The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-01
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR PERRY OF
SOUTH CAROLINA.

dressed public meeting at Greenville, South |
Carolina. The Northern papers are making |
great ado over his speech. 1t is published in
al the Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia
and New York papers, and is much commented |
upon-approvingly by some, dsapprovingly by |
others We give below some Of the most i'm
portant passages Of the address, which will be
read with much interest, from the fact that Mr.
Perry has just received the appointment and
entered upon the duties of the Office of Provis-
ioral Governor of South Carolina, and in this
speech be defines his position in regard to the
wal and the great issues that have grown out OF
it.
ga cruel and bloody war has swept over the
Southern States. One hundred and fifty thou
sand of our bravest and most gallant men have
fallen on the fields of battle. The land is filled
with mourning, widows and orphans. There is
scarcely house in which there has not been
weeping for some one lost Three thousand
millions Of dollars have been spent by the
Southern States in carrying On this war. And
now we called upon to give up four millions
of slaves, worth two thousand millions of dollars
more Our country has been ravished and
desolated. Our cities, towns and villages are
smouldering ruins Conquering armies occupy
the country. The Confederacy has fallen, aud
We have been deprived of civil government and
political rights. We have neither law nor or
der There is no protection for life, liberty or
property. Everywhere there is decentralization,
rapine and murder. Hunger and starvation are
upon us.
Mr. Chairman, much we feel the humlll-
alton and degradation Of our present situation,
and deeply lament the losses which have befal-
len the Southern States, yet we should be hap
py TO know that this cruel andsbloody war is
over, and that peace is once more restored to
our country. This is great consolation amid
our wants, dstresses and humiliation. The
husband will no longer have to leave his wife
and children, the father and mother will notsbe
called upon any more to, give mp their sons as
victims to the 1t is to be hoped THAI in a
very short time civil government will be re-
stored; that law more will reign supreme,
and that life, liberty and property will bb pro-
tected everywhere, as they heretofore have been.
How was it, MIR Chairman that the Southern
States failed in their rebellion? 1t is true the
contest a most unequal one, 100000 of
persons fighting against p 600, 900. The one
having neither government, army, navy OF man
ufacturs; and the other having all theseJ with
influx of foreigners and Southern negfoes to
increase their strength.
Mr. Chairman, will here frankly say, as I
have often said during the past four years, that
there was not man In the United States who
more deeply regretted the secession Of the
Southern States than did at the beginning of
the revolution; and there is not now in the
Southern States any one who feels more bitter
ly the humiliation and degradation of going
back into the Union than do. Still, l know
that We shall be more prosperous and happy in
the Union than out of it,
hpeD too Mr. tO T..
tribute the failure Of this great revolution to the
President of the late Confcderacy This, sir, is
a mistake. The people themselves to
blame for its failure. They were unwilling to
make those sacrifices which were essential to its
success. Many who were most prominent in
the movement never did anything for it after
the war commenced. Instead of seeking their
proper position, in front of the battle, they
sought "bomb- proofs" tor themselves and their
sons. There were others who got into ''soft
places" and official Positions where they could
speculate and make fortunes on Government
funds.
In fact, towards the latter part of the war, it
seemed that every one trying to keep out OF
the army, and was willing to pay anything and
make any sacrifice to do so. When General
Johnston surrendered his army he had on his
muster roll 10000 men, but only Il, 600 to be
carried into battle! General Lees army was in
the same condition Where were the absen-
tees? At home, on furlough, staying over their
- turouShs, deserted and struggling! At no time
during the last three years of the war was there
more than one-third of the army ready to march
into battle. How was it possible for the South
ern people to succeed, acting thus?
Congress, too, Mr. Chairman, is greatly to
blame for their exemptions. All between the
ages Of eighteen and forty-fve should have been