The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-28

article is equa LILY subject to the objection.
Very respectfully,
ALEX. q. BROWN.
On Monday evening, the Oath August, q
message was left at my residence stating that
man named Mccain, laborer on the planta,
ton Of Messrs Courlright & Jackman, had
been committed to the House Of Correction,
and sentenced by the Mayor to pay q tne Oh
ten dollars or endure an imprisonment OF ten
DAYS. The offence charged against Mccain
was ssbeing intoxicated in the streets"
Mr.. Legare, my son in-law, who ls in charge
Of the planting interests OF Messrs. Courtright
& Jackman, being absent from the city, 1, on.
the morning of the 25th, went ITO the Guard
house to effect, if / could, the release Of NC.
Cain and modification Of the fine. went
representing MIR. Legare, who was absent, ana
not as the counsel Of Mccain. went TO solicat
McCain's release, and not to demand nls dls-
charge, or in anywise TO argue on tne laMiess-
ness Of his commitment. went to conclllate,
and not to provoke, the authority that had the
matter in charge. In oil respects think the
subisined statement fully establishes that
these were exclusively my purposes, and we're
by ME respectfully carried out.
7 Iattended at the guardhouse on the morn
ing OF the 25th, about o'clock, and when the
court was ready to consider my application,
said: 81 am informed, Mr.. Mayor, that you
hare caused q man named Mccain to be sent
to the House Of Correction for being drunk IN
the streets. have come to ask you to modify
your sentence, if no circumstances OF aggrava-
hon marx his case." During this remark the
Mayor WAS engaged IN examining the record,
burning over the pages to fnd the entry, but
still giving me his attention I think. con-
tinued. remarking that Mccain did not live ln
the city, and was lonly occasionally within
it; that he was laboring man, in
dustr1ous, and usually civil and quit,
and Tat the fine as it now stood, nominally
against him, would in fact reach others whom
he. the Mayor, could not design it should ef-
feet. That the fine IN all probability would
have to be paid By others who kneH'the gener-
al harmlessness of Mccain. That as he was
seldom dn the city it. was not likely that he
would again soon get into trouble, and this
was, believed, the first time that he had been
brought up." The Mayor replied somewhat
curtly to this effect, that he, Cain was such
a respectable person as represented him,
he should have deported himself otherwise,
and considered how others would be affected
by his conduct. I replied that Mccain was
not exactly in; the category he placed him
that onlyispoke OF him as an industrious Ia
boring man, and usually civil and quiet. The
Myor rejoined Jand saidhe saW 40 reas9n for
reducing the fine or modifying the sentence,
when I added, at the same time getting out
my spocket book to pay the fine and procure
the release, "Perhsps, Mr.. Mayor, as matter
Of public policy, You ought to modify your
order-the right Of fine and commitment in
such cases as these being questionable. II the
penaflies are. Severe, Persons, even spprovlng
did, might be induced to resist it's use and test
it's validity The Mayor said quickly, "This
is no place for such remarks or such language"
/ replied, 81 differ with You; this, in my judg-.
rnent, is both the place and the occasion for such
remarks and insisted on being heard. The
Mayor closed the book before him, and said:
'Take that man or person out" I am not GER
tain which word was used, but am certain that
it was either one or the other Of these terms.
On this being said, o policeman came up to me.
and said "You must come out" I said II
would not" when he seized me by the collar
and sought to pull me out. / took off my spec
tacles, placed them on the desk near by, and
him from me; he again seized me, and, aided
by others, overcame the resistance my lame
condition enabled me to interpose, and was
pulled from the room and pushed into an
adjoining apartment. lremained there till Lieu
tenant Minot informed me that1 night leave
the building at my pleasure. and handed me
my spectacles and hat whicif had been left in
the courtroom. On going out remarked to
the Lieutenant that as desired the speedy re-
lease ofMcCaiu was ready to pay the fine i'm
posed, and entered into the courtroom for
that purpose. The Mayorat this time had left,
and seeing the policeman who had first been
put upon me, addressed to him some express
sions which my excitement prompted. Lieu
tenant Minot reminded me OF the imprOpriety.
and Immediately expressed my regret and
eft the building. =
It will be seen by the foregoing statement,
that did not question the authority, or in
anywise alude to the official tenure Of the
present Mayor, as intimated in your report Of
the 26th. Il had no such idea, apd felt no
special interest in any such inquiry.
ment, the indignity put upon me, should have
received at my hands, but the counsel Of some
friends has diverted me from my purpose,
Unjust .ontent myself at least for the present,
and submit to the disrespect that seems to
sion, by those strolling adventurers, whom
these disjointed times have foisted into posi-
tions OF authority.