The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-08
THE MILITIA.
\ Way to Prevent Collisions.
From the Columbia Guardian.l

From the Columbia Guardian.
We learn. upon undoubted authority, that
company OF white men organized at Walhalla
has not been accepted BY Governor Scott, Al
though the captain paid two visits to Colum.
bIa to secure this small boon, accompanied
who exerted himself In his behalf In vain. A
colored company has since been formed In the
same place and accepted. OF this company,
James Keith, colored, Is the captain-a motto.
riously bad man, pardoned out of the peniten-
tinry. This Is O tact of such frequent occur
renee as scarcely to attract attention any
longer.
There is evidently method In the madness
of Governor Scott In sternly refusing compa-
nies OF one race and in relgiously accepting
and arming those of the other. It has even
attracted the attention Of the colored men
themselves, some OF whom are alarmed at the
prospect before them. A fair minded colored
man went into the store of one of our most
respectable merchants yesterday and unbosom.
ed himselfto him upon this matter. He said
the thing was making no little talk in certain
colored circles. For his part, he thought it
unfair and mlschievous. and he feared and be-
leved that lamentable consequences would re.
suit from it.
Now, a word to our white people. We beg
them to exercise patience snd discretion siml-
lar to that shown lately in our sister State of
North Carolina-the precursors OF signal
conservative victory. We say avoid collisions
practicable, the opportunities for their occur
renee While thus discreet and guarded. we
do not see any reasonable objections to being
prepared, both as individuals and as COM
pantes. It being the fact that colOred COM
panies are accepted with alacrity and
armed with ball cartridges without de-
lay, while white companies are Ignored
and refused altogether-in fact snubbed and
contemned-it becomes US to consider wheth-
organizations tohether accepted or not. And
there can be no possible objection, we con-
ceive in the present state Of things, for every
man looking to his weapons of personal de-
fence, and seeing that everything is right and
the powder dry. We say, ia contest ts pre-
pared here, II a collision Is systematically ar
ranged, If q bloody trap Is adroi1y get ior our
it, and be ready for 1t. Two can play
at this game. Let us remember, while these
net companies-th accepted militia-are strut
ting about In their fine arms and fine toggefy,
that there are two white adults to every tnree
colored in the State. This is not so great
disparity but that it may be overcome. There
are about 30,000 whites who are veteran Sold
iers from the Confederate OF Union armies,
1olto need no dr,lling.s They are equal to more
than twice their number Of raw troops OF equal
pluck, however we'll drilled.
We saw no more just now. We have saao
enough, we hope, to show that one-stde6
arnaino may provoke a conflict, the chances
of which will be greatly lessened by the quiet
preparation of those who are armed against
calmly and resolutely to meet 1t, while anxious
in every honorable wa7 to avoid 1t. Organize
to prevent collision; organize. TO meet 1t, II
needlessy and cruelty precipitated upon Us.