The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-12
Circuit Court,

The June term of the Court of General
Sessions and Common Pleas for Anderson
County convened on Monday last, Judge A.
P.-Aldrich of the Second Circuit presiding
The commission of the Judge was read in
open Court and spread upon the minutes
after which the Grand Jury was called and
charged Us follows by his Honor:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY: It is
very pleasant to meet you under present
circumstances, and to observe the evident
signs of prosperity and thrift that greet the
eye all along the lines Of roads leading here
great and oppressive load that for eight
long, weary years crushed our spirits. Dar
aiyzed our energies and almost drove us to
despair has been lifted, and we breathe freely
again, with renewed manhood, strong in
nope, and with the resolute purpose to re-
store the old State to her ancient character
and dignity.
And yet, there is feeling of sadness
soitening and subduing these exultant an
of your beloved Whitner, SO eminontly
worthy OF your highest respect and esteem
Is not here to greet me as in the good old
days when South Carolina was the synonym
of patriotic virtue. generous hospitality and
high honor. How rapidly are these types
OF the OLD gentility passing away! But q
few remain; here and there we see one
lingering on the verge of time waiting pa
| tiently and with dignity the summons that
will call him to join the companions who
strovcc with him to build up this South
Carolina civilization.
need not urge you, gentlemen, to teach
your children to emulate these examples.
see all around me, every where I 20. how
these lessons have been incuicated. Foriu-
| nately for us, the children of these men were
ola enough to be proud OF the performance
or their fathers and strong enough to main
tam the family reputation. These sons are
the working men of to-day and, in ernula-
ting the example of their ancestors. will
plant in the hearts of their children the
seeds OF virtue and honor, to preserve
through all time the ancient reputation Of
their State. Our young men and Young
women are not ashamed to work. Virtu.
ou3 labor dignifies the occupation. 1t is
:h:s :aac i:lad0 Our State great in the, past !:
IL ls Ihls that Will keep her great in the flu
| While congratulating you, gentlemen. on
TINS agreeable change of affairs, permit me
10 warn you not to catch too eagerly the
| spirit OF progress now agitating the world,
ana attempt to go too fast. Live economi.
| c4lly be always "a span within your in.
come" and you will always be able to DEFY
! the Sheriff or an adverse season. Make
your own bread and meat. have enough in
your barn. and smoke house 10 carry YOU
through the current year, and let the cotton
| crop be q surplus. In my experience the
1 - P..@ilSAo bSuclsAiiy iihu money TO lend
while the cotton planters who went on the
| theory that the acres in corn produce as
| much in cotton as would buy twice the
| amount of provisions they would need
were ever borrowing, worked lean farm an
lmals and many of them came 20 the Sher-
IFS block. AS Governor Vance truly said
at the last State fair, you will never prosper
| as long as you keep your corn cribs and
smoke houses in the West. God has given
us splendid country-salubriou climate
generous soil, magnificent water power
with the staple gro wing a. the door. What
more do we want? With fslcrgy, will and
persistent labor, South Carolina can, in a
few years, look back on this nightmare
| from which we are awakening, and rejoice
in her renewed and Increased prosperity.
But to do this we must be just-scrupu-
lously, eminently just. You must see that
the laws are faithfully, firmly and imparti-
| ally administered. In that box you know
no man, whether he be high or low, rich or
poor. white or black; they are all citizens
| OF the State and alike amenabie TO the law.
See that you make no distinction!
When We came home in 1865 our State
presented the very picture of dcsolation.
Homestead, barns, machinery, fences, all
devoured by the flames. Horses. mulcs,
stock of every description driven off. No
money to purchase even tho necessarics of
life, famine stared us in the face and black
despair settled on the heart. l declare TO