Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-11-29


| After landing and taking possession Of Forts
Walker and Beauregard at Port Royal, General
Sherman issued the following proclamation
Next to swearing and setting captured rebels
free, we consider this practice Of issuing pro-
clamation to the rebels every time we take up
a new position in their territory as the most ar
rant piece of folly extant:
10 The People of South Carolina:
In obedience TO the orders of the President
of these United States of America, have land
ed on your shores with small force of National
troops. The dictates ola duty which under the
Constitution, ! owe to a great sovereign State
and to proud and hospitablc people, among
whom have passed some of the pleasantest
days Of my life, prompt me to proclaim that
have come among you with no feelings of per-
sonal animosity; no desire to harm your citizens,
destroy your property, or interfere with any OF
your lawful laws rights, or your social and To-
cal institutions, beyond what the causes herein
alluded to- may render unavoidable
Citizens of South Carolina: The civilized world
stands appalled, at the course you are pursuingl
appalled, at the crime you are committing against
your own mother; the best, the most eulighten-
ed, and heretofore the most prosperous of ma
tions. You are in state of active rebellion
against the laws of your country. You have
lawlessly seized upon the forts arsenals aud 9TH
er property belonging to our common country,
and within your borders, with this property,
you are in arms aud waging ruthless war
against your constitutional Government, and
thus threatening the existence of government
which you are bound, by the terms of the SOL
emn compact, to live under and faithfully sup
port In doing this you are not only under
mining and preparing the way for totally ignor-
ing your own political and social existence, but
you are threatening the civilized world with the
odious sentiment that self-government is impos-
sible with civilized men.
Fellow Citizens: implore you to pause and
reflect upon the tenor and consequences of your
acts, If the awful sacrifices made by the de-
vastation Of our property, the shedding of fra
ternal blood in battle, the mourning and wailing
of widows and orphans throughout our land are
insufficient to deter you from further pursuing
this unholy war, then ponder, beseech you,
upon the ultimate, but not less certain result
which its further progress must necessarily and
naturally entail upon your once happy and pros
porous State. Indeed can you pursue this fra
tricidal war, and continue to imbrue your hands
in the loyal blood of your countrymen your
friends, your knsmen for no other object than
to unlawfully disrupt the confederacy Of a great
people, confederacy established by your own
hands, in order TO set up, were it possible, in
dependent government under which you can
never live in peace, prosperity, or quietness.
sarOlInlans; we nave come among you as
loyal men, fully impressed with our constitu-
tional obligations to the citizens of your State
those obligations shall be performed as far as in
our power, but be not deceived; the obligation
of suppressing armed combinations against the
constitutional authorities is paramount to all
others. If in the performance of this duty,
other minor but important obligations should be
in any way neglected, it must be attributed to
the necessities of the case because rights de-
essarily subordinate to military exigencies, Gre
ated by insurrectiOn and rebellion.
T. W. SHERMAN, Brig Gen. Com.
Port Royal, S. c., Nov. g, 1861.