The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-04
The Militia Bill.

II seems likely that great part of the
last days Of the present session Of the Leg
isla.ure will be devoted to the discussion
of the bill to organize and govern the mi
litia of tie State. The measure failed last
session, perhaps because of the pressure
of miscellaneous business. There is no
doubt, however, that determined effort
will be made to pass the bill before the ad-
journment, whatever the questionable shape
in which the bill may come, and whatever
may be the reasonable objections to an act
which may arouse the slumbering passions
of the people and will certainly provoke
widespread discomfort.
At this time there is no State in the Union
more peaceful and calm than this State Of
ours. We have no riots, no broils, no
savage onslaughts by the blacks upon the
whites, no wanton attacks By the whites
upon the blacks. The public mind is calm
and s.; adfast, and while there has been no
remuneration of principle, no backsliding
from the broad ways of truth, the people
at large are directing their first energies
to agriculture aud commerce, and are leav-
ing to time and circumstance the solution
of the perplexities of their political situa-
ton. No man save fool or knaye will
venture to assert that the organization of
the militia is necessary for the protection
and well-being of any class of the people
of the State. And if it were proved that
in any one district the laws could not be
enforced by the civil authorities-and we
know of no district in which this is the
oase-the trembling Republicans might rely
on the constabulary which have been au-
thorized to be appointed when necessary,
and on the two thousand Winchester rifles, Of
the most approved pattern, which the Gov
ernor is empowered to buy.
We do not here oppose the Militia bill
proposed by Senator Leslie, because Of the
grave objections which may be made to its
plan of organization. We do not object 10
the bill merely because it forbids the or
ganization Of any military company outside
of the militia, or because it gives the power
of appointing all officers, big and little,
to the Governor or Commauder.in.c chief.
We 60 further, and object 10 the whole bill,
because we believe that the organization of
the militia at this time will be dangerous
experiment, temptation to indulge in acts
of open hostility, whose beginning we all
may see, but whose ending few may hope
to know. And we say this with no desire
to stir up strife, or foment disorder. We
say it in the interest of peace, in the in.
terest of the freedmen as we'll as of our
own race.
Let US look into the future and suppose
that the Militia bill has become law
What then? Do the members ofrhe Legisla-
ture suppose that the white men of South
Carolina can be made to muster and par
ade with the freedmen? Do they suppose
that the South Carolinian and the African
will stand shoulder to shoulder in the ranks?
More likely would they stand face to face;
for we know that forty Congresses, backed
by the negro miiitias Of Arkansas and Ten
nessee, and protected by as many Recon-
struction acts as could be stuffed into
commissary wagon, should not compel our
white men to enroll themselves in the State
militia as it is now proposed to be organ
lied. This may be called bravado. When
the time comes it will be found to be So
Der and serious truth. Nor would there be
more of security, if the white men and
freedmen were organized into separate bat
.alions or regiments. These bataions
would be found in the same neighborhood,
and an idle word or chance blow would
lead to a conflict which could not be checked
until the soil of South Carolina had been
once more bathed in blood.
At every step, there would be the oppor-
tunity of wrong doing. The colored pee
pie have had their way so fur that they are
inclined to believe that there is no bounds
to their power. They forget that the last