Excerpt from South Carolina; The Condition and the Prospects of the State; Confiscation of Private Property and Repudiation of the Public Debt: Address of Colonel Richard Lathers, Delivered Before the New England Society of Charleston, on Forefathers' Day, December 22, 1873

I thank you for the kind expressions Of your toast and its complimentary reception, and in response to this valued expres sion Of so much good feeling from my New England friends Of Charleston, I can only promise to try to deserve their confidence by a ready and zealous co-operation with them at all times in any practical measures for the development of the resources of our Old City and beloved State, and for the suppression Of the fraud and corruption in the administration of our public affairs, which is so detrimental to their enterprise and industry, and cer tainly derogatory to their manhood as American citizens descend ing from the Pilgrim Fathers, whose distinguished resistance to misrule and Oppression, and Whose love of local self-government and Official honesty, have been so graphically laid before us to night by the reverend gentleman who has just so eloquently na dressed us in behalf Of their patriotic example.

These festive occasions Of our different societies, especially those marking different nationalities, sections, or races, serve to exhibit not only the intrinsic force Of human affection for its Own stock and a well cherished love for the place Of one's nativi ty, but they keep alive that distinctness Of habit and association, and measurably the principles and practices which distinguish them as a people. When these qualities are kept within proper limits, in full harmony with the best interests Of the community in which they live, they are fraught with much good, and mu tually encourage a spirit Of broad patriotism, and demonstrate that measure Of harmony which may spring from such a Mosaic Of national differences - producing as it has the highest type Of civilized manhood in this our great nation. One prejudice seems to qualify another, till prominency is only given to those great catholic truths and principles which are evolved by fair and gen eral discussion. It was well said by Jefferson that error was not dangerous while truth was left free to combat it. Nor is misrule long tolerated in any free community where individuals are will ing to co-operate for reform. The cohesive power of public plunder is but a rope Of sand when the community determines to test its power by an honest, earnest and unanimous effort to break it. Social and political sham soon gives way to that form Of individual manhood which practically asserts itself regardless Of the prejudice Of age, station, or political domination. Each citizen plays his own part; but in harmony with the interest of the community, the rays, so to Speak, are angular; but they all converge to the great centre. The best musical productions are not rendered by one instrument only, however sweet or power ful, nor by having all the instruments sounding the Same notes, but by a great variety Of instruments playing a great variety of notes, harmoniously rendering the strains Of the composer. So, too, native and foreign born, white and colored, Republican and Democrat, all viewing the public interest from different stand points, and perhaps with antagonistic interests in many Of the questions agitated, yet as good citizens they must harmonize for that which concerns them all alike, viz: an honest discharge Of public duty and official integrity; and a general co-operation of individual effort to this end has never failed in any community. Harmony and good government is, therefore, not the product Ofunanimity Of sentiment, predominance Of race, section or reli gion, but that no one element shall assume undue influence, and that every individual shall exercise the right and duty Of public action, restricted only by a proper subordination to the rights and sentiments of others wh...