The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-20
THn UNITED STATES C1nourr CousT-


TEE UNITED STATES CIRourr CouRT-
TRIAL OF Ku KLux GASES MONDAY,
December i6.-Ths So.s. convened at
II A. NJ. Hon. Hugh L. Bond and Hon.
George 8. Bryan presiding. q
Mr.. johnson closed thsyargument for
the defence before the Jury. He com.
menced by disolaimingl Tor -himself the
oherishing Of any prejudice Of race, and
declared bis assurance that the Jury
would not be Influenced by any suoh
motive in the rendering of their verdict.
He said:
have never entertained doubt that
we. the Caucasian race, and you, gentle
men OF the jury, are the children Of one
common pstsnt- differing. indeed, in
the coloroP the skim and q few points
OF personal physique; but, a. 7 am firmly
convinced. endowed with the same men
tai faoulties,l possessed of similar in
stinots, servants of the same God, des.
tined by him to the same high ends, and
equally accountable to him for the acts
committed here on earth. II some OF
you have been unfortunate in your edu-
cation, it is from no fault Of yours, but
is your misfortune. and the misfortune
Of our common county. !, Tor one,
have ever believed You entitled to all the
rights and privileges enjoyed by your
white brother. 3t-!!'aV = a'iap1
Ignorance. gross Ignorance, may COM
fort itself with the enjoyment OF soma.
thing of happiness while in state of
slavery. The mere comforts OF the ply
sical man may be his. The love OF his
wife and children may cheer him, but
happiness, in it's highest and most COM
prehensive sense, is not his lot.
There is nothing more true than the
assertion that slavery takes more than
half the worth of life away. In my
mind, it takes all. Our noble forefathers
have said, in that grand charter Of our
rights, the Constitution, that all men
are endowed with certain inalienable
| rights. the chief of which are life and
liberty. They place the latter upon the
same grounds. and give it equal promi-
nence with the former; showing that. to
their minds, life was not worth the hav-
ing unless accompanied with liberty. I
trust you will do me the justice, gentle
men, to believe that speak from my
heart as well as from my head. Slavery
has been the curse of our age, and the
only paliiation for our offence is, thnt it
was not an institution of our formation,
but was engratted upon our land by the
mother country. Fortunate, indeed,
was the day of its abolishment. The
march OF civilization, Christianity, and
more enlightened humanity, has taught
the universal world that it was not only
wrong and inhuman, but pernicious.
The late war, as you know, COM
menced in 1861. South Carolina cred
the first gun in that mighty conflict.
that has resulted in the death of 30 MANY
OF our bravest and best citizens. When
1 say she fred the first gun, do moi
mean to insinuate that she did what she
thought she had no right to do. Many
OF our best, purest. most patriotic and
learned citizens conceived that the Con.
stitntion not only did not prohibit the
withdrawal Of any State from the Union,
but allowed it. South Carolina acted as
she honestly thought right; but she
acted wrong-fatally wrong. am not
one of those who believe that the great
rebellion was the work OF a designing
| few, but am convinced that the great
mass OF the Southern people were fired
with the zeal of q mistaken patriotism.
and aimed honestly for the maintaining
OF what they believed to be thoir rights.
But the war has ended, and ended in
such manner as to orush forever these
erroneous constructions of the Constitu-
tlon; and those gallant, though mis-
| guided men, who, for four long years,
waged that terrible conflict that shook
to their centre the foundations of our
Government, and who almost surpassed,
IN daring and manly fortitude our
grand OLD ancestors OF revolutionary
fame, have laid down their arms, and
! cordially accepted the terms of peace.
ihey are bound now in q common dos-
tiny, and are as willing to defend, and
as eager to promote, the prosperity and
happiness OF our country, as any class
of men within our wide domains. Yo ;.
as slave, need never apprehend return
TO servltude. 1 speak from a knowledge
| OF the men of the South, when I say,
that they would resist with all their
ohlvalrous valor any attempt, should such
DS made, TO 1asten upon you the letters
OF bondage. Slavery is now dead, and
dead forever, and thank God for it.
There is ono other point, in reference TO
which desire to make few remarks.
The Attorney General, Mr.. Chamber
lain, IN opening this case asked, "Where
ore the parties to this conspiracy, that
they do not come forward and rescue their
distressed brother. by proving their pur-
poses guileless? Why have tley brought
distinguished counsel from abroad to
represent them? They have come" saws
ne, lin the discharge of their profes.
sional duties, and not as knight-errants.
to do battle in behalf OF imprisoned Ku
Klux."
desire to ask him what brings him
mere to engage 80 actively in the prose-
cution? The sphere of his official lntv
is to vindicate tho laws of Sontb Coro.
lima and attend to her official matters
1t was his duty to prosecute and
convict these defendants in the
criminal courts Of South Carolina. Yet
10 not imagine that he is knight
errant, but that he is here, not by the