The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-11

when he was informed of their
avowed purpose, with concert on the
part of similar organizations from
adjoining Districts, to assault the Jail
and release prisoners therein CON
fined under due process of law, their
information was treated almost with
leyity, but assuredly without the
grave consideration and promptitude
OF action beftting the emergency.
Without investigation had, their
fears were pronounced groundless;
no steps were taken to enforce the
law prohibiting such organizations,
and the negro incendiary, heading
that in Union District, not only es-
capped without any public censure,
but (unless we are greatly misinform-
ed) was even treated with favor"
1 must repel, with earnestness, the
charge herein made, that the commu-
nication made to me by the commit
tee from Union was treated "almost
with levity." On the contrary, every
thing that was reasonable and proper
was done, and done promptly. It is
certainly true that I did not fully
share in the fears of civil disturbance
which were felt by the committee. I
had heard too often &c pdrte state
ments of the faults and sins of poll
tical opponents, to give entire Gre
dence to one side of story till the
other had been shown, and 1 say this
with no desire or purpose of cues
tioning the integrity of the gentle
men Of the committee. But L took
immediate measures to ascertain, by
investigation, what the real facts
were. issued an order to the per-
son above alluded to, as Il NEGRO
incendiary," to abstain from all vio-
lations of the law, and 1 censured
him for his imprudent and infamma-
tory language. The investigation
madc it evident that while he had
said and done that which was preju-
dicial to the preservation of harmo-
NOUS relations between the races, he
had committed, certainly at the time
when this investigation took place,
no overt act of an illegal character.
It also showed that threats had
been made that the political gather
ings and associations of one political
party should be broken up, and it is
believed that those threats brought
from that political party counter
threats, and an expression of a pur-
pose to make an armed defence
against any such unlawful attempt to
interfere with the rights of the peo-
pie to assemble and discuss political
questions. 1t did not appear that
any armed organization existed
among the blacks. The blacks and
whites, indiscriminately, have, it
seems, acquired the bad habit of car
rying arms to political meetings, and
also when they are moving from
point to point in the country. But
they do not bear arms as organized
military bodies, under military disci-
pline and drill. They bear arms, in
accordance with their constitutional
right to do so-a right the Executive
of the State has no power to abridge,
except when the State may be de-
clared under martial law. While
this habit exists and is cherished by
the members of one political party;
while it is common thing for white
citizens whose political faith is op-
posed to the theories of the Republi-
| Ct.u phrCy W hpDCtI alI hepuDllcau
meetings with arms, and denounce
and threaten the speakers, and make
otherwise offensive demonstrations,
it is hardly to be expected that those
who attend such meetings will hesi-
tate TO provide themselves with such
means of defence as they can pro-
cure Hence it is that what is clearly
the right of the citizen has been so
grossly abused as to alarm nil think
ing men. The only cure for an evil
of this sort is the discontinuance, by
the influential citizens of the neigh
borhood, OF ali interference with or
disturbance of any public meeting;
the thorough abstinence, on the par'
of all citizens, from threatening or
violent denunciation of those who
differ with them politically; and,
what is of equal Importance, the dis
continuance of the habit of bearing
either concealed or open weapons by
every respectable mana habit only
proper to state of society without
civil government. The "petition
and remonstrance" would leave it to
be implied that only the blacks of
your community were armed, while it
is notorious that there are quite as
many land probably more) white
men armad than h1ooka ond tbok