Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PROCEEDINGS ?E SECESSION CONVENTION By Rev. Dr. W. P. JacobB. On December Uo. I860, I picked up my note book and hurried down to my seat at tho reporter's table in St. j Andrew's ball. 1 was a lad ol' 18; vears of age, and was at the time at' work for the Charleston Mercury. Young as I was I had already served Dr. Qihbes of the Columbia Daily Oarolinan by reporting two preceding sessions of the legislature. South Carolina was (hen very short." on shorthand writers. There were not half a dozen in tho State who hud really mustered Pitman's phonography. At the door of the bull ? presented President D F. Jamison's UUtogrnph written on a little ship of ? due foolscap (which I yet treasure), permitting me to enter behind the 'dosed doors. Immediately on entering, sind young US I was. 1 noticed that there was tenseness in the air. Members of t&e convention gathered in groups and talked excitedly hut in low tones with each other. Ai the table with ?no there sat Josephus Woodruff, af terwards famous in the annals of South Carolina's days of good steal ngs." Woodruff was a kind, warm? hearted fellow. I have always felt hat he was drawn into the temptu ion which afterwards overwhelmed him, by force of circumstances rather than by natural temperament. Nor mal E. Foard, connected with a Bal timore paper, who was alive as Into as six or eight years ago, was a third opreseutativo of (he press and there "/ere one or two others, whose ae lunintancc I did not make. Whether ihoro are any of these alive al (his ?'ate 1 can not say. All were older .htm I. After lh< opening of tho session of .he convention, in a silenco thai was .irofound, the proposed Ordinance of Secession was read. Not a speech was made or a word said pro or con. t was moved and seconded that it he adopted, It struck me. juvenile reporter as ! was. that this ordinance was a mut ier of tremendous importance and 1 '.larvclled that it was not discussed, hut that convention was not there to Isagree on the one important act of .11 their deliberations. Later on in that same convention there! was a Areat abundance of discussion, hut not -.hen. The motion was made and Im mediately passed to call the roll on ho quest ion. The clerk < ailed the roll. I re member that I laid down my pen nnd /atoned the call of the roll. Bvery name was called and it seems to me, r.o far as I now recall, that there was response from every delegate and ertnin it is that that response was. Aye." No one man of all those repre sentatives from every part of South arolina even wavered in his answer, 'resident Jamison announced that the U'dlnancc was passed unanimously. ? The desk at which the reporters sal vns near a window, so as to give us ion- light. Printed copies of the or linancc lay about the table, tin one ?I these a reporter scrawled "unani nously passed." II - slowly raised the window and i: wem (!> Ing like a d ?ve of pepce (alas, It \ ;,s a mossengor of g:' ii \. ir) down into the sire :, where n great crowd hail gathered. What happened in I he si ret ; Just ? M il I can nol Sliy from personal oh sorvatlon, but 20 minutes lator when . was on the street, a great change nad occurred from t;ic quiet morn llg, The KOldlery of the City Were all ??in on parade: banners nnd lings wer lisplayed from buildings end ;P ross, ? V<ei>. military bauds were playing patriotic tunes and the city was in an Uproar of oxcitment. AI ?:?0, tlie convention mid iigain ,.i St. Andrew's hall. It had been do llied that the ratification of the ord' latlCC Should he held at Secession hall n Mooting street. To reporters sur oplltiously tiled into procession with he members of the convention. At the door of the hall we were joined by the Senat.