McCord, David James

McCord, David James

(1797–1855) editor, agitator; born in St. Matthew's Parish, S.C. A lawyer turned editor of the Columbia Telescope (1823), he turned this newspaper into an extremely zealous advocate of nullification. He, in turn, became an influential state leader who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1833–37). Elected president of the Columbia branch of the Bank of the State (1837–41), he lost his position after supporting the Whig Party. Hot-tempered and impulsive as well as frank and cheerful, he was a trustee of South Carolina College and a new state mental hospital, and he wrote numerous articles.