The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-21

liberty She published the names Of
her citizens who would NOT sign the
nen-importation' agreement. She re-
mitted 10,500 pounds to the Society
Of London for supporting the bill Of
rights in the protection Of the liberty
of Great Britain and America. And
her Rutledge, her Gadsden and her
Laurens came back with fire upon
their lips tc tell that they had heard
at Westminster the voices of Burke
and Chatham, Of Richmond and
Rockingham pleading the cause of
the. colonies, and declaring that cause
right and just.
The masses Of your people also
felt that larger pulse Of liberty, de-
veloped by the reformatory forces
which I have all too briefly and i'm
perfectly sketched; and amongst
these masses was strain of blood of
the noblest survivors of the Latin
race, who came in goodly numbers to
your shores after the revocation of
the edict of Nantes, and who in sub
sequent years gave to you so many
distinguished sons, but among them
none greater than the profound pub
licist and the learned jurist,. Hugh
Swinton Legare. But the temper and
character OF this people in those
stormy days can best be realized by
recital Of the cold figures of her con-
tribution to the revolutionary armies.
Into this army South Carolina gave
31,131 Of her sons, outnumbering
New York and almost Pennsylvania,
the former doubling and the latter
tripling her military population.
South Carolina was, therefore, no
uncongenial sol, to Thomas Sumter,
who came from Virginia to the High
Hills of the Santee about the year
I17e5; and it may be truthfully af-
irmed that your great State has re-
ceived into its life no nobler spirit
than that OF this man, who was born
in the county of Hanover, the birth
place Of Patrick Henry, and of Henry
Clay. and near the homes of Thomas
Jefferson, John Taylor and Edmund
Pendleton. He early drew his sword
for his native colony in the French
ond Indian wars, and witnessed with
washington the deserved defeat Of
/ the reckless Braddock,, thus school
ing himself for the arduous and brill
liant service afterwards rendered his
adopted State.
The beginning of the er6ing Of the
revolution is embraced within. the
four years from 1777 to 1871, from
Saratoga to Yorktown; period dur
ing which active war was transferred
almost entirely from the north to the
south. The early portion of this pc
Rod was most discouraging. Angus
ia and Savannah had fallen. Gen.,
Provost was marrying the country
with warfare Of barbarisn as only
a buccaneer Of his type could wage;
the disastrous and ignominious de-
feat of Gates at Camden saw the de-
struction Of cur second army within
three months; the Tories we're ruth
less m their atrocities, and the pa
triots retorted with unjustifable re-
prisals; the congress was a meddle-
some debating society, relying upon
words more than swords, hampering
Washington, and capriciously bestow-
ing its rewards; the treason Of Arnold
was striking dismay into the country:
waste and depression and poverty
were covering the land; money was
only paper and worth only paper:
and all combined to confirm the dec
laration Of Walpole that America is
at our feet"
JCl az lllIS lllAlS lllS Stt QSSIt NdS
assuming international connections
and complications beneficial to Amer
lea. Franklin had consummated
treaty between France and the colo
nies. Frederick the Great had not
only opened the port of Dantzic to
our cruisers, but had prohibited the
Hessian soldiers passing through his
dominion, thus summarily cutting off
this powerful source of supply to the
British army. These conditions to.
gether with the marvellous resiliency
Of the colonies. alarmed England, and
to the amazement and disgust OF
parliament, Lord North turned po-
iitical somersauJt, bringing in a pro-
gramme which if earlier presented |
and adopted had prevented or ended |
the war. Commissioners Of North's |
came to America Oily to |
find this mission SO belate6 as TO be
and completed their work