The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-13

Ee gave: "Their eighty-eighth anniversary
worthy of their past, and filed with encour'
aging hopes for the future"
: First Yice-Presldent E. b. Frost, IN re-
spending, gave: THE City of Charleston, at
length in the hands Of her own people. lfshe
fails of success 1t will be from want OF ner OWL
effort"
Alderman sweegan briefly and appropriate
| " responded to this toast He SAID the pres
ent city government were working, and in-
tended to work solely for the good OF Charles
ton. They had cast aside all private fee1og,
and hoped I'd do Justice to all. Like homes!
countrymen they said, "anylhing we can do
for we folks at home, you may look for our
vote" Letthe young men of Charleston only
initiate the virtues and example of their ante
bellum predecessors, and all would be well.
Second vlce.president F. j. Porcher then
gave "South Carolina, our cherished mother;
though ground to the dust by corrupt and
dishonest government, yet her fair name re-
mains untarnlshed.
To this the Hon. A. G. Magrath responded
as follows:
i REMLRXs OF THE HON. a. G. MAGRATH.
Irise to make response to the toast you
have announced, with emotion OF no common
| kind. 1T brings to me rec0llect!ons which
press with all the force OF the realities OF
| former days, and reviyes events Wnlcn nave
| long been buried In the depths Oh memory
that had no voice. 1t is sad Office for me " "
| sneak of my State as that State was when, 10
other days, as one Of the most humble. out
not the least loving of her sons, | endeavored
| with what ability had to discharge whatever
service she required from me. Since linen the
wave of revolution has swept over her terri
| tory; her fields have been desolated; her cas-
| ties levelled; her treasures wasted, and her
sons, than whom none lived more devoted,
have lett Their bones to whiten many battle
fields. War, like the fire oil the prairie, has
| left its broad mark on every portion oil her
| domain. It has changed all-everyihlng. IL
needed but that our language should be other
| than 1t was, and than 1t IL, for thar change 70
have been the most wonderful that's told OF
any people. In the great economy OF tnls
| life It is left, however, TO US. who nave been
permitted to survive, to uRderstand With what
| light we can best secure, the moral of which
we have been and are the sab}eot. Z
do not profess .,Ahere or, now q TO give
to it point. lit nayilbe, N will ,!be
only when, with the Lapse time, the pas;
sions, which hayetsen deeply aroused. wifi.
there be qule;ed, when others besides those
who played their part In. the scenes OF that
great drama will have passed away that q
final Judgment will be rendered, and the
record be made up for all lime OF the rise, pro-
gress and. close Of that contest which con-
V1ised this nation. Nor was 1t here only mat
In its progress, and while its result yet hung
In the balance, that the contest was watched
with deep and Intense interest.nN'The as.onsh-
ed gaze of the civilized world was not for
moment Withdrawn from the anxious contem-
plation of the exhaustless resources It. pre-.
sented, and the great consequences IL IN
volved. And even from our little state tne
high wrought devotion Of those who had en!
listed In that cause taxed their ingenuity Iltn
providing means Of aggressfoniand defence;
and these have exercised their influence upon"
The nations of the world in the adoption or
Improvement of the weaponsfo warfare.
10 that South Carolina every son OF hers
may turn with feelings Of honest pride.
Whether she was wise or not; W9etner sae
counselled with prudence and moderation or
not none have questioned The truthtuiness OF
her course, or lhe honesty OF, her purpose.
Let those who so choose ayjshe was rasn; tnal
she misjudged the measure OF the wrong Of
which she complained, or miBtook the remedy
she proposed. These are NOS matters WHOM
I can again discuss. But let none say-for
none can say 30 lruthfully-tnat she was not
honest In the belief that sue was right, as none
can gay that she was not earnest III maintain.
Ing II. 1t Is in that past That we Can turn ~
her with pride and admiration. That past,
which tells the story of the favored colony OF
Britain putting aside every selfish considera-
| ton and joining In the struggle With her sls-
| Ter colonies for their Independence. That past,
which tells the story OF her quick resentment
| because of the insult offered 10 the Union oil
which she was part, and OF the promplness
with which she led the way 70 the war arc 9I Sn, tSiI
| That past, which prompted her to SEND torln
| her sons to Mexico. That pasI,. which chron-
| icles no peril to the country which her sons
were not prompt 10 repel; no honor due 10 II
which they did not as promptly assert.
| 30 speak, with no Vainalorlou5 or ooastlul
purpose. so speak, because these things are
written In lmperishable records which Will last
as long as time, aud which no one can IN any
wise question or affect. 30 speak, because
thew constitute in part her claim now for JUS
tlce. For That justice which Is the right OF a
people, or an individual, when motive - made
y question. For that justice which Is due 10
the dead; for this State as 1t was, and as u was
| known to most OF us VINO are nere-tnat olate
is dead.
But it Is not because We mourn the loss OF
her children, her wealth, her ancient renoWn;
1t Is not because atly and well we can turn
with sorrow to the loss OF all tnat IN former
DAYS made our State, as 1t then was, the object
forget that for us who live, and live within her
limits, aud live with the recolleclions OF the
past still fresh and present to us, there have
also arisen new dulles and new responsloili-
ties. That past should give US purpose aud
strength to gain that future, which even now
| Is before us, and seems to stretch back 10 us
| its hand to help us as we struggle TO reacn lt:
| That inture to me seems, as plainly as II II
were revealed 10 us In language, to give TO us
assurance of that material development which,
fairly accomplished, will give to us new exls-
| tence; which will be to us recompense TOR
what we have lost. 1t will come as surely as
we-will strive for II; and it will come to US as
the'resut of that commercial spirit which This
| Chamber Is organized TO foster and support.
| No one is less disposed than am to mis-! AXE
the true character of the great disadvantages
under which we suffer. No one is less in
cllned than am to fall in just appreciation
| of the difficulties which we must overcome.
But no one is less willing than am to ex'
clude from its just considerations the adVan-
tages we have In the effort to secure Tor our
State prosperity for It's people, aAd with that
| O just and honest government. And THESE
will come IL The order in which have stated
them.
have no inclination 10 dwell upon the mis-
government which has Ia this State been 30
Completely exposed. Intend to allude 10 1t
no farther than 10 say that 1t Is fast Fastening
| an issue which will be simply characterized as
that Of right against wrong; OF truth against
falsehood; of spolialion against all that is
sanctihed as OF public or of private right.
| For long and weary years we nave oeen si.l-
fering, until the issue so mace up snait 9e