The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-07-20

CIVIL and constitutional liberty be-
queathed TO us by our fathers. Do
we not owe n moro sacred debt TO our
!, posterity than to our anccstors?-
Their ancestors fought n century ago
on yondcr sea girt island, under flag
whercon was inscribed the word
"Liborty," and we shall prove false to
Tho blood that flows in our veins, if
VIC tail to maintain tho principles for
which thoy fought. You look back
with just and honorable pride to the
heroic achievements of your fathers,
which have boon told to you TO day
in glowing and eloquent words by nv
gallant and distinguished friend, who
has bad tho good fortune and the high
mort to add fresh lustro to his hiss
toric namo and you can Justly claim
Tor our State, small as she is, n full
share OF all the glory won in peace
and in war, by the whole country
Though now, alas! "scattcrod is her
might and shattered is her shield"
Carolina can proudly point to the
namos Of her illustrious sons whose
craftsmanship, whose genius, whose
eloqucnce, and, sir, whose patriotism,
despite the slurs cast upon it, havo
illustrated the brightest pagos in
Amrican history. When England tried
TO cocrco Massachusetts, South Caro-.
lima, with no direct interest in the
quarrel, and with ovcry inducomenL
To link her TO tho mother country,
was the first Of tho Colonies to ca.
pouso tho cause of her sister province,
and the Representative of Massachu-
scLJs who arc with us to night, re-
mcmber, am suro, that this State, by
It's generous donation Of munitions of
war, aided Washington in driving tho
British from Boston. Through all the
dark years Of our Revolutionary
struggle, whom our State was ovorrun
by tho enemy, its Capital in his hands,
many Of its best citizens languishing
in prison ships; when murder, rob
bory, arson, and confiscation, oamo
upon its inhabitants, tho fro ofliberty
was never cXtinguished for tho namos
Of her immortal patriots of 1776, still
lives in song and story; and Kings
Mountain. Coupons, and Eutaw, vet
recall some OF the prOudost memories
OF tho Revolution We sec by tho
presence Of honored guests from all
sections OF tho country, how profound
is thc reverence paid 10 the momory
Of the gallant defenders OF Fort MouI-
Lrlo whom we honor This day, and we
would fain hopo that when these
guests of Carolina return to their own
homes in States more favored by good
government than our own, they will
aid in bringing back to our people all
the hlessin rs that follow we'll regulat.
cd Constitutional shorty. TO this
traternal work, ALL caro- not in
what school their politics wcro taught
or in what Cline their sympatbies
were nurtured-can contribute la,ge>
~. Ofyour sympathy, our kipsmen
or the South, Wc arc sure; Tor not only
arc you bound to us by tho natural
ties of blood, but you have undergone
and triumphed ovor these evils under
which we now groan. TO you, men
of tho North, we turn with an assured
confidence, strengthened by your
presence on this occasion. That you
will carry back to your distant homes
seeds gathered on this Southern SOIL
which in duo time will bring forth
good fault abundantly. We ask you
TO report us, not rs you have hoard of
US, but as you have found us. A mis-
conception Of tho true feelings of tho
South has boon tho most fruitful
source Of tho evils that distract tho
country; and to remedy this, let mo-
rs n representative in part of these
bravo men from this State, who so
often mot tho mon Of tho North in
battle, givo to you thoir viows, as
looked at from our standpoint; for
until you can understand tho motives
that actuaLod us, you cannot appro-
ciatc either our conduct or our prin-
ciplcs.
Our political teaching had impress
sod upon us for nearly century that
we had tho right 10 resume at pleasure
the powers and tho authority dcle~
gated 10 the Federal Government, and
we exercised this privilege, believing
honestly and in perfect faith that we
had the right to do so. If proof of our
sincerity be needed, you will find it
wrtton in letters of blood, in the re~
cords of our State. With a voting
population Of 10000, she contributed
more than that number to tho South
orn army, and 10000 Of hor sons gave
their lives for tho cause in which they
fought. How they fought it is not for
mo to say, but / assert in perfect truth
and sincerity, that they fought hon
estly for what they held to be right.