Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-23

! "a TO THE People OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
In obedience to the orders of the Pres
ident of sthese United States sof Amer
lea, have landed on your shores with a
small force of national troops.
The dictates of duty which, under
these circumstances, owe to great
sovereign State, and to proud and hos
pitable people, among whom I have pass
ed some of the pleasantest days of my
life, prompt me to proclaim that we have
come amongst you with no feelings of
personal animosity--no, desire to harm
your citizens, destroy your property, or
Interfere with any of your lawful rights
or your social OF local Institutions. be-
yond what the causes hesein briefly al
.luded to may render unavoidable
Citizens of South Carolina, the civil
lied world stands appalled, at the course
you are pursuing; appalled, at the crime
you are committing against your own
mother-the best, the most enlightened,
and heretofore the most prosperous of ma
tons. You are in a state of active re-
bellion against the laws of your country.
You have lawlessly seized upon the forts,
arsenals, and other property belonging to
our common country, and within your
borders. With this property you are in
arms, and waging ruthless war against
your constitutional Government, and thus
threatening the existence of Govern
ment which you are bound by the terms
of a 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 youare
threatening the civilized world with the
| Odious sentiment that self-government is
impossible with civilized man. sse
Fellow citizens, / implore you to pause
and reflect upon the tenor and conse-
quences, of your acts. IF the awful sac
| rifiees made by the devastation of our
property, the shedding of fraternal 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 pro-
| gress must necessarily and naturally en-
tail upon your once happy and prosper
| Gus State. Indeed, can you pursue this
| fratricidal war, and continue to imbra
| your bonds in the 1oynl blood of yonI
countrymen, your friends, your kinsmen
for no other object than to disrupt the
| Confederacy of great people Ia Confed-
eracy established by your own hands
| in order to set up, were it possible, al
independent Government, under which
| you can never live in peace, prosperity
or quietness?
Caroiniansi we have come among you
as loyal men, fully impressed with our
constitutional 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 sup
pressing armed combinations against the
constitutional authorities is paramount t.
all others. If, in the performance o.
! this duty, other minor but important OBJ
LEGATIONS should be in any way neglected
it must be attributed to the necessitie.
of the case, because rights dependent OF
the laws of the State must be necessarily
subordinate to military exigeneies created
i by instruction and rebellion.
1 - ssEs.s 81 T.. w. SHERMAN
I Brigadier General Commanding.
1 HEADQUARTERS G.. G., Port Royal, S. c.,
100