Worcester daily spy., 1861-11-14
Biigadier General commanding
GEN. suERMAN's PROCLAMATION.

GEN. sHERMAN's PROCLAMATION.
After landing and taking possession of the
forts, Gen. Sherman issued the following pro-
clamatiOn =
TO tie People Of South Carolina:
In obedience to the orders of the president
of these United States OF America, | have
landed on your shores with a small force of
national troops. The dictates of duty which,
under the constitution, l owe to great sover-
eign state and to a proud and hospitable peo-
pie, among whom | have passed some of the
pleasantest days of my life, prompt me to pro-
claim that we have come against you with no
feelings Of personal animosity, no desire to
harm your citizens, destroy your property, or
interfere with any OF your lawful laws or
rights, or your social and local institutions,
beyond what the causes herein briefly alluded
to may render unavoidable
Citj=enS Of South Carolina The civilized
world stands appalled, at the course you are
pursuing, appalled, at the crime you are com
mitting against your own mother, the best,
the most enlightened, and heretofore the
most prosperous OF nations. You are in a state
of active rebellion against the laws of your
country you have iawlessly seized upon the
forts, arsenals, and other property belonging
to our common country aud within your bor-
ders, and with this property you are i'll arms
and wagIng ruthless war against your con-
stitutiOual government, and thus threatening
the existence OF n government which sou are
bounl by the terms OF solemn compact to live
under and faithfully support. In doing this
you are not only undermining and preparing
the way for totally ignoring your own political
and social existence, but you are threatening
the civilized world with the odous sentiment
that self government is impossible with civiiz
ed man
Fellow citizens, | implOre you TO pause and
reflect upon the tenor and consequences OF
your acts, and of the awful sacrifices made by
the devastation OF our property, the shedding
of fraternal blood in battle, the mourning and
wailiug of widows and orphans throughout
our land. If these are insufficient to deter
you from further pursuing this unhoy war;
then ponder, l beseech you, upon the ultimate
but not less certain result which It's further
progress must necessarily and naturally entail
upon your once happy and prosperous state.
Indeed, can you pursue this ratrlcda war
and continue to Undue your hands in the loyal
blood OF your cduntrymen, your friends, yonr
knsmen, for no other object than to unlaw.
fully disrupt the confederacy OF great peo-
pie Il contederacy established by your own
hands, i'll order TO set up, were 1t possible, an
independent government, under which you
can never live in peace, prosperity, or quiet
ness!
Carolinians, We have come among you as
loyal men, FULLY impressed with our constiu.
tunal obligations TO citizens of your state.
Those obligations shall be performed as far as
in our power. But be not deceived. The
obligation of suppressing armed combina
tions against the constitutional authorities, is
paramount to all others. II, in ihe peiorm-
ance of this duty, other minor but important
obligations should be in any way neglected, ii
must be attributed to the necessities of the
case, because rights dependent on the laws of
the state must 'be subordinate to the military
exigencies created by insurection and rebel
lion. L. W. SHERMAN,
Brgader General commanding.