Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-05-21
Gov Gist's Speech.

y y
is With no affected difidcncc, but real dis.
trust of my abilities m discharge the duties
of presiding officer, in II satisfactory man.
ncr, that | have accepted tic position your
kindness has assigncJ me. Had consul,
ted my INCLINATION alone, ! slrould have
promptly declined the proilcrcd honor, and
insisted tliat the position should be assign.
ed to one of maturcr years more enlarged
understanding and one Who has greater
claims upon Che cirjStiao community. But
believing that NC should all work whifc
1t is day, for the night ccmcth when no
man can work" and feeding it to be the
dnty of q Soldier to take whatever place il
assigned him by his companions in arms,
whether in command or in ranks, | enter
upon the discharge of my duties with the
confident expectation that you will look
with fcnicncy upon my incxpcricncc, and
assist me by your counsel and advice We
are engaged in great and good cause, and
can look therefore, with confidence in Tie
p"ri'y of on, deliberations.
Delightful task torcnr thrtcndcr thought,
And teach the young idea how to shoot"
More daightfu( still to call tlicir voutliul
thoughts from the grovoling things of time
aud sense, aud point them to that star of
Bethlehem, which arose more than eight.
cen handrcd years ago and still sl,iacs with
undiminishcd luStrc--to hold up as an cx-
ample for their imitation, that perfect man
who has without pride OF ustcutation-
could forgive his enemies. good for evil.
and rcvih mot when he was rcvilcd; and
although he could have commanded lcyions
of angels to resrnt The slightest insult offer
rd to him, preferred to suffer an ignomn-
Gus death, and display the crowning glory
of his resurrection that VIC may in the dis
charge of duty, fear not to follow linn, even
into. the dark unfathomed ''vallcy of the
shadow Of deaths" The blank page of
youth is open to lasting impressions for
good or evil, and how important then, that
a proper detection should be given to their
thought and impulses. Sunday Schools
have accomplished much in this direction,
and yet mitch femains to be done. Let MS
therefore unite in sowing broadcast through
the length and breadth of the land in the
minds of our youth the seeds of morality
and picty, that they may germinatc and
bring forth rich harvest to reward our cf-
forts. :. AS thr twig is bent the tree S
inclined" and although the storms of life
may direct it from its early direction, and
it, proud branches be Frustrated for time
TO cartlb yet the genial summer sun will
again restore It's pcrpcndicnlar, and point
it upwards by nature to natures God. So
in the moral world, the early impressions
of our youth frequently remain or return,
after tho seductive influences of sin have
led us astray from the rugged path of duty,
and made us more degraded than the beasts
that perish. The sentlc Whispering of the
mother in thy rar Ut her darling son, like
the soft melody of heaven, has after a long
career of vice and folly, recalled him to
usefulness and honor =mado him an orna
Incnt to society and saved him from the ter.
riblc doom of the finally impcnitcnt. These
then arc sufficient inducements to cheer us
on in preparing the youth Of the country to
act we'll their part when they arrive at ma
turc age-;cntcr the vast archd of society
and minglc in its busy and conflicting
scenes
1t will be consolation to us all in our
declining years TO feel that we have been
instrumental in rcscting from the hauuts
of vice and dissipation, manya bright eyed
youth, and drying the tears of many heart
stricken parent. The earnest PRAYERS of
many mother ascending from the privacy
of her closet to. the majesty on high, will
plead elo1ucntly for us if VIC faltcr not in
the good work, and VIC will erect, in the
hearts of the wist aid good everywhere, a
montin,cht more lasting than marble. The
youngest ambng lis will in the course of
ssatire soon leave the stage Of action to be
succeeded BY another generation and with
out indulging in vain regrets, upon the fol-
lies of the past and present, We should en-
deavot to- impress Upon those who are to
succeed us the Importance of high state
of moral as well as mental culture, as es-
scntial to the veil bcihg of society and the
common good of mankind. Teach them
that I" to be truly great they must be truly
good" and rdnihcd them that the father
of his country, before whom all other names
pale, and sink into comparative iilsignf-
canoe considered prayer more potent than
the sword, II is no longer the case in bat
tie, chat mere brute force prevails; and
hence the secret Of tho success of citizen
sofdiery. They do not feel that they hold
their possessions and enjoy their privileges
by the uncertain tenure of a monarch fa-
vor, but that they ase the bountiful gifts of
the author of nSi0rc," and when their
rights are invaded, they are ready to battle
for them, relying upon the justice of their