The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-12

The golden gates of new FL Dorado seemed
suddenly opened to their eyes. Down they
dropped ''thc shovel and the hoe," and came
trooping up to the village, as "doVes to their
windows" The fields we're neglected-the
plough stood idly in the furrow. This enc
lost his carriase-driver, that ono his house
servant. and another his best field-hand. In
few days the lists are filed company of
sixty-fve blacks are enrolled, and "the cry ID
still they come" Cokesbury alone sends up
detachment of twenty men on single day.
Keep the door of admission open, and every
effective black lal, .-er would don the uniform
OF q soldier-and reversing the picture of the
ancient prophet, instead of ploushshares we
would have swords and spears for pruning
hooks. And what is the avowed motiyo-the
ostensible pretext for this military display
this exhibition of "the pride, pomp and cir
regulate the county"-not merely to preserve
the peace in the future, but to puuish den-
quencies in the past. Law is to be enforced by
the bayonet and the purity of the franchise
protected by the breech-loader. Well did the
officer desist controlled by the representa-
tions OF influential gentlemen who appealed to
his good sense as man, and bis selt-interest
as citizen. To have done otherwise, and to
have gone on, as he began, would have given
Us "not peace, but sword" 1t would have
disorganized labor, and prostrated industry:
produced insubordinatlon on one side, and lrr1-
tation on the other inflmed the passions of
race, and brought on internecine strife, rapino
and violence-all and singular the evils which
it was ostensbv designed to prevent. Can
these conclusions be eainsayed2 Can any one
doubt? Has Governor Scott denied, or can he
doubt, that such would be the natural and ne
cessary results of attempting to rule the white
people OF tho State by companies OF negro MI
htia?
II Tua News then be justified in the con-
c.usions which it, draws from its premises, IN
what respect has it erred in the statement Of
the facts which make I'D the basis OF its argu-
ment? What is the point Of controversy be-
tween tho Governor and the oditor? The facts
are as we have above stated them, and to that
extent they justify tho allegations OF The
NEWS. But the Governor denies that he gave
any authority for the organization OF negro
company, and intimates that the act OF the
officer IN Abbevllle contemplated nothing more
than legitimate enrolment of all our citizens
under tho recent law of the Legislature for
the organization Of the militia: Upon the
question of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the officer In
Abbevlle had any authority at all, or whether
he abused tive are willing TO accept the
statement of Governor Scott, so far as he him.
SELF is concerned. Whether he had commits
sion from the Adjutant-General, We have no
means of ver.fcatlon, as no write authority
was exhibited. It is sufficient for our purpos sc
that the officer claimed 10 have authority from
the Governor. Authority Authority to do
what? To enroll all citizens. black and whto,
under the late act Of the Legislature. Nothing
Of all this but to organize black company
for immediate service, with proffer OF high
wages, rations. clothing and education
organize regular ''s anding army" on o
small scale to drag tho refractory into obedi-
ence-to preserve, in duo equilibrium. tho
scales of even-handcd justice. and to guard
the purity of the ballot box. It is sufficient for
our purpose that the officer not only claimed
to have the authority OF the Governor, but pro-
cccded to it's cxercise-wieding the wand al
most as effective as 'the potent rod OF Amranl's
son." The company was raised as If by en-
"hantmcnt-li Jonah's gourd or Aladins pal
ace-and the strong appeals of some If our IN
fucntial citizens could only extort from tho
officer promise to suspend action until he
could hear from th, Governor. Governor
Scott has disavowed tho act of one who pro-
tesscd to act under lis authority. Here we arc
willing to let the matter rest. We havo stated
the facts, so far as we know them, and we aro
willing to allow others to draw their own con-
clusons.