Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-24
The Hamburg "4utrage."
EDGEFIELD. s. G.. Jul, l6,

The high j,iut G mmsssion, consisting OF
William Stoue Carpet Bag Attorney Geoeral'
and The uuato Adju,an; Geoeral OF the State
purvis, have lately visited Hamburg 10 inves-
upa,c the horror" aud the former has made
his report" Why Gov rAor Chambeilaio
n ,uld have subjectei the State to the OK
peose, and these TWO diguitar:es to the trouble
Of goiug to Hamburg, is somewhat surprisloI.
When we read tn, report" and eons:d the
data from wh:ch i. is made. The ex parte state
meuts # lylog nsgro4s, sod !hc partial p,rt'
san and fal,. conclusions OF It's taclie author,
the suggestion aris.s eh. inc ath iavitS were
not arittea out 10 Columbia, made to order
there, auG sent by expr IS 20 Dc exc uted with
on. limit by tne dusty afhauts Of that rendez
y.us, Hamburg. T;is Plan would have an
swered the purpose Of the outrage mauuf4ctur
e,s. and their hMeliug newspaper champlvns
Just as we'll
II this so-csled attorney general had beeu III
pursuit OF the ruth, why cid he coUhue his lu-
uuiries to the besutted negroes, and tew per-
ard white mco who had iustigated them lbto
n armed iusurreotion against the laws OF the
country, The rlehs aud Property OF It's ufizeus,
aud the safety and peace OF that'oon nmualty
If acting Within H. perriew of the dulles INCL
de- to The high posi- lou 10 the Stale 10 winch
the acc,d ,n,s of war nave ELEVATED him why
did he 90 ha Ill, co !cu lie MS Investigation
before getting al the real facts of this unfortu
nste EN- ute aud rush iU;D l,r.Dt with report
prrguaut with part:saushlp, and fragrant WIN
the odor of radical falsehood? If his hlg.l:ug
champions Of the press had desired to preseut
TO the public ru hiul account and ialr rep
resen,atiou Of the "Hamuurg Horror, why
did their arcomnod odatiug rrp"r ers se, k for
min ieatlon the statements of such worthless as
''D ,ck" Adaus, Prince Rivers, Gardner. and
other pcgroes Of iha ik, aud avoid 8 urces Of
information VIII oh could nave thrown I!ght, q,
lea t, upon the subject OF /; qnlryI
Why stouid these CHAMPIONS OF Radical out
lnvs these bolster, r. Of the waning fortunes Of
one Of the most Infamous. mbeclle governments
that The world has ever kn0wn, so swiftly de-
nouuce" the white men cngagediu the m-rlted
chastsemcpt of ,hia body OF armed outlaws.
bandits, and robbers, as "6euds, towards,
&1.. and have not one word OF coed mnatloo
for tic outlaws, bandits, aud robbers themselves!
Why have the editors aud reporters lashed them
selves into spasms of horror aud shame aud
modification at the death OF d few OF these arm
outlaws, and fnd 10 their hearts not feeling
Of regret or sorrow at the death OF that splen-
d,l. fearless and honorable youod mau Mckie
Merriweather. who WAS murdered iu cold b:o ID
tv these same outlaws. | can point out just
twenty mistatcmeDts Of facts in the ''rep"rt
which could have been easily avoided II the
doughty Attorney Geucral had tak:u the trouble
10 arrive at the t1uth. As he recommends a
judicial investigation. Ard suodry threats oil ar
rcsts hlv. been made by certain valiant knights
OF The quill, who presume will volunteer to
play Constable for that purposs, | will reserve
NV exposure of these talsehoods tor that lU-
terestiug occasion.
Upou the heads OF those charged with the
execution # the laws rests the II spunsiollty 'or
this collision. Ii Ii IS true that Gov Scott
placed these arms and this amuua'tioD IN the
hands of these iguorant people 1t was Grim.
against them and the white people that ne dld
So Ii was crime 10 Gov. Moses 10 nave al
lowed them to remain 10 their hands; and II
Was more than crime lU Gov. Chamberlain,
in the light of his experience upon tnat SUD
ject. 1t was cruel and iueXcu 'able wrong, an
unpardonable siu against the peace OF the coun,
try and the lives oil the people, that he should
have allowed these guns and AMMUNITION 10
remain in their hands.
The jurisdiction aud powers of trial jus
tice are large and the responsibility proper
tlouateIy increased at au important paint 90 u
border. like Hamburg aud nan OF the great,
est discretion, fidelity and frmuess could and
should have been procured to 6ll the othce, but
iusesd of that, this man, Priuoe Rivers, wholly
un6, for 50 important a station, Is the O0ly aot-
lug trial justice 10 Hamburg, aud believe the
ntxt nearest iu Aiken county Is about twelve
miles distant
Now, if there had heeu trial Justice accnss''
be- who would have given MIR. Robert Butter
justice, when, ike law-abiding mau, as he is,
he appealed TO him to protect members VI MS
family against this so called militia, this "hor-
rcr' would never have been chr0n,cl
Not ouIy does he not afford him protection,
bu the rutiauly coustab of this trial justice,
ous Bii Nelson, a copper colored negro, l;sn is
me as his attorney when approached hun In
sp,rlecty respectful mauner, TO iRQulre about
tue whereab b>us of the trial justice, 10 order to
b@gu the investigation. | was moreover bat
ia aud trihod with for hours by this trial jus
lice aud his negro associates uutll this armed
Company OF outlaws had time TO concentrate 10
their armory, where they could succ ,ssu!iy
maintain their attitude OF armed lDsurrec;lon,
armed with guns which this same Prince INV,
erS admitted 10 my presence had been taken
ir,m him by these oegroes without authority.
The town had oegro iotendent negro alder
men, negro marshals. |, was almost terror
to every white mao whose business required
hlal to pass through it. They had harUored
thieves aud criminals from every dlrsclon.
They had arrested aud faed some of the best
snd most peaceable citlz ns for the most trivial
Utenscs against their ordinances some foi
orl'k ug out of spring adjacent TO the high.
Way. O1e young msn was fred upon, the bal!
rasslug through his hat, arrested, dragged to
prlsln aud heavily 6ued, because bis horse
SHED on the edge of sidewalk. Ao old man
Was arrested, insulted and 6ued because his
h'fSe turued on the sidewalk as he was 10 th'
act OF mounting. Market wagons. csmpn
within five or six miles of the town, have beer
robbed night after night, cattle had been stoler
snd run toto this place and sold. Stolen good;
nave been Systematically received here. the
parties Knowing them to be stolen. For nights
Previous to the collision, unoffsndine white
.l': sliizsos were halted by the plckets of these
WllsampD armoS rp;th S,oto ppau and alta