Page:The Partisan, v1.djvu/44

 was nnrrsm. 41 ' CHAPTER IV. "-——Keep thy counsel well, Andfearnot. Weshsll mstewiththemintime, And spoil them who would strike us. We are free, And confidently strong-have arms and men- Goodfellowsintbe wood,th.stwil1nottly When blows are to be borne.” Br a short path the stranger and his companion moved from the bridge to the place of gathering. It ‘ was not long before they found themselves in the thick of the crowd, upon the green plot in front of the church, from the portals of which the heavy roll of the drum commanded due attention from the populace. The proclamation which the commander of the garrison at ~ orchester now proceeded to read to the multitude, was of no small importance. Its contents were well calculated to astound and terrify the Carolinians who heard it. It was one of the many movements of the British commander, unfortunately for the cause of roy- alty in that region, which, more than any thing besides, contributed to amuse and irritate that spirit of resist- ance on the part of the invaded people, which it should have been the studious policy of the invaders to mollify and suppress. The document in question had been just issued by Sir Henry Clinton, declaring all paroles or protections granted hitherto to be null and void, and requiring the holders of them, within twenty days, to resume the character of British subjects—taking up arms in the promotion of his majesty’s cause, against their brethren, under pain of being treated as rebels to his government. The motive of Sir Henry for a movement so exceedingly injudicious, may be only conjectured from the concurrent circumstances of the time. The continental army, under De Kalb, was on its way to the South—Ga;es had been ordered to com- . 2·