Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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dije ttWdjtiwti mfa 00.ttfl|jC0Tt. THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the ends Thou Aims't at be thy Country's, Thy God s and Truth's/' THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, left* _-:-!__^ Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. 0 . WEDNESDAY AUGUST, 21 1907_Sew Series-ToL XXIII. No 4 Published Eveiy Wednes6>y, -BY OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY. SUMTER, S. C. Terms: $1.50 per annum-in advance. Advertisements: One Sauare first insertion......$1.50 Every subsequent insertion.50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communication? which sub* serve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and. tributes of respects will be charged for. THE MONUMENT UNVEILED. SOUTH CAROLINA HONORS GEN. SUMTER, THE GREAT PARTI? SAN LEADER. The Grave of the Game Cock of the Revolution at Last Suitably 'Mark? ed by a Handsome Monument of South Carolina Granite-The Cere? monies of the Day-Two Thousand People Attend the Exercises. Fully two thousand people gather? ed at Stateburg Wednesday to wit? ness the unveiling of the monument j erected at the grave of Gen. Thomas j Sumter by the State of South Caroli- j na. The people comprising the great '? assemblage came principally from j Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties, j the territory originally embraced in old Sumter District, which was nam? ed in honor of Gen. Sumter, at the time the district was named its most distinguished and respected citizen. Other sections of the State were, how? ever, well represented, and scattered throughout the crowd were weil known citizens o? Kershaw, Darling? ton, Florence and Richland counties, while a number of other counties were represented by one or more of their citizens. The State of South Carolina was represented by Gov. M. P. Ansel, LieuL Gov. TL. G.? McLeod, Au jutant, and Inspector General J. C. Boyd and Superintendent of Education O. R. Martin, and' the Sumter Monument Commission, composed of the follow? ing gentlemen; Col. J. J. Dargan, R. L 'Manning, J. W. Babcock, and E. H. Ravenel. The United States was represented by Col. Greenough and staff and 300 soldiers from the garrison at Fort Moultrie and the First Artillery Band. The greater part of those present reached the scene by means of 'pri? vate conveyance-automobiles, car? riages, buggies and wagons-but quite a number traveled to Scale's Siding, Wedgefield or Claremont by rail and were transported thence to the monu? ment by carriages and wagons, which were in waiting at the depots when the trains arrived. Much larger crowds had been expected to come by rail and there' were in readiness at each' of the three depots a sufficient number of vehicles to transport a half dozen times as many as came. Gov. Ansel, Gov. Montague of Vir? ginia. Col. Greenough, Hon. H. A. M. Smith. Congressman Lever, Col. Boyd and other guests who were entertain ed in the city were taken to Stateburg j yesterday morning in automobiles, by the entertainment committee of j tlje Chamber of Comemrce. reaching j the Gen. Sumter Memorial Academy in good time for*the exercises. The detachment of United States troops, the First Artillery Band and the Sum? ter Light Infantry went by rail to Seale's Siding and marched thence to the academy, and it was a long, hard march. The crowd assembled in the large ! and beautiful grove in front of the academy building and when the pro? cession had been formed it moved to the Sumter family graveyard, a short distance away, where the body of Gen. Sumter had reposed in an un? marked grave for three-quarters of a century, until the State of South Carolina, aroused to a sense of a too long neglected duty, had caused to be erected an enduring and beautiful granite monument. When the military, distinguished visitors and the two thousand specta- ? tors had assembled around the grave? yard, the simple and impressive cere? mony of unveiling the monument was carried out. 1 The First. Artillery Band played "Columbia;" Rev. H. H. Covington I made the invocation; theii the monu? ment was unveiled, the cords holding the drapery in place being pulled by 1 Mrs. J. H. Hayns worth and Miss Be? atrice Sumter, the great-great-grand? daughters of Gen. Sumter; the band played "America;" and the ceremony was concluded by the Daughters of ! the Revolution of Sumter Home Chap- < ter placing garlands on the monu? ment. The monument, which is made of J ? South Carolina granice, was executed by the Winnsboro Granite Co.. from designs prepared by Edwards & Walter of Columbia. It is simple yet substantial and imposing in ap? pearance and is an appropriate mark ! for the grave of the strong and rug? ged patriot, Thomas Sumter. The monument is inscribed as follows: East Side: '"He came to South Carolina about 17G0, and was in the Indian service on the Frontier for several years before settling, as a planter, in this vicinity. Commandant 6th Regiment South Carolina Line. Continental Establish? ment. 1776-177S. Brig. Gen. South Carolina Militia, 17S0-1782. Member of the Continetal Congress 17S3-1784. Member U. S. Congress. 