The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-09-27

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tlons. The dispute upon the points
waxed warmer and warmer. The
sword was called in, and under it's
red arbitrament many a brave, and
true, and knightly soldier laid down
his life in support of his conviction.
What might have happened, my
friends, had prudence and not passion
ruled the hour, it is useless for us to
say now. The statesman looks to the
past perils of his country simply
that he may guard against them, and
the prayer and work of the patriot
should tend to the same end. My
friends, speak for the South. We
OF the South have had not only
enough, but too much of war.
(Laughter) We seek peace. We
come now to plead in the interest of
peace, and it is for peace that am
before you to-day. (Cheers) Can
you doubt, my friends, that the
South wants peace2 Go look at her
ruined fields, the misrule under
which she has lived for twelve years,
and you will doubt no longer. Do
you men OF Illinois doubt her SINGER.
ity2 She has been charged with
faults, bnt among these taults her
worst enemies have never said she
was hypocritical. or that she spoke
with double tongue. Impetuous,
rash, sbo may be, but, thank God,
false, never. (Cheers.)
Do you want proof OF her sinceri-
t!2 Look at the recent past, and tell
me, if you can find sympathy more
conclusive than is given by her Con-
duct. Need | tell you to look back
to those trying days when tho Pres
identia' contest was unse tic 2 What
was the course of the South then?
Governor Hampton alluded to the
possibility of a civil war, had not
the South stood firm for peace, and
said: | tell you men of Illinois, and
[ speak not rs a Dcmocrat--I don't
know and don't care whether | speak
to Democrats or Republicans, | speak
as an American to Americans, and
say to yon, tooday, You owe debt of
credit to the people Of the South
(cheers) in Congress-, to what some of
the North have called the Conteder-
ate brigadiers. They prevented til-
lAbustering, and stood by the result
Of the E ectoral Commissions work.
During the recent strikes and riots,
too, she evinced her feeling by up
holding the laws and standing conc
servative.
She has given bonds of late to
preserve the peace, and she wants
peace. She wants you, people of the
North, to understand her condition.
She wants you to realize precisely
what she accepts as the result of the
war. She wants you to understand
the motives which have actuated her
not only before and during, but since
the war. |, for myself, my friends,
have no concealments to make for
the past. | have taken part in the
war, nor would your respect for me
be increased were to offer any un-
manly apol 'gy for it. l did what
You did. obeyed the command of
my own State as you did yours; and
you, men of the North, were guided
by your own consciences, as we of
the South were guided by ours. And
l say to you that up to the beginning
of that war I used all my influence to
preserve the Union. (Checrs.)
was Union man. (Renewed cheers. !
l did all l could to preserve it. I did
all l could to avoid war, and when
South Carolina called her sons, as
Illinois called hers, I obeyed her
command. And, mon of Illinois. I
fought you as long and hard as |
conld, and L have no apologies to
make for it. Cloud cheers and Iauob