The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-01-21
.Ramarks of Senator Leslie, of BarnweL,
'--- on the Militia Bill.

On Cn6 m1uCld Dill.
The bill to organize and govern the
militia of this State was taken up for q
second reading in the Senate on the 9th
ofsJanuary, and considered by sections.
1t being. known that Senator LESLIE
was resolately opposed to the bill, and
reported that he would fight it to the
end, quite large audience gathered in
the Senate chamber to hear the discus
sion. His speech occupied about two
irours in-delivery, and the following syn
opsis will afford the reader somo idea of
its merit:
Mr. Leslie moved that the further con-
sideration OF the bill'be indefinitely post
n.ned. He carried the bill home with
him last night, but not, he said, like Dan
iel Webster or Hayne, to sleep over IT,
neither did he sleep on it, lie was not
therefore, prepared to do justice to the
subject. He desired to say that of all
men in this world the most practical are
the Yankees, and this State government
practically, is a government that if it is
not Yankee, it is-prctty we'll Yankeeized
1t was right, too, he thought, that 1t
sbould be so. All there is of progress
in this country, all there is of popular
advancement and education, has come
directly from the North, and he chal-
lenged any one 10 deny it: ,,.,
Now, then, the Senate is called upon TO
pass Il bill to organize and govern the
militia of South Carolina. They were
sitting there as practical men, and they
meant to be practical. They advertise
TO be practical, and that is the reason why
the party to which most of them belong
ed had; 50 far, succeeded. They are
party of progress, party of knowledge,
y party of life, and a party that Is practl'
cal in every sense of the word-slow TO
action. slow to anger, but practical when
ever they move The militia, he con-
tended, could only be called out, practi-
cally speaking, in two contingencies; IN
case the civil authoritiss-the sheriff, tor
instance-from combinations OF the oppo.
sition. is unablc to. enforce the law, and
the people become so riotous that he can
not keep the peace, he has under the law
. the rirht to read the riot act, and IT Inc
cannot dispersc them, then the militia is
,.,llcd ont. The second is when the, Gov
,ernor declares martial law in any county
in the State As to the first case, he
would ask any friend OF the bill if there
had arisen a case in the State OF South
Carolina where the militia could have
been legally and properly called ont #
organized Perhaps somebody would
SAY, ives. they killed man up in Abbc-
Vile" Well. they could not use the
militia to arrest that man. Ihey might
XIII half dozen up in Newberry, and
they could not use the militia to arrest
those parties.
It was, as he had said before, that there
were ONLY two contingencies in which the
militia could be used. When could the
Governor declare martial law? Not un-
less the conduct of the people throughout
any locality of the State is such that it is
impossible to enforce the law, and where
the civil officers are prevented from dis
charging their duty. When the people
become 80 riotous and are in such force
tlat the civil officers cannot serge or
enforce their writs, then the Governor
can declare martial law. 1t cannot be
declared whenever the Governor pleascs,
and / am certain, said the speaker, that
our Governor, or the Governor of any
other State, would be very careful of
taking any such step unless there was, a
case Of real necessity.
Up to this time there had been no pos
siJle' contingency in which the militia
could be used, and if it could not up to
this time, when under heaven will they
be called upon for militia duty? How
long will it take to organize tho militia,
and put it practically into being! You
have got to get the men to come up
and be enrolled, you have got to get
guns and clothing, and then you must
have n Quartermaster General, and u
Surgeon General, whose business it is to
heal all the ailments, and somebody else
to furnish all the uniforms, coats, hats
and boots, and then you have to get
somo one to contract for them. Well,
after thev have done all that sort of busi-
ness ask the friends of the bill in what
wear of the Lord will it probably CON-
mcnce operations? If no cases have yet
arisen, ask in what other year OF our
Lord they ean arise
1 think that the people, and desire to
say it to the opposition, to the Democracy
of this State, to the Radicals of this State,
and to all not within those two parties,
that propose to disturb the peace of the
State after the last election, and are per-
sistcnt in making covert war upon recon-
struction and the State Government of
South Carolina, that their labors in that
direction should cease. We all believe,
ali fair.minded men believe, that the
question OF reconstruction was practically
settled by General Grants election.
Whatever there is of evil in the present
organization of this State government
Iii currr off and at the next REGULAR