The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1864-1864, 1864-02-19

On being introduced ly his Honor Mayor
GOODWIN to the vast assembly Of ladies and
gentlemen who throngcd the balcony Of JAN
NEY's Hotel and the street in front, General
kERsnAw spoke substantially as follows:
MY FELLuw. CITIZENS: \ demonstration of
this character WIS more than expected Oh a
casllaI visit Ia ynnr beautiful city, and | am
overwhelmed with emotions to which am sn-
tire " unaccl>tomc,l. At the commencement
Of this great revolution, | h9d the honor to be
elevated to the command Of the Second South
CaroIin" Regiment. Three years have rolled
away-three years pregnant wi h the grardest
events that ever occupied the attention of the
univcrsc-thrcc years prolific with tie ,leslinies
of the human racc-three gears whose intn-
ences will either forever establish or destroy
the grand problem Of human liberty. During
this time have been stranger to South
Caroliua, and soldier citizen of our sister.
State Of Virginia: thank God in my heart of
hearts that, except rs an Invader, | have ncve:
rested my foot on the dust of a freeso State.
Cheers. Three times only during that three
years have returned to the land otmy nat;,ity
to enjoy those associations which are dearest 10
the human heart but while | stand here,
have the consolation of knowing that my
hrIgadv-your sons, and husbands and brothers,
whom it is my proud privilege to command
still occupy their places in the front wall Of
patriotic hearts between the invader and your
homes. Cheers.
Since came among the people Of South
Carolina, | have learned, for the first time, that
there were some here who were dcSponlin.,
trcmnluus and doubtful as to the result Of our
Struggle. thought was acquainted with the
history Of the county during the last twelve
months had been Il part Of it, had became
familiar with the sentiment of the army, but
must confess my surprise, nay, my mor:ifca.
ton, that here, in South Carolina, IN Columbia,
the hot-hcd OF secession, the spirit of the people
has sunk so far below that Of your brave dcfen-
,crs in the field, as to make it almost doubtful
whether you are kin to that glorious conmuni.
ty who, at the beginning Of this war, initiated
this gigantic struggle Profound silence in
the crowd, and mnrmerS from the soldiers
That's right" Proud am to come from
Sonth Carolina, bnt Col forbid that shouhl
ever stand the representative of such dcmoral.
izing sentiments AS those to which | aIlulc.-
Where exists the cause OF this dcspondcncy9
Twelve months ago yon were full of cnnrarc
..:I "..''li'l"""e. Why I"nl,t Isswl >Wr harr
lost Eickshurg, but what was V1Hc:SsFlrS One
of Two outpnSts on the Mississippi River, whose
ohj'ct was, first, to IMPEDE navigation nn the
rlTcr, and secondly. to prevent the enemy.
who had oh'anc'l pnS>rs>ion Of New Orleans,
from, holding Intercourse with The people of the
Nnrl., hy the rivrt route; in hr;.f To make tie
Crescent City the barren fruit Of ri tory. Pnr,
!ln>on and Fi"k.harg have fallen; bat is the
country lost hrcunsc a few gln-hoaIS continue
to ascend and Descent rs they have been in
the habil "f doing Is not commerce rc>trir-
teL' DO vessels pass. at will from ST. Louis to
New Orleans! DorS not every newspaper
bring tdlIlyS to ynar cars Of brave men upcia-
TIM alnng the banks, and Us cfrcluallv ha ring
the navigation AS il score Of Nick>hurgs
existed SlIl? What, th.u, have WE nst there!
N"thing lyon think Of til" Tran>M $~is<ippi
department separated from IL, r,:Inrmber that
that department has done tcr-Dd better sinrc
than before its isolation. What else exists to
produce rvspondency? Why, the people say
"c H"'c 'oHL lc"H'S>c. lJi'L us Scc llnM W.
stand there At the beginning of fall, wc ha
glorious victory, and the advancing enemy
were rollc'! back to the point from which they
started. The whole of East Tennessee was oc-
cnpicd by Federal troops, and what WAS the
result there They succeeded. As they always
do, in making Of traitorous Union men bad
SouthernerS. Soon afterwards, Lnng>lrcet went
into that section for the purpose Of driving out
the Yankee Burnside. Meanwhile, our army
in front OF Chattanooga was driven back into
Northern Georgia, and yet, IN the face of this
apparent. misfortune our Western army. to-day,
occupies position which, in every military
aspect, is equal to that which we held on Mis-
slonary Ridge. And we now invest Chatta
nooga, in fact, more advantagc"uSIy to ourselves