17S9-1793; 1797-1801. ?. S. Senator, 1801 1810." North Side: .'Tanto Nomini Nullum Por Elo gium." West Side: 'This Stone marks the Grave of one of South South Carolina's most Dis? tinguished Citizens, THOMAS SUMTER,. One of the founders of the Repub? lic. Born in Virginia, August 14th, 1734. Died June 1st. 1832." South Side: "Erected by the General Assembly of South Carolina, 1907." The procession then -reformed and returned to the academy grounds, where the formal exercises of the day were held. A large and tastefully dec? orated stand had been erected in front of the academy and upon this the speakers and other distinguished visitors and officials and the descend? ants of Gen. Sumter were assembled. Massed in front of the stand was the great throng of spectators. Col. J. J. Dargan, chairman of the Sumter Monument Commission, call? ed the assembly to order and intro? duced Gov. Ansel as the presiding of? ficer of the occasion. Gov. Ansel made a brief address and presented Hon. R. L Manning, to whom had been assigned the duty of introducing the first speaker. Hon. A. J. Montague., a - ifoijrner -governor-of: ; Virginia. Gov, Montague delivered his ad? dress on Gen. Sumter's life and ser? vices to an attentive audience. Following Gov. Montague's' address . Maj. Marion Moise introduced Hon. H. A. M. Smith, of Charleston, who delivered a biographical and histori? cal address on Gen. Sumter. This address, which is undoubtedly the most complete and authoritative bi? ography of Gen. Sumter thus far pre? pared, will be published in full In this paper, the first installment being given today. President Roosevelt's Letter. At the conclusion of Mr. Smith's address Gov. Ansel was called upon to read a timely letter received from President^ Theodore Roosevelt, who at all times appreciates a good soldier and a patriot. President Roose wrote as follows: The White House, Washington. Oyster Bay. N. T., Aug. 3, 1907. My Dear Colonel Dargan: Instead of the telegram, which could be but short. I send you this letter which I memory. My ancestors served under you care to, for I take profound in-! terest in the work you are doing. There is nothing in which I believe more than in the advancement of the country school in America; and, of course, like every really good Ameri? can. I must take, a peculiar and spe? cial interest in. and feel a particular sympathy for. the unveiling of the monument to Gen. Sumter and the dedication of the school erected to his mmory. My ancestors served under Gen. Marion, who was Gen. Sumter's ' colleague in the war of the Revolu? tion. It is eminently fit to raise a i memorial to the memory of Gen. Sum- i ter, and no memorial could be so ap- i propriate to one who was not only < a soldier but a peculiarly high-mind- i ed patriot as this school, the erec- < tion of which means so much for all i the country around the "High Hills of 1 Santee." I congratulate the' city of i Sumter for the generous aid which it < has extended, and above all I con- j grat?late the people of the immediate ? community who have done the work ( for themselves and who in doing it < have so: helped all the life of the t neighborhood. It is a sincere regret ? to me that I cannot be present to f greet them and congratulate them in ( person. Sincerely yours, c (Signed) Theodore Roosevelt. Col. John Dargan, Principal Gen. ? Sumter Memorial Academy, State- ( burg. S. C. - - \ Superintendent Edmunds, of the t 'umtfr schools, read a lotter from s ongressman Richmond P. Hobson. j Thanks were extended th.? visiting j g oldiers, and especially those from J ( he garrison on Sullivan's Island, and j r Col. Greenough for their kind inter? est and willing co-operation. A delightful luncheon was served after the speaking. ? After dinner there was an educa? tional rally, at which Miss Mary T. Xance, State Superintendent O. B. Martin and Prof. E. H. Dreher, di the Columbia city schools, made address