The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-01-26

can likewise be protected by a yer
fpall ~ force Of: eahalfy, reinforced,
| in case Of emergeney,a by, a,gqod
force of yo1qptoers- always 70 be
gatheteddout vest in very abort
y yfTak4ing this view ofsfAe case there
fomains but two purposes for which
the army can be used, for the en-:
,torceinents sofAthe,revenue; ;lawe, and
for POLITICAL purposes in, tho \. South,
M thS fFst ogthesc,. tho army hos
no doubt dono good service, but
that service could be reformed just
as effcctual1y and at much less cost
|'by deputy haishals with q we'll
seloctod posso Of citizena. Beside
1T is q notorious fact, 'that many
oxcesSes have Beeea : tssoidHaafhhittea by
military ttfetao zoillcerss q ind
f.soldiers alike in, mistaken zeal
to enforce tho reven,te laws and
dotoct frauds: This is byno means
so likely to'happsn ut tho 'hands of
o posse of civilians acting Under
civil authority and l'ecognizing Their
amienability 70 civil laws. The
other use which the ariny has beep
put-the subserving- Of political
onds in tho Southern statos, is as
foreign to tho prime onds for which
e standing army is intended as'pos-
eible. For a man to rpass botwecn
the opened ranks Of q company OF
'a:rnod mon, to deposit his ballot,
- something so utterly at variance
with the simplest principals Of re-
publicnnism and civil liberty, as to
make it abhorrent to tho mind of
every man Of ordinary intelligence
and 'sclf-rcspect. And yet the army.
has for somo years been employed
for. that purpose. It has only
needed tho complaint of Scott
q Patterson, an Amos or War
moth, to bring into every city, town
and hamlet Of Southern state a
company Of Soldiers to guard the
polls. That there has been much
real danger of harm to the freed
meli-whose protection hds always
been tho chief pretert ftr tho use
of TROOPS is simply aB5tird to
maintain. I'tio ntgro Is as safe in
Ill his rights in tile South, without
tle presence of a singlb baydOot, as
when each polling place Is Guarded
by n regiment of We'll ARMED in
fantry Besides tho presence of
troops in tho South implies a dis
trust Oh tho part of tho North for
which there is'no possible ground,
and is calculated tosgiye the South
orn Ecoplc n fecling to-
wards the national. government
which they do not desire to posses.
Ono Of the spediost means Of full
restoration Of harmony between the.
different sections of our country, i.
that Implicit h'hst is the sincerity OF
tho Southern people to Which their
course since the close of tho war on
titles them. This is ono Of the
( surest means Of of entire fratorniza-
ton, and will do moro real good
than all tho coercive measures. that
can bo devised. People who are, or
suppose themselves to be. hhdor the
surveillance of. q military force, are
not naturally Inclined to entertain
the deepest affection for thosd who
institute that s,>rvcilldhco. Tho
Southern people are Heartily tired
Of the presence of troops, III thoil
midst, to subscrve political ends;
and they have right to demand
that they bo treated as. We'll in this
respect as their NortRcri brethren.
Let oU the troops 30 removed from
the South as soon MS POSSIBLE,
: leaving only the hcccssary garriaoni
. in forts, Barracks, and military
In, dulartcrS.