Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-01-11
South carolina roryism.


details of the disgraceiul transactions of the
South Carolinians in the Revolutionary War,
by which the leading men Of that province
eyinced thsir own cowardice, their luke-warm-
ness and even hatred of their country's cause,
and crippled the movements of the Northern
Generals who would have saved them from
degradation. In 1850, in the month of April,
Gen. Lincoln of Massachusetts, who com
manded the American forces at Charleston,
was summoned to surrender by Sir Henry
Clinton, the British General This he refused
to do. On the sth May, another summons
from Sir Henry brought from Lincoln offer
Of terms, which was rejected but the mill
tia and citizens took the matter in hand, and
only three days afterward. Gen. Lincoln thus
addressed Gen. Clinton:
To his Excelency Sir Henry Clinton:
"Sr: The same motives of humanity which
inclined you to propose articles of capitulatiOn
to this garrison, induced to 0fftr those
had the honor of sending you on the 9th in
slant. They then appeared to me such as
might proffer, and you receive, with honor to
both parties. Your exceptions to them. as
they principally concerned the militia and cit
izens, l then conceived were such as could
not be concurred with; but recent applica-
ton from these people. wherein they express
willingness to comply with them, and a wish
on my part to lessen, as much as may be, the
distress of war to Individuals, lead me now to
offer you my acceptance of them.
have the honor to be, &C..
CHARLEsrowN, May, 1880"
BY the terms of the surrender, the Cont
mental troops were prisoners of war, but 'those
people" were prisoners on parole.
So far as hostile occupation merely is con-
cerncd, Lit may be said thar Charleston stood as
did New York and Boston; but neither Gage
nor Clinton could have written from either
place, after one months experience, such let
ter as this. Sir Henry Clinton, writing to
Lord George Germaine, one of his Majesty's
principal Secretaries of State, from ." Head
Quarters, Charleston, South Carolina, June
A, $780, says:
" With the greatest pleasure, further re
port to your lordship, that the inhabitants from
every quarter repair to the detAchments of the
army, and to this garrison, to declare their al
legiunce to the king, and to offer their servises
in arms in support of his government. In
many instances, they have brought prisoners
their turner oppressors and leaders; aud l may
venture to assert that there are few men in
South Carolina who are not either our prison
ers or are in arms with us"
On the fifth of June, L $50, over two hun
dred citizens of Charleston, many Of them the
lincai ancestors of the very men who are now.
clustering about Northern tyranny and Fetler
4 II
which they implored Sir Henry Clinton and
Admiral Arbuthn0t to consider them no lon
ger as prisoners Oh parole. but to rcadmii
thom to the character and condition of Brit
ish Subjects. and uttered these dasiardy senii-
ments:
although the right of taxing America in
Parliament, excited considerable ferments in
the minds of the People of this Province, yet
il may, with religious adherence TO truth, be
affirmed, that they did not entertain the most
distant thought Of diSsolving The union which
so happily subsistcd between them and their
parent country and when, in the progress Of
the fatal controversy the doctrine of Indepen-
dence, which originated in the more Northern
Colonies, made is appearance among rs, our
nature revoltcd at the idea, and we look back
with the most painful regret on those convu[
Sions that gave existence to power of sub
verting Constitution, for which we always
mad, and ever shall RETAIN til mcst profound
vcneration, and substituting III its stead Il rank
Democracy which, however carefully digested in
theory, on being reduced into practice, has ex-
hibited u system Of tyranic domination only to
be- found among the uncivilizcI part Of man
kind, or in the history of the dark and barbar-
Gus ages OF antiquity"
When Baron de kalb met General Marion,
during the revolution. he expressed his amaze
ment that so many South Carolinians were
running to the British protection" Marion's
ex xplanation of the source of Toryism then,
will answer very well to account for Secession
and its attendant bluster to-day. 1t was:
"The people Of Carolina form two classes
the rich and the poor. The poor are very
poor the rich. who have slaves to do all their
work, give them no employment. Unsupport-
ed by the rich, they continue poor and low
spirited. The little they get is laid out III
brandy-not in books and newspapers +; hence
they know nothing of the comparative bless
ings of our country, nor of the dangers which
threaten it therefore they care nothing about
it. The rich are generally very rich-afrait
to stir, lest the British should burn their house:
and carry off their negroes"