The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-09
gqE|E;TEEg & "a lElllIEl., / N.
GOV. MANNING's2 FAREWELL TO
TiIE NA.rION.AL GUARD. !
Governor Expresses Confidence I'm
south CarOlina's TrOOps-TcIls OF
Effort to Secure Early Movement to
y, b0rdta>-rTO Visit Camp, I'm Tcxas--
: Warmly Grectcsl. ,u

EhOrt to Secure Early Movement Ia
l. BOrdsr-~T0 Visit Camp I'm Tcxas--
Warmly Grectcl. Ia. q, 81 >.4
camp Moore, StyX, Aug. 6.-0oy.
Manning arrived in camp today short.
~ before ! o'clock and his farewell
talk, as commander-in-c chief of the
states armed forces. was. delivered
from the handstand near the First
regiment. Het was cordially. greeted
py the men who had been marched ia
the stand for the address. Tho gov
ernor in his talk described his efforts
In the Interest of the National Guard
OF South Carolina. Thc health and
comfort OF the men, he said, had been
his first consideration.
The following is the farewell ad-
dress of Gov. Manning to the National
Guard:
"Oflcers and Men of the National,
Guard' of South Carolina:
l. was unwilling. when the order
came for the movement to the border
to allow you to leave South Carolina
without a word of farewell from me. /
Zee! my men. deep interest in your
ofncers and men. That interest has
peon an abiding one with me.
Il want to- say to you that when
became governor. when this organiza-
tion had been lisbandcd by INV prede-
cessor. first investigated that mat
ter. and / determined after investiga-
tion that the order iisbanding the Ma
tionais Guard was null and void ana
illegal and of no effect. Ilrestored the
National Guard to its place In the
government of South Carolina. and I
say to you that there is no branch
that Z regard with greater interest
than that branch Of State government
which Is filled by the National Guard,
both in it's officers and men. And they
have justified that interest and ,es-
teem which put upon them.
When the order came for mo-
bilizatiQn of our troops there was no
man in the National Guard who failed
to respond to that call for service. You
have responded like men, and / have
felt, after you came here. great inI
terest In looking after your welfare.
You became rsstless here and were
unwilling to stay here. I took the
matter mp with the department In,
Washington. wrote to the presi-
dent and wrote to the secretary of
war and urged that the National
Guard of South Carolina be sent to the
border You knoY what the result of
that was. 1t camein an order that not
until yen were Sauipped 10 the fulr
War strength would you be allowed
to go.
Last Sunday when / was here
felt that this situation could not con.
tinue. On last Tuesday I sat down
and wrote letter to President Wood
row Wilson and ! also wrote a let
ter to the secretary Of war and let
tors to other members of the cabi-
net. placed these letters in the
hands of q personal representative;
put that representative on the train
and sent him to Washington and told
him not to leave there until the or
ders were issued and on Thursday L
got telegram that everything was
arranged and that the troops would
be sent to the border. and that order
came to you on Friday. M
Il want to tell you that when 1
took that action felt that was do
ing not only what YOU wanted me to
do, but felt that was doing what
want was good for the. reputation aid
character of the State. am confident
Of it.
II want to remind you of the his
tory that stands back of you. When
l asked the secretary of war that the
South Carolina regiments be designat-
ed as The Palmetto Regiments it
was on account of the excellent rec
ord that the Palmetto Regiment
| made in the War with Mexico in 1916.
II hope that war may be averted
| now. but know that If you are called
upon for actual war at this time
you will acquit yourselves like men,
like the patriots and soldiers that you
are.
1t Is not my purpose to make you
long speech. l simply was unwill-
Ing for you to leave here without a
word of farewell from me and 1 bid
you that word Of farewell now.
II expect to go to Texas in Sep
tember or the carly part of October,
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