Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-06
CHE Chester Gnnutg fair.
GRAFTON
SENATOR nj. G.. BUTLER.

SENATOR Nj. G. BUTLER.
DELIVERED AT
The First Annual Meeting Of the Chester Ag'
ricultural, Horticultural, and Mechan-
ical Association, October 20, 1879.
Order was called by Mr.. o. A. Wylie
President of the Society, when Senator Hamp
ton arose and said:
Ladies' and Fsllow Citizens: You have just
heard from the President of the Society, that
to me has been assigned the pleasing duty Of
introducing the distinguished gentleman who
is to address you to-day. / say the duty is
agreeable, but it is quite work of superero
CATION, as there is no place in South Carolina
where it is necessary to introduce Gen. Butler
On the battlefield and from the stump, and
in the council chambers of the Nation, he has
served his State and country with devotion,
zeal and fidelity, and feel that he is too near
the hearts of all the people, to render neces'
sary an introduction, but simply to present
him to you. .:
And now would only say one word in
behalf Of old Chester. have refused, du.
ring the year, to attend any meetings. or to
respond to any invitations outside of my own
State, desiring to mingle only among my own
people, and l come here to-day to greet you
in person and to thank you for the kindness
received at your hands. IF any word l
might say would have any weight with you,
! would appeal to you to stand as gallantly
and nobly as you have stood in the past. Let
no jealousies divide you, but 60 on as one
man, and subserve all personal feelings and
preferences to the public good. Work for the
good of your county, your State and your
whole country. propose to suggest no more.
l have come to look upon you again, and in
conclusion, can only wish for you all the
blessings kind Providence can bestow.
After the applause which greeted Senator
Hamptons remarks had subsidized, Senator
Butler spoke as follows: w
Ladies' and Gentlemen of the '& H.-
AgricUltuTdl, HoTtiexodrsll Gnd
Mechanical Association Of Chester !:
The honor you have done me in selecting
me to deliver the address at this, your first
meeting, is not merited by any knowledge or
experience that l may have in any Of the de-
partments fostered by your society, or any pc
culiar ability that possess for the duty as
signed me- I, therefore, conclude that | am
Indebted to the relations Of personal kindness
and friendship which | bear to seme of the
members of your society, and their personal
partiality, for the great pleasure l realize in
being your spokesman to-day.
Some of my earliest and pleasantest asso.
ciations were formed with men of your coun:
ty. My mind runs back over a period of
twenty-five years, and selects among the COM
panious of my earlier days. sons Of Chester,
York, Lancaster, Union and Fairfield coun-
ties, who were the most valued friends Of that
period. And it fills me with pride to remem.
Der, among the friends of maturer manhood,
some of the best men of the same localities.
The war brought to my side, or placed un-
der my command, soldiers of these counties,
who were worthy to have belonged to the
"Old Guard" of France, or marched by the
side of the invincible Grenadiers of Prussia.
So that I derive special qualification in COM
ing here to meet many of those companions
friends of other days-recall with sad pleas
ure "those who have gone before" and renew
acquaintanceship with your sterling popua-
tion.
Twenty-Five years ago! What volumes
are embraced in that eventful period A po-
litical and social hurricane has swept over
the land, demolishing old landmarks, des-
troying old idols, breaking up old associa
tions, crowdng into few brief years events
big enough to fill century. But there are
some things Of which the fate Of the revolu-
tion has not deprived us. Our country-our
honor-are as dear to US to-day rs when,
from a sense of duty, we drew the sword in
her defence, or sheatbed it because We thought
it best for her welfare.
The same invincible courage that struck
for her honor on the field of battle and elec-
tri6ed the civilized world, survives the great
struggle; and trust will sustain us in ma
king our country the abode Of law.abiding,
happy and prosperous people. We have the
elements and ability and means within our
selves, by the help of God, for achieving the
highest plane of civilized existence. But we
must utilize them. We must get out of the
auLo inauC " ooA s. auoioIASio Ill Ah@''SAo o6
ricultural, but preserve and initiate their
bright example and exalted patriotism in
matters personal. In the better days of this
old Commonwealth, she sustained a grand
race of men and women. They left US val
liable inheritance. Shall we meet the require
ments of our position and prove worthy Of so
noble an inheritance? Surely, no worthy son
Of such ancestry can hesitate to give an af-
irmative answer. l have traversed almost
every portion of the American continent, ex-
cept the Pacific slope, and have failed to find
any country superior to this. l mean this
country that we inhabit, between the thirty
second and thirty-ffth parallels of latitude,
with mean temperature of Cd degrees, and
an average rainfall of forty-eight inches. Il
There are places, perhaps, more attractive
to the eye; yield now more abundantly to
the hand of the husbandman where art and
human ingenuity have done more for the
comfort of mankind but show me land
where Nature has bestowed her blessings more
lavishly; where the soil is more varied or
more kind; where the temperature is more
equable and uniform ; the climate more health
full and genial and we'll regulated; the water
more paIatable and bountiful +; and the pro-
ductions of the earth more diversified, and
ali sufficient for mans wants
1t has been so much habit of late years
to hear ourselves belittled and underrated
our people abused, our institutions and hab
its traduced, our purposes and aims mis-
represented and our civilization malgned
- Of