Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-07-30
SPEECH ON HON. L. N. KEITT,
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
On resgning his seat; delivered in the House of
Representatives, July l6, 1856.

much longer than wished. Had replied 10
the attacks upon the revolutionary history of
South Carolina Immediately after they were
made, should have repelled them with more
violence than shall use now. | feel, sir, that
Iapproach grave discussion, and that it is my
duty moi to dscoor historical facts with violence,
or pre- ejudce the verdict Of posterity through en-
travagance. To-day speak for Suu.h Carroll
na-for her dead and her living; for her dead.
because their patriotism and sacrifices have been
questioned; for her living, because their rcvolu-
tionary titles have been denied.
Sir, if, in the course of the vindcation Of my
State shall be compelled to strip the fig eavcd
garments of pharisaicaI righteousness and hypo-
critical sanclity from the shoulders of another
State, the fault, If fault there be, is with others
The sages and patriots Of the revolution
reared, through their common struggles and
common sacrifices, an august and splendid tenn
pie, into which each of the confederated States
entered, and hung up along lis walls her batter
ed shields, inscribed with memorials of valor
and Il bazonry Of fame. In The early days of
the republic no one approached this sanctuary
but with reverent feelings and holy tread; bul
recently the magic circle of sanctity, which
gratitude and reverence had drawn around it.
has been rudey broken, and lrentious utleran-
ces have echoed along lis walls Within it's
very holy of holes" we have seen American
legislators, dressed up in the cast off garments
of Fred Douglass, distribute among dupes and
victims broken vicluals from the feasts of Abby
Fo'sum and VIM. Lloyd G .rrs"n. Sir, from
one portion of the walls Of this temple shall
to-day ei deavor 10 etfacc The stains of these
lepers OF history.
| shall now proceed to array the charges which
have been made against the course Of South
Carolina in The revolution, and then summon an
impartial history TO retute them. As they have
been drawn from the authority of Il Dir. Lorenzo
Sabine, the historian of American Loyals,s,
shall at once 60 up 10 him.
He says: Suuh Carolina did not-she could
no.-detend herself against her own tories"
Sir, admit that there were tories, large bands
Of tories. in South Carolina throughout our
revolutionary war During that struggle she
had. at the same time, TO contend agAinst i pow
eriul foreign enemy and vindclve domestic
faction, Willie even the horrors oil such 4 conflict
were intensified by the merccss cruelty of the
savage, subsdscd to his fcliest warfare. Sir,
the most awful Of all calamiiies are those of
civil war, and the phals of these were in the
revolution unsealed and poured upon the d.vo-
ted head of my native Stale There is moi
within her limits rivulet which was not Grim
soned with patriotic bood-not spot whicr
-MitIesssae .his d-ed--r,st.H
stone which has not its story to tell. Her pa.
triots, soldiers, ami sages-theSe her grand old
men, row housed in the Pantheon Of history
before any court on earth will prove her little to
revolutionary peerage.
Was it unnatural that there should be tories
in South Carolina during the revolution? What
does Mr.. Sabine say? He says:
"The population of South Carolina, compos-
ed as it was of emioranls from Switzerland,
Germany, France, Ireland and the Northern
colonies of America, and their descendants. was
of course deficient in the necessary degree Of
homogeneity, or sameness of nature. to insure
any considerable unanimty Of political seTti-
ment. 1t is true, however, that indi:idual men
took an early, n noble, and decided stand
against the oppressive measures OF the British
Ministry. 1t is equally true that South Carolina
was thu first Stale of The thirteen TO form IN
independent constitution, and that she ovcrpaid
her proportion of the expenditures Of the war
in sum Of Sl,205,975."
The revolution in South Carolina was con-
ceived and organised by the native population.
The Germans knew that the King of England
was il Prince of Hanover the Scotch: always
loyal, turned 10 Tie Crown; tile commercial
population, mostly Scotch and English, were
opposed to the PATROLS The symbol of nde.
pendence was raised aloft by the native citizens
of Carolina. and by them it was trumphantIy
carried through the war.
Nor was her diverse population the only Gle
mcnt of distraction. The very causes of the
revolution created division within her limits.
How does Mr. Sabine sum up these causes
lie says Of the Legislation which produced them:
"They forbade the use Of waterfalls, the
erecting of machinery, of looms and spindle,
ard the working of wood and iron; they set
the Kings arrow upon trees that rCtted in the
forest; tiley shut ont markets for boards and
fish, and seized sugar and molasseS, and the
vessels in which these articles were carried; and
they defined the imless ocean Us but Il narrow
pathway to such Of the lands that it embosoms
as wore the British flag
South Carolina suffered no grievance from
this lesislalion--she employed no machinery
she senl out 40 rival si ips-sl,r lost no vessels
by capture: Great Britain bought at ker
wharvrS all her staples, and Paid remunrraling
prices. When pirates infested her COASTS. British
fleets swept them away; when Spanard or say
age issaicd her peace, British hoops repcIler
lhem She was the favored colony Of Great
Britain, and int" her lap were poured the cornu-
copa Of material plenty and prosperity Her
sons suffered a!one from disabilities imposed
upon native intellect. Great Britain, from ai
memorial usage, governed her colonies in Par
lament This shut ont native intellect in Caro-
linn q mean both the Carolinas) from those
Offices and honors TO which it aspired, and 20
which it was capable.
The sons of The wealthy families in ,hos"
colonies were educated in the Universities OF
Great Britain, and were emnenty qualified for
civil and political trusts. From these they were
exclnded, and they threw off the tyranny upon
intellect. Massachusetts embarked in the revo-
luton for waterfalls spindIes and merchant
craft; Sonth Carolina engaged ir it for the roy
atty of mind
Sir is it surprising that, with diverse popu.
lation, and an appeal only 10 native mind and
ambition. and that, too against pecnniary and
commercial interest, there should have been
division in South Carolina? Division there
was; Tut the constituted authorities of the
State committed her, fr"r the first. to the revo
luiionary movement, and she neither wavcrrd
or fal,ered throughout its progress.
Are the claims of State to be adjudged by
its settled policy, or by opposition to that poll
cy? Can State be known Otherwise than
through its constituted authorities? Can hi>.
tory caim Jurisdiction over Other than It's or
gamizrd action? How, then, can vindiclivc
domestic faclion within her limits qualify the
claim of South Carolina TO revolutionary nnl'i.
ty? The impntation upon her because Of this