The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1868-07-04
" A r I o III IS.
[BY aEouEsT.1
A Southern Woman's Protest.

from the pen Of q gifted lady Of this State.
In reproducing it from tho Columbia 1,hanir,
in which it FIRST appeared, wo cannot do better
than reInurk, as docs that journal, that .sany
objections which may be entertained against
her criticisms will be lost sight of: III admira-
tion for the spirit displayed, and the Ro-
man elevation of thought, which tho writer
Ieyinces -
70 Hon. B. II. I'LL!
SIR:--I have read your eloquent appeal to
patriots to rally to the rescue of their country
from ruin and iTfan,y. You appeal to tho wo-
men of tho South to arouse from their grief
stricken apathy, and toll for the South once
a,orc. You have not called in vain. In every
won,anly heart ycu have awakened deep re-
spouse; and being one with them in the great
sistcrhood Of sorrow, in their. uaa,c speak.
We have uot been silent from lnscrsibility to
tho dishonor thrust upon us; but from a grief
too deep for words
Sir, VIC do not deem ourselves equal to the
discussion Of Statc.craft and questions of no.
litical import, but VIC do feel tlnt -on the Sub
jcct Of personal honor aud State pride We IRE
competent to give an opinion. In our coun.
try cause VIC lost our all--fricnds, fortunes,
homes yet we tclt that though-likc Francis,
ut Pavia-ssall was lost save HONOR" in Mut
We had a priceless jewel etill, To sec dcma-
gogucs, now in power, barter that jewel for a
mess of pottagc, is grief beyond endurance,
humiliation hard TO bear. We, the women
Of thc South, now speak. We take advan-
tsgc of your courteous appeal thus to make our
protect protest against threatened dishonor,
a protest aeAinst injustice done the dead,
protest against all ,onrcmtions
Abput ten months eincc, several articles M
l'raryd in the New York Icnltl, and were
sepic,l il, tt.c several State pnpcrs, purpor,ing
TO sllvw forth public opinion in South Caxp-
Z rleel le-:. ,Iel ..tl,
Ircss of South Carolina they would have
been nearer tho truth; for they were truthful
exposition Of tile weathercock politics then
loistcd upon public notice by the several Char.
lesion dailies, and which were void of interest
aud represented nothing. 10 paragraph in
one of these articles / call attention l have
waited for able, manly pens to give it tic lie,
which simple Justice to the dead demanded
but waited iii vain. Defeated valor finds no
champion now, and it is left to women to de-
icnd thr braves "who died for U.s."
Alter an unjust attack upon men whose mo-
tivcs he could not penctratc, and whose ability
ne could neither emulate nor understand, this
slandcrcr-satc with the cold bars of the grave
between him and his vctims-thus strikes the
dead: THE leaders in politics. our Senators,
members of Congress and Governors, goaded
the people to secession and war; and when the
war came, what did these gentlemen do,-rush
to the front and lead forlorn hopes a few per-
haps, may be found by the diligcnt historian,
but the vast majority in this, and other. South
ern States, went to Congress, held other civil
Offices, and became collectors of tax in kind"
This il not true. The statesmen and Gov
ernors did not goad the people to secession and
war. The revolution was great popular up
hcayal, political aud social necessity. 1t was
the bloody result of mental and moral antagon
isin, and the statesmen could net have prevent
ed it, 1t was, in truth, an irclvcssiJe con-
flct-and secession was demanded alike by the
laws OF nature and the necessities of political
economy. The statesmen of the South like
tll> pricstess upon her tripod, but gave uttc-
rance to the mighty spirit that moved them a
spirit greater than, though consonant with,
their own. Their prophecies and warnings,
threats and appeals, cn,anatcd from no mere
personal sources and had no selfish aim. Moved
by inspired forcbodings, as prophets they spoke
to the people. Lay not to their charge the
mighty woes that have bcfalcn their country.
AS well might the Jews condemn tho prophets
OF old for the downfall Of Jerusalem because
when the hand of inspiration lifted the veil of
the future, bla"t;ug their sight with vision
of the citys fen destruction, their quivcring
lips cried out its prophecy Who is "Caro-
iniais," that he should sit in Judgment upon
tho patriotism Of others a man whose We.
nalty is SO we'll known that men, having busi-
ness Of questionable legitimacy, invariably Sc
cure him as their plant agent; and seldom
does his eminent chicancry fail them He is