The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-08-05
public atairs.
THE oTHgR SIDE.


Gen. n. C. Buiir' Account Of tie HaMbus
Riot in Reply 70 Gop. Chamberlain.
Upon the heads Of those charged with
the execution Of the law rests the respon
sibility for this collision. Ifitis true that
Governor Scott placed these arms and
this ammunition 10 the hands Of these ig
norant people, Il was crime against then
and the whites that he did so. II was q
crime in Governor Moses to have allowed
them to remain ia their hands, and il wai
more than crime IN Governor Chamber
lain in the light of his experience upor
the subject 1t was a cruel and inexcusa
bic wrong, an objectionable sin against til,
peace Of the country and lives Of the peo
pie that he should have allowed these guns
aud ammunition to remain in their hands
The jurisdiction aud powers Of Tria
Justice are large and the responsibility
proportionately increased, at an important
point Of our border, like Hamburg; and a
man Of the greatest discretion, fidelity and
frmness, could and should have been pro
cured to gil the Office but instead Of that
this man, Prince Rivers, wholly unfit fol
50 important position, is the only acting
Trial Justice in Hamburg, and believe
the next nearest in Aiken county is about
twelve miles distant. Now If there had
been Trial Justice accessible, who would
have given Mr.. Robert Butler justice
when, like law-abidipg man, as he is, he
appealed to him to protect members Of his
family against this so-called militia, this
"horror" would never have been chronicled
Not only does he not afford him protection
but the rufian constable Of this Trial
Justice, one Bill Nelson, a unprecedented
negro, insults me as his attorney when
approached him in perfectly respectful
manner, to inquire about the whereabout:
Of the Trial Justice in order to begin the
investigation. / was moreover bafiied and
triaed with for hours by this Trial Justice
and his negro associates until this armed
company Of outlaws had time to concen.
trate in their armory, where they could
successfully maintain their attitude Of
armed Instruction, armed with guns which
this same Prince Rivers admitted in my
presence had been taken from him by these
negroes without authority.
The town had negro intendent, negro
aldermen, negro marshals. II was almost
terror to every white man whose business
required him to pass through it. They
had harbored thieves and criminals from
every direction. They had arrested aud
fined some Of the best and most peace.
able citizens for the most trivial offenses
against their ordinances for drink.
ing out Of spring adjacent to the high
way. One young man was fired upon, the
ball passing through his hat, arrested
dragged to prison and heavily fined, be.
cause his horse SHE'D on the edge of a side
walk. An old man was arrested, insulted
and fined, because his horse turned on tn,
sidewalk as be was in the act of mounting
Market wagons, camping within FIVE orsiz
miles Of the town have been robbed nigh
after night, cattle had been stolen and run
into this place and sold. Stolen good,
have been systematically received here
the parties knowing them to have beer
stolen. For nights previous to the coils
sion unoffending white citizens were halted
by the pickets of these militiamen, armed
with State guns and stationed on the high
ways. In one instance FIVE or six Of them
had scraped their bayonets on the pailing.
gentleman, and, upon his remonstranc.
cursed and abused him in the hearing O.
his wife and some visiting ladies. The
names Of all these persons can be given
Why did not this Attorney General and
these ''swift denouncing" newspapers moi
put themselves to some trouble to ascer
tain the provocations on both sides Z? Thai
this was not a company of State militia
but band Of negroes organized contrary
to law, or without the authority of law
who had taken the State property without
authority, that Company A. Ninth Reg
iment, National Guard of the State q
South Carolina had been disbanded
for several years, and that this band had
usurped their organization without author.
ity, that they had not only unlawfully and
riotousiy obstructed the public highway
but had broken up civil court, deiied
its process and resisted its mandates, and
insulted It's officers and riotously threaten.
ed the lives of peaceable citizens Char.
lesion journal Of Commerce.