The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-27

without authority, that Company A
Ninth Regiment National Guard of the
State of South Carolina" had been dis
banded for several years, and that this
band had usurped their organization
without authority, that they had not only
unlawfully and riotously obstructed the
public highway, but had broken up
civil court, de6ed its process, apd resisted
its mandates, and insulted its officers
and riotously threatened the lives o.
peaceable citizens.
Why do they not publish the fact that
certain white man, who lives in thai
Town of Hamburg, and publishes a Radi'
cal paper in Columbia for circulation in
Georgia, was seen on the train going to-
wards Columbia on the Thursday even
ing previous, and returned, as is strongly
suspected, with ammunition for these ne
groes?
Why have they not reported that this
same maa said to the negroes after the
alteration on the streets on the 4th oi
July, between this so-called Militia Com
pany and young Butler and Gelzen, that
athey (the negroes) ought to have shot
Gelzen to death, and beat Buffers brains
out with the butts of their guns" and
that he incontinently fed like mis-
chieyous cur, when the storm, which ne
had brewed, burst upon the offending
negroes.
Why they have not reported all OF
these provocations cannot conceive, ex-
cept upon the hypothesis, that they are
paid to lie, and to SANDER, and misrepre-
sent the white people of this State for
political effect.
They say that the demand was made
upon the negroes for the arms without
authority of Justification. Why had not
any citizen or number of citizens, the
right to demand them?
Prince Rivers, a Brigadier or Major
General of Militia, had said publicly that
they were taken from him without au.
thority. These negroes had assembled
r:otously; were in a state of armed re-
sistance to the laws, and any citizen or
number of citizens had the right to dis
perse the rioters and suppress the riot,
and to use just so much force as was
necessary t. accomplish it, and if every
negro engaged in the riot had been killed
in the suppression, it would have been
excusable, if not justifiable.
The tribunal of the written law had
been applied to, and ignominiously
failed. Delay would have been fatal to
the safety of the lives. families and prop
erty of the unoffending, peaceable citi-
zens. Prompt, short, sharp and decisive
action was necessary; under the dictates
Of that unwritten, inalienable law, known
as self.preservation, the first Of all laws.
Some there may have been, who we're
glad of an opportunity to punish those
who had accumulated wrongs, insults
and outrages upon them, such as have
enumerated. l can sympathize with
them, if cannot approve such q means
of vindication.
have upon previous occasion ex-
planned how and why I was in Hamburg.
1 did nothing there which I regret, or for
which I have any apologies to make,
and would do again just what l then
did.
/ might have avoided the storm by
fleeing from it. But I 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 property in jeopardy. l am
Indifferent to the opinion of those howl
ing hypocrites, and ask no favors at their
hands, and shall grant none. Their
threats of United States soldiers have no
terrors for me or the people of Edgefeld.
We have had these soldiers with us and
have no objection to their coming again.
We have found the officers gentlemen as
a general thing, and the men orderly and
law-abiding, and they will do no more
than execute their orders and enforce the
laws.
invite judicial investigation, and
am prepared to submit to the arbitrament
of the law; and such is the feeling, as far
as 1 /. have been able to learn, OF every
white man who is in any way connected
with the affair. The white men of this
country have some rights which the ne
groes are bound to respect. They have
no other feeling for them, than kindness
and pity. Kindness for their loyalty to
our families during the war, and pity
that they will permit themselves to be
made the tools Of bad, mischievous, de-
signing white men and mulattoes. So
long as they obey the laws, every honora-
BILE man of the country will feel bound to
protect and encourage them in happiness
and prosperity.
Very respectfully yours,
M. G. BUTLER.