The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-24
CHI A RI S TON.
,ArURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER "a. 1868.
For pre,,dsut.. ,HORATIo SEYMOUR.
For Vice. President. FRANCIS p. BLAIR.
Insurrection and Rebellion.

i Inc acI LOT tue Supp eo'iou VI
ton and rebellion, passed at the late session
of the Legislature of the State, oOnferS upon
Governor SCOTT greater power, and more
absolute authority, than have, to our knowl-
edge, ever before been entrusted to CIVIL
ruler in this or any other State. Whenever
in his judgment, it shall become impractica-
BILE to enforce the laws of the State, by the
ordinary Judicial proceedings, within any
county or counties, he may call forth the
militia of any or all of the counties IN the
State, and employ it to enforce the laws or
to suppress rebellion. Whenever, Sin his
"iudgment, the public safety may require
oit," the Governor may take possession Of
any or all of the telegraphic lines, and of
all the railroad lines in the State, may pre-
scribe rules and regulations for using and
maintaining them sin the manner most
"conducive to the interest and safety of the
government" and may place their officers
and employees under military control, so
that they shall be considered @ part of the
military establishment of the State, and be
subject to all the restrictions imposed by
the articles of war. The Governor may
employ as many persons as he may deem
necessary and proper for the suppression
of insurrection, rebellion or resistance TO
the laws, and may organize and use them
as he may judge best. Whenever, in his
Judgment, the public safety requires it, the
Governor may suspend the writ of ha6eas
corpus, and no officer shall be compelled to
return the body of any person detained by
the order of the Governor.
Governor SooTr has, therefore, power to
call out the militia, to seize the railroad and
telegraph lines, to organize corps Of mer-
cenary soldiers, and 10 suspend the writ of
ha6ea, corpus; and it is rumored has had it
in contemplation to declare the State, or
some counties of it, in rebellious and in
surrectionary condition. That Governor
| ScoTT can do this is not denied; but it is
hard to believe that he has seriously con-
templated the consequences Of 80 disastrous
and ruinous step.
There have been committed, in several
counties in this State. acts Of violence
which every sober and thinking man has
censured and condemned. Black men have
been killed by white men, and white men
have been shot and wounded By negroes.
Barns and houses have been burned down,
and throughout the State the Radical lead
ers threaten the whites, who are opposed to
them in politics, with all the horrors Of fire
and the sword. The whole State is-throb-
bing with excitement. On the one side the
colored people are told by their leaders,
day by day, that the blood Of their muir
dered brethren stains the garment of
every Democrat in South Carolina. Oa the
other side the white Democracy know that
they are held responsible as people for
the lawless conduct Of a score Of irresponsi-
BILE white men. They see that while the
house of the white man is burning, while
his cattle are shot, while his children are
wounded or killed, the mouthpi Of the
law is dumb, though it can speak with blast
ing force when colored incendiary orator
is criminally killed. There can be no peace,
no security, while the colored people are
taught that every Democrat is their mortal
enemy and would-be assassin. There can
be no peace, no security, while the white
people are taught by the logic of events
that the negro is SO far above the law as to
be beyond punishment, while the white man
is so far below the law that he need not ex.
pect justice or protection.
This is not sensational writing, or writing
for efect-it is the unvarnished truth; and
it is because VIC have felt the magnitude Of
the danger that we have expressed so freely,
on previous occasions, the abhorrence
which every respectable man in South Car.
olina feels for the rowdy, the murderer
and assassin. No pains have been spared
in the endeavor to calm the public mind
Every citizen has been exhorted to bt
scrupulously moderate in word and deed
and so great is the natural impartiality ane
sobriety of the people, that there is M
chance of further violence if it is proved
incontestibly that the law is to be equally
and impartially administered.
, What we most desire is peace! Thi!
J Governor SCOTT knows full well; and it i:
presumed that he is acting in the interest
of peace, and of peace alone. We do not
therefore, hesitate to say that with thu
State under martial law,-with private
property seized and held by State off
cers,-with the writ of habeas corpus sus
pended,-with an army of negro militiamer
to tread the white men down,-there canno
be peace. To send armed negroes to arrest
innocent white men; to bullya a whole coun'
ty for the fault of one man; to make mer
liable to trial by drum-head court-martial
this will not secure peace 1t will bring