced price and offer them
at a still greater reduction as a premium.
Remember that it is the UNABRIDGED
WEBSTER and not a cut edition.
Come at once before the stock of Dictionaries is exhausted.
Clubbing Rates :
The Watchman and Southron has been able to make special
Club Rates with the following named, well known papers and
periodicals. The prices enumerated are in addition to the reg?
ular subscription ($1.50 a year) of ,The Watchman & Southron:
Home and Farm, 30c. Washington Post, 30c.
Womankind, 15c. Cosmopolitan, 90c.
Farm News. 15c. Munsey's Magazine, 85c.
Atlanta Constitution, 80c. Standard Delineator, 85c.
X. Y. Thrice-a-Wcek World, 60c.
These prices are strictly cash in advance in conjunction with
subscription to the Watchman & Southron. Send remittances to
If. Cr. 0STEEW,
SUMTER, S. C.
NO YANKEE! Order Your
Tbaok God ! I was I.near Edge?eld, 5. C. PROVISIONS ?ND GROCERIES
^srl??Tm^V^ m. f. STEFFENS & SON,
?HIM flllU?iLTi Wholesale Agents, Charleston, S C
timi has ever been invented. Agents wanted, -Agents for
Address MOTT'S CIDEE
W P. Ht)ELY, BED SEAL CIGARS,
Greenville, Ala. ! .___ .....
Feb. 26th. AND DOVE HAMS