The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-05-21

to show what that verolct Will propao'y
be. It is a voice coming across the
waters, and anticipates, l think, the
voice of posterity.
"The grave old bard who never dies,
Receive him in our native tongue;
send th0e, but with weeping eyes,
The story that he sung.
Thy Troy has fallen--thy dear land
Is marred beneath the spoilers heel;
cannot trust my trembling hand
To write the grief feel.
On home of tears but let her bear
This blazon TO the end of time;
No nation rose so while and fair,
None fell so pure OF crime
The widows moan, the orphans wall
Are round thee but in truth be strong;
Eternal right, tho all things fail,
Can never be made wrong.
An angel heart, an angel mouth
mot Homer's) could alone for me,
Hymn forth the great Confederate South;
Virginia frst-then Lee"
Desiring to avoid oil topics purely
political, | would like, Notwithstanding,
to correct a grave popular error. Il
has been affirmed, and widely believed
that South Carolina began the war,
which eliminated in the late gigantic
"War between the States" This / hold
to be an error. 1t will be remembered
that the State passed its ordnance of
secession on the goth day of Decem-
Der 1860. At that time and alter it,
Fort Sumter and Castle Pinckney were
not occupied by Federal forces, but
were rightfully in the possession Of the
State. The right Of eminent domain
an the territory on which they rested
was in the State. The Federal govern
ment, however, through its President
claimed propergin the structures and
their sites. This claim was admitted By
the State; but she could not, under the
changed condition of affairs, concede
absolute jurisdiction over them to be in
the United States. This would have
been an abandonment of sovereignty
over o part Of her territory-which
would have been suicidal. Therefore,
on the 2lst Of December, 1860, the
State appointed three commissioners
to proceed to Washington, and treat
with the government there in relation
10 all chims, with power on fair ad-
iustmeut TO bipd the State for the pay
ment Of the last dollar, and ALSO to treat
for the continuance Of peace and amity
between this commonwealth and the
Cover nment at Washington.
Before their appointment, and be-
fore secession, but in anticipation Of il,
however, our members Of Congress then
in tina. city, on the 9th of December,
1860, had come to an understanding
with tho Executive branoh of the Fed
eral government, that neither party
should change the relative military
status in the harbor Of Charleston, un-
til South Carolina should have an op.
portuuity through accredited agents to
treat with the government at Washing'
ton en- MI the points at issue-in order
that collision might be prevented, and
peace preserved. On or about the 25th
Of the same month our commissioners
arrived in Washington, but before they
could communicate with the government
there, the understanding between the
parties was violated, and the understood
promise of the Federal executive broken.
The military status of the parties in the
barbor was changed, but not by South
Carolina or any of her people. On the
night Of the 26th of December, 1860,
Major Anderson, the Federal officer 10
command at Fort Moultrie, spiked his
guns, burned their carriages, made pre-.
paration for the destruction of the
fort, and transferred bis entire force
with munitions of war into Fort Sum-
ter-an unoccupied fortress within the
limits Of a power then foreign, and oil.
most in the very heart of its metropolis.
This was au armed and hostile invasion
| of an alien State at peace with his gov
ernment, and was on sct Of war. 1t
was the beginning Of that great strug-
gle we sought persistently to avoid.
Without this invasion, peaceful solu-
ton of the question might have been
attained but with it unrepudiated, as
tho United States knew full well, such
solution was impossible. Notwithstand
ing this act of war, so anxious was the
State to avoid bloodshed and arrest
further acts Of hostility, she reerained
from attacking the fort and suffered
her commissioners to remain in Wash-
iugtou, still hoping to restore the pre-.
vious condition of affairs in the harbor
and to obtain By pegotiation peaceful
settlement of all issues with the govern
ment there. But all was in vain.
Again, on the 9th of January, 1861,
before any violence had been done by
tho State or its citizens, the Star Of the
West, federal vessel containing armed
men with provisions and munitions of
war, appeared in our waters to reinforce
Major Anderson, who had already in
vaded the State, although he was per-
mitted to obtain from the city of Char
lesion whatever of provisions he needed
for his garrison. We fred on this YES
sel as it was our right and duty to do,