The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-03-06
\, S. c., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1857

call attention to tile report of Gen. Sickles
in the Egan case, and TO the statement In
lis testimony Of the ground Of his action.
1t is not difficult to decide between him
and Judge Hall. The vigorous comments
Of the Secretary of War upon tie decision
in the 1Iillgan case apply with full force
to the decision Of Judge Hall. The as
sassins then discharged returned to their
homes, where they are still at large, and
no attempt has been made to bring them
to trial by the civil courts. 1t is a astriking
commentary on the state of society there,
that while, according to the testimony OF
Surgeon Pilsbury, no doubt appears to
have been entertainedin in the minds OF that
community of the guilt of at least two OF
the persons discharged, they were all re-
ceived by the inhabitants Of the town with
an ovation and congratulation which ter
minated in general drunk"
For1thc purpose Of complying; With the
latter portion of the resolution appointing
the committee, and intclligcnty recon-
mending to the House some action rcmc-
dying the evils exhibited in the history ct
this case, it was deemed advisable to ex-
tend the inquiries of the committee and
seek the testimony of the officers i'll charge
Of the departments into Which the South
ern States arc divided. Any law passed
by Congress would necessarily be general
in its character, and it was thought worth
while to learn whether the acts calling for
legislation were merely local. or whether
they were co-extcnsivc with the commands
of department commanders. THE tcsti-
mony of Gems. Scoricld, Thomas, Sicklcs,
Baird and Wood was taken by the COM
mittcc, and is herein submitted. They
have had the best opportunity for obtain
ING, both personally, and also through the
reports OF their subordinates, and tlrey
have been constantly on the alert, as the
governmental the country has been sub
Stantially under their supervision during
the greater portion of the time they have
had command The result OF their expo
ricnce and observation is given in brief
and 1orciblc terms, and the committee call
the attention of the House TO their tcsti-
mony, as they believe it can safely be made
the basis of legislation. 1t would have
been easy to have fortified their statement
by statistics from the Frccdmcn's Bureau,
but as the House is already in possession
Of the valuable information to be obtained
from that source, it was not deemed worth
while to duplicate it here. The testimony
of these well known witnesses exhibits the
following propositions First, that for the
punishment of crime in their departments
the courts cannot be relied upon; where
soldiers. Union men or freedmen are con-
cerned, Justice rs practically denied, and
Offences of grave character against them
90 unpunshed, neither magistrate nor
jurors being disposed to discharge their
duties in this respect; second, that up to
this time there has been no change for the
better, but rather for the worse; third,
that unless substantial justice is done to
the laboring classes hereafter, and TO the
fUnion men and Northern men who desire
to 90 there to engage i'll business enter
nrises, no Improvement III the state of af-
iairs can reasonably be expected. Under
such circumstances it would seem TO be
conclnsivcly established that the lest ma
terial interests OF the country, rs we'll as
the highest considerations of humanity,
cali for the intervention of the authority Of
the General Government rs the only prac-
tica mode in which it can be executed
and that through the military forces. it
is of the first importance that ordinary
Justice should be administered The Whole
supcrstructurc of government must rest
on that. The violent political and social
convulsons through which the country
has passed can be composed in time, and
parties and races live together in peace
and prosperity, if i'll the meantime there
is wisdom and strength sufficient i'll the
Government to take care that all arc fairly
dealt by and crime punished with reasona-
bic certainty and impartiality. In order
to compass this desirable end the military
forces should be auxiliary and supervisory.
In the language of Gen. Thomas, there
should be established some supervisory
authority in these States, with power to
advise and insist on the impartial admin
istration of justice, accompanied by sutfi-
cient force, if necessary, to induce The pec-
pie to feel that the authority is sufficient
to enforce its advice and Instructions. The
government OF the country should iii this
way be placed temporarily in the hands
Of the men whose eminent services curing
the war are sufficient guarantee that it
will not be abused. Such government
should, of course, only be continued so
long us it is absolutely necessary. Wher-
ever the life and the rights of property
can be safely trusted to the local govern
mcnts. all external cccrcions snoulG cease,
and meantime it cannot be reasonably
supposed that there will be much need of
for-ciblc intervention. 1t will ordinarily
be enough to know that such power exists
and will be exercised if necessary. As the
House has SO recently passed upon q
measure of the kind indicated, it is not
worth while TO enter into further details,
but only to say that, III the Judgment of
the committee, the testimony herewith