The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-03-28
E7onuert Extract.


The following is IN extract from the
speech delivered by Hon. John S. Preston,
Comlaissioneraeon South Caroline, before
the Virginia Convention:
Gentlemen Of Virginia, the people Of
those Southern States arc no noisy fac
ton, clamoring for place and power; no
hungry rabble, answering in blood to ev-
cry appeal to brutal passion; no shouting
mob, ready to take for their glittering
epigram, or q fustian theory; they are
not canting fanatics, restoring in the licen-
tiousness of abolition and amalgamation;
their liberty is not painted strumpet,
struggling through the streets; nor does
their truth need to baptize itself in pools
ofblcod. They arc grave, calm, prosper
Gus people; the holders Of a most majes
tic civilization; the inheritors, by right,
of the faircst estate of liberty; fighting
for that liberty fighting for..their fathers
graves; standing athwart their hearth
stones, and before their chamber doors.
In this fight for time, my little State
stood alone-that little State, around
whose outermost borders the guns fired
at the capital might almost be heard;
whose scope Of sky is scarce large enough
for one star to glitter in; so small, SO
weak, so fcw-we began this fight alone,
against millions; and had millions been
piled on millions, under God, in suclr q
fight, we would have triumphed But,
sir, that God cares for Liberty, Truth,
and Right among His people, and we are
no longer alone. Our own children from
Florida and Alabama answered to the
maternal call; and our great sister Georgia
marshalled forth her giant progeny; the
voice of Quitman came up out Of his grave
on the Mississippi, and Louisiana proved
herself the offspring Of the "Apostlo of
Liberty" and now Young Texas raises
her giant form, and takes her place at the
head of this majestic column Of Confede-
rated Sovcreigntics. And, sir, wherever
Virginia has son beyond her borders,
his voice is known, because he speaks the
ancient tongue Of his mother. Mr.. pfesi-
dent, I, one of the humblcst of these sons,
have told my adopted brcthrcn-I have
promised thcm-that before Ltho spring
grass grows long enough to weave chap
let of triumph, they will hear the stately
tramp of mighty host Of men-a sound
as if the armies of Destiny were afoot-
they will sec floating above that host a
banner, whose whole history is q blaze -of
glory, and not one blot Of shame; and
coming up from that host, they will heal
one voice, aye, like their own, one voice
only; the resounding echo Of that voice
which first thundered into the hearts o
your god-like sircs: Give me liberty, OF
give me death !" and on that banner vii
be written the unsullied name of Virginia
The world knows her history, and knows
no history above it in the niche of fame
and knowing it, none dare doubt where
Virginia will be found when her offspring
divine liberty and justice, call her to thu
fight. Have ] promised too much in th'
name Of our mother? In us the doub
would be worse than blasphemy. Sh
will take her place in the front ranks
She will be, as she has been for one hun
dred years, the foremost of the wolhl il
the cause Of liberty. She will stand her.
with her uplifted arm, not nobly as bar
ricr, but the guiding star to an empire
stretching from her feet to the tropics
from the Atlantic to the Pacifc-grande
in proportions, stronger in power, freer il
right, than any which has preceded it
which will divide the rule Of the Atlantic
be felt in the far-heaving waves Of tn
Pacific; and will own the Gulf Of Mexico
and the Caribbean Sea.