Year: 1865

lenity. This is not to be endured from a
member, Of that Synod. ["Crics Of Cor
der, order"


The Moderator--The Speaker, DR.. Will
son, is simply following the course Of de-
bate INDUCED in by DR.. Lord, and replying
TO charge which has been made on the
floor. He will not be interrupted. He is
strictly in order


DIR. Wilson-It is strange, indeed, that a
brother who has once and again, and even
third time, dragged this matter into these
discussions; who seemed SO much affected
ut the horrible mention, and who made il
the basis of protestations the most vehe-
inent against any compromise with those
who held such atrocious scntiments--it is
strange, say, that this brother should call
me to order for simply appealing to the ev-
idence he has himself brought forward, to
disprove the charge he makes. If he was
the friend of DIR. Thornwell, one should
think he would gladly listen to any one who
should be able to show that the construc-
ton put upon his language was founded in
misapprehension and that plainly he did not
mean to sanction any thing of which a
Christian should be ashamed. But when
the brother objects to any attempt at such a
vindcation, and cries out 'order," one is
ready to exclaim, ''Is this thy kindness to
thy friend p


was about, Mr.. Moderator, to show by
an appeal to the document adduced here in
evidence that the charge referred to was a
most slanderous aspersion on the character
of an eminent minister of Christ. This
appeal now proceed to make. Listen to
what | shall read, and judge if what
have said be not true. begin at the place
cited by the brother himself, and which has
been published in the papers of this city as
'Justitying assassination -


public spirit will not have reached the hight
which the exigency demands until we have re-
linguished all fastdious notions of military ct
iquette, and have come to the point OF expell-
God has put in our power we are not lighting
for military glory; we are fighting for home
to display our skill in tactics and genernlship
we are aiming to show ourselves a free people,
worthy to possess and able % to defend the !, nsti ms
how the foe is vanquished, provided 1t is done :?
Because we have not weapons of the most ap-
our soil overrun, and our wives and children
driven from their homes, while we have other
Are we to sacrifice our country to military
punctilio? The thought is monstrous. We
must be prepared to extemporizc expedients.
We must cease to be charry either about our
weapons or the means of using them"


Here, sir, the quotation stops. 1t breaks
off in the middle of paragraph. Yet even
this, mutilated as it is, speaks no such Ian
guage as that imputed, nor could any but
the most distorted version discover in it
aught beyond the earnestness of one who
saw no hope for his countrymen but in the
most determined activity and courageous
devotion in the turning to account the most
imperfect instruments for defense kagainst
strong amp overwhelming foe. But l will
not rest here. Let the remainder of the
passage be attend to; it is plain and un-
ambiguous


The end rs to DRIVE back our foes. # we can
the common guns of the country; If they can
ss th Rtev VIII hs work r9d
is an effective instrument in a brave mans
hand we should be ready for the regular bat,
weak to stand an engagement in the open field,
we can way lay the foe and harass and annoy
him. We emust prepare ourselves for IA guerril-
la war. The enemy must be conquered. and
any method by which we can honorably do it
must be resorted to. This is the kind Of spirit
which we want to see aroused among our peo-
pie If we cannot meet the enemy in the plain,
we must betalSe ourselves to the swamps and
the mountains; from whcnc we can pounce up
on him at an unexpected moment. We must
initiate the prOwess of such patriots as Marion
Sumpter, and Davie"


This is the whole of it. This is the ex-
tract, the horrid nature of which was to
send the blood, chilling, back to our hearts.
A passage which urges to the use of no 9TH
er means and to the adoption of no other
methods of the defense of their country
than brore men might hoaorably adopt
Means and methods such as every body that
has read the story of the Revolution in his
First School History" and every cutiva-
ted reader, acquainted with Lossings Field
Book of the Revolution know full well
weere sanctioned and employed by those we
revere as heroes and patriots, in their death
struggle for independence. And it is upon
such testimony, thus garbled and disfgured
that so great and good man, however he
may have been mistaken or misled in Some
things, has been held up to the gaze of this
venerable Assembly and the mocking world
as counsellng the attrocious crime of assas-
sination, and as the associate and abcttor
tlemen forcibly reminds me of those old in
quisitors, of which l have read somewhat
in history who dug up the bones of the
servants of Christ, whose mighty logic they
dared not encounter, and whose burning ell
oquence they could ne ither initiate nor en-
dure, and scattered them upon the waves
or burned them at the stake.


But pass from this matter, which unwil-
lingly have been forced to notice and come
to the resolution before us. And first, Mr..
Moderator, | ask your attention to the point
of objection raised by the member, (Mr.
Morrison who opened this discussion. !
refer to the objection that there is no GER
tain standard of loyalty; 1t is as variant
as the seasons, and as uncertain as the
winds. 1t is as underlined as the horizon,
and those metes and boundries which some
times seem to mark out its extent and limi-
tations, like lines drawn upon the sandy
beach are obliterated by the next wave Of
popular caprice or rage that rolls in upon
them. The loyalty of yesterday has become
the disloyalty Of to-day; and the loyalty of
to-day will be branded as base treason to-
morrow. Those opinions, and sentiments
and acts which were pronounced sound and
patriotic little while ago by political lead
ers, both in the Church and State, are now
denounced by the same leaders as proof
positive that one who hold by them is
rank traitor. Let me illustrate this point
by two or three noted examples. And, first,
| will cite from the Synod of Kentucky
Sir, some of us from that Synod, have been
represented in this Assembly as worthy of all
condemnation because we We refused our as
sent to those acts Of this body for several
years past touching matters of State policy.
This we have done sincerely, candidly, but
respectfully, and for reasons various, and,
| 20 ,,s ,onnl,c;yo Eor tb;s xya boua boan