The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1877-01-04
CAROLINA's CHOICE,
Her New Senator. aonsrel NJ. Q. Butler.

11oi INC" SeH@tor, 0on0reI III, y, butler
No one supposes that the Demo
crntic Legislature Of South Carolina
either would or could please the
Northern Radicals in their choice Of
a. United States Senator. Genera
Butler is known to us all as ono OF
tho most moderate and Consorya
tive men in South Carolina, and
knowing this fact, it is not necessa
ry for MS to enlarge upon it. But
we take pleasure in reproducing
from the Philadelphia Times, Q
journal thoroughly independent in
politics, the following article. In
speaking of General Buffers career
and antecedents, it sayo;
Mr.. Butler is a highly cultured
South Carolnian, who has ever been
conspicuous for his conservative
counsels and actions. He served
under Hampton during the rebellion,
lost a leg Ia Brandy Station, rose to
the rank Of Major General in the
insurgent army by his inertia as a
soldier, and, like all brave men on
both Gidos, when the war ended he
bowed to the arbitrament of the
sword, and has ever been in accord
with Hampton in teaching, alike by
preceDt and example, submission to
the government in the generous
spirit that is due from faithful
citizenship. He was at Hamburg
on professional business on tho day
Of the horrible butchcry, and, as the
preliminary hearing proved, had no
part in the bloody affair, except to
make exhaustive efforts to maintain
the peace. But his prominence rs a
citizen made him m inviting target
for those who sought to turn
cowardly murder to political advant-
age, instead Of judicially ascertain
ing the truth and furnishing the
guilty, and his name has been in
separately interviewer with that
revolving tragedy. Governor Cham
bcrlain was then the undisputed
Governor Of South Carolina, with
the regular troops practically at his
command, with his State militia
armed and absolutely under his
orders, with Republican judges in
every judicial district, and with Re-
publican machinery for theSselaction
of jurors. He had but to command
the law, whose agencies were all in
political accord with himself, to
enforce swift judgment against the
murderers, for atIocious nturderers
there were ut Hamburg beyond
question. But that did not suit tic
purpose of the man who was clare-
ed with the preservation of the peace
Of the State, and the enforcement
of the laws. Instead of summoning
the law to assert it's majesty, he
rushed away to Washington and
called for "more troops" with dra-
matte flourish to fire the Northern
heart. in n public letter he as
sociated tho Tame of Mr.. Butler
with the massacre, to which the &C
cused publicly answered that he was
innocent, that he was voluntarily in
the hands of the law, and that he
challenged prompt and searching
judicial investigation of the mur-
derous affair, 50 that the innocent
should be acquitted and the guilty
punished. Nor did Mr.. Butler,
like Governor Chamberlain, stop
with newspaper proclamation. At
the earliest moment he appeared
before Republican Judge and asked
not for his discharge, but for a
reference of the case to the proper
tribunal for the most exhaustive
investigation. The Republican
judge hold this "red-handed ruflian,"
this "moying spirit in the bloodicst
deed recorded in our modern hiGto
~" to bail in tho sum of $1,000 for
his appearance 1T the court for
trial. This wao last midsummer,
end why has he not been triod?
Why has the Republican Governor
not made his Republican judge call
in his Republican jurors and try Mr..
Butler for the Hamburg massacre ?
Five blacks were horribly butchered
after they had been captured end
disarmed. There must be clear
case of most diabolical murder
against some parties, and if Mr..
Butler aided or abctted the aur
derers, he is equally guilty with
them alike in law and morals, and
why has he not been tried? He
publicly challenged Chamberlain to
try him before all tho Chamberlain
legal machinery, and he gave notice
that ho would then and thore show
who were the real authors of the
Hamburg tragedy, that he had
strivcn most earnestly to prevent.
It was this notice that 1nado Cham
berlain retreat from the trial of
Butler. IT was the fear TINT Butler
would prove that the Hamburg
massacre was concocted and forced
to contamination by political leaders
most trusted in the counsels of
Chamberlain, and that it would be
established before Republican
court and a Republican jury that
the Hamburg outbreak was ono of
the deliberately planned features