The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-07-27
sPRHdH .aF HoN.B F, PERRY,
,s PUBLISHED WEEKLY


At the Public Meeting in TIE t67e
Court House, Greeny1lles :: ~
ION Monday, the 80 cay Oh y 0Ay'
Mr. CnAiRMAN-This public meeting Of
the citizens os Greenville is oftsSf deep
humiliation snd sorrow. a cruel and
bloody war has swept over the Southern
States. One hundred and fifty thousand
of our bravas and most gallant men have
fallen ON the feldsof baltic! The land is
tailed With mourning widows and orphans
There is scarcely house in which there
has not been weeping for some loved one
Host? Three Thousand millions of dollars
have been spent blythe Southern States
ii in carrying on this warf And now we
are called upon to give upfour millions OF
ssfayes. worth two thousand millions OF
dollars ,aore2 Our country has been raw
aged and desolated - Our citics,- towns
aud villages, are in smouldering ruins
Connnering armies occupy the country
ThesGonfederacy has fallen, and we have
been deprived of aal.civil government and
political rights. Wchave neither law,nor
ordor. Ehcre is no prctectien for life,
liberty or property. Everywhere there
is demoralizations rapine and murder
Hunger and starvation are upon rs \! And
nowwe meet as adisgraced and speJugated
people to petition the coMqueros to restore
,oar lost rights Sucllsare the bitter fruits
,ofSecession 4!
How different, Mr., Chairman, in tone,
spirit and character, was that meeting OF
Tie eitizens;of Greenville, just FIVE. years
agoyhi this same building, which inaugural
ted this most fatal, bloody and disastrous
reyolution2 Then all was joy, hope, ex-
, -ctement and confidence. Seated in my
law effice, looking towards this court
house, Il SAW q crowd Of persons frusiiias
in, composed of college boys and their
professors, merchants, mechanics, doctors,
lawyers and idlers from the hotels, with
"a 4prinkling of farmers and planters.
sSoon.I heard the public speaking com
1nence, and the air -e:ss reHt@ith.tiss wild
and rapturous applause of the excited
audicncc. The more extavagant the de-
nunciations of the Union, thclouder were
the shouts of applause! / repeated. in
my l,cant.el,e memorable words of Christ,
~ f7atAer, 5forgiue them, they knosc not aohat
tAcy do" Myimind was then filed with
the. worst forebodings as to .tbe future. 1
.thought foresaw all the evils which have
since befalIen our beloved country But
my political influence was gone, and my
voice waspowerless to stay The sngry and
sxcited feelings of my fellow citizens.
We were at that time, dr. Chairman,
the most prosperous, free and happy poo-
pie on the face of the earth. Thcs had
never shone on an empire or nation whose
futare.was more bright and glorious. But
the public mind had unfortunately, been
prepared, in the Southern States, for thir.
ty years past, for an effort at disnnion.
The people had been induced to believe
that. disunion would be quiet blessing,
and that it might come without war and
fjloedshed! The leading politicians Of the
South were an1ionsly waiting for some
plausible pretext for seccding from the
American Union. The election of Abra-
ham Lincoln President Of the United
States by a sectional party, at the North,
Eas regarded as q favorable opportunity
for accomplishing their long cherished
purpose. We ewere told, after this event.
that there was nc longer and safety in
the Union for slavery OF ourconstitutional
rights
Let usanow see, Mr. Chairman, if there
was and truth in this assertion. Mr.. Lin
coin was elected in direct conformity with
the Federal Constitution. He was elec-
tedEin consequence of the political divi-
sions and dissenstons ut the South. Had
the Southern States been united on one
candidate, instead of voting for three, the
result would havo been different. Mr..
Lincoln only received a little more than
one third Of the votes cast in the Pres-
dontid election. He therefore went into
Office with a large majority of the Amcri-
can people opposed to his administration.
There was at that time majority of twen-
ty-seyen members of the House of Repre-
sentatives in Congress, in opposition to
President Lincoln. There was a majority
of six members Of the Senate of the Uni