The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-09-08

was Immediately shot through the BODY
and mortally wounded. He has since
died. So far as / am able TO learn only
one white man was killed. twill thus
be seen that six colored men were bru.
tally murdered and one wounded while
on the side of the whites only one man
was killed. After this holocaust of
blood was over the desperadoes in large
bodies entered the houses of the most
prominent colored men of the town and
completely gutted them. They stole all
they possibly could, and what they
could not steal they destroyed. Furni-
tare was smashed, books torn to pieces.
pictures cut from their frames. and
everything that could be DESTROYED was
gwen up to the demon OF destruction.
Such scenes my eyes have never before
witnessed, and the distress and SUFFERING
among the poor cofored people was
heart-rending to behold. The town is
desolate aud the Inhabitants have taken
refuge IN Aiken, Columbus and other
points. The civil authorities are DOW
erless or too negligent to do ANYTHING.
and peace and order cannot be preserved
unless United States troops are sent to
this point at once.
The scenes during the massacre were
fearful to behold-the moon shining
down on tie horrid scene lighting up
the whole with a CHASTITY light; the pop
ping Of small arms; the screams of
frightened women and terrified children:
the loud reports from the artillery, ali
tended to make a scene terrible and
more than fearful to behold. And now
what was the provocaLion given for this
helisi slaughter The answer is. moth
ing. Legally the militia had the right
OF way over tie public road The day
waAthc nations holiday. The militia
bad perfect right to parade, aud We
hlcies OF all kinds were required to keep
out of their way, and hot interfere with
their marching. Again, Gen Butler
had not the shadow of a righ: to de-
mand the arms of the militia. They
were organized under the constitution
and laws OF the State, and were part
AID parcel Of the armed force of the
commonwealth. No private citizen had
the slightest right to molest them.
Such molestation was a direct blow at
the power and authority of the State.
II was revolutionary step, and should
be thus punished.
Are the southern celored citizens to
be protected or are they to be LETT at sie
mercy OF such rutiianS as massacred the
poor men OF Hamburgh? The murdered
Attaway was a man of considerable
prominence in the Republican patty OF
the country. He was a law-abidinc
hnrI ras,1f,1CiI,1-, ,,ESs.
was we'll thought OF by many people.
he other murdered men were good
citizens aud have never been known to
infringe the law. The whole affair was
a well and secretly planned scheme to !
destroy all OF the leading Republicans of
the county f Aiken living in iiamburrh. |
NJ. Z. Butler, who lost leg while fight |
lug III the ranks OF the rebels, and who |
is to-day tie bitterest OF Ku-Kl De.
was the instigator of the whole |
affair aud the blood-thirstv leader of
the massacre He boasted in IIan,buroh |
during the fight that that was ONLY the |
beginning: that tie end would not be |
until after the election i'll November. |
Such a man should be de.t with with
out pity OF hesitation. The United |
States Government is not powerleSs, and |
surely she will not be silent in an ener- |
gency like this, the PARALLEL of which |
pen cannot describe. III this Centenni- |
al year will she stand idly by and see
her soil stained with the blood of de- |
fenceless citizens, and witness the bitter
tears OF women and children falling up-
on the murdered bodies of their loved |
ones God forbid that such an attitude
will be assumed toward the colored
people OF the South by the chest Gov
ernment the world ever saw" Some
thing must be done, and that quickly,
or South Carolina will she'd tears of
blood and her limbs be shackIel by De-
chains.
What | lave written in this letter
are facts which | youch for entirely. and
are not distorted in any degree. It's
plain, anvarnished narration of painful
aud horrible truths.
GOVERNOR HAYES.