The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-07-26

DISTRICT, ON SATURDAY, MAY S, 1866.
Published By Request.)
MY CoUNTRYMEN, LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN: In compliance with the invitation
of your committee of arrangements, am
here to mingle in the festivities OF the
day At an earlier period of my life, the
season of the year, coupled with the scene
before me, would have called up thoughts
more ideal than I shall i've utterance to
to-day; you will pardon me, II blend
the grave with the gay.
In that never ceasing change OF things,
which summons forward the successive
generations of men to perform their part
in the drama of life, we at length are
called to appear. Our fathers have full
filed the measure of their duty-the turn
has come to us. Let US seriously consid-
er the sacred obligations which have de-,
yolyed on this generation, and on us, ana
reyerently apply ourselves to that which
is presented to us as our appropriate OBJ
ject. c.
dence. and to found new Republic, have
indeed been denied to us by an adverse
fate but we are consoled by the con-
sciousness that our convictions were hon
est. and our aims pure and patriotic. We
should resolutely turn from the bitter
memories of defeat, and with manly for
titude apply ourselves to the great duties
Of our situation; for there remains TO US
a great duty of defence and preservation,
and there is open to US, also, noble pur-
suit. to which the spirit Of the times and
the demands of the hour, strongly invite
us. 49,.
Every possible view of our condition
points to improvement as our proper bus
mess. With the return OF peace, let us
advance the arts of peace and tue works
of peace. Let US give diversity to the
pursuits Of the South, invite capital anu
population to her bosom, develop her re-
sources, call forth her powers, build anew
her shattered institutions, foster all her
GREAT interests, and sec whether we, also,
NAV not perform in peace, as we have IN
war, something worthy to be remember
ed. =.
AS scholars, the most powerful motives
call npon us to make those efforts which
our common country demands OF all her
children. The majority OF us are lndeDt-
ed for whatever of knowledge has shone
into our minds to the popular institutions
of our land. But few OF us may not be
permitted to boast that we have been
reared IN an honest poverty or frugal
competence, and owe almost everything
to those means of knowledge which are
equally open to all. We are summoned
to new energy and zeal by the high ma
ture of the experiment we are appointed
in Providence to make, and the vastness
of the arena on which it is to be perform
ed. While other nations have successive
ly made the experiment and failed, the
down trodden people of all nations look
ed hopefully to America, to settle forever
the momentous question in human socle-
ty-whether mankind can be trusted with
a purely popular system of government
Looking to the inroads made upon the
constitution, during the last five years,
by the Executive and Legislative depart
ments of the Government, many have
lost faith in Republican government, and
are ready to pronounce the experiment a
failure. But not so. [ admit that the
prospect looks gloomy, but the darkest
cloud has a silver lining. With freedom
of speech, freedom of the press, and free
dom of religious worship left to us, my
faith in our institutions is still strong, and
the hope of transmitting the treest form
Of Government on earth to our children,
is unabated. For near century, the
South has been the conservative element
in our government-the sword has decl.
ded that she is to remain part and parcel
of it-and so soon as the partizan pas.
sions engendered by the late war shall
have had time to work themselves OFT
and the conservative element at the North
and West have an opportunity to make
themselves felt in the next general elec-
tions I have every confidence that she
will be restored to her legitimate fran,
chises, and prove to be the centre around
which the friends of constitutional liberty
will rally in numbers sufficient to crush
Radicalism, and preserve Republcanism
In the meantime, let us do nothing to
thwart the policy of President Johnson
whose trenchant blade is dealing faction.
lists such staggering blows, but DO all that
we can to stay his arm in the conflict
and confidently trust the issue of events
to the good sense Of the people, and an
overruling Providence.
Interested spectators Of the political
conflict now waging, but having neither
voice or power therein. let us, my coun
trymen, turn our attention to the early
policy of our ancestors, and draw thence
lessons of wisdom to direct our efforts tc
profitable ends in the present emergency
Among the various blessings bequeathed
to us by our Revolutionary ancestry, none
has stronger claims for our attachment
or demands more imperiously our warm
est gratitude, than their early institution
of Colleges, Academies and Common
Snhonls AS if endowed with wisdom