The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-10-16
TcoAMUNIcNTEDl
Letter to Governor Orr.
W1NNssoao, S c.. Sept. 27tb, 1887.

To His Ercellency Governor James
L. Orr:
SIR: You have addressed an
official letter to Gen, Sickles in
which you thank him for bis ad-
| ministration while ruler Of this
| State. This you do on behalf Of
those you represent" My as
tonishment at your course is only
exceeded by my modification in
finding my State so misrepresented
by YOU in your official capacity.
would call your attention to
the following public acts OF Gen.
| Sickles, and ask whether you con-
/ slider the author Of them worthy
of commentator.
Before the Act Of July created
Gen Sickles military despot. OF the
Carolinas, he on his orn authority,
enacted,
1st. That negroes should sit on
jurics.
I'd. That negroes should ride in
first class cars, and steamboat state
rooms.
3D.. That negroes vote at all
elections.
4th. That negroes should be
eiegible to all offices in the State,
including that which you now hold.
9TH. That no elections should be
held except with his imperial. per
mission. 49,
He also committed the following
acts:
1st. He degraded both the Uni
ted States flag and the Charleston
fremen, by forcing the latter,
against their uniform practice be-
fore the war, to display and salute
the former at a purely civic pro-
cession.
I'd. He refused to obey the
habeas corpus writ of the United
States Court, a process so sacred
to all En- nglishmen and Americans.
Sd. He caused Capt. McNulty
to be tried by Military Commits
sion (although the U. S. Supreme
Court had solemnly declared Mill
tary Commissions illegal in time
Of peace,) and fined him heavily
for not allowing a negress to crowd
herself with the ladies On his boat:
- 4th., He tried two youths OF
*Colum bia for assaulting two mis-
chief makers from the North, by
Military Commission, and senten.
ced them to confinement at hard
labor in a fort in another State,
where, l understand, they are now
doing police duty and cooking for
negro troops.
- 5th. He removed an honest
ma agistrate in Columbia for. not
orer-doing his duty in the above
case; and replaced him ard degrad-
ed the Office by appointing an ig-
norant negro.
9Th. He interfered with our
laws generally; and concerning
rent, licences, and the administra-
ton of Justice thereby almost
destroying all credit. .
7th. He disfranchised naturali-
1 zed citizens without any authority
from Acts of Congress-.
..eth. He disfranchised military
officers against the literal provision
ofthe July Act~as interpreted by
1 itself.
9th. He slandered one Of the
purest Equity Judges Of the State,
and several of our most respect
able and honorable lawyers.
Much eulogy has been lavished
by YOU on Gen. Siekles for Order
No: 10. Whatever may have been
the temporary relief afforded to
debtors by this extraordinary order,
all lovers of constitutional liberty
: have it forced upon their refec-
ton, that laws similar have uni
formily been pronounced by the
Supreme Court ofth United States
to be unconstitutional; and that a
law passed by our Legislature,
which by no means interfered with
the obligations of contracts to the
extent Of order No. 10, was de-
clarcd by the highest Court in the
State, by ten Judges against one:
to hasviolative of the Constitution
of the United States. Also, that
the Acknowledgement ofthe United
States in an argument that has
not been, and'eannot be, answered
has declared the issuing of this
order to be despotic stretch Of
unauthorized power. Finally while
temporary relief has been afforded
, to debtors, we have the fact forced
upon us, that a large class Of credl
tors, among whom are numbered
; many now destitute widows anc
orphans, have been great sufferers
thereby.
In this connection, I would ask
if you do not know that the apPll
cation of Order No. 10, to the
Federal Courts was an afterthought
on the part of Gen. Sickles; ane
that he did ALLOW the process O.
, this Court to be freely executed
: in this State, until it occurred tc
him that this Court might OF
n,.onar oase made. declare the July