The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-12-05
General SheTmaD'S Proclamation to the
People OF South Carolina.

GeneF0l SnefmdDvS EtcClhmutlOn 10 the
People OF South Carolina.
Alter landing and taking possession Of
the forts, General Sherman issued the
following proclamation:
To THE PEOPLE OF SOura CAROLINA: In
obedieare 10 the orders Of tue President
of the United States Of America, have
landed on your shores with small force
OF National troops. Tie dictates oi du-
ty which, under these circumstances, l
owe 10 a sovereign State, and to proud
and hOspitable people. among whom l
have passed some Of the most pleasant
days Of my life. prompt me TO proclaim
that we have come among you With no
feeling Of personal animosity; no desire 10
barn your citizens. destroy your proper.
ly, or interfere with any Of your lawful
rights, or your social and local instilu
tons, beyond what the causes herein
briefly alluded to may render uuavoida-
BILE.
Citizens of South Carolina, the civilized
world stands appalled, ct the course you
are pursuing; appalled, at the crime you
are committing against your own mother,
the best, the most enlightened and, here
tofore, the most prosperous Of nations.
You are in state OF active rebellion a.
gainst the laws Of your country. You
have lawlessly seized upon the forts. ar
senals, and other property belonging 10
our common country and within your bor-
ders. and will, this property. you ale in
arms and waging ruthless war against
your constitutional Government, and thus
threatening the existence of a Govern.
ment which you are bound by the terms
of solemn compact to live under and
faithfully support. In doing thi, 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
odious sentiment that Self-governmsnt il
impossible with civilized men.
Fellow citizens-I implore you tc
pause and reflect upon tho terror anc
consequences Of your act. If tie awfu
sacrifices made by the devastation of ou
pl operty, the shedding of fraternal bloo(
in battle, the mourning and wailing o
widows and orphans throughout our lane
are insufficient to deter you from furthe
pursuing this unholy war; then ponder
beseecl you, upon the ultimate, bu
not less certain. result which to its fur
tber progress, must necessarily and natu
rally entail upon your once happy an'
prosperous State. Indeed, can you pur
sue this fratricidal war. and can you i'm
brue your hands in The loyal blood o
your countrymen. your friends, you
: kiBsmen, for no other object than to un
lawfully disrupt the Confeteracy of
great people, Coufederacy establishes
r by your own hands in order to set up
were it possible. an independent goverl
! ment. under which you can never live
peace. prosperity and quietuess? Care
. linians, we have come among you as 10y
9 men, fully impressed with our constitt
9 tional OBJ bigations to the citizens of you
:. State. Those obligations shall lie pei
o formed so far as iu our power, but be nc
deceived, the obligation of suppressiu
armed combinations against the constitr
(; tioual authorities is paramount TO all otl
D ers. If, in the performance OF this duty
8 other minor but important obligation
8 should be in any way neglected. it mus
!. he attributed 10 the necessities of ii
. case; because right, dependent on the la
o Of the State, must be necessarily subord
nate to military exigsuces created by in
, surrection and rebellion.
=. T. w. SHERMAN,
" RriO Gen Com