The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1864-02-10

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, your provisions are worth in the market,
appeal 10 you as men, AZ christian men,
As patriots, As mon in whose hearts beat
the warm instincts Of humanity, will you
hug your corn and your meat to your
bosom, whilst your soldier, are hupgeting
in the field
Ny friends, I am putting to you plain
and practical questions. l am not ap.
pealing to the standard which the law al.
lows, but tothat Of each patriot. con.ci.
encs. / wish. you this night to answsr
me in your hearts. Had you rather sell
your provisions = hall dollar higher in the
bushsl or pound, or had you not RATHER
give II 10 them than that it should be
written in history that willis, your gran..
riss and your meat houses were full, your
brave defenders could not keep off the
enemy, because they could no, be fed
You must come up to your duty. lap
peal to you as men ioring your soun.ry
aad your kindred. Complain no, il the
strong arm Of the law shall pu. it's clutch
e' upon your property, if yon refuse to
do At this hour what duty demand, at
your hands. I know not what other.
may do; speak only for myself; Lut, as
God is my Judge, so long q. my country
eutrusts me with the command Of apy
portion Of thsse brave met. they shall
not starvs, II there are provisions in th.
country, asd l can get them, law or no
law. Immense applause ] l tell you,
my frisnds, yon may den9unce me as rev.
olutionary. | may outrage th. sensibili
ties Of some who love their property dear.
ly, but lbsrt. is dearer to ME than prop.
srty, and the brave mon who defend ths,
liberty are deArer to me than the mon
who withhold the provisions from ;hsm.
They may dsnouuce me for this So n,i
msnt. As I denounce them for their con
duct-ths result is that ws will entertain
Tor each other mutual disgust. Laugh.
ter.
What then, my friends, is the proper
standard by which We should regulate
our conduct in this mattsri ap al
dressing myself 10 planters and farmers.
There Is but one. You have your. Gov
ernmsnt. It is your own selection. Men
have been elected into whose hands that
Govern msnt has been placed. | do no,
pretend to deny that many officer. Of the
Government have done wrong, and com.
mitted outrsgss. do not justify them /;
but it is better 10 endure some Of these
wrongs, and bear these outrage, than 10
lose liberty and all. What 10 that prop.
s'sy OF you" worth il the enemy get pos.
session ofyour countryi What arc your
rights IN the hands and under the con.
troll Of the miEions OF Lincoln Youmu
choose between your own people and
your own Government, and tho people
and Government Of your enemy. There
is no middle ground. One CT the other
must have your provisions. One or tho
other must be supplied from yonr grsus.
rIs'. These brave soldier boys Of your
own kith and kindred must either f..d
upon your meat and bread, or the Yam.
KEGS mus: feed upon them, and I tell YOU
frankly il you refuse to let the Govern.
ment have your provisions, and YOU could
DO separated in one portion Of the land
by yoursslvss, | would no. care how soon
The Yankees, got possession Of both them
and you. (Cbssrs) Some few, J trust,
may | not say know they are few, who
have exhibited these fs.lings 10 reference
TO their produce, and yet these very men
will stand up At the corner Of the streets
IN tbs city, or At the cross road. in the
country, and no man is lounder or more
bitter than they are in their enumeration
OF speculstors and sxtortioners, Yaukee,
and Jew. (Laugh,.r) And they OK
psot to satisfy the demands Of patriotism
by this indiscriminats Abuse OF these
classes o. our population. In my opinion
tho English language is ioeapsbIs Of furu.
'shing words strong enough to picture
before you the inf.my which attaches TO
4hs character Of the spscuIa,or and the
sEtortisne,.
There is but one class Of men 10 our coin
muni.y mssnsr than the Spectator and |
sxtoriioDsr, and that 10 men who il I'm
willing to let b" produce 90 TO the sup
port Of our brave soldiers in the fell!
IAPPisuss. What better are you than
spse"lat 70 and extor,ionsrs, Who cling
to your provisions With . starving srmy
. 'on your borden What 10 q spscuIstor
and sItortiopsr but the man who love.
gold and property moro than life and lib.
srtyf ls not that your own easel Aud