The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-04
-cofUMpIx, s. c.. March 50. 1866.

=
in my hand an affidavit made before one OF
the Associate Judges Of Superior Provost
Court, 1st Sub-District. Western Depart
ment, South Carolina, in the words follow
ing: Con the evening Of the 18th day of
February, a soldier at my gate, said to me,
did you ever see hell? told him, no. Well,
said he, you wait until night and you will
see hell; for we intend to burn every
damned house that there is in the town.
Accordingly, about 7 o'clock, or little
after, ] saw the fire commence on the next
square from where I live" Son the 18th
day of February, 1865, a soldier Of Gen.
Shermans army met me at my gate; he
said that Gen. Sherman had given them a
filrlough for So hours to come into Colum-
bia and do as they pleased, in regard to
firing and the destruction of the city," =
But, sir, as regards the liability of the
Government to indemnify their loyal sub
iects for the loss Of their property You
were in command; and if the loss occurred
through either neglect or incompotency, it
is immaterial to the sufferer; he does not
lose his right Of redress by either.
Government would entrust man with the
command Of fifty or sixty thousand troops,
and that he could not make them obey his
orders; and there is the greatest abun-
dance of proof to be obtained here, that
the soldiers under your command, on the
18th February, 1865, threw fre-balls, fam
beau and other fireworks into the houses,
t1,a hal
vented the fire-engines from Stacking the
fires, by cutting holes in the leather hose
to keep the water from flowing to the
engines. You know the old law adage:
What you do by your agent you do by
yourself" AS for the order of Gen. Hamp-
ton causing the destruction Of this city,
it ls inconsistent with nature and with
reason, to believe that he would try to de-
stroy his own home and property. His
order was to prevent property falling into
the hands Of the enemy.
You, sir, I presume, believe with me, that
our forefathers, who framed our Govern
ment, were wise and good men. But. as
all men are born in ignorance, and have to
, arrived at perfection; nor did they see the
| absurdlty of the State rights doctrine, and
/ the doctrine of the Constitution being the
supreme la-y CT oil the States at the same
time. This doctrine of State sovereignty
was maintained with great tenacity by
the close Of the late war In 1882, it ran
80 high as to cause South Carolina to pass
| an ordinance, nullifying an Act of Con-
gress. But as God would have it, we had
in the chair of the Federal Government,
THAT time,.d a master. sprI, in the person
OF Andreac Jackson, who, by issuing to the
State aspirited and friendly proclaim alton,
declared that all the forces and power at
| his command in the United States, would
beput in requisition to enforce obedience
to the law. Would to God similar DIT D.
clamation had been issued by Buchanan or
Lincoln! for, without that obedience, the
wheels OF Government must stop. But,
as there Is only a very slight difference in
the names OF Jackson and johnson, I hope
there may be no more difference in their
success. in restoring the reign Of law and
order throughout the United States, bv
merit. merit '' ~ '''n pf''eS Aec0ro'ns 10
Say ye to the righteous, it shall be
well with him, fer he shall eat the fruit
OF his doing; say ye to the wicked, it shall
be Ill with him, for the reward of his hands
shall be given him." This is Gods eter-
nal irreversible decree; and person may
as we'll say, can put my hand into fire
andlt shall not be burned; as to do evil
and escape punishment.
Sir, rejoice that this bloody unnatural,
4 uncalled-for war has ended, and settled
the question of State rights AID State So
vereignty, hope forever; for know it
has been source Of discord ever since the
lorna ton of the Government, and even
before and at the time Of its formation, be-
tween the Federal and Democratic parties.
MY father, brothers and uncles fought,
suffered and bled to achieve the indepen-
dence Of the United States. I remember
the angry discussion between the Whig
and Tory parties, (as they were then
called, and, afterwards, they were the
Federals and Democrats When South
Carolina passed the ordinance of secession
IN 1861, my poor heart trembled in my
breast with the apprehension Of war; but
q great many of our people did firmly be-
lleve that the United States Government
would not make war, but would let the se-
cedlng States go in peace. I did have
nope that we would in that way avoid war;
for, although I was only a child in the
Revolution, I had suffered enough to know
some Of the evils Of a war, besides the de-
strucion of life. The thousands of inno-
cent and helpless women, children, aged
and unotrendlng farmers, tradesmen, and,
IN fact all classes ct people, it is enough
to sicEen the heart Of any human who has
sensibility. And the horrid barbarity,
such as that brought to view in the afida-
VT quoted above, is too lad for the con-
any Christian people. To give furlough
to fifty or sixty thousand soldiers, to 20
into city among females children and
Old men, without arms or any protection,
to do as they please for 36 hours; it is not
any won der that man would feel ashamed
to let the world know that ! had done so,
without he intended to either Quit the