Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-08-22

oIhcE ptOpic CouAu cuSh " oSSuS
and such an event transpire; and
this was so because, as declared by
President Wilson in his address of
| welcome, AT the heart Of the men
Of the North and of the South there
was the same love Of self-government
and of liberty. Now we are to be an
instrument in the hands of God to
see that liberty Is made secure for
mankind. At the day Of our great
est division there was one common
passion among us, and that was the
passion for human freedom"
And this is the spirit OF the South
to-day. Here and there some dema
gogue may rise to assail the govern
ment. and a few unthinking or wrong
ly informed people are misled. But
this is only to be expected, for there
was never yet cause, however no.
BILE, that did not have its recreants
and its foes. Our war for American
independence had it's Tories, the
North had its Copperheads, and as Of
yesterday we may recall the words Of
President Davis, penned in great an
guish of spirit in February. 1864, in
his special message 20 the Confede-
rate Congress, as follows:
"While brigade after brigade Of
our brave soldiers, who have endured
the trials Of the camp and the battle
field, are testifying to their spirit
and patriotism by voluntary re-en-
lstment for the war, discomfort, dis
satisfaction and disloyalty are mani
tested among those who, through the
sacrifices Of others. have enjoyed
quiet and safety at home. Public
meetings have been held, in some Of
which reasonable designs are mask
ed by pretended devotion to State
sovereignty, and in others is openly
avowed. Conventions are advocating,
with the pretended object of redress
ing grievances, which. If they exist
ed, could as we'll be remedied by Or
dinary legislative action, but with the
real design Of accomplishing treason
under the form Of law. To this end
strong suspicion Is entertained that
secret leagues and associations are
being formed. In certain localities
men of no mean position do not hesi-
tate to avow their disloyalty and hos
tlity to our cause, and their advocacy
of peace on the terms of submission"
After three long years of patient
waiting and hoping against hope that
the course Of the imperial German
government would not become in fact
war against the government and peo-
pie Of the United States, on April Q,
1917, President Wilson was forced to
appear before Congress, and with
profound sense of the solemn and
| even tragical character Of the step
he was taking, and Of the grave re-
sponsibilities which it involved, but
in unhesitating obedience to what he
nightly deemed his constitutional
duty, advised Congress to declare
that the course Of the imperial Ger
man government towards the govern
ment and people Of the United States
was nothing less than war. Verify,
| it was distressing and oppressive
duty which ne that day performed,
knowing full we'll that there must be
many months, perhaps years. Of fiery
trial and sacrifice ahead of us. He
declared that it was a fearful thing to
lead this great. peace-loving people
into war-into the most terrible and
disastrous Of all wars-civiliZation it.
self being in the balance. AS a re-
ward for our neutrality up to the dec
laration Of war by Congress, 226
American citizens, many of them wo-
men tgld children. had lost their lives
by the action Of the German subma-
rines, and the challenge Of German
frightfulness was to the whole civil
tied world. A complete indictment
Of German policy must contain at
least ten probative counts against the
German Emperor:
/. He has set the torch of the in
cendiary to our factories, our work"
shops, our ships and our wharves.
Q. He has laid the bomb Of the as
sassin in our munition plants, and
the holds of our ships.
3. He has sought to corrupt our
| manhood with selfish dream Of
peace when there is no peace.
4. He has wilfully butchered our
| citizens on the high seas.
5. He has destroyed our COM