Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-03
The Military Courts.

Districts; and creating posts with garrlsons
at prominent localities. General Ames and
staff accordingly left us on Wednesday of
last week; and the command devolves upon
Colonel Greene of the 9Th United States
Neutrality-suspicious.. Colonel Greene IS said
to be a gentleman of high tone, moderate
in his views, and disposed kindly towards
our people, We esteem ourselves fortunate
in having such an officer in command.
The 25th Ohio Veteran Volunteer In.
fantry, will leave for Charleston in few
days, to be mustered out of service.
Since our last date, the order has been
issued announcing the acquittal of Mr.. j.
NJ. Smarr, of your District, Let Us con-
gratulate your citizens upon the results Of
these cascs-Wallace and Smarr.
The argument in the case of Joseph s.
Sims, jr., of Union District, was delivered
before the military commission, by Colonel
Melton. I. is considered to be the best
argument that has been delivered before
these military courts-best both in legal
point of view and in its controlling effect.
1t resulted in the acquittal of Mr. Sims,
who is also "home again." ...
The conviction Of the parties, tried re-
Gently in Charlestou-Stowers, Crawford
Keyes, Robert Keyes, and Elisha Byrum-
for the murder of some United States sol.
diers in Anderson District; and the sen.
tence Of the former two to be hanged on
Friday of last week (the 9th, and the
latter two to hard labor in the Massachu-
sets penitentiary for Iife-these things
aroused the profoundest concern here
The testimony was conflicting, the case a
doubtful one at best, lawyers all agreeing
that the accused could not have been con.
victed by jury in a, common law court
To the astonisb ment of all-in many heart
was stronger feeling than astonishmeut-
they were convicted, and sentenced as above
stated One of the condemned ones, Craw-
ford Keyes, is an old mau-one Of the best
and most respected citizens of Anderson
District; and is believed by bis fellow.
citizens to be utterly incapable of such
crime.
Public anxiety, however; has been re.
I lieved, for time at least: by a suspension of
the sentences The suspension is publish
ed in General Orders BY General Sickles,
and is to continue until further orders from
the President. This suspension we are ad
Vised, resulted from the personal media
tion of Governor Orr, who went to Charles
ton upon the matter az soon as be heard OF
the sentence We have hopes that the
sentence will be eventually commuted in
such way as to correspond in some degree
with what a whole community feels to be
the facts of the case
For the time being, military commissions
have been discontinued in Columbia ; and
the prisoners on hand, some fifteen in num-
ber, will be sent down to Charleston. If
these tribunals are to be continued at all,
as it is intimated, the people of the up
country are interested in having one in
Columbia and We hope their interests will
be considered.
The University Of 8. G.
We have mentioned this institution to
our readers almost weekly--callipg attention
to its advantages, its claims upon public pat
ronage, urging the thirty districts to send on
their bene6ciaries and in general demon
stratiug as fully as We were able, the fact
that the interest, The honor and the hope Of
South Carolina all lie in the direct line Of
whole. souled and liberal and immediate
support and patronage of this institution.
We have done this because we always
say what we believe and feel to be best and
most honorable for our whole people.
Our opinions upon this matter have un-
dergone no change
Two weeks ago we said that the Univer-
sity was failure.
Those who have read all that we have
said during the last three months about the
University, did not and could not misun-
derstand u.s. That isolated paragraph vas
transferred to Columbia paper, and these
persons who have read only that paragraph,
may we'll form a mistaken notion of our
temper and feelings towards our alma
mater. We are advised that some have
done 80.
Our meaning, We say, was apparent to
our constant readers. We held, as We hold,
, that the state institution of South Carolina
with more than half century of most
honorable history-with long line of dis.
tinguished alumni-with Faculty true
and tried, surpassed in learning and ability
by no similar body of professors in the South
having all the appliances and facilities
for the most thorough instruction of the
youth of our country we held Ito repeat)
that such an institution, having such advau.
tages, with but forty.fVe students within
her walls, was failure-a failure appalling
in its character, and one which demanded
the attention of the public.
Last December, even We, who felt that
the change from College to University
was sad mistake (to use our mildest phra.
seology)-even we expected that ere this
time there would be at least hundred stu.
dents in attendance.
There are forty five.
Why are there so.few?
Principally because the expenses of a
course in the University now are SO great
that very few can stand them. We are
speaking with the figures before Us. TUT