Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-24


main peacefully at home, or join the
American standard, as you may pre-
fer"
You speak in kindness, colonel, and
1 hope you will not think I meet 1t
rudely in saying that this good rifle Is
all the pardon / need. AS for Joining
the American standard, may think of
that when forget the wrongs 1 have
suffered at American hands"
That there has been wrong on both
sides, I know; but surely those who
are in arms against their country could
not expect to be treated very lenient-
ly."
Your historians, colonel, will tell
one story, and ours another. If you
succeed, yours will be believed-if we
triumph, you will be the traitors. The
Judgment of posterity, therefore, upon
our motives, will be worth just moth
ing at all; but II an account OF the
facts could be written precisely as
they are, an impartial jury would say
that we have been at least as much
sinned against as SHINING. Take for
instance, the case of Bill Jenkins, un-
der whose roof you slept last night. At
the BEGINNING Of these troubles, he
was just married, and there was not a
more quiet, orderly, industrious young
man in the colony of New York. He
believed honestly and conscientiously,
that King George was entitled to his
allegiance, and refused to join the re-
bellion. This subjected him to insult,
and after awhile, to worse. He was
dragged from his bed at night, tied to
tree, and lashed like a condemned
thief, until the blood ran down to his
heels. His young wife, who was far
gone in pregnancy, looked on the hor-
rible scene till she tainted, and died
the next day. in giving premature
birth to the child she bore. Do you
wonder that from that day Bill Jenkins
became a house-burner and a murder
er? Do you wonder that he forgot to
distinguish between those who had
wrongGd him and the party to which
they belonged, and inflicted vengeance
on all alike?"
No; but his is an extreme case;
there are very few who have his ex-
cuse."
Not many, perhaps, who have suf-
fered so much; but all of us have suf-
fered in some way, and all Of us have
more or less to avenge."
Your way of stating the case is a
strong one, Mr.. Durand, when address,
ed to the ignorant and the unrefiecting
but a man Of your education and intel
ligence must understand that this Is
not a personal quarrel. 1t is question
of freedom-of freedom for the whole
land, and for our whole posterity.
There may be a dozen, or ten dozen, or
ten thousand bad men among us, who
commit wrongs and outrages upon
their fellow-men, in the mere wanton-
ness of cruelty; but that does not affect
the justice of the cause any more than
the bad conduct of a thousand hypo-
critics impairs the sanctity Of the
Christian religion. You have no more
right to take up arms against your
country, because a Whig has robbed
your house. than you have to desert the
cause of Christ, because a processing
Christian has cheated you in trade.
You must remember too, that the
things of which you complain were, in
great measure brought upon your
selves. If you had taken sides, in the
beginning, openly and boldly, for your
country, you would not have been mo-
Tested. 1t Is no answer, to say that
you honestly believed your country to
be in the wrong. 1t is not a case for
reasoning about right or wrong. If
you saw a strong man beating your
mother, do not think you would trou-
BILE yourself to inquire what provoca-
ton she had given him. So, in this
case, your country is engaged in an
unequal war, and whether she is right
or whether she is wrong, the arms,
hearts, and swords of her sons are her
legitimate property. Before the wal
began, it was your privilege to use ar
gument, reason, and persuasion, If you
chose to prevent it from breaking out;
but when it did come, when the blood
of your neighbors and friends was
poured out like water upon their ma
tive fields patriotism. honor, manli-
ness, all demanded that you should
raise your hand on the side Of the op-
pressed"
We have no time now to argue the
point, colonel. and we should probably
be as far from agreeing, at the end OF
the discussion, as we are at this time
1t is not safe for me to linger here
Goodby, and if ever you should meet
my mother, tell her that her son obey
ed her commands and paid a part OF
her debt. Tell her also that l shall
keep on paying it, whenever a proper
occasion arises"
AT least" said Colonel Burr, eX-
tending a large seal ring as he spoke
lat least accept this, and promise me
that if ever you get into trouble yor
will not fail to let me know it,"
Gladly do l accept the ring" replied
Durand; but as for the promise OF
applying to you in any coming trouble
that may overtake me, you must par
don me for not giving it. 1t will de-
pend on circumstances, and of those
circumstances / must be the Judge"
Colonel Burr extended his hand-th'
sturdy outlaw almost crushed it in hi:
iron grasp; then, drawing his sleeve
across his eyes, as if to wipe away
something misty that had gathered
there. he turned his horse into the
wood and rode rapidly back toward
the Highlands.
Colonel Burr had not ridden far, af
ter parting with Durand before he me
a patrol of American horse. by whom
he was conducted to the presence o
the commander in-c chief The messag,
he delivered from General McDougall
and his own remarks and observations
upon the state of affairs around New
York, were considered so importan
that General Washington immediatel!