- and house of represen tatives, who were also in session in the ? Ity. The building held about 3.000. it was filled as it had never been filled lofore. Seven months before in thai same ?,all I had witnessed a split in the lemocratic convention that certainly made the selection of :i Demon rat Ic president Impossible. All Charleston was out on that 20th of December night. The venerable and tenderly loved, Dr. Pnekman. clergyman, scientist nnd everybody's Irlend, offered a solemn, tender and touching prayer. The ordinance was ead. For many minutes the mass of Humanity shouted. clapped, ftp idauded. One by one the members -of the convention come forward, each to sign his name to the solemn statement and when, at the close of two hours ?hat it took to perform this act, when President Jamison announced the or dinance rntllled and that South Caro lina had resumed her sovereignty, there went up such a shout to heaven as the old city had never heard be fore. For in minutes, that seemed more 'ike hours than minute- moil and wo men stamped, shouted, applauded, the air was full of hats and waving hand kerchiefs the volume of sound ros< and fell, ro86 and fell and rose again and aenln, until human nature could Stand no more and so the ap| lause laded away into patriotic enthusiasm. Tito sine thing in part was re hearsed upon the streets. President landsm appeared with ti e governor of the state and the clerk of the con vention, road the ordinance to a v.ivlit >.' <??? wd of 10,000 ioop!<! who had failed to get indoors, in the hall, and declared the union of states dis solved There w- s the same intense i excitmont, the same mighty roar of applause which was turned into jollty, as a grilling negro, riding on a rail borne by a laughing escort, was carried down Meeting street, light through the heart of the crowd. So ended the day big with fate for South Carolina s\nd the whole nation. Wiser heads thoughtfully looked on anil saw whither everything was drift ing. Hut the great multitude never dreamed of war. if they spoke of it, did so with jesting, for there was an almost consciousness of right. W'dl. it was a great day. my fel low Citizens, and it is a great daj Still and worth celebrating forever by our ? people. Through four bitler years of blood, oiii' Stale fotlglll nobly, and for 10 more II suffered bitterly, but who dares say that it was not good thing lor us as a State and that we are not a bettor people for it. with a noble record in the past, with a record to be proud of. and with a bright proinls ! for the future. South Carolina does not stand ashamed before the world. She does not bide bei- head when the story is told of her deeds, thou i i?0 years gone by. Certain it is that I am glad I was a very small partici pant in that day. The bare thought of it is thrilling. Clinton. December 15, 1910. ?The Stale. Many persons find themselves affect ed with a persistent cough alter an attack of Influenza. As this cough can be promptly cured by the use of CHiamhcrlnin's Cough Remedy, it should not he allowed to run on until It becomes troublesome. Sold by Lau rens Drug Co. Harmony News Notes. Harmony, S. C, Dec. 11.?The peo ple of this community are sorry to learn that Rev. Bethen will not preach here again next year, as In* has been sent to a new Held. Although he had already been here for four years, his congregation would gladly have taken him back. Rev. La mar will be the pastor here next year. The people here are glad lo know thai one of their former pastors, Mr, W. It. Lnndortnilk will be among visitors here Christmas The Sunday school i> progressing 1nicely under lb? supervision of Mr. .1. II. Bnlontinc. Several advancements are being made, which will dotlbtles prove of great help to the school !'