e-. As soon as the exercises were over the crowd dispersed. The soldiers were spared the long march back to Seale's Siding, vehicles being provid? ed for their transportation. When the train bearing the mili? tary arrived in this city, en route back to Charleston, Col. Greenough had the band play several selections at the depot and the artillery corps gave an exhibition* drilL on the sta? tion grounds. There was a large crowd present and the music and the exhibition drill were both greatly en? joyed. The exercises of the day were suc cesfully carried through and were thoroughly enjoyed by all present. The credit for the success of the occa? sion is equally divided between Col. Dargan, the moving spirit in the cel? ebration, and the Stateburg commit? tee, the officers and committees of the Sumter Chamber of Commerce and County Supervisor W. H. Seale. GOV. MONTAGUE'S ADDRESS. Oration Delivered at the Unveiling of the Monument to Gen. Sumter by Hon. A. J. Montague, Former Gov? ernor of Virginia. Upon this interesting occasion it is difficult to shut out of mind a realiz ing sense of that dominant force which so early gave power and iden? tity to an American civilization, and in behalf of which the life we today commemorate spent its austere pa? triotism and military genius. The fifteenth century loosened the quickening power of two mighty events, akin in historic time and pur? pose, the invention of printing, and the discovery of America; the two bringing new ways of thinking ano" .new"ways of living unto countless thousands, and bringing a new and structural concept of liberty unto the civilizations of the world. Printing required time to socialize liberty, and a hundred years after Columbus pressed his mailed foot upon the torrid Bahamas might well elapse in preparing the world for the sturdy and progressive tread of Teu? tonic freedom upon the northern half of our hemisphere. So that when the Anglo-Saxon came to Jamestown in 1607'to establish and maintain them? selves and their institutions, they soon found these institutions, and especial? ly those-of them that made most for rational and ethical liberty, illumi? nated as never before by the educa? tive power of printing, and energized as never before the stiumlating en? vironment of* a new world. A new ac? tor, a new stage and a new light had suddenly, as runs the race of civili? zation, burst upon the vision of the people of the world. Liberty finds its concrete genius and strength in local self-government, in constitutional sanctions and limita? tions, in the guarranty of equality of individual opportunity, and in the appreciation and practice of personal and social responsibility. George, the Third, realized the secret sources of this bouyant and reforming force, and quickly begun to lay upon it his op? pressive and heavy hand, only to be met by the tactful, vigorous, and, finally, revolutionary dissent of his American colonies. Injustice nearly always sows the seed of justice, and tyranny nearly al? ways kindles the flame of liberty. \ The law of relativity holds in the po? li teal world, and the pendulum of so? ciety will swing back and forth. SJ the colonists were early conscious of their wrongs, and daring . in expr?s- ( ??ions of enlarged conceptions of their 1 rights. Xathariiel Bacon, a good hun- I ?red years before 1776. was crying * nto the ears of the royal governor of ? Virginia some of the identical notes ? vhich were to peal forth in the great t leclaration-that governments *were r nade for . man, and not man for gov- i ?rnments: and that all just gov- 1 ?rnments . must rest upon the con- * sent of the governed. From this time r m the colonists waxed and strength-?'?I med in the care and keeping of these * rreat polities, and grew restive and ? lefiant under the arbitrary exactions >f the royal government. South Carolina early and aggress vely stood for the substitution i-f the consent of the governed for the will >f an hereditary sovereign. Her voice vas potential in calling the first con inental congress is opposition to the tamp net. Her assembly quickly ap >roved of th?' resolves of thte con press in behalf of the "cause Of free-i r lom and union." and boldly trans-| h nitted them to England. Her legi?