Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-09-01
Never Surrender.

General Taylor, at the battle of Buent
Vista, when the fortunes of the day wer,
wavoring in the balance, received, under 6
flag of truce, demand to surrender
Seated on his horse, he instantly wrote the
following reply, aud handed it to the cou.
rier, "Gen. Taylor never surrenders." II
was his business to fight, not to surrender,
aud he proposed to stick to his duty,
although hard pressed by superior nun bers
and with the chances apparently against
him. He did fight and gained the victory
against fearful odds. A resoluto will and
iicm purpose, With the consoiousn ess
Of right and justice, and a determination
to fgh it out, has gained many scemingly
hopeless battle, not only on tho bloody field.
but in the business affaira Of everyday life.
Those against US may be more than those
that are for us, but doubly armed is he that
hath lis quarrel just, aud right sometimes
prevails against might. Tho race is not
always to tho swift nor tho battle to the
strong.
Life, in fguratiye, and often in real
sense, is represented as conflict, and the
forces of nature seem to maiutaiu their
equilibrium in the character of opposing
and antegonistio elements Conflict and
contact arc the secret springs that keep the
world in motion aud prevent its physical
and moral stsgnation. Competition, even
sometimes fierce and bittcr, is said to be
the life of trade, and it may, with truth,
be said to be the life of almost everything
elso. Many on enterprise has gone down
by being let alone too severely, while others
have. succeeded and Aourished in proportion
to the strength and persistence of tho op.
position they had to encounter. Many q
man has conquered himself and gone TO
the wall in foolish aud futile attempt to
crush out some QUO else whom ho may con
coive to be in his way. Tho bitter draughts
we 80 carefully mix for other lips are some
times, by the hand of 6ekle fate, pressed
to our own. 1t is said that Bowie wus
killed by stab from his own knife 10 tho
hand of former friend, and the man that
invontod the guillotino lost his own head
by it; and let those who would play the
same game profit by their example.
brought to the surface, and much Of hero
ism, energy and courage into lifo and ac-
tivity by conflict aud opposition. 1t is
circumstances that mako men and unmake
them, and he that has tho wisdom and
boldncss to seize upon his surroundings
and press into service the incidents of the
hour, will fnd himself, even under the
most untoward circumstances, victorious in
tho end. A skillful general, after capturing
the enemy's guns, will often turn them
against him and slaughter the retreating
enemy with his own weapons. And thus
it is with energy and enterprise when
properly directed and backed by right and
justice. They can press into service and
turn to coed account tho very implc.
ments and elements which we're designed
for their destruction.
Maloe and envy arc unreasonable In
their demands and unoompromising in their
efforts to establish and build up their rick.
ety fabrics upon tho ruins Of others; but
in this they arc often thwarted in the end
Blinded by avarioe and selishness, thoy
often calculate without their host, and shoot
wido of the mark they intended to strike,
and their hasty and misdirected blows re
bound upon their own heads. There is
something noble in the honorable ambition
which inspires desire to excel by fair and
Legitimate means, but that spirit Of ioono.
olasm that aspircs to nothing higher than
pulling down others to It's own dminutive
lcvel, argues little mind and soul which
is stranger to the nober and more gcner-
GUS impulses Of humanity. There are men
that one might think some of nature 8
journeymen had tried their prentice hand
upon-they oarioatured humanity 80 abom
inably.-I'almetto Yeoman: