The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-18
Governor scott,s Special Message.

Governor Scott's Special Message.
Governor Scott is carrying out in good
faith the promises made at the time OF his
reelection as Governor of South CIrolina.
In his annual message to the General AS
sembly, delivered in December last he pledg-
ed himself to make every legitimate effort
for the restoration Of harmony to the dis
turbed opinion OF this State and for the rec
ognition by all classes in the State OF their
mutual dependence and common interest.
Close upon the heels of these handsome de-
clarations came the creports OF outrages in the
upper part of the State. The houses Of in
offensive white men were fired into; white
man was brutally murdered by the negro
militia; deputy sheriff, while in the dis
charge OF his duty, was fired upon and killed.
A band of disguised men broke into the
county jail, took out five OF the negroes i'm
plicated in the murder of a white man, shot
two OF them to death and mortally wounded
third. Nor were tales wanting OF attacks
upon the colored people by masqueradinS
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
culprits and ofpreventing the continuance OF
deeds of variance with enlightened public
sentiment and counter to the highest inter-
ests OF the State. In the meanwhile, the up
country Radicals, joined by the incendiary
leaders OF the sea-board negroes raised
howl OF Indignation, Lying all the blame
upon the whites, demanding that martial
law be proclaimed in tie offending counties,
preaching the bloody gospel of fire and
sword. Governor Scott twas denounced as q
weak and feeble official, who had not the
brain to know his duty, nor the nerve for its
discharge. Threats OF impeachment were
banded to and fro A concurrent resolution,
naughty in words and insultiugin tone, was
hurriedly passed and presented to the Exec
utive. His answer is the special message
printed yesterday-an answer which disposes
of the wild charges made against him,
while it proves that the Executive is resolv-
ed to uphold the prerogatives of his high
office and to maintain the supremacy of the
civil power of the State.
Governor Scott tells the members of the
General Assembly that he has no informo-
ton OF anything like 20 county organizl-
s'tion, to defy, or to defeat, the law" The
prompt and impartial administration cs JUS
tice in Abbeville and Edgefeld proved that
the civil power was sufficient for The protec-
ton of life, liberty and property. Nor, .as
the Governor frankly admits, is there any
militia force at the command OF the Execu-
tive which would be competent to suppress
q violence and disorder so general as to dis
arm the power of the civil courts. Every
effort has been made to discover the crimi
nails and bring them to trial, but 'the En-
s'ecutive is without the power, as he ought
s'to be without disposition, to interfere with
s'the due administration OF the law" These
are, indeed, noble words. Governor Scott
says distinctly that not single case has
been reported in which the officers of the law
I" have been resisted in the discharge of
their duties" He adds !: "Ihere is no
"invasion which am called on to repel;
(" no insurrection which am called on to
"repress." Yet, colored General Whip
per and colored Congressman-elect Elliott
demand that they be allowed to lead three
coast militiamen to root out rebel
lion and stamp out. disorder. Governor
Scott meets in the proper spirit the declara-
tions made by "the responsible and intuen-
s tial citizens" of Laurens and Spartan
burg, and, in the repression of lawlessness,
proposes to apply unilinchingy call the
+" power of repression" which he can law
fully exercise. His expressions moreover,
in regard to the use of an armed force for
the public protection have the ring OF the
true metal. He says:
s'It is my opinion that the civil law of the
State ought to be sufficient, and it is my deter
mination that 1t shall be sufficient to protect
the person and property of every and any citi-
zen of the Slate, however humble, friendless
or obnoxious. I cannot bring myself to con-
template the use Of an armed force to punish
individual violations Of the la,o in a time Of
profound peace. Such remedy would be as
bad as the disease, and would be public dec
laration that there was no civil government in
South Carolina, and that we are living in
condition of social anarchy. I am bound by
my oath OF office as the Executive of this State,
and in reverence of those principles of con-
sttutional liberty which are the vital force of
true Republicanism, to see that the law is duly
enforced before resort to other and danger
ous powers. Idare not and ,oiN not assume
that justice cannot be administered, until the
effort has been made and the failure eUilent.'
The recommendations of Governor Scott,
OF q more complete and efficient organiza-
ton of the machinery necessary for the adj
ministration of criminal Justice, will doubt
less receive an early attention. The modif-
cations proposed appear to US to be prudent