The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-26
THE ANDERSON PRISONERS.
Report Of the Majority Of the Committee

Report Of the Majority Of the Committee
Mr.. PIKE, M. c., from the Special Committee
made report to the House Of Representatives, o.
Thursday, on the circumstances attending th
murder of the Union soldiers in Anderson District
the details of which our readers are familiar with
The report is substantially as follows:
No special cause was assigned at the trial for thi
cold blooded murder. The young men assassina
ted had been stationed at Anderson about two
months, and the resolutions Of public meeting
held at Anderson two days after the murder certl
fy to their good conduct while there. Their onl..
offence seems to have been wearing the Uniform
the Republic and obeying the orders Of their supe
rior officers. OF those committing the murder the
Keyes family seems to have been one Of the mos
prominent in Anderson, and Showers was man
sufficient consideration to have been at one TIME
member of the Georgia Senate. This assassina
tion was committed while General Gilmore was II
command of Charleston, and General Slckles states
that when he took command General Gilmore cay
ed his attention to this case as one OF great afro
city, and one which the interests Of the service,
his opinion, required to be thoroughly investiga.
ted A military commission was convened
by General Siekles, which proceeded to try those
charged with the murder, who we're all arrested
except Peter Keyes and the person who was not
recognized by Bryan and Howen. a long and
occupying some thirty days. The defence was
skilfillly managed; an alibi was attempted to be
proved on the part Of Showers by negroes, who
first testified to the fact but subsequently chang.
ed ther testimony and swore they had been trained
by Showers to make their previous. statements.
It was attempted to shake the testimony of How,
ell and Brown in various ways; but after patient
and ,1lgent comparison OF statements, the coun.
sci found the facts as We have already detailed
them. The evidence is spread over many hun u
dred pages of record, and it amply sustains the
conclusions at which the court arrived. The
commission found the two Reyes, Showers and
Bryant guilty, and sentenced them to be hanged.
The sentence was approved by Gen. Sickles ss to
the elder Reyes and Showers, but on account OF
their age, and being under the influence OF their
associates, the sentence was commuted in the cases
OF the younger Keyes and Bryant to lmpr1son-
ment for life. The case was Immediately present
ed to the President, and applications were made
for pardons or tor transfer to the civil tribunals.
such as Alexander d. Stephens Gov. Orr and II.
v johnson, appear among the papers laid before
the President; and, with others, we notice petl-
ton insisting upon it that the President's aVoWed
policy led the petitioners to ask with confidence MS
interpretation in behalf of the culprits. Hon. h.
O. Browning, now Secretary Of the Interior, for q
fee of $1,000, made an argument to the President
in behalf of the PERSONS and urged that they be
brought within the range Of writ Of habeas cor.
pus in Northern court. Numerous petitions and
letters urge. the President to direct the OIL.
GERS having the prisoners in charge to respond
to writ of habeas corpus, upon the expectation
that the courts, after the decision in the Milli-
gan case, would declare the trial without au-
thority of law. These papers were all referred 6y
the President to the Judge Advocate General who
cision Of the military tribunal: Subsequently 9
writ Of habeas corpus was issued from the United
States District Court Of South Carolina, by Judge
Bryan but General Sickles declined to respond.
Sickles declined to obey it, and his conduct was
approved by tho Secretary Of War on the 2Sd OF
Jufy Subsequent to all the occurrences just re-
capitulated, the President ordered that the SEN
tennces to be hanged be commuted IN all sour cases
to imprisonment for life at the Tortugas: This or.
der Was Immediately executed; but on the 31st Of
July the President directed the prisoners to be
transferred to Fort Delaware. The Secretary Of War
in his testimony, gives the reasons for this transer
Considerable delay occurred in the transfer to Fort
Delaware; but when the prisoners did arrive there
served with writ Of habeas corpus from the United
States District Of Delaware, Judge Hall. Colonel
Howard was directed by the War Department to
respond to the writ. A hearing was had before
Judge Hall, and the prisoners were discharged
The reasons for this extraordinary procedure upon
the part Of the venerable judge, are set forth In
l,s opinion, which ia here submitted. He claims
to have had judicial knowledge that the rebellion
was suppressed and pence restored IN June, 1853,
and further that the civil courts Of South Carolina
were open for the administration Of Justice at the
time OF the arrest and trial Of these murderers !;
but Gen. Sckles states that at the time there were
no OWL courts in South Caroina TINT could rave
tried then-neither the United States District or
Circuit Court or State courts were open steps were
in progress to that end but they mad not been con-
s1mmated. It is not within the scope Of this re-
port to review the legal grounds upon which the
opinion is based. It's assumptions are still more
offensive, if possible than those OF the court in the
Milligan case. It is quite clear that it does not
to have the fruits OF q trial SO elaborately and
fairly conducted as this appears to have been fr-
tered away by the whim Of q single Judge in dis.
tant section Of the country. The committee call
attention to the report OF General Sickles IN the
Egan case, and'to the statement IN MS tesumony .
Of the ground of his action. It is not difficult to
decide between him and Judge Hall. The vigorous
comments of the Secretary Of War upon the deoi-
sion in the Milligan case apply with full force to
the decision Of Judge Hall. The assassins then
discharged returned to their MONIES, where tney
bring them to trial by the civil courts. It ls
sfriSng commentary on the state OF society there,
that while, according to the testimony of Surgeon
Pillsbury, no doubt appears to have been enter.
tanned in the minds of that community OF the guilt
Of at least two, OF the persons discharged, they
with an ovation and congratulation which terml-
mated in general drunk"
For the purpose of complying with the latter
portion of the resolution appointing the committee,
and intelligently recommending to the House
some action remedying the evils exhibited in the
history OF this case, it WAS deemed advisable to
extend the inquiries Of the committee and seek the
Testimony Of the officers in charge Of the depart
ments into which the Southern States are divided.
Any law passed by Congress would necessarily
worth while to learn whether the acts calling for
legislation were merely local, or whether they
were co-extensive with the commands Of de-
partmenS commanders. The testimony Of Gene
raIs Scoie!d, Thomas Sickles, Baird and Wood
snbmitted. MSs S + they have had the best opportu-
mites for obtaining, both personally. and also
through the reports of their subordinates, and
thew have been constantly on the alert, as the gov
eminent of the country has been substantially
under their supervision during the greater portion
of the time they have had command. me result
brief and forcible terms, and the COMMITTEES call
the attention Of the House to their testimony, as
they believe it can safely be made the basis OF leg
islaton. It would have been easy to have fortified
Bureau, but as the House is already in possession
of the valuable inform alton to be obtained from
that source, it was not deemed worth while to du-
plicate it hero. 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 concerned, justice le
practically denied, and offences OF grave character
against them 60 unpunishcd, neither magistrate
nor jurors being disposed to discharge their duties
in this respect; second that up to ths time there
the worse third, Chat unless substantial justice is
done to the laboring classes hereafter, and to the
Union men and Northern mon who desire to go
there to engage in business enterprises, no i'm
provement in the state Of affairs can reasonably
be expected. Under such circumstances it would
seem to be conclusively established that tho best
material interests Of the country, as we'll as the
highest considerations Of humanity, call for the
intervention of the authority Of the General Gov
ernment as the only practical mode in which il
can be executed-and that through tho mill
tary forces. 1t is Of the first importance
that ordinary justice shall be administered. The
whole superstructure Of government must rest
on that The violent political and social convul-
sions through which the country has passed can
be composed in time, and parties and races live to-
gether in peace and prosperity, # in the meantime
there is wisdom and strength sufficient in the Gov