Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-12-04
The Message of Governor Scott.

The annual message Of GOV. Scott
was submitted to The Legislature on
Monday last. With much that - cor.
rect in statement and wise IA sugges-
ton. we rcgrei, to say Tat it contains
also mnry partial a:..d incorrect state
"cnts, which Convey false impressions
with regard co the character of indi-
vlduals :.nd communities. These cr-
rors ri statement derive their sole
sig, nificancc from the official character
of the author. 1t is to be presumed
that the chief Executive Of the State.
with full means of knowing, will have
no motive to misreprcscnt the condi-
ton of that political community Of
which he is the official representative
whose prosperity he takes AN oath
to advance, and whose fair fame he is
bound by every consideration Of duty
and interest to maintain and protect.
Such we might expect of Governor
who was not only over us, but was of
us-who, elected by the free suffrages
of people with whom he was identi-
fed by birth and education, by inter-
est and feeling, with the best means
Of knowing, would have no motive t.
misrepresent US. But what is there
in the anteccdcnts of our present Gov
ernor which could afford presump-
ton that he has either the capacity to
appreciate our character or condition,
or any desire to vindicate the one or
improve the other? An alien by
birth and an advcnturcr in fortune, in
what docs he differ from that "locust
horde" of ';carpct-baggers," who, hav-
ing no habits, feelings or associations
in common with the people among
whom they have usurped Office
knowing but little of them, and caring
less for them, except in SO far as they
may minister to their own selfish pur,
poses and advance their own party
iA'Si iSSto hAaiiioo1 Ill e'Ciy oulCld
act their sectional antipathies and bit
ter partisanship? This is not the
first time that Governor Scott has
indulged in wholesale denunciations
against the character Of our citizens
which have been again and again re
PEELED, and whico On former occasion
he was forced to retract.
Governor Scott makes wholesale
charge against the citizens of our Dis
trict, as abetting the murderers O
Martin and Randolph, and as palli
ating if not justifying the act. H,
charges upon prominent citizen O
our District, threat of assassinatio,
against the Executive himself ant
accuses the public journals of tn
State as giving this their implic,
sanction. Hear him:
"Largo rewards have been offere'
for the apprehension Of these murder
ers, some Of whom are known to b
refugees and outlaws from adjoinin,
States, who have availcd themselve
Of the political excitement as q cloal
for their schemes of rapine and mur
der; but such is the condition of soci
ETY. in their immediate neighborhoods
that neither the promised rewards no
the strenuous efforts Of civil officers
have accomplished their arrest. The,
are fully armed and mounted, an,
boast of the extent and power of thei
organization. And somewhat prom
inent individual, who is himself unde
heavy bonds to answer the charge O
completely IN the murder of Randolph
has had the hardihood to publish a,
address to the Executive, threatenin,
still further outrages and additiona
victims. AS discouraging cvidcnc,
of the deterioration of Journalistic
morals, it may DO mentioned that thi
covert threat Of assassination ba
been published and repubiished with
out word of censurc or dissent"
Because murders are committed
and the perpetrators escape-beeaus.
rewards are offered for their appre
hension, and those fail to bring tn.
guilty parties-are these proofs suf1i
cient to implicate whole community
as participants? Since the days o.
Alfred, such a thing has not beer
heard Of in English law, MS requiring
each man to guarantee the good char
acter and correct department. of his
neighbor. Crimes are committed ey.
erywhere, and offenders 60 "unnwhip.
ped Of justice" but each man, accord.
ing to the benignant spirit of English
liberty, will have enough to do, to an.
swer for his own sins. Before the
war, no District in the State had A
higher character for quiet and good
order than Abbeville, and since, in
spite Of the acts of few reckless des-
peradoes, our citizens have never for
taited their well-earned fame. Has
a