The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-19
THE HAMBURG ROW.
Public Opinion in Augusta.

When we wrote the article on the
troubles in Hamburg, which appeared
Sunday morning, we had not heard OF
of the fate Of the prisoners, OF
we should have condemned in fitting
phrase their cruel and unnecessary
murder. There Is some excuse to be
made for.those who. in hot blood and
in the midst of battle, shot down the
men who had killed their comrade'
But that comrades death had been
amply and bloodily avenged. There
is no extenuation of the hatchery OF
unarmed and helpless captives. In
real war such deed would receive the
execration of all civilized nations.
How much more should it be reproba-
ted when no state Of war exists
when a fight between two races has
been precipitated, and when the vic
tors have gained all for which they
fought. The company had been at
tackled, demoralized and dispersed.
Many of the guns had been captured
and many of its members made pris-
oners. Two of them had been kill
ell and one of the lieutenants mortally
wounded. Was not this enough
What more was to be accomplished by
killing frightened and defenceless cap
tives? The knowledge that some OF
those killed were not even members OF
the company deepens the darkness OF
the picture.-AugalstG Chronicle ana
Sentinel.
The First Echo From the North.
The negroes and whites are having
another enneute in the South, this time
at Hamburg, opposite Augusta, Ga.
It seems a silly thing to drag lot Of
negroes before court for obstructing
the roads when they were merely
playing soldier on the Fourth of July,
and it Is thoroughly reprehensible that
armed whites should support the un-
asked power of the magistrate while
the cause was on trial. The negroes
cannot be justified in their petty war
fare auy more than the whites; but
the affair seems to indicate that in parts
of the South there is one line of con-
duct for the blacks and another for the
Caucasians.-Neav York Herald.
Bioodshcd in the South-How to
Elect Hayes and Wheeler.
We have a series of dispatches from
Augusta, Ca, describing a conflict be-
tween militia composed OF negroes
and q white company, which accord
ing to the report, assembled for the
purpose of compelling this negro COM
pany to respect the decision of ne
gro Judge. The reasons leading to
this collision are given with that vague
ness which generally characteriZes de-
spatches from the South detailing any
Quarrel between blacks and whites, q
vagueness which may be attributed in
most cases to the fact that the whites
write the narratives, while the negroes
are killed. The practical point in
this South Carolina quarrel Is that the
militia negro company was dispersed
with canister; that at two in the
morning "four prisoners were shot"
and the rest released that the full ex-
tent of casualties are unattainable, but
that our correspondent counted one
white man and six negroes dead"
Zone white man and six negroes
dead" isl,about the fair average ein
these disturbances. Ia it any wonder
that Senators like Morton raise the
bloody shirt? ls II any WOndeF tnat
peaceful men in the North mourn over
this bloodshed and ask If there can be
law and order where public opinion
iustifies those outbreaks? We await
with deep interest the full details of
this new contest. So far as the report
now goes it looks as if these Southern
white madmen had resolved to elect
Hayes and Wheeler. They are doing
yeoman's service in Augusta. One or
two Hamburg riots will settle the bu-
siness.-NeW York Herald.
The RIGHT MAN IN THE RIGHT
PLAcE.-The rumor that Sitting Bull
proposes to run as the conservative
candidate for Mayor in Hamburg, S.
g., is in no degree rendered improba-
BILE blythe news --of the recent riot,
which we print this morning.-New
York Herald.