Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-12-18
BY \ A LEE AND HUGH WILSON.
My Boy.

"A little broken toy;
Il book all soiled and torn;
Il jaun;y velvet cup my boy
! Has often, often worm
Alas, is all that's lefti
(such is the Fathers willy
Hisjoyous laughter sounds to more:
His little heart is s,ill.
| >...~-----
Extract from the Charge of Judge Hugf
W. Shetfey, to the Grand Jury Of Au
gusta County. delivered on the Isl
day of November, 1868.
"GENTLEMEN The lack of this rev.
crcnce in our country, for established
things and superior authority, is one
of the marked evils of the day: in
my opinion, it is the fountain source
OF many Of the unuttcGablc woes
which have swept over our land. 1t
is found in American cradles, family
circles: social assemblies, public gath
erings and Legislative halls. The boy
just out of his swaddling clothes, pre-
maturely chokcd with q cravat at
seven or eight years of age, crampcd
with long boots, and tight pantuloons.
twiriing his rattan and rolling under
his infant tongue swollen quid, bids
defiance to the authority Of the person
who happens to stand towards him in
the relation Of patcrnal ancestor; and
curling his bcardiess lip and cooking
his defiant eye. speaks Of his father
as "thc old fellow" 'thc BOSS. ':thc
Govcrncr,' Or with some other irrcv-
erent cpithct; whistles his opinions
down the wind, and calls upon the old
gentleman to remember, that the
world has been moving since his day,
and that things are not now as they
once were: and. especially, that such
aatiquatcd articles as 6;rchcs and hick-
orirs, no longer grow for the backs Of
free and independent Young Ameri-
cans: and that Solomon was all old
t"gy. and by 10 means 4 wise man,
when he pronounced the provcrb.
"Spare the rod and spoil the child"
This spirit has spread from the pre-
cincts Of the cradle to the outer
world, and we see it everywhere ::
even in our Churches: whore young
folly dares to prate and jccr in the
presence Of the Almighty HIMSELF in
places i'll respect to which God has
sent forth the command, "rcvcrcncc
my. Sanctuary" and by. rude gcs-
tures, and irrcvcrcnt movements.
shows its contempt OF disregard Of
the temples of religion. And in our
Court Houses, also, it sometimes cx-
poses its bad manners md frec-and-
easy assurance, by putting the cigar
or pipe, wearing the hat, by indcco-
roas whispcrings and Gathering of
boots, to the disturbance and annoy
ancc Of those who arc present to io
the work Of justice. say, sometimes
shows itself in our Court Eonscs-
not often now, l am pleased to say, in
my Circuit, my stern opposition to
this spirit, and fixed determination to
suppress it by all the power the law
places at my disposal, being well un-
derstood. I repeat, gentlemen, that
I know NO more dangerous element of
mischief to governments than the
want Of reverence: reverence for fa-
thcr and mother, for woman in her
purity, for tho sacred bond Of mar
riagc, for the wise and good, and for
the Church and the State in their re-
spective departments; and if it be not
checked, if we learn not as q people
and rs individuals that there. are some
things too sacred to be trifled with. or
jcsted about, we will find in the future
that nothing will he too stable or firm
to be undermined; and the fell spirit
(which dcspiscs the father and the mo-
ther, snccrs at woman's virtue, makas
light of the marriage tie, contemns
the sacredness Of the Church and the
fupctionaries rof tho! law,-will, in the
end, evcrturn Constitutions and upset
Governments; will cover our land
vita the andschy Which license On.
gcnders, or will compel the Intrusion
of q aked EdeSpptisna which jsiotous
license renders ssncdessasy.ti Let us
then, ss ministers Of the lay, beware
and compel aen, In ;ohr proper
spheres, to bow 1eyerentiy before tho
very forms Of la,w, affd to tread care
fuliyand NgtasEstn tAs saBstaariss Of
guatiss ed5 4 xsast H nay besthpt,
shroHgh q yeu, the warning notes
sttes paysb DO heard throughout your
ECoanty: and.may tend toteietate the
fmiHds and heaFts'o 'or-people to tho
high .standed Of rsvsrsnt obedienee
70 laM, ahiak + have noser. failedatc