? cryliody is lnv|t?d 10 attend the school end try to limbo it its helpful as pos sible Mrs. Amends Mitchell of Ware Shoals, h visiting relatives In this ! commuhll y I Mr, and Mrs. Henry Dodsou. oi' At lanta, tire rpoudlng sptlIP time with ; relatives In this neeiIon. j Rev. Mr. Stone preached his fa re well sermon nt Poplar Springs church : last Sunday Mrs. K. R. Simpson recently return ed from a plonsnnj vlsli to Norway, s. C. The greatest danger from influenza Is of its resulting in pneumonia. This can be obviated by using Chamber lain's Cough Remedy, as II not only cures Influenza, but counteracts any tendency of the disease towards pneu monia. Sold by Lauren . Drug Co. To 1'osloiVicc Patron? Patrons of the postoflice ar ? re quested to mail their Christmas pack ages as early in the week as possible Already the postal employees have about all the business they can handle and by the end of the week the malls may be congested, so by mailing pack ages early not only Insures earlier de livery but makes it possibl ? for mail matter to receive more careful atten tion, The working space in the local post Ofilce is not very spacious and it is hoped that patrons will call prompt ly and get packages that may I? ad dressed to them and prevent any pos sible congestion. I). M Norwood Asst. P. Ml The pecnflar properties of Chamber lain's Cough Remedy have been thor oughly tested (Turing epidemics of in fluenza, and when It was taken in time we have not heard of n single case of pneumonia. Sold l?y Lumens Drug Co. as I COAE I/TTO OUR STORE ,4/iD YOU WILL EASILY F1MD "WH/IT TO GIVE.'' YOU WILL FIAD LOTS 71AD LOTS TO PICK FROA. IF YOU DO /HOT K.MOW "WH./1T TO GIVE," WE WILL GLADLY A\V> YOU 1M SELECTING PRESENTS. WE H./1VE AMY M/HCY GIFTS TO PLEASE YOUMG FOLKS. >1LS0 H./1VE Ai\ A%\)t\\bAt\<LL OF "SEASl&LE PRESENTS." A GIVER Id) JUDGED &Y Hid) GIFTS. CVERYOME Id GL^D TO GET PRESENTS COA1MG FROA US. "-Ladies' Department Special Values in Ladies' Coats! \ Attractive Suit Values! Special Values in Ladies' Long Black | Coats. The very newest models at $10.50, $12.50 and $15.00 Blankets and Comforts! Extra Values in Blankets and Com forts for Christmas shoppers. Price 1.00 to 9.00. Beutiful Furs! Ex^ra attractive values at 5.00, 7.50 and 1C.00. Ladies' Coat Suits, in this reason's styles, where we only have One and Two of a kind. Specially priced $12.50 and 15.00 Suits for . . $10.00. Special priced 17.50 suits for . 12.50 Special priced 25.00 suits for . 17.50 Big line of Ladies' Handkerchiefs, Gloves, Neckwear, Belts, Shopping Bags, Silk and Lisle Hose, and all kinds of Fancy Embroidered for Christmas. Gents' Department WHAT TO GIVE Rain Coats, Men's Suits, Boys' Suits, Trousers, Hats, Cups, Shoes nnd Bed Boom Slippers, Men's and Boys' Overcoats, Suspenders, Auto Gloves, (?lov< s, I Moss Gloves, Wann Gloves, all Kind-, of Gloves, Mufflers, Shins, Collars, Underwear, ? Rubber Slip-on Coats, Men's silk Handkerchiefs, Men's Initial Handkerchiefs, Men's silk half Hose, , L Uli nil Hi Cojl r. limit Trui This is Your Place t<? <lo Your Cltri.sl.nins Shopping. All are \V< > ,, 40 &Ctf??OD ?et?43? ?S> <K? Zi2> 3i> GB> fJ?OB> Ot? ?S* ?? <*B *.&> "CIS ?V ? <a& St.) Qfi> -SC ; 33043D ?ff?> 43 O <T> ?SB ? s '. nal eat u< ! ' ?? n* tleheVl. *?? ?ra? <iu 0!? gb? ?2> .?2? urs M 3ft 5 6 7 ? ?> i<? it i ?| 12 n 14 15 1C 17 u; I ?-?**T 19 SO 21 22 23 2125 24 27 25 29 30 31 t ? pin. THE CHRISTA/IS SPIRIT Id IM THE /IIR. THE WORLD'S UMSELFISII TIME IS UPOA US. WE MEED MOT REAIAD YOU THTIT THE GREATEST IMPPIMESS C0AE TO OURSELVES WHEM WE M/IKE OTHERS IMPPY WITH OUR GIFTS. BUT WE WILL REAIAD YOU THAT OUR STORE IS THE CHRIST/MS STORE" WHERE YOU <LAt\ BUY "QUALITY" AERCH/IADISE AT REi4S0AylE>LE PRICES. WE RESPECTFULLY IMVITE YOU TO 1\AYLL OUR STORE YOUR STORE FOR YOUR HOLiD^Y SHOPPING. DAVIS-ROPER COMPANY OUTFITTER FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Laurens, S. C.