The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-06
THE SOUTH CAROLINA MURDER COM
MITTEE.

We published, some time ago, an abstract OF tne
majority and minority Reports OF the specla COM
uittee appointed by Congress to inquire into the
murder of Union soldiers in South Carolina" Ihe
majority report covered many columns, anG
was based, as it's strong point, upon the tes-
timony Of Generals sIoK1Es, THOMAS and otners,
commanding Departments in the South. From
the evidence given by these commanders, the
majority of the Committe drew very broad
inferences, minds having clearly been
made up before hand, both to declare the
South in state Of anarchy, and also to CEN
sure the President for his course in the case OF she
Anderson Prisoners, the subject more Immediately
before them.
The minority Report, signed by the Hon. Ed
WARD coopEa, one Of the Committee exposes tho
fallacy Of the reasoning Of his colleagues. The
facts Of the case, as set forth by Mr. COOPER, COM
pletely exonerate the President from any connec-
ton with the final release Of the persons who were
arrested and tried and convicted before military
tribunal in South Carolina After sentence, as our
renders are aware, the punishment Of two Of the
pris oners was commuted by General s1cK1Rs, and
that of the others by the President 'under the
advice and recommendation Of the Secretary OF
War" Mr. STANTON testified before the Committee
that he advised the President to commute the
sentence Of these men because sst seemed to be
improper to recommend the execution OF the capi-
tai sentence when there was any doubt as to the,
jurisdiction Of the ibunol to inaict such punish
ment." s
!. Now Mr. STANTON has always enjoyed the conf
dencs Of the Radicals; and when he thus assumes
the entire responsibility Of this act Of clemency, it
is passing strange that the committee should,
nevertheless persist in their accusations against
the President. s:s5.s ~" i i
( The second allegation was, that the: prisoneas
we're removed from the Dry Torgugas to Fort Del
aware, with the intention Of bringing them within
the Jurisdiction OF court Of law competent to test
the legality ot their sentence, and that the Presi-
dent was active in, or privy to that movement. On
this point also the testimony Of Mr.! STANTON, the
Secretary Of War; is full and complete. he sayB
81 directed the prisoners to be sent to the Tortu-
gus subsequently understood from some source
that complaint was made Of their transfer to TINT
post, and was myself somewhat anxious about 1T,
in view of the fact that we had q number Of pris-
oners there, and that the season threatened to be
sickly. I, therefore, determined to remove them
to some Northern prison, and, on consideration,
concluded that Fort Delaware would be the best
place for their confinement during their sentence,
and I gave orders for their transfer to Fort
Delaware. So far as have knowledge, there was
no purpose in bringing those parties to Fort Dela-
ware to bring them within the Jurisdiction Of q
court, so that the writ Of Aabeas corpus could ap
ply; the order was made by me in the exercise OF
my best Judgment and on my official responsibility;
do not think that any person whatever suggested
that place, or that Lever conversed with any one
in reference to it;i except with the Adjutant Gen
eral on the general subject as to what military
posts were at that time used as military prisons"
1t is thus clearly shown that President JOHNSON
had nothing whatever to do with the transfer OF
the prisoners from The Dry Tortugas to Fort Dela-
ware, nor with their release by the action Of Judge
HALL, of the District Court Of the State Of Delaf
ware The charge made by the Radicals that th
release was effected through the instrumentaity
of the Chief Magistrate is groundless, and shown
to be 80 by person whose testimony the Radicals
are not able to impeach. Mr. STANTON is their own
witness, and they are bound by his statementa.
In their comments on this Report, the Radical
journals, as is their won't on such occasions, in
dulged in considerable invectve against the South
and it's people. The Tribune mentioned as the
very height of niquity the fact that the prisoners
on their arrival home from Fort Delaware received
an ovation from their relatives friends and neigh
bors, all of whom, the Tribune alleges, were per-
fectiy convinced Of the guilt Of these prisoners.
Where the Tribune learned such fact, we cannot |
imagine. It is news to us. We have heard all the
testimony in the case; but there is not one word,
fact, or circumstance, to prove that the people Of
Anderson believed the said prisoners guilty. On |
the contrary, the evidence is altogether Of IN op-
posite character.
Assuming then the innocence Of the prisoners, |
and there can be no doubt that their community |
considers them innocent is it not the most natural
thing in the world for them to be glad at the re-
1ease and return Of their friends from long and /
cruel confinement, under circumstances where |
their honor and their lives had been endangered I
We know nothing about the ovation, but supposing /
it true, can see no evidence Of obduracy or re-
bellion in such fact.
Anderson and the adjoining mountain Districts
of this State we're never at any time deemed the
pear to consider them. On the contrary, if thare
weTo aIly UNION men Id SOutA CaTOlna before EQo l.
war, and even during the war, it Was there We
should have looked for them.
MIR. CRAWFORD KEYS, one of the prisoners, if We
Ire not mistaken, was appointed Provost Judge by
The Military Commandant, soon after the occupa-
ion Of the State by the United States troops; aud
ne believe, held that Office at the time OF his ar
:est. It would seem, therefore, that he must have
been represented to the commanding officer by the
as suitable man for that responsible
'fice. However, we dislike exceedingly to rake up
his whole matter, and shall not comment further
But the report Of Mr.. COOPER is also interesting
vs. showing the real condition of the Southern peo-
'le at this time, with reference to the enforcement
If the law. General THOMAS, General s1oKLEs,
General WOOD, and General BAIRD were called be-
ore the committee, and they stated in general
erms tha Union men and freedmen were notsafe
n their districts, but when asked to name cases
nd give particulars they could only mention one
ase in the State of Tennessee, one in Louisiana,
me in Virginia, and none in North Carolina, Geor-
ia, Florida or Alabama. The offender in Tennes-
ee was arrested and held for trial, and in the 9th
r cases exertions were made to find and appre-