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 as follows by his Honor:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY: 1t 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.
A great and oppressive load that for eight
long, weary years crushed our spirits, par
alyzed our energies and almost drove us to
despair has been lifted, and we breathe freely
again, with renewed manhood. strong in
hope, and with the resolute purpose to re-
store the old State to her ancient character
and dignity.
And yet, there is q feeling of sadness
softening and subduing these exultant an
ticipations. The hearty, the cordial grasp
of your beloved Whitner, so eminently
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
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
strove with him to build up this South
Carolina civilization.
need not urge you, gentlemen, to teach
your children to emulate these examples.
1 see all around me, every where go, how
these lessons have been inculcated. Fortu-
nately for us the children of these men were
old enough to be proud of the performance
Of their fathers and strong enough to main
tain the family reputation. These sons are
the working men of to-day and, in emula-
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-
Gus labor dignifes the occupation. 1t is
this that made our State great in the past ;
| it is this that will keep her great in the flu
| ture.
While congratulating you, gentlemen, on
| this agreeable change Of affairs, permit me
to warn you not to catch too eagerly the
spirit of progress now agitating the world,
and attempt to 60 too fast. Live economi-
cally; 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 to carry you
through the current year, and let the cotton
| crop be a surplus. In my experience the
corn planters generally had money to lend,
| while the cotton planters who went on the
/ in nrnHmHa
! much in cotton as would buy twice the
| amount of provisions they would need
were ever borrowing, worked lean farm an
imals and many of them came to 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-salubrious climate,
generous soil, magnificent water power
with the staple growing at the door. What
more do we want! With energy, will and
persistent labor, South Carolina can, in q
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'
lousy, eminently just. You must see thai
the laws are faithfully, firmly and imparti'
ally administered. In that box you know
no man, whether he be high or low, rich OF
poor, white or black; they are all citizen:
of the State and alike amenable to the law
| See that you make no distinction!
When we came home in 1865 our State
presented the very picture of desolation
Homestead, barns, machinery, fences, al
devoured by the flames. Horses, mules
stock of every description driven oil, NJ
money to purchase even the necessarlcs o
I;fo f,mipo Storad 1,s in the face and Dlacl
despair settled on the heart. declare t