The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-01-25
! and preserve the pub

any information in my possession.
that in any section oftbe State, the
laws are not executed; for not. a
single case has been reported, in
which the officers Of the law have
been resisted in the discharge of
their duties. There is no invasion
which l am called on to repel, no
insurrection which am called on
to suppress. eia"'' edt
While ] cannot say, that {" the
public peace" of the State is
threatened to such degree as to
warrant the exercise of the power
of calling out the militia. given me
in the section Of the Constitution
just quoted, deeply regret that it
is my duty to inform you, that the
condition OF several Of the counties
in this State is disturbed and dan.
gerous. In Laurens, Union and
Spartanburg, persons and property
are not secure. Repeated Instances
OF violence, disregard of the law,
and murder, have been reported,
and there is a well.founded appre.
hension, OH the part of law abiding
citizens, that unless these outrages
are promptly checked, the evil
will have become too great for or
dinary remedies. do not pro-
pose at present to refer to these
crimes in detail. nor to attempt the
discussion of their causes. 1t is
enough to say, that they are so
grave, and so numerous, as to call
for unflinching application of all
the power of repression, which the
Executive can lawfully exercise.
1t is proper for me to state, and
l am glad to be able to do it, that
the public sentiment of these conn
ties seems to be aroused to the
character and consequences of this
state of affairs, and public meet.
ings have been held, in which the
responsible and influential citizens
Of Laurens and Spartanburg have
declared, in language sufficiently
strong, their abliorrcnce OF these
VI iHrS", -ard .i--:- -~:l:-. .
aid the Executive in the suppress.
sl"n OF them. II these opinions
are carried ont in action, we NAV
anticipate the speedy restoration of
peace and order; but something
more ls needed than these resolu
tions, however just and generous
in sentiment.
It, is my opinion that the civil
law OF the State ought to be suffi.
cient, and it is my determination
that it shall be sufficient, to pro.
tect the person and property of ev.
cry and any citizen of the State.
however humble, friendless or OBJ
noxious. | cannot bring myself
to contemplate the use Of an arm
ed force to punish individual viola.
tions OF the law in time of pro.
found peace. Such remedy
would be as bad as the disease, and
would be public declaration that
there was no civil government in
South Carolina, and that we are
living in a condition of social an.
archy. | am bound, by my oath
of Office, as the Executive of the
State, and in reverence for those
principles of constitutional liberty
which are the vital force of true
Repnblicanism, to see that the law
is duly enforced, before l resort to
other and dangerous powers. /
dare not, and will NOT, assume that
justice cannot be administered un.
til the effort has been made, and
the failure evident.
1t is therefore my intention to
see that the law is enforced, and
when fail in the effort, ] will un-
hesitatingly call upon you for the
extraordinary authority to which
society mnst resort for self.protec.
tion. But at present, I would call
your attention to the fact, that ali
the cases of reported violence are
individual violations of the law;
that none of them have assumed
the character of public combina.
tions against the law and that
they are all within the regular iu-
nisdiction. of the criminal courts of
the comfy. But / do not think
thatthe administration of the Grim
inal law is sufficiently vigorous.
As the Executive of the State, it
ia impossible for me to superintend
or control the trial of criminals.
This duty must be left to the At
torney General, aud the Solicitors,
who are the prosecuting officers
of the State, and TO whom the
administration of the criminal
law, in their respective spheres
OF duty, is committed by the
same law which defines my own
duties and powers. That these
o ffceIs have done and will do their
duty l have no donbt, but / do not
think that their powers are suffi.