The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-08-03
NO. 49,,

"au not only uliawfulfy and riotous-
10 obstrncted the public highway, but
had broken up civil court, defied
lts process, and resisted it's mandates,
and insulted it's officers, and riotous.
ly threatened the lives of peaceable
citizens.
| Why do they not publish .he fact
that certain white man, who lives
IN that Town of Hamburg, and pub.
fishes Radical paper in Columbia
tor circulation in Georgia, was seen
on the train going towards Colum ,ia
on the Thursday evening previous,
and returned, as is strongly suspect-
cd, with ammunition for thcse no.
grocs2
Why have they not reported that
this Same man said to the negroes
after the alteration on the streets on
the 4th of July, between this 80 called
Militia Company and young Butler
and Getzen, that "tkcy (the negroesy
ought to have shot Getzcn to death.
and beat Buffers brains out with the
butts Of their gune;" and that he in
contincntly fled like a mischievous
cur, when the storm, which he had
Orowed, burst upon the offending ne.
grocs.
Why they have not reported all of
these provocations | camaot conceive,
except upon the hypothesis, that they
are paid to lie, and to SANDER, and
mlsrcprcscnt the white people of this
State for political effect.
Ihoy say that the. demand was
made upon the negroes Tor the arms
without authority or justitica'i III
Why had not any citizen or nu nber
OF citizcns, the right to demand them4
Prince Rivers, a Bri 5adicr or Ma
jor General of Militia, had said pub
licly that they were taken irom him
without authority. These negroes had
assembled rolously; We're in stats
OF armed resistance to the laws, and
any citizen or number OF citizens had
the right to diSpersc the rioters and
suppress the riot, and TO use just so
much 1orce as was necessary TO &C.
complish it, aud if every negro en-
gagged in the riot had been killed in
the suppression, it would have been
excusable, if not justitiable.
The tribunal OF the written law
had been applied to, and ignomin.
iously failed. Delay would have been
fatal to the safety Of the lives, families
and property of the unoffending,
peaceable citizens. Prompt, short,
and decisive action was necessary;
under the dictates of that unwritton,
inalienable law, known as selt pre-
servation, the first of all laws. Some
there may have been, who were glad
Of an opportunity TO punish those
who had accumulated wrongs. insults
and outrages upol them, such as
nave enumerated. | can sympathise
with ther e cannot approve such
means OF Yindieation.
L have upon 3 previous OCCASION
explained how and why [ was in
Hamburg. | did nothing there which
| regret, or for which [ have any
apologies to make, and would do
again just what then did.
might have avoided the storm by
fleeing from it. But | conceived that
| had certain duties to perform, and
| was not brought up in that school
which allows any man to desert his
friends and clients when they are in
danger, and their families and prop
erty in jeopardy. | am Indifferent
to the opinion of thoso bowling hy--
pocrites, and ask no favorS at their
hands, and shall grant none. Their
threats OF United States soldiers havo
no terrors for me or the people of
Edgehcld. We have had these sole
dicrs with us and have no objection
to their coming aga n. We have
found the officers gentlemen as q
general thing, and the men orderly
and law abiding, aud they will do no
moro than execute their orders and
enforce the laws.
! invite q judicial investigation,
and an prepared to submit to the
arbitramcnL of tho law; and such is
the feeling, rs far as have bccn able
to learn, of every white man who is
in any degree connected with the
affair. The whito men OF this coun-
try have some rights which the ne,
grUcs arc bound to respect. Thoy
have no other feeling for hem, than
kindness and pity. Kindness for
their loyalty to our families during
tbo ,vor and pitv that thev will NOR