The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-08-14
For the Newberry Herald.
What is Gur Du,yt

/ stated that you might hear, from me again.
Since that article was written have scarcely
had the heart to resume the subject. The
evidences of Indifference in relation to the.
great issue now pending, and soon to be
decided, which see all around me, are so
plain that have almost dcspaired of any
good resulting from any argument or appeal
that can be made, to awaken the people to
the momensous consequences which will
result from the course which they may take.
This sup:neucss-this apathy which pre-
walls, is to me a bad omen. I can well
understand why the people should be dis
ceufaged-disheartene as to the future.
It,is dark and forbidding indeed. But it
may become ,darker--more ferbidding.' It
certainly viii, unless the people arouse them.
selves aad-make aneffert to provide against
tlangers ahead. Nothing CAN be gained by
iaae,ion, by lying "supinely on our backs"
aud "huggiRg the delusive phantom Of
hope" Something NAY be done by SHAKING
offsehe Iethargy which seems to have be
.aumbed their faculties. and by a concerted
effort to escape presentEEtLs and ward off
the dangers which threaten. Ifwe, can do
/ no III ore, like Milton's fallen angels, We may
Etsgather, resolution from despair" The,
advocates of mastery inactivity" may we'll
take UPON themselves portion, at least, Of
the responsibility for the state Of indiffer.
ence now existing as to- the, result of:the
action that will be taken on the questions
to be decided in the course of the next few
months. Their arguments and counsel have
had the effect to chill whatever Of interest
was feltin relation to o'ir politica leondition,
and in the question, what is our duty at.the
present hour. They have taken pains to
show that our case is hopeless; that We are
peHerless, 10 do anything to improve eur
.eondition-that all we can de- fste await q
change in, the popular sentiment Of the
North; to hang our hopes ppoa a "retnre-
ing sense of justice" amongst those; who
have placed upon our -necks the heels of the
conauerere Hence. it is, that. so many
have Iecome- reckless as TO the fate that
may befall them and the country. Like the
man, who has been drawn into the resistless
current of Miagara, and is about to -be
precipitated over the awful precipice, rtheF
have become. paralssed by despair-and
consequently make no effort to save them
selves. In human affairs this IS desperate te
resolution. It sarrcnders every thing 10
the worlers Of mischief and evil -
= aace !aure propose TO- give .you a, few
,:snnough.s on s'the. situa ton" In doing so,
propose to analyze the proposition, that
5 the people will aishonor and degrade them
selves by any participation in, carrying out
the measures which. Congress has enacted
as conditions of our re-admission into the
Union. U5oa this hangs all the arguments
aeainst such action. This. is what has given
them force and effect. Our people are
Jealous Of their honor Il is claimed for
them, that this is. all they saved in the
wreck of their eause-their, honor. 1t IS
naturai-it IS right that they should not
Now sacrifice the only jewel:htt them ]:
+. Now, there is no word in the English
vocabulary, concerning the true meaning OF
which, men differ more widely than the
word, honor. One who declines. to accept
a challenge to mortal combat, according to
s:the code Of honor" puts himself outside
the pale of gcntiemen-3orfeits his honor.
On the other 6and, the Christian code, and
|, the laws founded upon it,. declares that he
who accepts such challenge" and .imbrues
hishands in the blood of his brother man is
d murderer. What is -henor? FalstaE de:
fined it, but we don't, like Sir Johns de
tfuition.. It is something more real-some-
thing better, than he would have it. =.
: / would ask those, who urge the PROPOSE
ton which lam discussing, the question, do:
they mean that it is dishonofabie, ,-degrad.
ing to submit 20 wrong and injustice? Is
this the idea they would convey? If so,
I push the inquiry a little further, and ask,
if we are not then already dishonored and
degraded {? Have we not already submitted
| to wrong and injustice? Havewe not lower
ed our flag, laid down our arms. and sur
! rendered what We believed to be the cause
I Of right, Justice aad lioerty-submitted to
! triuni2h of brute force which has laid low
all our hopes, and brought upon US the
very evils and dangers Of which we now
complain? Has not Convention met 10
| South Carolina which has broken down the
ancient landmarks fthe Constitution, de-
| stroyed the work Of our fathers, con6scated
millions Of property and reduced our people
to condition of poverty and weakness
without parallel in modern history. All,
but it is said, this was all done under a
political necessity. What political aeces-
sity? Because the State would not be
restored to the Union unless these things
had been done. This is what President
johnson and Gov. Perry told us. Then
it was, that, no concession too ample, no
submission too humble and penitent, or in
volving sacrifices too great or wrongs too
fragrant, could be made in order to secure a
restoration of the State to the Union. The
Convention and the Legislature, which were
convened under the provisional government,
were both told to do this, and to do that,
and you will be received with open arms at
| Washington by the powers that be. "Blind
leading the blind, they both fall into the
ditch" Never was proverb more literally
fulfilled. johnson and Perry both have
proved poor prophets, not as good even as
the oracle of Delphi. But the point would
fix the readers attention upon is, this -
what consistency is there i'll the argument
of Gov. Perry, that to participate in the
execution of the reconstruction measures of
Congress is dishonorable aud degrading,
because these measures are unconstitutional,
wrong and unjust, when We have already
submitted to, or acquiesced in measures of
the very same character, and that too, under
his counsel and advice. have not enumer-
ated all the acts Of wrong and injustice that
| we have submitted to since the close of the
war. They would I'll your paper from be-
ginning to end. Are We thereby dishonored