Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-04-27


extend to all others, the iberulity, the justice,
the forbearancc and moderation which become
an enlightened and IL great people
In the events which have developed them
selves in the last few days, we are, at least
without blame. This fort was held up as
the fortress by which VIC were to be subjuga-
ted, and kept permanently under the control
of Government we had rcpudiatcd, and
that was odious 20 Us. We made every adj
vance that reasonable men could make to ask
for its possession, and there was nothing but
the desire to subjugato that could at all make
1T an oject of such importance to DC possessed
by Government from which VIC had with
drawn 1t was pcrcmptoriy refused, and L
was informed from the highest quarters that
it was to be supplied and that those supplies
shou I, be sustained, if necessary, by force.
Under these circumstances there was no
alternative but to make the last sad appeal to
arms and the God of Battles, and this day
has triumphantly shown that we were right
and our opponents wrong
Now, .fellow>eitizens, 20 to your homes
BE moderate and abstain from every act and
every sentiment of extreme language or un-
worthy violence. Show that you are not on
~ really free, but that YOU deserve to be 8 a..
keep cool, keep firm, keep united \
people arc always generous and Away. mag
unanimous. We can meet our foes clad in
| steel and make them feel the weight of our
metal upon any fold of battle, but Mt the
| same time we can heut them with that libor-
ality and noble magnannity that always be-
long to generous and brave people.
said on the 18th of December last, on
an occasion similar to this, that true, South
Carolina stood alone, but in this there was
nothing to fear, for she had on memorable
occasion, previous to the Declaration of In
dependence itself, stood alone and fought the
battle Of Fort AIoultric, where she had sunk
the ships of one of the proudeSt nations of
the earth. And | said to you that on the
bloody battle field of Churubusco our noble
regiment had marched across that field under
a fiery storm such as has seldom been seen,
and that if need be, she could now stand
alone again, and fight alone for her indepen-
deuce and her liberty. And now fcllow.c citi-
zens, on this, the 18th day of April, 1861
she has again fought alone and defeated an
arrogant and assuming power, and she has
goriously triumphed alone and thus again
Fort Moutric, which was so dear in our in
dependence of 1916, has again answered,
and is consecratcd and baptised over again in
our independence aud freedom Of 1861.
| y,
who so nobly and SC gallantly offered them
| selves, from other States, because we had so
many among ourselves who desired place of
danger and of peril, and demanded it rs n
! right. besides desired, as we had begun it
first and alone without consultation, and as
some said, rashiy desired under these cir
cumstances, that if we had to fight for our
independence again, that the battle should be
fought and won by South Carolina alone, up.
on the same bloody field where she had fought
for her independence in the days of her first
revolution. True, true, VIC owe much to sci.
enco and to the gallantry of Gen. Benure-
gard, who was sent to us by the President of
the Confederate States. We do owe to him
all honor and all gratitude for his high and
manly bearing and noble conduct but as far
as our own companies, our battalions, our reg
iments and our men are concerned, the tri.
umphs of this day have been due literally to
South Carolina troops alone. do not mean
to say this (said the Governor by way of cx-
ultato0, but as due to the truth of history,
and / say it because South Carolina has been
| peculiarly singled out and abused and ira
duccd and sncercd at MS being too weak and
to) small to defend herself, and was accused
of arrogance and presumption. But this
| dry shows that weak MS we were supposed to
he, We nave dehcd the power Of our enemies,
and dcGad them upon their sought and cho-
sen battle field.
| And now i here, in the name of South
! Carolina, return the gratitude of the State to
/ those gallant and intelligent officers who have
come forward and so generously served their
ST te in this her day of trial. And they are
too numerous even to mention in detail; and
] return the thanks and the gratitude Of the
State to those brave, aud true and patriotic
| young men who have sacrificed their greatest
intercsts to come forward aud to seek eagerly
to defend their country when it was supposed
that peril, danger and even death were incvi-
table. 1t is indeed tothcm. not only gori-
GUS day of triumph but l. too, with feelings
OF deep gratitude, am cuablod to return them
| back to their fond homes and Kindred umin
jured, and with the proud consciousness that
| the honor of their State has been unstaiucd
and that their gglantry has been shown by
the noble manner in which they have manned
/ the batteries for their country Independence.
II is to those men and those officers thnt wo
| owe everything; and / do not pretend to
claim anything myself, except that.p,y heart
has been filed with deep anxiety, and have
spent my nights in painful and constant ex.
animation of NIL the details aud all tile points
that might be necessary not only to save the
| lives Of our brave men, but to defend tile in
/ dependence of my country, and when thc
/ day had come at the proper time to strike,
/ and to strike for her Independence, at any
and ateyefy hazard, let the consequences be
/ what they NAV 2 '' f-s ~ e