The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-01-06

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her ancient simplicity and purity. In
this, he shall have my ungrudging
and most cordial support.
When this grand and terrific reyo-
luton, from which we are just emers-
ing, was inauourated, I was not in
political life; but when my State
passed her ordinance of secession
and called upon her sons to rally be
meath her flag and defend her, we
went forth and did Ill VIC could to
prevent the present awful condition
of things. We fought not to destroy
the North; we fought not to perpetu-
ate slavery; we fought for self-govern-
ment; we fought for the indepen-
dence and separate nationality of the
South; we fought for Southern genius,
Southern civilization and Southern
society. These were the high and
noble sentiments which moved the
grand masses of my countryrnen,
and which made them irresistible
upon SO many hard-fought and we'll
contested fields. That we have failed
in the heroic effort, is no argument
that our cause was unjust and that we
were wrong. When the Government
of the United States was founded
and organized by the adoption and
ratification Of the Constitution which
unites and binds together the differ
ent States of the Union, South Caro-
lima voluntarily acceded to that in
strument. What, I ask, was the great
end and aim of the patriots of the
Revolution and the fathers of the
republic, as set forth in the preamble
to the Constitution, when they found
ed and organized the Government?
Was it not to form more perfect
Union, establish justice, insure do
mestic tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the gene
raj welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves and our pos
terity? AS long as the Government
was administered upon these high
and holy principles. proclaim and
maintain that no State upon the
broad continent Of America did more
for the honor, the glory and undying
fame of the republic, than Gid South
Carolina. There is nota page of her
history in which the names of her
sons are not intimately interwoved
for their splendid deeds and noble
examples, either in the State or Fede-
raj councils, or upon the dark and
bloody fields of battle. It was not
until 1860, when the Government
Was about to pass out of the hands of
those who had administered her with
equity and justice, into the hands of
those who had sworn eternal, bitter
and undying hate to the South, who
had openly proclaimed that the Con
stitution of onr fathers was "a cove
nant with hell, that South Carolina,
believing her rights in the Union
were insecure, convoked her sons
and passed her ordinance of seces-
sion. What, [ ask, was the ordinance
of secession? 1t was an expression,
on the part Of the people of the
State, of their wish and desire to
peaceably withdraw, if possible, from
the Federal Union, but, if needs be,
their determination to do it at the
point of the bayonet and the edge Of
the sword When South Carolina
took this position, she did no more
than she had been taught by the
ablcst statesmen of the republic from
its foundation, and what she believed
she had an inherent right to do; that,
as she had voluntarily acceded to the
Government, when the great end and
aim for which the Government was
founded had failed, she had an inhe-
rent right volunt tarily to secede. II
have said that our failure to establish
our independence and separate ma
tionality is no argument that our
cause was unjust and that we were
wrong. If the noble spirits who put
South Carolina in the attitude of Sc
cession are traitors; if the heroic
and gallant dead and living who raj
lied beneath the old Palmetto flag, to
defend that position, are traitors; if
Mr.. Davis, who is now languishing in
prison. who commanded the armies
and navy Of the South, from whose
noble lips not a murnur has yet
broken, is traitor to the Constitu-
ton and laws of his country, why,
ask, has he been denied q trial for
nearly two years? Is it possible that
this great Government, with her
million of soldiers and her great
generals, with her judges and her
courts, is unable to bring to trial one
single individual? No. Why hen,
I ask has he been denied erial?
Let history answer the question
They know he is no traitor; they
know he stands upon the imperish-
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