Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-08-24
The Late Difficulty IN Columbia
The following Order exrlains itself:

General Orders No. 60. I
|. Before Military Commission which
convened at Charleston, S. c., pursuant to
| Special Orders. No. 104, current series, from
these Headquarters, and of which Brevct
Major i. IL. Parker, Captain Ordinance
Corps, is President, were arraigned and tried
Owen DAILY and Charles Radcliffe citizens.
Charge" Assault and battery"
| Spccicaton-'' In this. t,tthe said Owen
Daily and Charles Radcliffe, Of Columbia, S.
g., being prompted by malice and ill.will
against William j. Armstrong and John Q.
Thompson, of Washington City, u. g., who
were temporarily sojonnipg ut Columbia,
aforesaid, for the purpose of attending upon
and communicating with certain convention
or public body there assembled for the con.
s'deratIon OF political subjects affecting the
said State Of South Carolina. and being hos
| tile to the assembling and action Of said con
vcntion, and to the said William j. Arm
strong and John q. Thompson, of Washing
ton City, d. G.. as attending upon and in
communication Herewith, did without rcas.
enable cause or provocation. wilfully, maic-
'olsly, and rlotously begin an ailray and did
assault aud violently beat aud otherwise NAL
treat the said William j. Armstrong, and
| John q. Thompson, aud did throw glass of
liquor in the face Of the said William j. Arm.
strong and further struck the said William
j.. Armstrong in the fac" with their fists, and
d'ditusthcr strike the said John c. III omnson
IN the face with their fists. and al, % did knock
down the said John Q. Thompson, with
blow from box upon the neck of him the
said John e. Thompson and that the said
Owen DAILY and Charles Radcliffe, although
cSpostu'atcd with, did from time to time re-
new the attack upon the said William j.
Armstrong and John @. Thompson. This at
Columbia. South Carolina, on the 2Sth day of
July, 1867"
Plea" Guilty2'
| Finding :" Guilty"
SENTENCE.
"To be imprisoned at such place as tho
|! Major anas"l C"p,,,aml;"s ti,u,i~vv"d hL:,;,-
rary i,'strict may direct for the period OF six
| CO. calendar months"
IL. The proceedings, finding and sentence
in the foregoing case arc approved. Fort Ma
con is designated as the place Of confinement.
The rccitas in the specification, to the
truth of all of which the accused have assen-
scncd by their plea, suggest consideration in
cicating a degree Of crminaity far greater
than that involved in the ordinary cases of mis-.
dcmcanor growing out of mere private resent
ment The gentlemen set upon and maltrea-
ted by Radcliffe and DAILY were strangers, and
the decent amenities Of hospitality were vio-
lated ia their persons, They stood, in GER
tnin mnnnnr, in representative cnpaaity, and
any indignity offered to them was as if offered
to both those from whom they were accredited.
Tie place which was the scene of the wrong
WAS the capital city of the State, where, in an
cspeciai degree. courtesy and consideration
should be observed towards respectable vis.
tors TO withhold such civities and assail
with contumcly and violence unoifendine
strangers during their sojourn at the capital
Of commonwealth, was grave offence against
| the peace and dignity of tho State.
The sole circumstances suggested in mitga-
ton is, that the accused were intoxicated at
the time. 1t is quite apparent, however, that
if at all under the influence of drink, they
were affected not to the degree which would
render them inscnsibe of their conduct, but
only to that degree which impellcd the,n4to
break through the restraints which prudence
imposed in sober moments. In fact, as well
as in law, they were perfectly responsible for
what they did, and to that responsibility they
shall be held
1t will be observed that the offence which
it has been ncctllul thus to deal with, was
prompted by That malignant spirit of political
intolerance which always unreasonable and in
general cowardly persons brings the blndgcon
into every failing argument aud makes haste
to'sencc with blows tho disscnter whom it is
more convenient to destroy than to confuto
hisiDtolerancc, illustrated in countless affrays
was long permitted, in Southern communities,
to hunt down with cruel violence persons ven
turing to maintain opinions not in harmony
with local sentiments. Acts Of outrage thus
melted, when resisted and not quelled, have
sometimes eliminated IN mobs and massacrcs.
Prescription for opinions, whether by banish-
ment, by the gnllotinc or tho stake, even
when invested with the sanction of govern.
mental authority, has ever been Justly stig.
matizcd as the hateful Instruments of despo.
tism but to allow individuals to mark for Ii.
ccntious violence those whose political action
may have rendered them obnoxious to popn-
lar prejudice, involve perhaps worse evil and
demands .scvercr denunciation. Wherever
disorders so unworthy of American civiliza.
ton are tolerated in any degree by public
opinion of the Indifference Of the civil au.
thprities, tho communities in which they oc,
our, must unhappily suffer in their prosperity
and in their good name.
BY command Of Nlaior.Gcncral d. +. SIC
KLEs. J.W. CLOUS.
Captain 3sth U. s. Infantry,
A. u. G. and A. *. A. G..
Official j. w. CLoUs, Captain 38th In
fantry, A. ID. G.. and A. A. A. q.