Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-07-12
FAIRFAX G.. H., july Sd.

Mn. EpIr"r: A beautiful day rshers in the
eve of the S5th anniversary of American indie.
Pcndence. but the festivities and r.iyieiuys
That usually attend its celebration have gone
forever. Instead OF the brazcn clarion assem-
bling vast mutitu1es TO celebrate the dny ON
which we nnnu!ied our allegiance to Old Eng
land. the hl"st of the bugle is heard cnIlnr to
ge'her troops from every hill anl valley of the
South to sever the last tie that binds us to n
desrof, compared with whom George the Third
WIS the millest Of monarchs. Instead of vost
throngs of beauty and fashion congregnting to
offer tribute to the brave and illustrious d.al
we sec every hilltop dotted with men clad in
the nrmor of war /; instead of tile eloouent
flights of the July orator we hear the sento
rlan voice of tho officer preparing volu ntcers
OF '6l to emulate the vaor and bravery of th.
| heroes &c. While across the Potomac we be.
ho"l 'yrant attempting to Impose dcspotism
| or carry on war of suhjugation Of n trcper
dye thnn was ever dreamed of by England in
the widest flights of her fnnatcism. But
amidst this general carnor for war there seems
to 6e an immense reaction taking place at the
| North. Many of the journals recently so ram.
| Pant in fa"or Of war hnve much changed their
! tone III q last few weeks. The panic created
| by the affair at Bethel Church shows unuucs-
| tionahly with what anxiety and dread they
look forward to the developments of each sue
cecdng day. Tie commercial and industrial
class arc becoming nPprchensively aware of
| the universal impoverishment and national
ruin that will necessarily follow from the CO.
ercive rclicy. Great numbers Of the inteli-
,,,,If G.,
merchants who have pecuninry interest separa
| tIon BY the continuance of hostilities AZ begin
ming rcpudiatc the despotic madness that has
| brought the Republic to the virgo Of destruc-
| tion-they nre awakening to the fact that
| while the farther prosecution of the war will
be injurious to South it will be ru;nouy and dis.
astrous to the North. Every day, every skir-
| mlsh. every fl 5ht so far has gone to weaken
| the North while they tend to stren gthen and
| establish the independence of n Southern Re-
public possessing all the vast resources of a great
| nation and nf these facts the Northern popu-
'us are becoming cognizant. Though it is not
probable that reason will have sufficiently re.
sumed her sway over the faeatical Congress to
assemble in Washington the 4th to induce
them to begin any work of negotiation. The
mask under which the administration hos con.
eealed its diabolical purposes has not been suf.
fciently torn away to encourage any hope of
an Immediate peace, especially when nothing
short Of an absolute and unqualified recogni-
ton of her independence will satisfy the
South. fual, complete and independ
| ent separation is ho only true basis of peace
and this the South will demand whether she
procure it by an amicahlc recognition at the
cost Of one hundred thousand millions OF dol
| lars and the lives of two hundred thousand
men. Then the pacificators al the North need
not labor under the fatal delusion that The
! granting of certain securities aud guarantees
will satisfy the South rs the time for recon-
struction of the Old Union on any terms what.
ever has forever past There is no medium
ground--no compromise effect the peace
| full solution or the ditlicu lties-the Northern
| Congress must vote a full free recognition of
our indepen lence or the will be vigorous.
| ly prosecuted. The signs of the times indi-
! cate the latter.
Everything presents a military aspect in this
section-every hillside presents the appear.
ance of miniature city-the snow- white tents
look like so many cottages and every old field
| is full Of companies and regiments of soldiers
drilling and skirnisling. 1t is said that Gen.
| Beauregard has been ready TO advance for sew
erai days; though both Governments seem to
be upon their oars awaiting the action Of Con.
gress. If Lincoln's coercive policy is endorsed
BY his Government, the tug Of a bloody, civil,
fralricidnl war will begin wi@h earnestuess and
| v:gor. The inactivity Of the pasts few weeks
will be changed into busy wurlike action. The
war excitement is kept up by occasional skir.
mishes between the pickett guard. The Ken.
tucky and Texas rangers keep up a Guerrilla
warfare with their advance post and manage to
kill or capture from 10 to 20 per week. There
! ars 20 or 80 Of these independent fighters in
this portion of Virginia, among whom may be
particularly mentioned Capt. Mackay. former.
ly Of our State. Mr.. Shanks. Of Kentucky, and
Mr. Lubbuck, brother Of the Lieut.. Governor
Of Texas. They keep the Yankee pickett In
constant alarm and terror and inspire our own
soldiers with spirit and socitous desire for
the fight: The Yankees in way of retaliation
occasionally pick up few. Virginia troopers
A. few days since while che Secession Guards
was OH pickett daty two Of our boys Messrs
Waller and Wias while scouting the country,
post Of the van pickett and came in view of
some United States Dragons, though as the
latter outnumbered them, -our boys concealed
themselves until tlIe- enemy past, rsserving
their fire for some. future ,occasion. -.
The most important item of the week is the
disbanling Of Cob Greggs Regiment. Yes
{ Sterday morning they struck tents: yielded their
position as the vanguard ct the advance forces
of the lower Potomac, to our Regiment and
took up the line Of march for their ehomes-
Our Regiment escorted them through Fairfax,
Village tovardsthe railroad station and many
an aching heart pulsated quickly as we beheld
The veteran troops Of Carolina leave the seat
war. ~ was unfostunate that the &terfn of |
their enfstment expited,at this cris:s--momsnt
Of. the coptest. though afser the long, good and
efficient, ,sesyice they ha "a rendered the. .coun-