Year: 1860

From the Southern Guardian.


AN APPEAL TO THE SOUTH.


NO. I.


Whenever any measures are taken which
involve the vital interests of the community
in which I live, speak out my opinions
upon them, little thinkiug, and as little
caring, whether in mans judgment they
become my place and calling or not This
I have done repeatedly; aud have gener-
ally received for my pains uuuerited re-
proof at first, and over.merited thauksgiv-
ing p. last. So it may be in this instance.


South Caroliua will certainly secede from
the Union in a few months. Upon this
momentous step hang issues of unspeakable
importance and interminable consequences.
This she knows full we'll; for her leading
men are not all fools and desperadoes, as
some would have the world believe they
are. A faithful portraiture Of their charac-
ter would be rather too complimentary for
their taste, and quite too sentimental for
this stolid, calculating age, in which the
talk of "pledging Hres, and fortune, and
sacred HONOR" in defence of right, is re-
garded as ridiculous romance There is a
something in them, grant, that has made
them the most relentless people under the
dealings of the General Government to.
wards the South, of any people in the u
MON but never have they manifested dis
content without sufficient cause. 1t may
be the streak of French that is in them
it may be the Revolutionary spirit not yet
extinguished within them ; and it may be
peculiar endearment to their State iustitu-
tions. When enter their legislative halls,
and notice the diguity, the gravity, the
order, the comfy in debate, and the res
pectful obedience yielded to the presiding
officers, and go thence to the halls of
Congress, and see the tumult which pre-
walls there, I glory in ny just adopted
State, and blush for the United States
When l enter their courts of justice, and
observe the like dignity, gravity, order,
comfy and obedience there-see with what
independence and impartiality justice is
admiuistered-particularly the criminal
Justice of the commonwealth, now almost
lost in the Southern States-I do not won
der that they are tinged with little more
than ordinary State pride. When l con-
slider their opeuhanded liberality in erecting
public buildings, building railroads, sup.
porting schools, colleges, asylums, and 9TH
er valuable and benevolent institutions
and remember the onerous burden of taxa
tiou which they have to endure to accom-
plish these ends, and the accomplishing
promptness with which they shoulder this
burdeu-I say to myself, "verily, citizens
of South Carolina, ye are peculiar geo,
pie in this great Republic, and worthy of
something better than blame !" But these
are not all-they are religious people
Look into all her churches on the Sabbath
day! They are all crowded new ones are
going up, old ones are being enlarged, and
for about one hundred and sixty days union
prayer meetings have been held in the capi-
tai of the State, begun and prosecuted with
DO eye to the existing perils of the country.
When | consider all these things, ex-
claim {: 'sWell mayest thou, gallant, noble,
generous, pious State, fire at every encroach-
ment upon thy rights; for when they are
gone, will you have lost more than any
other State ever lost without a fault -
From my soul l excuse thee for thy grow
ing impatieuce at every new aggression up
Oh thy prerogatives-thine honor, and thy
peculiar institution"


This is the State which has determined
to withdraw from the Union, let the con-
sequences be what they may, rather than
submit to Black Republican rule. She
will triumph. 1 do not say that she will
not have to go through tribulation. That
is one of the passports to a distinguished
place in Heaven, and consequently no Ger.
tain sign of error. Two shots have been
fred at her already from the press of
neighboring State, and many more will
come from quarters where she had right
to expect neutrality, if not sympathy and
praise. But no matter; let her bear them
unmurmuriugly aud, without retort, move
right ahead, in solid column, as she does
move, and will move in an atmosphere OF
prayer, asking no help, but receiving 1t
thankfully, and she will triumph gloriously.
/ feel it through all the fbres ofmy nature
that she will triumph goriously. The raw
ages of seventy years have left me but lit
tie physical strength, but what remains is
at her service. The evening haze is gather
ing on my mind, but there is light enough
left to beacon other States to her help, and
to this end now begin to use it. But, to
secure readers, must say but little at
time. I therefore close, for the present,
with an earnest request that the Southern
press give my brief articles general clrcu
lation, for the sake of an old man who has
done the South some service.