Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08

US and live"
Colonel Walton, upon the departure
of his guest, retired to an inper apart
ment. His spirits, depressed enough
before, were now considerably more
so. Mingled feelings were at strife In
his bosom-doubts and fears, hopes
and misgivings-a sense of degrada-
tlon-a more unpleasant consciousness
of shame. The difficulties Of his Sit
uation grew and gathered before his
eyes the more he surveyed them; they
called for deliberate thought, yet they
also demanded early and seasonable
determination. The time allowed MIN
for decision by the ruling powers was
brief and the matter TO be decided in
volved, in addition TO the personal
risks of life and liberty, the probable
forfeiture of an immense estate, ana
the beggary, in consequence, Of an
only and beloved daughter. To save
these, in part, from what he conceived
otherwise to be inevitable ruin, ne
had originally laid aside his arms. He
was now taught, in the most impress
sive manner, the error Of which ne had
been guilty in yielding so readily TO
circumstances-placi himself so
completely, not only in the power OF
his enemy, but in the wrong; In haV-
ing foregone that fine sense OF ma
tional. to say nothing Of personal hon
or. without which the citizen merits
not the name, and has no real claim
upon the protection of his country.
This sacrifice he had made without
realizing, in its place, that very secur-
ity Of person and property, is pledged
equivalent, which had been the price
OF its surrender. Bitterly, In that mo-
ment Of self examination, did he re-
proach himself with the unmanly err
ror. Truly did he feel, by his present
situation, that he who submits to tyr
amy arms It; and by not opposing It,
weakens that power-better principled,
or with better courage than himself
which battles with 1t to the last.
The exigency grew more and more
involved the more he thought upon 1t.
He could see but one alternative left
. him,-that which he had already hint
ed at to Major Proctor. Of again lift
ing his sword: and, II compelled to
use II. of doing so for the only cause
which he could consider legitimate
that of his country. Yet, how hope
less. how rash and ill-advised, at that
moment, seemed the adoption of such
NIA ~
colony had all submitted; so 1t SEEM
ed, at least, in the absence of all op-
position to the advancing armies or
the British. They secured the country
on every side. They planted posts,
the better to overawe the disarected,
and confirm their conquests, in every
conspicuous or populous region; and
though tyrannizing everywhere with
reckless rule and a rod Of iron, the
people seemed to prefer lot so bur-
densome and wretched, rather than eX-
change it for a strife having not one
solitary hope to recommend 1t. Such
was the condition of things in Carroll
ma at the time of which we write, just
after the parting proclamation OF Sir
Henry Clinton, when, upon transfer
ring the southern command to Lord
Corvallis he adopted this mode OF
strengthening his successor by the
employment Of the native militia
Colonel Walton was not a coward,
but he deliberated carefully upon all
adventure involving peril in its prog
I'M in W
colony stood at that period were too
obvious not to force themselves upon
his consideration; and desperate and
degrading as were the requirements OF
the proclamation he saw no mode OF
escape from them. What II he drew
the sword? would he not draw ii alone?
Where should he find support? To
what spot should he turn-where
strike-where make head against the
enemy?-where. except in the remot-
er colonies, where doubtful strug-
gle was still Observation-Disclosures in
its results, and only exposing its de-
tenders there to the same fate he was
now about to encounter in his native
soil? The prospect grew brighter
short time after, when Sumter came
plunging down from North Carolina
with the fierce rapidity Of flame: when
Marion emerged from his swamps on
the Peedee and Black rivers, with the
subtle certainty which belongs to skill
and caution mingled with determined
and fearless valor; and when, like our
young partisan leaders, starting sud-
denly up, with their little squads, on
every side throughout the country,
prepared to take terrible vengeance for
the thousand wantonly inflicted suf-
ferings which their friends and fam
lilies had been made to bear at the
hands of their enemies.
Leaving his companion, Humphries,
comfortably cared for in the hail.
along with Miss Barbara Walton. the
maiden sister of the colonel. Single
ton proceeded at once to the apart
ment where his uncle continued to
chafe in his many bewilderments Of
situation. He found him pacing hur-
riedly along the room, his strides duly
increasing in length with the increas-
ing confusion of his thoughts. These
occasionally found their way to his
lips in soliloquizing speech, and now
and then took on them a shape
of passionate denunciation. Too much
absorbed for the time to notice the
appearance of his nephew. he contin-
ued to mutter over his discOntents'
and i'm this way conveyed to the major
q knowledge of his precise feelings.
The latter stood quietly at the en-
trance. for few moments, surveying
his uncle (himself unseen), and listen
ing to the angry CALCULATIONS. with
which, from time to time, he broke
the silence. to give expression to his
words. He listened with real pleasure.
y to