- ? lature voted a statue to Pian, that lofty and inspiring apostle of English liberty. She published the names of her citizens who would not sign the nen-importatio#n' agreement. She re? mitted 10,500 pounds to the Society of London for supporting the bill of rights in the protection of the liberty of Great Britain and America. And her Rutledge, her Gadsden and her Laurens carne back with fire upon their lips tc tell that they had heard at Westminster the voices of Burke and Chatham, of Richmond and Rockingham pleading the cause of the- colonies, and declaring that cause right and just. The masses of your people also felt that larger" pulse of liberty, de? veloped by the reformatory forces which I have all too briefly and im? perfectly sketched; and amongst these masses was a strain of blood of the noblest survivors of the Latin race, who came in goodly numbers to your shores after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and who in sub? sequent years gave to you so many distinguished sons, but among them nose greater than the profound pub? licist and the learned jurist,. Hugh Swinton Legare. But the temper and character of this people in those stormy days can best be realized by a recital of the cold figures of her con? tribution to the revolutionary armies. Into this army South Carolina gave 31,131 of her sons, outnumbering New York' and almost Pennsylvania, the former doubling and the latter tripling her military population. South Carolina was, therefore, no uncongenial soil to Thomas Sumter, who came from Virginia to the High Hills of the Sante? about the year 1765; and it may be truthfully af? firmed that your great State has re? ceived into its life no nobler spirit than that of this man, who was born in the county of Hanover, the birth place of Patrick Henry, and of Henry Clay, and near the homes of Thomas Jefferson, John Taylor and Edmund Pendleton. He early drew his sword for his native colony in the French ond Indian wars, and witnessed with Washington the deserved defeat of the reckless Braddock,- thus school? ing himself for the arduous and bril? liant service afterwards rendered his adopted State. The beginning of the ending of the revolution is embraced within the four years from 1777 to 1781, from Saratoga to Yorktown; a period dur? ing which active war was transferred almost entirely from the north to the south. The early portion of this pe? riod was most discouraging. Augus? ta and Savannah had fallen. Gen. Pr?vost was harrying the country* with a warfare of barbarism as only a buccaneer of his type could wage: the disastrous and ignominious de? feat of Gates at Camden saw the de- j struction of our second army within ! three months; the Tories were ruth? less in their atrocities, and the pa? triots retorted with unjustifiable re? prisals; the congress was a meddle? some debating society, relying upon words more than swords, hampering Washington, and capriciously bestow? ing its rewards; the treason of Arnold was striking dismay into the country: waste and depression and poverty were covering the tend; money was only paper and worth only paper: and all combined to confirm the dec? laration of Walpole that "America is at our feet." Yet at this time the struggle was assuming international connections; and complications beneficial to Amer- ; ica. Franklin had consummated a treaty between France and the colo? nies. Frederick the Great had not only opened the port of Dantzic to ->ur cruisers, but had prohibited the Hessian soldiers passing through his lominion, thus summarily cutting off :his powerful source of supply to the British army. These conditions to rether with the marvelous resiliency )f the colonies, alarmed England, and :o the amazement and disgust of parliament, Lord North turned a po- : itical somersault, bringing in a pro- : rramme which if earlier presented I md adopted had prevented or ended i he war. Commissioners of North's i ninistry. came to America o:;iy to l ind this mission so belated as to be unavailing, and completed their work j; >y issuing truculent and threatening 1 nanifestations, which were no negli- r rible* cause of subsequent atrocities c if the British soldiery in South Caro- r ina, which so harried the State that r Ar. Fiske says, "the fit ground for c vonder is that in spite of such ad- g .erse circumstances. the State of t louth Carolina should have shown as ? nucht elastic strength as she did un- Y. 1er the severest military' stress which i ny American State was called upon r (? withstand during th?' Revolution- r ry war." ii Tn this period of distress Sumter's a military achievements rani.' tn brine: " lope and comfort to the American au se. His victory at Ramseur's mill c in May USO sounded throughout t: country. At the Williams plantatio some weeks thereafter he repeat? his success in the rout ar death of Colonel Fergus* and Captain Huck with the large detachments