The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-07-06

cided at the peace to whom it 1Aould belongs
premonitory symptom of the secession proposed
in our own day At last after the fatal field Of
Camden, no organized American force was left in
this region. The three SouthSSn States-aninis
opi6usqae parati, according to the vaunt of the
Senator-had not single ba3alion in the field.
During all this period the mef of Massachusetts
were serving their country, fat at home, but
away from their own borders for, from the time
of the Declaration of Indepef 1ence Massachu-
sets never saw the smoke OF enemy's camp.
At last, by the military GENTS and remarkable
exertionS OF General Greene "a Northern man,
who assumed the command Oh the Southern ar
my, South Carolina was rescT from the British
power. But the trials of this successful leader
reveal, in a striking manner, 4 weakness of the
slaveholding" State which saved Some of
these are graphically presen' ID in his letters.
Writing to Governor Reed of Pennsylvania. I'M
der date of Sd May, 1881, he lys:
, " Those whose true interest It was to have in
formed Congress and the D ople to the north
tcard of the real state of Thu ys have Joined in
the deception, and naagnJfed he strenqh and re-
sources of this country inntela a6oue their aLilty
Many of those, who adhere T. our party. are so
fond of pleasure, that they c.nnot think of ma
king the necessary sacrifices - support the Rev
olution. There are many good and prtuous people
to the southw0rd; but Key caJ lot animate The m
habitants az general as you can the north,card"-
GordOns History Of american. Revolution, vol. 4,
page 81.
Writing to Colonel Davies, Under date of 23d
May, 1871, he exposes the act al condition of the
country:
THE animosity between tht Wings and Tories
of this State renders their sii Station truly depIo-
rable. There is not day p ISses but there are
more or less who fall sacrifice to this savage
disposition. The Wings seeg. determined to ex-
tirpate the Tories, and the Tories the Wings
Some thousands have fallen in this way in this
quarter, and the evil RACES 9Th more violence
than ever. If a stop cannot e soon put to these
massacres, the country viii - depopulated in a
few months more, as neither Fhig nor Tory can
live"
To Lafayette, General Gre ne, under date of
goth December, $780, DESERT the weakness of
his troops:
at is now within few da of the time YOU
mentioned of being with M Were you to ar
rive, you would find a few 'NeAed half-starved
troops in the Wilderness de; itnte of everything
necessary for either the com ort or convenience
OF soldiers" O. he country is al
most laid waste, and the habitants plumber
one another with little less than savage fury.
We live from hand to moutl and have nothing
to subsist on but what we collect with armed
parties. In this situation, = believe YOU will
agree with me, there is nc hing inviting this
way, especially when l ass ire you our whole
force fit for duty, that are p ,operly clothed and
properly equipped, does nc amount to eight
hundred men, "-JohnSons / fe of Greene UOL |,
page $40.
Writing to Mr. Varnum, a ember of Congress,
he says:
d" There is a great spirit o! enterprise prevail
ing among the militia Of thu e Southern States,
especially with the voluntee 3. But their mode
of going to war is so destru tive, that it is the
greatest folly in the world trust the liberties
of people to such a pre- arious defence"--
Johnsons Life Of Greene, OoI. p 397.
Nothing can be more autentic or complete
than this testimony Here so is what is said
by David Ramsay, an estima lie citizen of South
Carolina, in his history of tB revolution in that
State, published in 1855, on) a short time after
the scenes which he describe
While the American so Tiers lay encamped,
in the low country near CT lrleston, their tat
tered rags were so cOmpl iely worn out that
seven hundred Of them we; as naked as they
were born, excepting a s hall strip of cloth
about their waists and they were nearly as des-
titute of meat of clothing Vol. 2, p. 258.
The military weakness of this " slaveholding
community" is too apparent Learn now its oc-
casion /; and then join with me in amazement
that Senator from South arolina should at
tribute our independence to a, ything slavehold-
ing" The records Of the c untry and various
voices, all disown his sugge tion. The State of
South Carolina, by authenti$'history, disowns it,
Listen, if you please, to pc .uliar and decisive
testimony, under date of Nirch 30, 1879, from
the Secret Journal of the Co tnental Congress:
"The committee appointed to take into consid-
GRAFTON the circumstances Of r. Southern States, and
the ways and means for the safety and defence
report that the State of SOP d Carolina, las rep
resented by the Delegates o: the said State, and
| by Mr. Huger, who has cons here at the request
of the Governor of the said State, on purpose to
'explain the circumstances t4ereof) is UNABLE to
make any efectual efforts With militia, by reason
of the great proportion of citizens necessary 10 re-
/ ka,a.gs L..
negroes and to prevent the desertion of them to
the enemy. That the state, of the country, and
the great number Of these peoe among them, expose
the inhabitants to great ddI{r, from the endeav-
orS of the enemy to excite snem to revolt or de-
sert."- Vol /, p. 1O5.
Here is South Carolina 81 Irctly disclosing her
military weakness, and its oc, asion thus dsown-
ing, in advance, the vaunt If her Senator, who
finds strength and gratula t0n in slavery rather
than in freedom. 1t was dt ing the war that she
thus shrived herself on her ~nees, in the confess
sional of the Continental Congress But the
same important admission Is made in debate,
on the floor of Congress, sc 4 March, 1890, some
time after the war, by Mr.. B' Ike, Representative
from South Carolina:
" There is not gentleman on the floor who is
stranger to the feeble sit alton of our State,
when we entered into the W to oppose the Brit
ish power. We cere not only SthoUt money aothout
an army military stores but ace acre fe1g az
number and likely to be entOs gled ,ch our dODaeS-
tics, IN case the enemy inD ded uS"-ARRdls Of
Congress, 1889, l79l, col. 2, age 1884.
Similar testimony to the eakness engendered
by slavery was also borne by Mr. Madison, in
debate in Congress:
Every addition they Georgia and South
Cardinal receive to the number of slaves,
tends to reaken them, and RI ider them less capable
Of self-defehce. '-Annas o. Congress- UOl ], page
34O
The historian of South c. eolina, Dr. Ramsay,
contemporary observer of ie very scenes which
he describes, exposes this " .akness:
, The forces under the Command of General
! Provost marched througi the richest settle
, ments of the State, wherearc the fewest white
, inhabitants in proportion to the number of
slaves The hGpless Atif u'as, 0llttred tCih tie
hope Of Freedom forsook theft o,cners and repaired
in great numbers to the }al army. They en-
deavored to recommend themselves to their
new masters by discoverif where their owners
had concealed their prop, ety, and were assist
ing in carrying it OFF, Noyy Of South Carroll
: ma, UOI. l, page 3I2.
, And the same candid hi. orian, describing the
invasion of the next year, VS.:
: "The slaves second tim focked TO the British
army."-Vol. /, page 1886.
, And at a still later day, llr Justice Johnson,
! of the Supreme Court of Il United States, and
citizen of South Caroline in his elaborate Life
of General Greene, speak ig of negro slaves,
, makes the same admission. He saws:
"But the number disE rsed through these
lSouthern States was We " great; great, as
10 render IL impossible for the citizens TO muster
} freemen enough 10 acithstai d the pressure Of the
9 British arms Vol. 2, pal 472.
, Surely, sir this is enou( b, and more. Thus,
auth r,ksa Iso l.. IL