The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-11-16
Addres. OF General Jub.l A. E.r1v.

"a" oo"'1'Ohs ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH
OARoIINA-My FRIENDS AND CoMnADRs:
when accepted the invitation, so fat
terlngly rendered me by your Executive
board. was not unmindful of the fear
tul risk incurred, nor of the grave re.
sponsibility assumed. Had consulted
she dictates Of prudence, would have
decnned to appear, in the capacity of q
paono speaker, before a community
which. In by-gone days. was accustomed
20 nang. with rapt attention, upon the
%oras OF prophetic wisdom and burning
eioquence which fell from the lips Of
Calhoun, Hayne, McDnffie. the two
Prestons, and other gifted sons of Sonth
Carolina; and, especially. wonid hava
avoided following 80 soon in the track nf
my friend and predecessor, General John
8. Preston, by whose finished and elo-
quent Grafton your hearts were thrilled
and your souls stirred to their inmost
depths ut your last annual meeting. T
have, however, vcntured to rely on the
Kind indulgence of my late comrades in
arms. trusting that they would overlook
the absence of the embellishments and
cruces OF oratory, on account of the faith
That Is IN me. must, therefore. can.
lion you that you are not to expect from
me brilliant or captivating address.
out must be contented with the frank,
outspoken sentiments and unyarnished
language of fellow-soldier.
Will not, gentlemen, before Won.
undertake to enter into o vindication of
the rlghtfulness of the cause for which
we fought; for that, take it for granted.
IS unnecessary on this occasion, and the
TASK has been performed by fur nbler
tongues and pens than mine. AS. how
ever, the action of our respective States
was somewhat divergent at the outset of
our troubles, it may not be inappro.
pirate fcr me to say few words to Won
on that subject. ,,,.
Iou must remember that, before the
war OF the revolution Of 1776. VIRGINIA
%lthout having any special grievances of
ner own to complain of at the hands of
the British Government, made common
cause with her sister colonies in the con.
met with the mother country, then i'm
pending; and when that conflict was pre.
ciPitated, If it was not mainly caused nv
the unwarranted turbulence of the peo-
Pie OF Massachusetts, and especially of
boston. she rushed 10 the assistance of
Massachusetts,, with men, money and
supplies. She threw all her resources
INTO the struggle, and the war, begun on
the soil of Massachusetts, was. snbstan.
TALLY, terminated on that of Viroinin
AS she came out of the revolution. Vir-
gina was comparatively strong, and was
possessed OF territory, in her own
right, sufficient for q mighty empire.
she was then perfectly capable of taking
care OF herself. She had declared haT
own independence. and established her
separate sovereign State government. in
advance OF the action of the Colonial
Congress. But, ono of hcr sons, Jeffer.
son; was the author of the celebrated
declaration by tie Congress; and an
othcr, Washington, had led the armies
OF the confederation to victory. She
was, therefore, very naturally inclined
10 roster and pcrpetuate the copfedera-
tlon. with the glories and triumpbs of
which she had heen SO much identified
For the sake of harmony, and to
strengthen the bonds of union between
the States, she surrendered, without
price, the vast territory beyond the
ONO. now the seat of i've States. which
was' lndlsputabIy, hers by right. When
IL was found that the old confederation
was liable to disintegration, from inter
nal causes. she proposed the convention
whose deilberations resulted in the for
natlon OF the Constitution of the United
States. That Constitution was in q
great measure the work OF her own
statesmen. It is true, that when it came
before her convention, its ratification
was oDstinseeiy resisted, and the dangers
OF an abuse OF its delegated powers were
foreseen and foreiold by some of Lcr
wisest and most patriotic sons, foremost
among whom, were Patrick Henry and
George Mason. 1t may not be out of
place to remark, here. that the elder
Lowndss stood almost alone, in the
South Carolina Convention, in opposi-
ton to the Constitution, for the very
same reasons that governed Henry,
Mason and their coadjutors. The strug.
gle was long and arduous in the Yirei-
MA Convention, but the Constitution
was finally ratified by majority. though
small one. Her grent SOD, Washing
ton, was unanimously elected the frs.
President. and under his auspices the
United States took position among the
most respected nations Of the world. In
his farewell address, on retiring to pri.
vate life, Washington commended the
union OF the States to the care of his
conntrymen, urging them to cherish IL
cordial, hnbitual and immovable attach
ment to it; nccustoming themselves to
think end speak of it as of the palladium