of British and Ti ries, thus giving the cheering inc dent of rhe first check to the Britt arms in the State. His prestige ii creased greatly at the battle of Hans ing Rock a few days thereafter, whs he destroyed the whole regiment < the Prince of Wales, and a larg band of Tories under Col. Brian, month later we find him victorious i. Musgrave's Mills on the Enoree. Ir deed,, the simultaneous success < Sumter and Marion in this desponc ent period heartened the America cause, and drove Cornwallis agai into the field, causing, him to wril that he would "be glad to hear thi Sumter is not in a condition to give t further trouble; he certainly has bee the greatest plague to this country, and that "but for Sumter and Mario South Carolina would be ai peace." We soon again hear of Sumter brilliant exploit in cutting Cornwalli! line of communication, and capturin his supply train, which, however, wa neutralized by the surprise and defea of Sumter by Tarleton at Fishin Creek a few days thereafter. Sumte made his escape, and went immedi ately to York to recruit; and wa ready to participate in the memora ble battle of King's Mountain. With in a short time his star was again i the ascendant; and the people wer quickly thrilled by his capture o Maj. Weymiss on Broad road. Tarle ton at once undertook to retriey this defeat only to find himself out generaled, and his whole cominan' destroyed by Sumter at Black Stocl Hill. After the commencement o this fight Sumter changed his plan o battle, thus exhibiting his militar: ger?ius in turning unexpected exigen cies t? his advantage. Yet the vic tory waa saddened by the dear prici of a severe wound which he receivec in the breast, and which disabled hin for some months. Immediately upon the recovery o: his health he resumed his work, i Th< British considered him their wors enemy. ..They burned his home, anc turned his, wife and son out of doors But these misfortunes only strength? ened his inflexible will and fired hi; inspiring activity. The battle of th< Cowpens, displaying the brillian strategy and execution of Daniel Mor gan, now came' to give high hope t< the country; and the battle of Guil ford Court House followed to tun the tide of the American Revolution Cornwallis' plan of campaign wa: now broken. With his Southern arm:? he was to effect a junction with Clinton in Virginia, thus crushing between the two British armies th? small 'fo.x?e. But Cowpens and Guil? ford Court House rudely shattered ? scheme which was adopted by Gran! and Sherman a century later. Th< battle of Guilford was claimed by the British, but Charles Fox with drama? tic eloquence, declared th?.t "another such victory would destroy the Brit? ish army." Thus were Cornwallis' troops hurriedly and unwillingly re? moved from the Carolina's, and his surrender in October following brought to the full conscience of the American people the patience, the sagacity and the strategy of Washing? ton in accomplishing one of the world's greatest achievements, with which Sumter's name and fame and glory will ever be indissolubly asso? ciated. The termination of hostilities, how? ever, did not end Sumter's .public life. His courage, his probity, his candor, his freedom from vicissitudes of ?pinion or purpose, his opulent faith in the practical efficiency of self-gov ?rnment, and his military fame, gave his an immediate and sure place in :he confidence of the people. In his mission to England in 1762 for the Cherokee Indians he had ex? hibited at an early age an aptitude !br public affairs, and his entrance nto the continental congress after he Revolution must have been made vith a confidence that he was not un itted foi- legislative service. In civil life he still clung to the rreat principles underlying the Revo- i ution; and he believed that definite J .nd practicable results should crown i ur victorious achievement. He un- < ?uestionably realized the fatal futilty : f the government under the Articles > f Confederation, and he gave his 1 reat influence for calling the consti- ; utional convention of 17S7. that the pirit and end of the struggle might i ?e rr.<ide effective. So it seems quite t n the course of things to find him a f lember of that memorable conven- f ?on. erivin?