The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-03
CHI A r L E s ON.
SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL s, 1869.
Governor SCOTT Sowing tho wind.

Governor SCOTT Sowing tho Wind!
We learn that on Monday last orders were
received at Abbeville Courthouse for the
immediate formation OF company Of negro
State troops. The news that SIG q month,
army rations, and perhaps uniform, could
be had for the asking, spread like wildfre,
and within twenty. four hours about fifty
negroes were enrolled. Many of them had
been working steadily in the field, but aban-
doned their employers without leave or
warning. No public notice of this new
prank was taken by the white people Of the
! district; but Hutson Lomax, colored mem
Der OF the Legislature, and another promi-
nant Radical, sent to Columbia an urgent
request that the order for the enlistm ent of
the negroes should be revoked, or at least
suspended This was, we believe, the con-
dition of affairs in Abbeville three days
| ago.
Abbeville, at the time that the enlistment
OF negro soldiers began, was in con-
dltion OF profound peace. The laws un-
couth and anomalous as they are, were being
| regularly executed. No oolored man was
treated harshly or severely. Every white
man was laboring steadily to improve his
position, and to forget, if possible, for a
little while, that the ancient common W ealth
Of South Carolina was ruled by the eman-
clpated slave, the vicious renegade, and the
beggarly stranger. There was no shadow
0vu Sv,k
1t is true that Governor Scott had declared
| Abbeville to be lawless and rebellious. and
that an attempt had been made to susnend
the writ Of ha6eas corpus in that district.
and in Edgefeld, Newberry and Laurens.
But it was shown by his evidence in the
contested Congressional Election that ssthe
''Great Calumniator" was unable, or unwil-
ling, to tell the truth where white men were
In question; it was known that the Lecisla
fure, while rejecting the ha6eas corpus reso-
luton, had authorized the Governor ato
''employ ON armed force for the preserva-
''tion Of peace" and to purchase two thou
sand rifles; and it was hoped that the Gov
ernor, satisfied with the possession Of au.
tocratic power, would not be hasty in it's use
But 1t seems that the lust Of power and love
Of the nogro have blinded Governor Scott, as
1t blinded others, who now bewail their folly.
Warning and exhortation have baen in vain.
Governor Scott has gone from bad to worse.
Beginning with Radioalism in mild form,
with hobnobbing with negro men and gal
lanting negro wenches, he has risen to the
height Of attempting to rule Abbeville Dis
trict by bare half hundred freedmen
And we can understand that man Of his
oalibre and notorious instability may have
been led to this madness by the very calm-
ness and temperance Of the people of the
State. This people has borne more than
the people Of Georgia or Virginia or Ala
bama or Texas have borne; hoping always
to conquer prejudice and hate by purity of
conduct and q faithful observance of private
and public duty. Nor do we regret it.
South Carolina has four years Of modera-
ton Of thought and werd to which she may
appeal. It stands upon the record And
we can meet whatever may be in store for
us with the consciousness that we have done
all that honest men may. do to preserve
peace and avoid riot and bloodshed. .P
Governor Scott is man who learns moth
ing by experience. OF the temper of this
people BE- knows no more than if he were
selling drugs in St. Louis. But what he
does in the future he will do with his eyes
open, with the full consciousness of the
weight ofresponsibility which he carelessly
assumes. We say to Governor SCOTT, al
though not with any idea thst our words
will convince him Of his, danger, that the
white people Of this State will not submit
to be hectored and bullied by negro SOL
diery. The white people OF South Caro-
lima have q proud past, past which they
do not forget; and they will not dishonor
the bones Of their ancestors and diegrace
their wives and children by accepting az
their lords and masters band Of negro
militia. They have gone far enough; and
| viii endure NO more.
We make no threats. What we have most
ct heart is the maintenance Of peace. But
there is q peace more terrible than war:
the peace Of the sword, the peace Of fire
and rapine; and this is the peace which
Governor Scott would have. We do not
fear for the future. Though there were q
regiment Of armed negroes in every die
trict in the State, we should not falter or
doubt; for whom onoe the instinct Of race
is aroused, Democrat and Republican will
stand side by side, and the fate Of the In
dian will be the doom Of che freedman.
Nor do we forget the horrors which might
accompany contest between the whites
and the blscks. But we feel, and We say
1t with sii soiemnity, that when ..sor the
preservation Of peace" negro troops are
qaartered in the different districts Of tho
state, 1t 10 high time for our psopio to de-
termine whether they will be the slaves 81