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

GOV. MONTAGUES ADDRESS.
Grafton Delivered at the dwelling Of
the Monument to Gen. Sumter by
Hon. A. j. Montague, Former Gov
ernor OF Virgins.
Upon this interesting occasion it is
difficult to shut out of mind a realiz-
ing sense Of that dominant force
which so early gave power and iden-
tity to an American civilization, and
/ in behalf Of which the life we today
commemorate spent its austere pa
triotism and military genius.
The fifteenth century loosened the
quickening power of two mighty
events, akin in historic time and pur-
pose, the invention Of printing, and
the discovery Of America; the two
bringing new ways OF thinking and
new ways. of living, unto countless
Thousands, and bringing new and
structural concept of liberty unto the
civilizations Of the world.
Printing required time to socialize
| liberty, and a hundred years after
Columbus pressed his mailed foot
upon the torrid Bahamas might we'll
elapse in preparing the world for the
sturdy and progressive tread of Teu
tonic freedom upon the northern half
Of our hemisphere. So that when the
iAnglo-Saxon came to Jamestown in
1907 to establish and maintain them
selves and their institutions, they soon
found these institutions, and especial
~ those Of them that made most for
rational and ethical liberty, illumi-
mated as never before by the educa-
tive power Of printing, and energized
as never before the stimulating en-
vironment Of new world. A new ac-
tor, a new stage and new light had
suddenly, as runs the race Of civfli-
zation, burst upon the vision Of the
people of the world.
Liberty finds its concrete genius
and strength in local self-goyernment.
in constitutional sanctions and limita-
tions, in the guaranty Of equality of
individual opportunity, and in the
appreciation and practice ,f personal
and social responsibility George, the
Third. realized the secret sources Of
this bouyant and reforming force, and
quickly begun to lay upon it his op-1
pressive and heavy hand, only to be
met by the tactfu1, vigorous, and,
finally, revolutionary dissent Of his;
American colonies.
Injustice nearly always sowS the
seed Of justice. and tyranny nearly al
ways kindles the fame of liberty.
The law of relatiyity holds in the po-
litcal world. and the pendulum Of So
ciety Will swing back and forth. 50
the colonists were early conscious Of
their wrongs. and daring in expires
sions Of enlarged conceptions OF their
rights. Nathaniel Bacon, good hun
dred years before 1776, vas crying |
into the ears Of the royal governor Of |
Virginia some Of the Identical notes
which were to peal forth in the great ]
declaration-that governments were |
made for man, and not man for gov
ernments; and that all just gov |
ernments must rest upon the con-
sent Of the governed. From this time |
on the colonists WaXed and strength I
ened in the care AMI keeping IF these |
great politics. and grew restive. and /
defiant under the arbitrary exactions
Of the royal government.
South Carolina early and aggress-
iyelv stood for the substitution Of the
consent Of the governed for the Will
of an hereditary sovereign. Her voice
was potential in calling the first con-
tinental congress in opposition to the
stamp act. Her assembly quickly ap-
proved Of the resolves of this con-
gress in behalf of the "cause of free
dom and union" and boldly trans
mitted them to England. Her legis- J