The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-09


swept away names of those they were in
tended to perpetuate.
In a political point of view he has a
reputation, and has assumed high posi-
ton which even the kings of the earth,
who sit upon their thrones surrounded by
all the splendor which royalty can give,
their palaces shining with precious stones,
and abounding in diadems and crowns,
sparkling with jewels and diamonds, do
even envy.
He helped to lay the pillars upon
which this mighty Republic has rested
for the last one hundred annual revoN-
tions of this earth, and formed nation
which has no parallel in point of success,
in the annals of history. Her flag floats
proudly and triumphantly over every sea,
and is not only respected but feared by
every nation upon this globe. This flag
has hoated upon the breeze of every
cline as the insignia of the free and the
home of the oppressed of all nations.
This is what the immortal George
Washington intended it to be; but I
blush tonight, and my cheeks are man
tied with shame, when am forced to say
that one of the original stars which form
ed that brilliant constellation of which
historians have proudly written, poets
have sweetly sung and orators have elo-
quently proclaimed, is dimmed by op-
preston and obscured by misrule. Ithas
been taken out of the hands of the de-
scendants of our Marions, our Sumters,
our Pinkneys, our Haynes, our McDuf1ies,
our Hamptons and our Calhouns, and has
fallen into the hands of a set of foul vul-
lures and cormorants, who are this night
feasting on its very hearts blood, and are
forcing burdens on US through the tax
gatherers, which would have made the
great heart of Washington beat tumul-
tuously and furiously, and he would have
sworn by the God that rules on high that
he would be free. The effects of their
misrule and dishonesty is felt and seen
by all, for our once happy and prosperous
State is now being ground to powder be-
meath the tyrant's wheel our academies,
colleges and universities are dwindling
into insignifcance; our villages, towns
and cities are becoming old and dilapi-
dated; our railroads are becoming dan
gerous and almost impossible, whilst
cloud of gloom and dependency, as dark
as Egyptian darkness overshadows our
once beloved and prosperous State from
the sea-board to the mountains, and a
swarm of carpet-baggers and scalawags
stalk at large like the demons of the in
formal regions, melting the Ignorant mas
ses to commit crimes so cruel and fagi-
tious in their nature, as ifit were possible
to make demons blush, or strike grating
ly on the sympathy of friends.
call on every honest man here to-
night to rally around the Democratic
banner, and not to be deceived by the
syren song of independent candidates,
or of reform in the Republican party, as
those are great rocks against which the
ship of State has been wrecked for the
last five years. But let US swear in the
sight of heaven tonight that we will re-
form this State during this great centen-
NAL year, and that we will be free, or
that the last sun that rises this year shall
shine upon our newly made graves. If
our State was reformed, and we had an
honest State government, bright and
glorious future would soon shine upon
us; our old fields and waste lands would
soon bloom like a garden; the hum of
machinery would be heard from all our
splendid water powers; villages, towns
and cities would spring up every where /;
academies, universities, colleges and
churches would decorate and beautify
our whole land; the silvery moon, the
gentle queen of night, while she forms in
order the brilliant stars which bespangle
the heavens, and hastens on in her ethe-
rial course athwart the skies, would shed
smiliugly her gentle and silvery rays
upon us, a prosperous and happy people !;
and the brilliant sun, the fiery king OF
day, as he rides in his heavenly chariot,
dispensing heat, light and blessings on
all mankind, would not shine upon a
better country than South Carolina.