The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-10-21
Headquar's Dep. Of the South,
ATLANTA, Ga, October 9Th, 1868.

Headquar's Dep. OF the South,
ATLANTA, Ga, October 9Th, 1868.
GENERAL ORDERS No. ~.
Whereas, by an Act of Congress Of the
United States, approved March ID, 1866,
1t is made the duty of the military au.
thorlty to preserve the peace at the polls
at any election that may be held in sny
of the States and whereas this duty han
become the more imperative, from the
existing political excitement in the pub.
lie mind, from the recent organization Of
civil government, and from the fact that
Congress has by statute prohibited the
organization Of military forces in the ssT.
eral States Of this Department: tits there
fore ordered,
|. That the several District command.
crs will, as soon as practicable, on the
receipt ofthis order, distribute the troops
under their command as follows:
X x
In the District of South Carolina-s
One Company of 9th Infs'y, to Chessss.
One Company Of 9Th Iuft'y, to Unioryilla.
One Company of 9Th nifty, to Laureusyills,
One Company OF 9th Inft'y; to Abbeville.
One Company of 9Th Inft'y, to Newberfy.
One Company of 9Th Inft'yi to Edse6sld.
One Company of 9th Inft'y, to Beaufort.
One Company of 9th nifty, to Georgesowp.
One Company of 9th Infty, TO Florence.
x X - y
VIII. District commanders will in.
struct post commanders in their duties,
and the relative position of the civil aud
military powers. They will furnish
them with copies of the circulars from
these Headquarters, of August 25th, and
October lst, ultimo, Qbe latter of which
was forwarded September 18th, to Dis.
trict commanders in which the iastruc-
tions of the War Department are sss
forth in full. They will impress On post
commanders that they are IL act in aid
and cooperation, and in, sabord;nation
to the civil authorities that they are to
exercise discretion and Judgment, un-
biased by political or other pfeiudices;
that their object should be exclusively to
preserve the peace and uphold law and
order, and they must be satisfied such Is
the objec. of the civil officer calling on
them for aid; that they must, in aA
cases where time will permit, apply for
instruction to superior authority: bat
they must at all hazards preserve the
peace, and not be restrained by techni-
cal points, when, IN their conscientious
judgement under the rules above set
forth, 1t is their duty to act. Post com.
manders, on being notified Of tho. pro-
posed holding of political meetings, may
send an officer, and if necessary o do.
tachmept, to watch the proceedings and
see that the peace is preserved.
TX. To the people of the several States
composing the Department., the Major
General commanding appeals that they
will cooperate with him and the civil
authorities in sustaining law and order,
in preserving the peace and avoiding
those scenes of riot and bloodshed, and
the wanton destruction Of property aud
life, which has already, in some instan.
ces, been enacted in the Department.
He urges abstinence from ell i1famma-
tory and inccndiary appeals to the pas
sions; diseountenancing the keeping
open OF liquor shops on days Of political
m setings and Of election; the abstaining
from carrying arms, and asserting the
individual right of constituting laws by
force of arms. Nojust cause is ever ad-
vanced by resort to violence. Let there
be charity and furbearance among po!iti-
cal opponents, whatever may be the re-
suit; let each good citizen determine
that all who, under the law, have the
rish. to bail,t, snail exercise it undis-
turbed. lfthere are disputed points Of
law, let them be referred to the courts,
and let not mnbs or political clubs, or
other irresponsible bodies. construe and
undertake to execute the law. This ap-
peal is made in the earnest hope that the
Major. General commanding can rely on
the good sense and the correct Judgment
of the mass Of the people, and that ho
will not be compelled to resort to the cx.
crcis- Of the power with which he is in.
tlu>ted, and which he will most reluc.
family employ. But he thinks It his
duty TO make known, that so far IA the
power under his command will admit, he
will not permit the peace to be broken,
and that he will not be restrained IN the
conscientious discharge of his duty by
technicalltcs of laws made when the
present anomalous condition of affairs
were neither anticipated or provided for.
BY Order of Major General Meade:
nDTI1K