The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-05-19
lghe Ispn-Qlsta osths

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hands, We give 1t for the benefit Of
our readers: sit8- S,NsSil1s as i,-tsl 4
Hon Po1sr, s, O., January 8. i
TON. 8; 8. Jack, Esq, Doague Hill,
SIR: Having heard it stated posi-
lively that you had taken the ''iron-
clad oath," I took the liberty Of
expressing a very strong doubt upon
the subject, knowing that it would
exert very injurious influence upon
your reputation. Will you have the
kindness to set me right, with regard
to this question, and oblige your
obedient servan ut,
A. KURRY COMBE.
DoNaUE HILL. s. O., january 10.
To A. Kwvy ComJe, Esq, Hiqh
Point, s. C.
SIR: Your note of the 9Th, is be-
fore me. Allow me to soy that I
claim the right to do as I please, and
that l do not acknowledge the right
of any one to criticise my course
But as you have asked question, 1
shall give you my answer, in very
few words. l have taken the ''iron-
clad oath" But I did not take it
without first asking some of my
friends whether they thought that L
could take it. More than this, L
wanted an Office, and I knew that if I
did not take that oath, I could not
get one. "You have my answer.
Let my actions speak" Your obe-
dient servant, A. S. S. JACK.
HIGH POINT, S. c., January &c.
To A. S. S. jack, Esq, Dongue HlR,
S. c.
SIR: L have the honor to acknow-
ledge your note OF the 10Th, in reply
to mine of tn 9Th instant. AS you do
not appear to appreciate the anxiety
which L felt for your reputation rs
fellow-citizen of the proud common
wealth of South Carolina, am con-
strained in self-justification, and Mt
the risk of incurring your dis
pli asure, to call in question the cor
rectness of the views which you have
expressed. Is it true, sir, that you,
in your capacity rs citizen of South
Carolina, "have n right to do as you
please?" 1t is fundamental princi-
pie in society, that man has right
to do as he pleases with his own,
proUided, that in so doing, he injure
no one else. You have perfect
right to 10 as you please with keg
of gun-powder, which you have
bought with your own money; but,
in exercising your pleasure, you have
no right to place that gun powder
near the dwelling of another, and
apply Il slow match to it. You will
be held responsible for the damage
consequent upon the explosion. The
State of South Carolina has an
ancient reputation, for probity and a
high sense of honor. No citizen has
right, by any act of his, to stain
that reputation. Nothing that has
occurred within the past three years
has done more to injure the cha
racter of our noble old State, even
our enemies being judges, than the
readiness manifested by some OF her
sons, to descend to the most humili-
ating concessions, not the least Of
which is that of taking the ''iron-clad
oath" Not only has the reputation
VI VIC Otttc pcCu lulill6 W SuuOT ny
such acts; but her mo, al po,cer has
been greatly diminished by them.
Have you right to blast the reputa-
ton of your State, and to lessen her
moral power in such crisis as the
present? Though her sons may not
be able to remove the heel of the
oppressor from her neck, let them
not, by any act of theirs, sully the
honor of their mother.
You seem to be quite satisfied rs
to the propriety of taking the "iron-
clad OATH" because you had taken
advice upon the subject. To me,
sir, it is passing strange, that any one
should be obliged to consult with
others, as to his own capacity to take
an oath! In such case, conscience is
the proper and only arbiter. In such
case, she that doubteth is damned"
if he take the oath. 1t should be
sufficient for any truly honorable
man, that he has even the shadow of
n doubt rs to the propriety of taking
the oath. He assumes II fearful re-
sponsibility who encourages another
to take the oath, when that other is
himself doubtful upon the subject.
So far from holding out any encou-
ragement under such circumstances,
Al.