The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-08-03
The Letter Of Gen. Kershaw.

Aho o"i hlHS "OIuS VI NcucIul
Kershaw, in tho letter addressed
to tho editor Of tho Banner of the
South, will touch to tho quick tho
gallant soldiers who, on many q
hard-contosted field, fought and
blcd by his side. The veterans of his
regiment, Of his brigade, of his di-
vision, who followed him through
tho long campaigns Of tho Army
of Northern Virginia, these havo
not suspected him Of dcscrting
principle for the greed Of Office.
And tho people of his own State
know full well that Goncral Ker-
shaw is now, rs whom he wore tho
Confederate gray, as truo q soldier
rs over drew the sword, and as
honorable gentleman as ever
raised voice in the canso Of q
suffering people.
Here in South Carolina, tho
most extreme of extreme mon
have mover dreamed of impugning
the motives which led General
,Kershaw, with characteristic fear
lessnoss, to avow his conviction
that the changes wrought in tho
National and State Constitutions,
as result Of tho war, arc accom-
plished facts, having tho force aad
obi cation Of law. Than General
Kcrshaw no South Carolinian is
moro honorcd and trusted, and his
people will not cherish him the
Jess because rhetorical journalist
has utterly misunderstood tn G
generous motives Of q Christian
gentleman, who, as tho only hopo
of saving South Carolina from
degradation and ruin, has aided in
upraising the spotless banner of
Union and Reform. And wo
doubt not that there arc in Gcor-
gia, as in every other Southern
State, mon enough to vindicate the
name Of Kershaw from aspcrsion,
whethor they do, or do not, agree
with him in those political vicws
which have our own most hearty
concurrence, and will receive, we
firmly bolicvc, tho binding sane
Lion Of tho people Of tho State.
The letter of General Kcrshaw
is lofty in tono and irroproachablo
ln mannor. AS clear and logical
statement Of plain and obvious
facts, it is worthy Of the occasion.
As an indignant protest against
Mnmorited reproach, il is worthy
of the man.-CharlestoM Ncacs.
10 the Editor of the
Banner Of the South:
SR-Iou have seen fit, in the
exercise of the responsible position
of a public journalist, to brand nc
with the imputation Of dcscrting
my principles for the greed Of Of.
flee. Your paper finds circulation
chiefly among those whose good
opinion | value next to tho appro-
val of my own conscience. IIasty
and uncharitable as has been your
attempt to degrade me in the cs-
timation Of your readers, you can
not, as q Christian, decline to give
mo tho poor privilege, wholly in
adequate though it be, to repair
tho wrong you have dono nc, Of
recording in your paper simple
statement Of the tac;s, that my
friends may draw their own de-
ductions.
There mover has been an emo
tion Of my heart, or thought of
my mind, not entirely in accord
with the principles and opinions
which caused me to advocate the
secession Of South Carolina in
1850, to vote for it in 1860, and to
offor my littlo all for its support,
from April, 1861, to April, 1865.
That it pleased God that L should
survive the war, indicated to me
that l had still duties to perform,
and to them, as responsible to
Him, and not unto man, [ have
boen, am now, and shall hcnccfor-
ward address myself. L could sec
but ono object before me, and that
was to alleviate, in any and every
honorable way, tho sutfcrings OF
my countrymen. It was this sen.
timont which induced mo, in July,
1865, to accept tho parole Of Prosi-
dent johnson rs prisoner Of war,
and to tal1o, with my brother Of.
fcers, at Fort Warren, what is
known as tho "amnosty OATH"
This oath, which was taiscn by
cvery voter and every officer un.
der tho provisional governments
established in the States by Prcsi-
dent Johnson, plodged tho affiant,
thcncoforth, Faithfully to support
md dofond tho Constitution Of tho
United States and the Union of
tho States thcreunder," and, in
lilso manner, to "abidc by and
faithfully support all laws and
proclamations which havo been
mado during the existing robcl-
lion, with roforonce to tho cman.
cipation of slaves" Whom [ had
takon that oath, / regarded that
as a citizon duty required mo to
doal with emancipation and tho
surrender Of tho right Of secession
"as accomplished facts, having tho
force and obligation Of law"
When the Reconstruction acts