Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-02-10
Stern Truths,


should be told, however disagreeable it may
be to hear it,
To TIE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTHERN Con-
rEDERAcY.-To my mind the most discour-
aging, as we'll as the most humiliating fea-
'ture in our affairs, is the manifestation Of
that spirit amongst our people, which
prompts so many of them to estimate their
property and their money more highly than
life and liberty, and particularly the life
and liberty of their fellow-citizeus.
Most of you, fellow.ci citizens, would feel
indignant, if such a charge were brought
against you Individually; but now, reader,
whoever you may be, make the charge
against you; your own conscience shall be
the Judge of your guilt or innocence, when
have adduced the proofs. know there
are exceptions, bat | am sorry to say, that,
in my opinion, they are scarce. Now to
the proof.
When the first Conscript law was passed,
putting every man between eighteen and
thirty FIVE in the army, almost every man in
the country-and particularly those over
thirty.fve-said it was right, because the
necessities of the country required it. Mark
you, the market price of soldier was then
from $1,000 to $4,000. The Government
pays the soldier sll per month. You are
a planter. When the Government has come
along to impress your surplus corn, or wheat,
OF bacon, or pork, have you grumbled or
complained because it did not pay you the
market price, or because you thought if you
had been permitted to keep it a little longer
you would have sold it for a higher price?
If you have, then you are guilty for when
the Government came after your neighbor,
to put him into the army to endure toll,
privation and hardship, aud to face danger
and death, paying him only sll per month,
you said, "Take him along, the necessities
of the country require it"
You are merchant !; when the govern.
ment has come along and taken your goods,
have you complained and cursed the gov
erpment, because it did not pay you as
much as you thought the market price, or
as you might have obtained by holding them
longer? If you have, you too are guilty,
for, in reference to the life and liberty of
your neighbor, you too said, "Take him, the
necessities of the country demand it." :.
You are gentleman of wealth, with a
pair of fine carriage horses. Have you,
when the government wanted them, hid
them away, or if you gave them up, have
you done it with reluctance, and complain
ed that you were not paid as much as some
body else would have paid you? Ifso, you
too are guilty; for when the enrolling off.
Ger came after that woman's husband and
that widows son, who were their depen-
dance for support, you said, "Take them
along, the necessities of the country de-
mand it." And when that wife and moth
er complained to you of the hardship of
their case, you..sympathized with them, but
told them that it was necessary that We
should sacrifice everything, even life itself,
in defence of our rights and our liberty
that it was better to die freemen than to live
slaves to the Yankees. Perhaps, too, you
promised them, you would see to it, they
should not want while the husband and son
were fighting for your property and your
liberty. am afraid you have not kept that
promise.
You are bank, rail foad, or capitalist
war necessarily brings suffering, sacrifice and
loss, to any country. Thousands have al
ready sacrificed life and property thousands
upon thousands will yet sacrifice life, and
thousands upon thousands come ont of
the war broken down in health and proper
ty; but to you war has brought neither suf:
fering, nor loss, nor sacrifice: You have
made immense gains they come at last out
Of those who are fighting for your property,
your liberty and your lives.
If, then, when the government wants your
money to support them, you begin to grum-
Bile and complain, and talk about injustice,
you too, are guilty, for you too said, "Take
him along, the necessities of the country
demand it, and We must sacrifice everything
to the cause"
Thus I might 60 on and convict every
class of property holders and money makers
of the charge have made.
My countrymep, this spirit of the greed
of gain; this disposition to force or even to
be willing to permit others to bear the bur-
thens while we reap fhe benefits, must be
put away from us before we can achieve our
independence; and if we will not put it
away ourselves, God will scourge it out OF
US by the instrumentality Of the Yankees.
If He permitted the armies of Israel to be
routed and discounted, with great loss, be-
cause there was in the camp an Achan,
whose lust fell upon the wedge of gold, the
sheckles Of silver and the Babylonishsgar.
ment, how much more will we be scourged
with an Achan in every house
We shall achieve our independence, but
we shall suffer and sacrifice, and the sooner
and the more freely we do it the lighter it