The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-07-14
De>pWrtcs, Williams & Co., Props
Enrolling the Militia.

NV ~ oupNSS'ouiJ ouu
ate stculagc to the extent Of $50, 900
III the militia Lill, and for that reason
alone, it's provisions are sure to be
executed. There is in it no provision
whatever for excuses from serving, ex.
ccrt sickness, no matter If citizen be
serving on the Jury or travelling out
OF tue state on muster day, so that
there is no chance Of respectable
white people, who will simply con.
tnmpiuously pay the fines, escaping
tho unjust eXtortion Of au additional
tax thus levied upon them hy rcquir-
ing Of them a moral impossibility :;
that is, that they should assemble and
drill with, OF under the command of
negroes This rcqulsition is a simple
outrage upon the wcll-known scnt,,
ment OF an unrcsisting, tax-paying
community, pcrpctratcd for election
ocring PURPOSES, in order, by promis.
ing more to intoxicated Cuiicc than
sober common scnsc approves, to turn
his poor head with dreams of military
glory, and secure his solid vote for
partisan purposes. The militia al.
ways was an clcctionocring humbug.
This feature survives.
What need have wo Of a militia
now ! Had it not bcou better to allow
the State to 70 on pcaccably, and not
cxaspcratc our passions by unnccessa-
Wy demands upon tho patience aud
forbcaranco Of tho tax paying white
minority Of the State Our black
citizens will simply DO made, by unne-
ccssary military drills, moro idle and
lawlcss and conccitcd, and to tho OK
tent tha" this happens, thorc will bo
less harmony and poaco in the State.
What unnecessary folly!
No direct collision, however, it is
clear to us, will come dtrccNy and im-
m'dtafeg from this particular law,
whatever bc its ultimate result or its
necessary tendency. Perhaps this
calm statement Of opinion docs not
suit some. We simply cannot help
that. 1t is our conviction, and the
people being uneasy upon that partic
ular point, VIC feel it our duty to soy
80,
Our counsel is, simply to disregard
all military orders to muster, and
tho whole thing ms it now stands,
with contempt. The question as t.
whether the whites should unto il,
resisting payment of tho military
fines of "ono dollar for each day" that
they refuse to muster, that will thus
accrue, is ono for The first of March
1870. These liucs, which will rcsul,
from requiring brick without giving
straw, arc 30 clearly tho simplest
vcxation and cxtortion, that, if tho
Legislature does not, at its next scs-
sion, reconsider the whole subject and
remit them, Il very formidable combi.
nation to resist their payment may re.
suit. Perhaps, tho party purpose
having been served, q ncgroo militia
created, ncgroc captains, coloncls and
bliSadicrs, and some white oilice-scck.
ing licutcnants having been appointed
ncgroo intoxication thus secured, and
the ncsroc vote kept solid and united
tho Legislature may modify tho law
next winter, and remit the fines, in
order to conciliato taxpayers to the
creation of numerous additional up-
necessary Offices, and to provide an
additional half-million, by taxation,
ior tho payment Of The salaries of the
same. Whether, however, this add;-
tional half million will be moationodin
the appropriation bill, or tho accident.
al omission will afterwards be cooily
supplied by Reuben, Tomlinson &
Co, who now undertake to collect al
extra quarter of a million that the
Legislature forgot to provide for,
(and why they don't collect whole
million extra at once, is a mystery to
us. for tho people would pay it,) ro.
mains to be seen. Wo will simply
have to wait and SEQ how this inter
csting point will bo decided next
winter. Till then, fcllow.citixcns,
keep cool. a hundred thousand dol
lars and over Of military fines, is not
me hoD of the extra quarter of mil
non that you are now rushing for
ward, with uncomfortable alacrity, to
put into Mr. Tomlinson's keeping.