The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-09-08
Martial Law.

| Senator Scott, chairman OF tho Ku Klnx
Committee, has had en- interview, with
President Grant. aud ns the result of
the communication which the chairman,
submitted to tho President, martial law
may be declared at nn cnrly dny in So.
veral Of the upper Counties Of South
Carolina especially tho Counties Of
York and Spartanbnrg. At our present
advices, this letter Of Senator Scot.'s
has been referred to the Attorney Gone
ral, who is to take action concerning the
application of the Ku Kiux law npon
the statements contained therein. and as
soon as that official hns made report
the proclamation will bs issned.
While fully conscious of the futility Of
anything we might sny upon the subject,
we cannot, on behalf Of the good poo.
pie of York County, refrain from enter
ing onr protest against such action by
the Executive, feeling fully conscious.
as we do, that it is entirely unwnrrauted
by the circumstances, and that the con
dition Of affairs III our midst has been
grossly exaggerated. 1t is not unchari-
table to say that the witnesses, in many
instances, who we're examined by the
committee in this place, oyerstated facts,
and that in their zenl to make good
case, tie majority of the committee.
when they nude their report, and Senu-
tor Scott, in his recent letter to the Pre-
sident, gave full play To their imngna-
tive faculties, with tho view to bolster
up the tottering temple OF Radicaliem
aud strengthen tho chances of Republi-
can success in many Of tho approaching
State elections which are considered
doubtful
Senator Scott insists that from infor-
nation recently received from this Coun-
ty, he learDs that since The committee
were here, "the ku Klux have renewed
tIIcir deeds of violence and crime, whip
ping influential men for no other cause
than their political opinions nnd the CO.
lor of their skin, aud burning n negro
school house. The source Of Senator
Scott's information is, doubtless, better
than that enjoyed by others, and no
doubt his informnnts possess facilities
denied the less favored for obtaining tho
news, as is apparent from the fnct thut
after the most dlligent inquiry, we have
been unable to procure any authentic
facts to warrant the Senator in his as
sertion that deeds of violence and crime
have been renewed.
The statement TINT q school house wns
recently burned III this County is erro-
neous. 1t is truo thut a school house
was torn down-the result of feud be-
tween two rival factions, each one con
tending for the possession OF the house
in which to conduct school for colored
children. AS the facts are related to us,
it was O matter in which the white citi-
zens of the neighborhood had no con
cern, and certainly in which, according
10 the common usage of the meaning,
Ku Kluxism had nothing whatever to do
! We make no attempts to conceal nets
Of violence that may transpire in this
section. and invariably publish all au-
thenticated reports TINT reaoh us; and,
in another place, we publish on account
OF two ''ontrages" perpetrated in this
County within the pnst week. we sup
pose these occurrences will, in due time.
be reported to the astute Senator, who is
SO extremely solicitous for the mainte-
nance of order in York County, ns the
most ghostly Ku Klux tragedies yet en-.
acted. But are such nets confined Ia
York County, to the State of South Ca.
rolinn? to any Southern State? or, Tex
cnse the comparison,) to any Stnte of the
Union? Bad men nre in all communi-
ties Robberies and murders arc planned
and executed almost daily in every State
and we submit that only the most tyran-
nical spirit would prompt the iuconve.
nience and hardship to which whole
community would be subjected by the
enforcement of military rule or martial
law. simply on account Of the conduct OF
a few, who would transgress the laws and
evade punishment Just rs rendily ware
martial law declared as they now do.
We have read somewhere that it is
we'll for a man to cast the benm from his
own eye before he attempts to pluck the
mote from the eye of his neighbor. This
Injunction, doubtless, escaped the ntten.
tion of Congress ut the time the ku
Klux law was enacted, and it has GER
tninly passed away from the memory OF
Senator Scott altogether. We would,
therefore, most respectfully suggest to
the honorable Senator that 80 soon as
his arduo:s labor Of hunting up and col
lating cases OF crime in South Carolina
is concluded, he turn his attention to
other actions nearer his own proper
bailiwick. His native State, Pennsylva
MIA, will furnish ample material for the
exercise of his peculiar talent, and
should he exhaust the fertile resources
there at his command, let him turn his
attention to the more enlightened New
England, and, our word for it, lie will
find task to which the cleansing of the
Augean stables was n nero circumstance.