The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-06-15
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tleman, a most accomplished scholar
bold thinker and speaker, a grace
full and forcible writer, and convers
ant with the French and classica
languages. When he reach France
he found himself trifled with and de-
layed by Vergennes.
Laurens's Bold Stroke.
3sBut the Gordian knot of policy, il
not to be united by the philosophical
fingers of Franklin, could be cut by
the Alexandrian sword of Laurens
Convinced that procrastination must
be fatal to the American cause, he
declared his purpose to Franklin tc
appeal from the minister directly tt
the king. This was in defiance of al
routine and etiquette. Franklin We
hemently opposed the proceeding
and anticipating very unfavorable
and unfriendly result, told Laurens
that he washed his hands of the con
sequences This did not discourage
the latter, and at. the very next gen
eral levee, when Laurens's turn fol
presentation came, instead of simply
exchanging a passing courtesv with
the monarch and passing on, he stop
ped short, and addressed the king in
French, while he presented the me-
mortal of congress and the letters o1
the great Washington. His conclud'
ing words were very emphatic:
Sire said he, should the favor
sought for by my country be denied
or even delayed, there is great rea'
son that the sword which I wear al
my side, as the ally of France, may
then be drawn against your majesty
as that of British subject
King Taken by Surprise.
'"The king, for the moment, was
confounded, and showed much agita
ton. The surprise was complete
The novelty of the proceeding, the
grace of the speaker, blended with
so much. exquisite dignity and force
his courage and eloquence, were well
calculated to excite surprise. The
king received the memorial and let
ters; and the application was crown
ed with success. Men and money
armies and vessels, a navy, and the
munitions of war, were promptly fur
nished, and the independence of the
United States, from that moment
was un fait accompli! The admira
ton of the king, for this bold young
ambassador, was testified in the gif
of his own portrait, one of the high
est compliments at that day paid tt
an ambassador by great monarchs
with it's Incompatible setting in gold
and diamonds. Laurens sealed his
devotion to his country with his life
''He had led the storming g party
which was successful, at the crown
ing triumph of our armies, in the tax
ing of Yorktown and the capture O.
CORVALLIS and his army, and died il
battle, in a skirmish, at the very Close
of the war, on the banks of the Com
bahee.
The Box Raffied.
cit is sad to think that his de
scendants should now, in this hour o
general tribulation among us, b.
compelled to part with this venerable
and valuable relic of great time ant
great men. The box is now offered
in Baltimore, under the auspices o
William Brown & Son, to be raf1et
as soon as a sufficient number o
shares shall be taken at $40 each, t.
realize a sufficient sum to keep i
from sacrifice. Three thousand dol
lars have been offered for it by sin
gle individual, but refused. Fiv
thousand dollars, it is expected, viii
result from it's being raff1ed. Wha
we could especially wish is that thi
beautiful relic of the Revolution ma
still be retained within our State
and, while passing out of the hand
of the family, shall still become a.
heirloom, the wonder of futur
times, in the home of some other an
worthy citizen. Surely there may b
found in South Carolina some fit
or a hundred citizens willing to tax
their chance in the desire to obtal
so beautiful and precious memoria
illustrative of such history. New
and Courier.