Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-10
THE L

More than a month has elapsed since
a bloody riot occurred at Hamburg
South Carolina. We have purposely
refrained from saying anything about
it editorially, simply because we
thought the first accounts were greatly
exaggerated. Now that the excitement
has abatei, we begin to obtain glimpses
Of the bottom facts in the case from ouf
Eastern exchanges IS they come along,
Hamburg is far from being a para
disc. 1t is governed exclusively by
the blacks, who are largely In the ma
iority. They are represented as being
domineering and Extensively insolent
towards the whites. A spirit of antag-
onism and hate between the races was
thus engendered. This being the state
Of feeling, it did not require much to
kindle a flame of passion which led to
inhuman acts of murder. On this oc.
casion an armed negro military COM
pany was paradiug the streets when
some whites in carriages undertook to
pass, but were prevented by the com
pany, which led to an angry excite
ment and riotous proceedings. The
colored Magistrate was finally induced
to demand that the negroes should sur
render their arms. which they refused
to do, and finally fired upon the whites,
killing a young man, McVise Merri.
wether. This so exasperated the
whites that they became furious be-.
yond control, and the result was the
killing of five negroes, some or all of
them in cold blood, after they had sur
rendered.
There was, undoubtedly, great blame
on both sides, most on the part of the
whites, however, as they are more in
telligent and better capable of control.
ling their action. At any rate their
conduct in killing their enemies after
they had surrendered was cowardly
and brutal, and must receive the un-
qualified condemnation Of all right
thinking people, but the attempt on the
part Of radical papers and politicians to
sprinkle anew the "bloody shirt" from
the crimson gore Of the slaughtered
is hardly less worthy of execration
than the action of the rioters them.
selves. There is no more occasion for
or justice in this attempt to make party
capital out of the affair than there
would be in regard to the bloody riots
and murders occurring between the
Americans and Chinese in California,
or between whites in any State.
Riots, bloodshed and murders occur
occasionally in Northern as we'll as
Southern States. The bloody murders
and outrages committed by the "Molly
Maguires" in Pennsylvania have OK.
cited the indignation of all classes
wherever the horrid details of their
cruelties have been made known. A
bloody encounter took place in New
ark, N. j., some three weeks ago, in
which as many persons were killed as
in the Hamburg conflict. A disgrace
full riot occurred at Saco, In the loyal
and enlightened State Of Maine, about
two weeks since. Weapons were freely
used and bullets fired promiscuously
into the crowd. No mi thinks of try
ing to turn these outrages to political
account: butthe moment a similar riot
occurs in a Southern State the political
vultures snuff the blood with manifest
delight, and whet their beaks for fresh
feasts upon the of the slain
In this cas they fancied they had dis
covered material to advance their in
terests in the presidential campaign
and SO the s'organs" TEEN with exag'
Grated and false accounts of the affair
and the "bloody shirt" is waved will
increased vigor from every stump
Governor C~hamberlin, of South Caro-,
lima, promptly put in an appearance al
Washington to demand troops for the
~estensible purpose of preserving the
peace, but really to intimidate the
whites and aid him in securing his re-
election. He was forced, however, tt
admit that there was nothing whatever
of a political nature in any way con
nected with the difficulty. This is the
whole story of the Hamburg affair
about which so much has been writer
of late; and while we are at all times
prepared to denounce lawlessness OF
the part Of either whites or blacks, II
South Carolina or elsewhere, we mus
insist, in a spirit of perfect fairness
that this matter does not rise to the
dignity of a national issue in the pend
ing campaign.
The Democratic party in Humboldt
county is heavy on the bottom and