The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-07-06

important than in "Female Education" +"
Gen. Kershaw and the Union Re-
form Convention.
We take the following from the Au.
gusta Constitutionalist:
A recent number Of your able and
patriotic paper contains the following :
"PRoaREss."-A telegram from the
Columbia Reform Convention, to the
Charleston News, says:
"'The resolutions by Gen. Korshaw,
fully affirming the political equality of
ali the citizens of the State, and declar.
ing that none but Republicans shall be
nominated by the convention, produced
profound sensation
"Such resolutione, coming from Gen.
Kershaw, were we'll calculated to pro.
duce "a profound sensation The pco.
pie of other Southern States will begin
to wish, presently, that South Carolina
had gone out alone in 1860, if Gen. Ker.
shaw speaks for the majority Of the
white people,"
That isolated telegram-regarded az
an announcement ofa general prinoi-
pie to direct the course of the conven--
tion-was calculated to produce the
misconstructlon which you have placed
upon it; aud / so perceived when saw
it in tho News. In this State, where
Gen. Kershaw is thoroughly kncc@sc; !;
not only by his brilliant war record, but
where his whole life before the war and
since is an open and we'll read book
where, too, the whole proceedings of
this convention are thoroughly scanned,
and where the whole platform and its
sequences (presentcd by Gen. Kershaw)
were examined in convcution-it is
unnecessary to make any explanation
for him or his course; but in the great
State Of Georgia, the friends of Gen.
Kersnaw are those who only knew him
intimately during those four years of
earnest trial, when he, and they too,
blased out an imperishable record
They, to great extent, will see this
disjointed fragment; and will, with
saddened hearts, suppose that bright
star has paled that Gen. Kershaw has
"changed front in the face of the
enemy" and that that bright record is
to be tarnished.
With your permission-as an act Of
justice to ten. Kershaw-I propose to
show that he has made no departure
from any principle; that now, as ever,
he is true, pure and disinterested
patriot, as much so as when he led gal.
liant Georgians to renown, victory and
alas too often, to death that he is now
zealously battling against tyranny and
oppression, as he then was, although
with different weapons. And / know
he stands now, as he has ever stood, on
the great principles, in the great histo>
rical monument to which your own great
Stephens has built up his own i'm
perishable fame.
Gen. Kershaw and are in entire ac.
cord in this matter; and propose to
dispense with any farther reference to
him, and merely to sustain the action of
the Union Reform Convention, which
was his platform-written by him-and
the further policy recommended by him,
but not urged upon tho convention, Of
nominating, in conacction with that
platform, only honest Republicans.
The writer fthis communication was
the frst Gas far as he is iniormed) in
South Carolina who proposed to nomi-
nate in this convention only RepubH-
cans.
That it might be mistaken policy nd.
mits of argument, doubt, and possibly
censure, but that thero is question
of patriotism or principle sacrificed I ut.
terly deny. Surely, if the intelligent
convention to whom that proposition
was submitted, in one, and the last one
of series, had perceived any such de-
feotion, they would not have adopted
the whole platform, excepting it, and
allowed themselves to be influenced in
their action by the commanding logic,
lofty tone, admirable temper and spirit
and persuasive eloquence of the author
Of them.
Hero il just the position the State oi
South Carolina occupies. The people
. have spoken in this convention, and il
may be regarded as the opinion of the
State. Of cousre, / do not regard the
present government as the State in this
connection.
We are conquered! We surrendered
In surrendering, We gave up no prinoi-
pies. We only gave up the fight. Die
General Lee and General Johnston
when they surrendered their swords
acknowledge that they were stainet
with rebellion, treason and the blood O.
= uartyred Union patriots? mol No
- would even the fertile, imaginative
q mind Of Horace Greely think so or cue;
say So