The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-06-16

| from he'll to scourge the nation, when we
know that they worship no God but gold
and aspire to no happiness but the gratifica-
tion of their brutal passions? A wise wri
ter of the las, century has said that man
without any religion is a terrible animal,
who appears only to enjoy his liberty in
destroying and dcvouring." Such, in effect,
appears to be the picture which Providence,
with high design, has designed to pre-
sent to us. Yes, compatriots! you have
seen it: our religion, our country, our liber-
ty, our lives, o9gSaamiIies, our property
nothing notlmhg IS respected; and if they
spare even our existence, it is merely for
the purpose ofturning it 10 profit in the un
happy condition of slavery. And finally,
they will endeavor, as we have already said
10 blot our names from the catalogue OF
nations.
FeIow-citizens of Potosi Can you be-
hold, with waking eyes, and without the
blood freezing in your veins, condition so
humilating. a fate so disastrous and fright
ful! Can your bold and valiant character
behold without rage that the foot Of a here
tic adventurer should dcflc your magnifi
cent temples, destroy your venerated ina
geS, and trample even upon your God, over
throwing your holy sacraments, and depr-
wing the Christian soul of the sublime vir-
tues and exalted cnjoymcnts of the angels2
Will you permit that a covetous and barba
rous stranger should outrage that God who
has visited and consocd your infrmi,ies-
who accompanies you in the horrible tran
silion from life to the enjoyment of eternal
beatitude2 Will you consent, brave Poto-
sinos to have the holy rites of your church
abolished, and the sign of your redemption
and cxtermina.on7 Finally, fellow-citi-
zens, will you be insensiblc to the loss of
your religion, your temples, and even to
the sweet name Of Christians? Yet all this
will happen to you. Your families will
the eternal consultations which the adorable
religion of Jesus can alone dispense, and
there will be none who can furnish them
Your daughters and your wives will be
seized in your sight, and made victims to
lucivious passions, even in the streets and
public places. Your tender sons will ex-
pire on the points of the swords and bayo-
nets Of the barba Gus conquerors, directing
towards you their last looks of fear and
agony; and you, yourselves, will be seized
and bound like british beasts for the dun
geons of slavery and savage men, filthy
prostitutes and wild beasts, will come and
enjoy the comforts and dclicacies ofyour
homes. Yes fellow-cizens Of Potosi, hear
ii one hundred thousand times we tell you
hear it this fearful calamity comes
upon you-it arrives at your threshold;
and in compliance with our high duty-at-
| tend, listcn-we announce 10 you, you shall
suffer all this misfortune, in all its weight,
| If you do not awaken from the profound
sleep in which we hold you prostrated, and
assist US in raising force worthy of the sa-
cred cause in which we are engaged, and
the glory of your name.
The invader does not retrogradc. He
has surrounded, in a manner, our territory
he has left us hardly a retreat We
ought not in so perilous a situation, to a.
bandon cause, trul y important and COM
mon, wholly to our armed force, weak by
its numbers, impotent by its slnaIncss-
weak, through its poverty, its sufferings and
its past labors, though worthy by its never
sufficicntly-estimated valor No! it con-
Germs our common intercsts-all that man
holds most dear on earth
Let us fly then, all of us, TO the combat
placing ourselves under the direction Of our
authorities let us fully and sincerely place
| III tAoii liaIuS, OUT loitu1CS ana Our persons
let us enlist with prompttude, and with
whatever arms we may be able to obtain
let us throw aside the senseIess desire of H.
wing longer-let us encourage solely an in
satiable desire 10 die for our religion! our
country and the honor of our families
make effective that compassion, hitherto
sterile, which you should show for tender
children. Let us die before we see our
selves degraded to slaves, in strange land
deserted, or followed, perhaps, by some an
cient father, some son or mother whose lin
eamcnts are already changed, every where
abhorred, our powers Frustrated with the
weight ofindigence, sending forth cries and
lamentations without finding single being
toexend to us hand ofpiety !-Potosians
for the slave there is no consolation his
respect and his glory are ecIipsed for
| ever.
These are the sole means Of salvation.
Let us all unite. Let us forget our domes-
tic d;carroauonfe and authorities armv