The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-08-31
SOME EVENTS PRECEDING HAM
BURG.

! SOME EVENTS PRECEDING HAM
BURG.
We are getting at the true inwardness
of the Hamburg affair by degrees. 1t is
not at all one-sided affair as first ac-
counts were calculated to make us North
erners believe. The negroes in and
around Hamburg are not the gentle,
peaceful, neighborly people, nor General
Butler the unclaimed, blood thirsty tiger
the wavers of the bloody shirt represent
There are two sides which the fair
minded should see before coming to a
fixed conclusion on the matter. 1t is all
bad enough, but it does not all attach to
the whites.
Alta Hayes and Wheeler ratification
meeting at Rock Hill, S. c., on the I'd in
slant Judge T. Mackay was one of the
speakers. He is one of the most promi.
nent and influential Republicans of the
State. A speaker who had preceded
him had referred to the Hamburg affair,
and abused General Butler in unmeas
ured terms. In his remarks Judge Mac
kay said:
II cannot concur with the speaker who
has addressed you in denounclng Cen
eral NJ. G. Butler as the author, or in any
degree the promoter, of that great crime.
| have considered all the evidence thus
far disclosed upon the subject. have
conversed with Republicans of both
races who we've in or near Hamburg at
the time of the massacre, and while they
all believe that General Butler was one
of the guilty parties to that deed Of blood,
such belief or conclusion on their part is
not supported by any testimony which
would not be instantly consumed to ashes
under the rays ofjudicial test"
He then referred to certain events that
had preceded the Hamburg outbreak,
which throw light on the character ofthe
negroes and that of General Butler. In
January, 1875, Gene, al Butler'sresidence
and out-buildings were burned, ,as alleged,
by party of negroes in and about the
town of Hamburg. In subsequent en-
counter between force under Gen. But
Ter and the negroes believed to be guilty
of the arson several of them were wound
ed. Judge Mackay was instructed by the
Governor to proceed to the place of dis
turbance and use his authority to restore
order and avert further collision be-
tween the races, which then seemed i'm
minent. He issued his warrants for the
arrest of Ned Tenant, Captain of the
negro militia company, together with
several members of his command,
charged with the arson, and also for the
arrest of General Butler and some ten or
twelve citizens, charged with assault on
the negroes. After reciting the above
particulars, Judge Mackay continued and
said
General Butler and his co-defendants
Welded instant obedience to the process,
riding some fifteen or sixteen miles
through as heavy a rain-storm as | ever
Witnessed that they might promptly an
swer the charge against them at the bar
of my Court General Butler and his CO.
defendants were discharged pursuant to
law, after a full investigation in open
Court. The fact was established by over
whelming proofs, through the testimony
of both white and Colored witnesses, that
Tenant had assembled his Company
under arms to resist the arrest of himself
and others of his Company, warrant
having been issued for their apprehen-
sion by the colored Trial Justice of the
vicinage, wherein they were charged
with arson. He did resist arrest, driving
back the Constable to whom he had been
intrusted the execution of the warrant.
To overcome that resistance to the uue
process of the law, the Trial Justice sum-
moned General Butler and otherrespon-
sible white citizens to act as a lawful
posse in effecting the arrest OF men who
stood openly in armed defiance of the
laws. The Trial Justice and his Consta-
BILE again proceeded to the spot where
Tenant had unlawfully assembled his
command, and they were driven back at
the muzzles of leveled rifles. General
NJ. c. Butler, by the authority ofthe Trial
Justice there present, then advanced with
the posse to use the necessary force to
overcome the resistance offered to law
warrant. AS soon as the posse got with
in range, they we're fired on by the mill
tia force, numbering about thirty men.
The posse returaed the fire and wounded
two of the militia, all of whom then fed.
l have given you the facts in the nremi:.
ses as ascertained by a thorough and
impartial investigation, and yet General
Butler was as positively and bitterly ac-
cused of crime in that affair as he is here
to-day in connection with the Hamburg
butchery. But have further purpose
in reciting the facts of the Edgetield dis
turbance of 1875. During that i1vestl'
CATION was informed of the fact that an
armed force of whites was marching
upon the county seat for the purpose OF
| lynching Tenant, then in Edgeheld jail,
under my commitment, pending an ex-
animation. BY my request, but chiefly
through the influence of General Butler,
the Edgefeld Rife Club, composed OF
white Democrats, assembled under arms,
and with loaded rifles stood prepared
throughout the night to defend that most
obxoxious prisoner at all hazards against
lawless violence. l deemed the testi'
mony against Tenant and others sutfi-
cient to warrant their being held to bail
to answer the charge of arson. The