The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-02-24
COLUMBIA. s. G.
Saturday uorning. February "a. 1872.

Saturday uorning. February "a. 1872.
Governor SCOTT and tho PardoninR
Power.
The wanton abuse Of the. pardoning
power by Robert x. SCOTT, during his
four years reign in South Carolina,
would of itself, had he no other faults
or crimes to answer for, render his name
and administration infamous for oil time
to come, in the eyes of every sensible
and decent man. We may safely chal-
lengb the records Of oil ages and peoples
to furnish even an approximate parallel
to the Wholesale and shameless manner
in which the sorvile demagogue by
euphemism dubbed Governor of South
Carolina has debassd this highest execu.
tive prerogative. Since his Inaugural
tion. scarce day has passed that the
Executive clemency has not been
brought into requisition. During the
year ending October Is, 1870, we find
from the report of @. J. Stolbrand,
Superintendent of the State Peniten.
tiary, that 2S1 oonyicts were received
into the institution, and 2O5 were the
recipients of his Excellency's gracious
pardon. The list of crimes OF which
these prisoners were convicted exhausts
the whole calendar known to the law
murder, rape, manslaughter, arson, bur-
glary, larceny, &c. Three-tenths of
them were oolored men, tried before
Republican Judge and jury composed
mostly OF men of their own race. It is
morally impossible that there could
have been any impartial discrimination
in their disfavor. The converse of that
would come nearer the truth. What
justification, then? What even shadow
Of an excuse can our truly adventurous
Governor plead for this scandalous fond
ling of criminals. under the dimsy dis
guise OF Executive clemenoy?
It cannot be defended upon any known
principles of good government or mo-
Tality. In renders trials at the sessions
court mere farces, and is palpable and
fragrant infringement upon the province
OF the judiciary department of the Go
vernment by the executive. The courts
of justice are indeed, so far as their cri-
minal jurisdiction is concerned, rendered
nugatory. The Governor. so-called, as
sumes practically to be Judge and jury;
or, rather, to dispense with those acci-
dents OF government entirely. Such
conduct on the part OF the Chief Magis-
trate OF the State is a positive invitation
to crime, and our crowded criminal
dockets do now bear testimony to the
truth OF the proposition. Our text
books tell us that "the certainty of pu-
nishment is of more consequence than
the severity" Criminals do not so
much fatter themselves with the lenity
OF the sentence as with the hope of
escape, for which reason nothing con-
tributes more to the suppression of crime
than On undertaking impartiality in the
execution of the laws. Gov. Scott, on
the contrary, utterly ignores this we'll
established maxim of government, de-
feats the execution of the low and mani
tests himself the friend and protector Of
every thief and cut-throat in the COM
munity. Such action may be in accord
ance with the old Scottish maxim that
"hawks must not pick out hawks eyes,"
or, in modern parlance, ga pal should
not go back on fellow-cove." Still,
Robert z. Scott should remember, how.
ever strongly his natural affinities may
incline him to sympathize with such
characters, that he owes something to
the distinguished position into which
chance, no less than ''fellow- ooves" have
thrust him.
There is no rose without its thorn, us
King Christian Of Sweden has lately
discovered to his great annoyance and