The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-01-22
Gov. SeotGs Recent Message.
The Charleston Ne,os says:

Ate&b&A tAA1 PxoA0tbco kudu6 az Lu6 blu1 Oh
his re,election as Governor of South
Carolina. In his annual message to the
General Assembly, delivered in Decem-
Der last, he pledged himself to make
every legitimate effort for the restora-
ton of harmony to the disturbed opin-
ion of this State, and for the recognition
by all classes in the State Of their mutual
dependence and common interest. Close
upon the heels of these handsome de-
clarations came the reports of outrages
in. the upper part of the State. The
houses OF inotfensive white men were
fired into; white man was brntalIy
murdered by the negro militia; a deputy
sheriff, while in the discharge of his
duty, was fired upon and killed. A
band OF disguised men broke into the
County Jail, took out five of the negroes
implicated in the murder Of white
man, shot two of them to death and
mortally wounded third. Nor were
tales wanting of attacks upon the colorcd
people by masquerading whites. These
occurrences caused serious uneasiness,
and the responsible citizens of Union
and, .Spartanburg Counties, in public
meeting, pledged themselves to bend all
their energies to the work of discovering
the oulprits and of preventing the CON
tinuance OF deeds ut variance with en-
Hghtened public sentiment and counter
In the meanwhile, the up-countrv Radi-
Gals, joined by the incendiary LEADERS, of
the sea-board negroes, raised howl of
indignation. laying oil the blame upon
the whites, demanding that martial law
be proclaimed in the offending Counties,
preaching the bloody gospel of fire and
sword. Governor Scott was denounced
as weak and feeble official who had
not the brain to know his duty, nor the
nerve for its discharge. Threats of i'm
peachment were banded to and fro. A
concurrent resolution, naughty in words
and insulting in tone, was hurriedlv
passed and presented to the Executive.
His answer is the special message print
ed yesterday-an answer which disposes
OF the wild charges made against him,
while it proves that the Executive is
resolved to uphold the prerogativcs of
his high Office and to maintain the su.
premacy of the civil power of the State.
Gov. Scott tolls the members of the
General Assembly that he has no infor-
nation Of anything like ''a County or
ganization to defy or to defeat the law. -
The prompt and impartial administra-
ton of justice in Abbeville aud Edge
field proved that the civil power was snf-
fcient for the protection of life, liberty
and property. Nor, as the Governor
frankly admits, is there any militia force
at the command Of the Executive which
would be competent to suppress vio-
lence and disorder so general as to dis
arm the power of the civil courts.
Every effort has been made to discover
the criminals and bring them to trial,
but "the Executive is without the power,
as he ought to be without disposition, to
interfere with the due administration OF
the law. These are, indeed, noble
words. Gov. Scott says distinctly that
not single case has been reported in
which tho officers of the law "have been
resisted in the discharge OF their duties. -
He adds: ''There is no invasion which I
am called on to repel; no insurrection
which am called on to repress." Yet.
colored General" Whipper, and colored
Congressman elect Elliott. demand that
they be allowed to lead 5000 coast mill
tlamen to root out rebellion and stamp
out disorder. Gov. Scott meets in the
proper spirit the declarations made by
the responsible aud Influential citizens"
OF Lanrens and Spartanburg, and, in the
repression of lawlessness, proposes to
apply undinchingly ''all the power of
repression" which he can lawfully exer-
ciae. his expressions, moreover, in re-
gard to the use of an armed force for the
public protection have the ring of the
true metal. He says:
cit is my opinion that the civil law of
the State onght to be. sufficient, and it
is my determination that it shall be suffi-
cient to protect the person and property
Of every and any citizen of the State,
however humble, friendless or obnoxious
1 cannot bring myself to contemplate
the use of an armed force to punish
individual violations of the law in a time
of profound peace. Such remedy
would be as bad as the disease, and
would be public declaration that there
was no civil government in South Caro-
lima, and that we are living in a condi-
ton of social anarchy. am bound by
my oath of Office, as the Executive of
this State, and in reverence of those
principles of constitutional liberty which
are the vital force of true Republicanism,
to see that the law is duly enforced,
before resort to other and dangerous
powers. dare not and will not assume
that justice cannot be administered