The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-13
THE GRAFTON AT THE FORT.
A Graphic Account of the Fight that
Moultrie Made.

iIIuduCu1, cuu thO AOoA VI AtA0Ao6
pests, near at. hand, shake the rocking
earth beneath her feet. A great crisis
approaches recalls the years that
are gone, marks we'll the footprints of
her .unexampled progress hitherto,
gathers fresh hope, faith and courage
new inspiration from the fountains,
whence all her greatness flows, ere she
goes forth to meet the future, and starts
again upon her onward march, as giant
refreshed with wine.
AS vet her soul is vexed and troubled.
Her children are moi at peace. a great
fratricidal war has swept over the land
the march of mighty armies, whose
mufaed tread shook the continent, mark
ing their awful progress with blighted
homesteads and tombless graves, and bat
tle-felds bathed in brothers blood-"a
track of grim desolation, of unutterable
ruin" 0ne-third of the States, battle
SCARED, scathed and blasted-their insti-
stitutions, consecrated by constitutional
recognition and guarantees, suddenly
and violently uprooted- their social order
subyerted-their capital obliterated-
their governments in stranger and hostile
hands-debased, corrupt and oppressive
PROSTATE before the conqueror the con-
quered lay.
s.Nor found generous friend, pitying foe,.
Strength In her arm, nor mercy in her woe"
The whole country infested with ruth
less demagogues, preying upon the vitais
of the State, "usurpipg all the functions,
only to violate all the ends of civil socie-
ty; the revenues of the Commonwealth,
q mere fund for the support of the vicious,
the profigate and the idle.n The grand,
yet simple, dignity of the Republic sup
planted by degrading and extrayagant
imitation of the Courts of Kings. The
people groaning under the burden of un-
5 exampled and ruinous taxation, trade
languishing, commercial credit failing,
mechanical industries paralyzed, manu-
factures pining, agriculture prohtless,
the commune threatening. These, the
baleful fruits of civil war, fostered and
fed by the malignant passions that yet
survive. .->-5s ~ ag>r n q
8 Not thus shall America face the COM
ing century. In this Centennial year
she bids her children go in memory to
the time when the Republic suffered the
pangs of birth, amid the clash of arms,
the rattle of musketry, and the thunders
of artillery, the shoutings of the captains,
and the din and roar OF battle. To-
gether, as prodigal children wasting 8
precious heritage, to turn to our fathers
house-to drink once more of the limpid
springs of the ancestral homestead-to
breathe It's pure atmosphere, to worship
at the old a1tars of liberty and patriotism
ito stand beside the graves of the fore
fathers, hand In hand, and heart to heart,
and there and thus renew the pledges OF
brotherhood, and receive an inspiration
for the great battle for the redemption
and restoration of American constitution
al liberty-the inalienable birthright OF
the American people. s. lJl
And so all over this fair land, from the
shores of New England, birthplace of
liberty, to Califofnia's golden sands
from Ontario's ideless sea, to the coral
reefs of the Southern Gulf, the great
American family, with mercy and peace,
and piety and reverence in their hearts,
celebrate this Centennial Of their liberty
and independent nationality.
And so do we, this day, the people of
South Carolina, in the name of our VEN
erable sires of the Revolution-the Rnt-
'ledges, the Pinckneys, the Middletons,
the Gadsdens, the Hugers and the Lau-
renses-of Moultrie, Marion and Sumter,
and their noble compatriots, on this
sacred spot, consecrated by their heroism
to the liberty, unity and fraternity of the
American people, welcome to our Pal
'metto State, with honest and true hearts,
our brethren and countrymen; our hon
ored guests, representatives of the land
of Otis, Adams and Hancock-of Hamil-
ton, Livingston and Jay-our neighbors,
friends and comrades, SONS of the young
est of the Old Thirteen, Georgia, the
great and gallant Empire State of the
South, and all our countrymen, who have
honored US by their presence, on this,
South Carolina's great festal day. She
bids you welcome, thrice welcome -greets
You as brethren and dfriends-and pledges
YOU an untarnished faith and honor, that
it shall not be the fault of her true sons,
native or adopted, if our common coun-
try be not the home of happy, free,
united and prosperous people, and her
career onward and upward, glorious and
triumphant forever. !.
speak to my countrymen; a South
Carolinian to Americans. Let your ends
be just; we ask no more. Together let
us obliterate the passions and prejudices
of an irrevocable and lamentable past ;
bind up its brsised and mangled victims,
and bury, deep in Lethean waters, all
but the memory of its brave and generous
deeds and grand achievements, COM
mon and glorious heritage ofthe Ameri-
can people. History teaches that the pas
sions and resentments of civil wars are
most eyancscent; oblivion wells their
errors and their crimes, and memory
cherishes their virtues and deeds of valor.
Rome inscribed upon her eagle-crowned
banners no record of civil conquest. 1t
was Charles Sumner, the great Senator of
Massachusetts, who commended to en-
l;ghtened Christian America the gene
rous policies of Pagan Rome. The heart
of the most loyal Briton glows with pride
in the iron rule of Cromwell, and reyeres
the noble virtues of Hampden and Sgd
ney. England's historian of to-day de-
clares that Washington and George the
Third were alike pure-minded that
"George the Third was never at heart a
tyrant, nor was Washington ever at heart
q rebel" No name upon the roll of
South Carolina's worthless of the Revolu-
ton is more highly cherished than that
of the martyr Hayne- victim of bloody
and revengeful policy; yet, of no act
Jono IN har nopoe in that eventfnl str1p-
gle is England more ashamed, than the
ruthless sacrifice of that young and gifted
life. Washington's administration was
the subject Of the most bitter invective,
and the fercest denunciations, and on
the day which terminated his official
career he deemed it necessary to vindicate
his character, as patriot and a states
man, from the most malignant and de-
grading aspersions.
The men of to-day, whose counsels are