- his counsel and influence c ri behalf of a "mort? perfect union." i n?l a moro responsible and workable i overnment \ Tn tho first congress under the new > onstitution, we again see his com i. manding presence. His words weri? few: his votes were many; and .hf? position upon important questions in? stant and decisive. He did not dodg* or make dubious pairs upon roll ca, Us, He was not inflated by applause disconcerted by hostile majorities. He was an ardent "State rights man" when his State was federalist in opin* j ion and action, and he was, therefore; opposed to the leadership of C. CA Pinckney, William Smith and William R. Harper. He aided Charles Pinck<? ney. the majority leader, in the me-n' morable national campaign of 1800,? believing with all his soul. that, th*" defeat of Jefferson would be hardly less disastrous than civil war. He opposed the bill to pension th? - widow of the distinguished Gen, Greene. He thought Greene under-? estimated the militia, and that his conduct of the southern department of the continental army during and . shortly after the war not wholly cred? itable. His stand upon this bill in- '--'' dicated the positiveness of his views and the fearlessness of his* charac? ter. \ . . '%. Eeing an ardent Republican of Democrat, . he consistently opposed the "alien and sedition laws." This extraordinary and vicious legislation conflicted with his dearest political: /> convictions, and he kept his seat foy .weeks with the hope of defeating the bill. In connection with this l?giste* tion it may not be inappropriate to recall an incident which throws no less light upon the temper of th* times than upon Sumter'-s devotion to duty. His colleague in the housa, Matthew Lyons, of Vermont, was im*, prisoned and fined one thousand* doV> . lars for violation of these famous laws. Sumter cordially helped Jef? ferson in raising the money to pay this fine; and upon the reappearance of Lyons in the house he was brutally insulted upon the floor by Griswold^ of Connecticut, when Lyons, losing control of himself, spat in Griswold,*! face. For this violation of the dec^w rum of the house a resolution was Of? fered ""for the expulsion of Lyon?, Sumter vigorously and successfully co-operated with Galatfn, Macon an? Others in defeating this resolution, Upon the appointment of Charles Pinckney as minister to Spain in 1801 Sumter succeeded him in the senate, serving therein until 1810, though ' the annals of congress do not show that he was in his seat during the last session of his term. We read nothing from him in the way of speeches. In* . deed., the senate was not a forum of / discussion until about 1816, the mar jestic debates of Calhoun, Clay, Web> ster and Hayne were long after to " stir and illuminate the republic. B\\V. here Sumter* was the same direct fend rv intrepid personality as of old. ffc w&Si still an ardent Republican or Demo'-, erat. He still gave vigorous support to Jefferson's policies, sueh a? the twelfth amendment, the Louisiana, purchase, and the impeachment ?t Justice Chase. In this famoua.. triai 1 Sumter voted for e?uYi?tj?u four of the five specifications, his league. Gaillard, voting for acquittal upon every charge. The erratic hut brilliant John Randolph, of Roanoke, bunglingly managed this impeach? ment, which otherwise might have, resulted in a conviction, for Cha3?3 was grossly unfit for the judicial rob?} and it was perhaps Randolph's con? nection with this trial that made him? once declare that if he "were allowed to vote, by pr )xy. and on that votQ depended the welfare of the republic, he (I) would make Thomas Sumter his (my) proxy." In 1806 Sumter is still the staunch partisan of Jefferson, supporting hj? expedient but righteous "embargo act," which Sumter approved in its entirety, save the clause giving to. the president absolute power during the recess of congress, when hil iplendid independence came into slay in parting company with hill Dersonal friends and party associates, Long after Sumter's retirement \ 'rom public life, when were heard he first rumblings of the \ stofjfij vhich was to break with such structive force upon our country ?ft S60. his early faith broke forth :fresh. and the early fire of his lamed anew in his support Pf" fh? ncomparable Calhoun and h*? gr?af ight for nullification. Calhoun's $aft* cea for settlement withis the Unjoj}, >f conflicts between the State and th# "ation. May I give you hit* i>Wft rords in a letter to his son in 183lf "Tords so characteristic of his energy nd directness. "If any one." he writes, "of {ftg ?reseht generation has focgottpij hese wholesome truths let th?jm, t>$? ore they attempt to seduce, er terri? y me. read carefully-the DeclaratjtfH f Independence. <he Debates ?n \f>* ' Ratification of the Federal Constitutif tself. ?md its amendments (withayt v'bieh it could not have existed t}y$ ?ears), the Virginia and Kentucky (Continued on Page ^