The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1860-12-20
Southern Literary Messenger on
Dissolution.


Southern Literary Messenger on
Dissolution.
The December issue of this sterling
Southern journal is full of interesting,
useful and suggestive articles, in prose
and verse.
But the article which must arrest at
tcntion and that which will stamp this is
sue of the Messenger as the issue of the
year, is an editorial discussion Of disunion,
in which tie editor boldly advocates i'm
mediate secession, and lauds and praises
the position of South Carolina, in strains
of noble eulogy The following opening
sentence is the key note of the whole ar
ticle:
"The days of the greatest andhappiest
Republic the world ever saw are number
ed; the fat has gone forth, and the mex
orable f;ltcs (reversing the famous excla-
nation of Andrew Jacl1son) have issued
the stern and Interchangeable decree, "The
| Union must and shall be dissolved
The article then justifcs the attitude of
South Carolina, closing it's reference to
the Palmetto State thus: I" And because
her attitude is manly, because her action
is wise, because it is cxpedicnt, because it
is prompt, but in no wise precipitate, and
because it ought not to have been post
poned, we believe it to be the part of wis
dom and Of manliness in every Southern
State to act in like manner; to join hands
with her; to share her fate whatever it
may be-; and to throw heart and soul,
mind, body and estate, into the righteous
balance of disunon."
There is no mistaking these honest, out
spoken words, and these arc no stronger
than others in the article. From first to
! last the editor talks like man resolved
and ready to peril everything in defence
of his resolution; and these closing words
of appeal to Virginia sound like the pray
er of a son wishing to preserve mother,
fondly loved, from foul dishonor.
"Virginia stands stock still, while pre-
cious moments are flying. What ails
her? Is she stricken with the palsy of
fear? This is no child's play going on
around us. The time is big with gloomy
portents. The sound of battle is in the
air. The house must be set in order, for
the men are going to the wars. Will
Virginia speak? She must speak; she
must act, and that quickly. 1t is due to
the future that awaits her. 1t is due
alike to the North and the South, but cs-
pecially to the South. Virginia must
speak. All the States wait to hear her.
Is there nc. tongue in the Commonwealth
of Henry, Of Randolph, of Clay? Is there
not a man in all the land Has the fire
died out utterly? Is the brave blood OK
tinct? For shame"
There will not be wanting those to con
ylvl,.,, chs rt.2r'onec--to ecr11urc 0ortit
! ootr Or fol. f ffof.-eommitting the Messenger to the
fortunes of South Carolina and South
ern Confedcracy. But no man who will
read The article will deny that it has the
ring of the pure coin about it. These are
brave words, and bravely spoken, and
are credit and honor to the writer. A
brave heart brcathed itself upon this
page, and vitalizcd every line. The
whole article is manly, noble, eloquent,
worthy of the days when Henry wrote
and spal1c to rouse his countrymcn to rev
olution and rcd-handcd war. Thank
God there arc yet men who dare to utter
the burning Indignation of their soul with
out fear favor or affection !-Richmond
Enquirer.
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