The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-07-15
The Barbarism Of Dospotlsm

iu Iiie ia'e war, nli the n5ageS OF clvll,z.
ed warfare were violated against the
Southern States, we attributed it to that
barbarism which all war is calculated to
produce. But here We are in profound
peace. The Southern people are per.
feotiy aware Of the desire Of the wretch
es, who now rule the United States,
that they shonld riso against the oppres-
s;oas they inact uFon them. They were
ushered into power by war; and they
eagerly dcslre war to sustain their pow.
er. The Southern people are therefore
patient; and wait Tor the opportunity,
the next Presidential election will
afford, to cast their prosecutors from
power. IN the meantime, however,
is going on in the Southern country, n
tyranny which has bcer umheard of in
Europe, since The middle ages. To
compel confessions by the rack. we had
hoped, was gone forever with the inqui-
sltion, and the despolism of the Borgias;
but here in this once free countrv-wi;h
tho Anglo-Saxon race, the fercest in
resisting oppression-w have all the
horrors OF The dungeon and rack, delibe.
rately restored, as the legitimate instru-
mentaities for the suppression of crime,
and tho administration Of justice. The
barbarism OF the late war, is carried ont
IN the administration of peace. Not
only are all the guarantees Of the Con.
stitution Of the United States, but all the
principles ofjusticc and humanity are
set at defiance, to reach supposed often
ders, against the despotnsm over u.s.
Our readers, we are assured, will read
with horror, the narrative, we give Le-
low, from the National Inteligencer, OF
the cruel outragcs now gong on in
Georgia IN the Ashbnrnc case. Per-
hnps, we too in Snuth Carolina will
soon have to endure them. It. is utter
ly impossible, for such tyranny, to pro.
ducc any other feelings than those Of
Indignation, and hate and vengeance.
Two Infamous "drtcciivcs," Of thc
Baker-Stanton sort, were summoned,
coming, it is said, from this city, and
went down to Georgia. They we're told
that they could earn this forty thousand
dollars if they succeeded, and then tho
military gave then carte blanche to
arrest any citizen Of Georgia, and full
power over the unfortunate negroes, to
brlbe, threaten, starve, imprison and
torture these wrotchcd creatures, who
swore in the presence Of Almighty God
that they know nothing about tho mat
ter, until they should, to suve themselves
from further suffering, consent to tell
whatever stories foul monsters put in
their mouths. That they have done
these things can be proved by the tcs,i-
mony OF tho released negroes who have
been subjected to these Internal crucll,es
We have published atlidavits Of some of
those, but they leave much to be sta.
ted.
Among the methods Of torture en-.
ploycd by these wretches upon the ne.
groes, to make them swear away human
lives, was the instrument known as the
"sweat box" This, we understand, to
be box Of wood, inside or which the
victim is made to stand The wooden
sides OF this box, by means of screw,
arc compressed closer and closer, until
the individual can scarcely breathe =;
then stream. Of hot air or steam is
thrown upon tho vic.:m; he is almost
st'lled pressure put upon his heart
and lungs, until the agony OF his posi-.
ton is such that human nature sinks
under the inAiction, and the poor crea-
tnrc cries out that he is ready to testify
to anything desired. We assert that
onr information is positive and reliable,
that these internal cruelacs have been
practiccd by the Federal military in
Georgia upon black men, IN order to
mako them swear away the lives of in
nocent white and respectable citizens
before military commission, ''organizrd
TO convict" and with murder in their
hearts.
One Of these poor negroes thus tor.
tured was kept there so long that his
knee was actually burst open by tho
pressure Of blood.
The cells in which the prisoners were
all confined, and most of them arc still
confined, are two feet ten inches wide,
by ten feet long There ia one small
oIN'1h'S WI al W bilS CCll, ITO ClTCGt1ttOn
and no opportunity for exercise has been
allowed. This is done in semi tropical
climate. This in the month of June,
when even here, with all the appliances
of comfort and civilization, men suffer
from Ecat. Two Of these victims were
released on heavy bail Sunday last,
and from those our informant derived
these last facts. All are capable Of
proof.
The people Of the North will probably
mover know, as they cannot fully realize,
all the frightful and inhuman tortures
inflicted upon the South at the hands of
military satraps. Our attention has
been called to case quite as fragrant as
that of the. COLUMBUS prisoners.
1t seems that about six weeks ago
Federal soldier was killed at Warren.
ton, in this State. No clue, 80 far as
We can ascertain has yet been afforded
TO detect the perpetrators Of this vic.
lence. But the military authorities