"Judge not that ye be not
judged." I will now refer to the letter which the gentleman from
Greenville rolled as a sweet morsel under his tongue yesterday.
That letter was confidential, and you must remember that all this
trouble is made up out of confidential letters. Which of you
would be willing to have his confidential letters published?
Concerning Guerad, I certainly did offer to help him get a
situation, as he was worthy and needy. I was asked by him and
endeavored to get it for him; and who would not do the same? Mr.
Robertson then referred to his letter in _The News and Courier_,
which, he said, the publishers of the paper had done him the
justice to publish, and which contained a full account of the
whole matter in plain terms, without any attempt to conceal or
pervert the facts.

Mr. Robertson's time here expired, but on motion of Whipper he
was allowed fifteen minutes longer. He continued: Recollect that
two constructions can be placed upon this matter. One will ruin
me and the other will not. Choose between them.

Hamilton interrupted. What particular portion of the letters do
you deny?

Robertson. What I object to in this investigation is that copies
of letters are given here purporting to be mine, when I cannot
tell whether they are mine or not. Gentlemen, what can I say
more? I built the first schoolhouse that was ever built in my
district, and supported the first teacher we had to teach the
colored children in it. And now, gentlemen for this I am to be
expelled; expelled because I have labored for the good of the
children of the State; because in my anxiety I wrote letters
which the secretary of the commission ought to have written
himself. Gentlemen I am done. "Let him that is without sin among
you cast the first stone."

Hamilton. Keep down then, it is where you belong, and if you had
your deserts you ought to be down and out of the House. Hamilton
then went on, saying that he proposed to divest himself of all
personal feelings. He proposed to speak as he thought the people
would have him speak--justly. The first ground that he took
against Robertson was that he believed him guilty and thought
that every man in South Carolina believed the same and I will say
as he says, "Out of thy mouth thou shalt be convicted.