The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-15
TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT.


The Cincinnati Times, with its usual
virulence upon all subjects relating to
the South, has an article headed "Com-
promising with Treason" in which it
comments upon the following telegram 70
the Baltimore Sun about the Ladd MUIR
derers:
The Administration is very desirous of
avoiding conflict or raising an open
issue with the State of South Carolina,
and there can be no doubt the President
will avoid one, if he eau consistently
with the duties of his Office, as he under.
stands them. It is limited, but not off,
cially, that the cases may be compromised
without prejudice to the State, and this
may account for the delay in the pro-
ceedings.
The 1insea says:
Possibly there ara people in the North
who can read this with patience, but we
regret not to be among them. A mob
assaults the Republican Government Of
Louisiana, and we send Commission
down TO effect peaceful surrender of the
State to them. A lot Of ex-rebels in
South Carolina imprison United States
officers for the crime of attempting to
stop whisky frauds, refuse to surrender
them to the United States authorities,
and threaten rebellion If any attempt is
made to take them by force; and now it
Is proposed TO "compromise'' with this
new attempt at notification. Does any
one suppose that Jackson ever thought
of compromising with the Calhoun nulli-
fiers? Is it the habit of honest people
and respectable Governments to compro.
mise with treason7 Are the consequen-
ces of offending Wade Hampton 80 fear
full that the United States must cast aside
its authority, its dignity and its decency,
and beg for compromise" wherever he
sees fit to scout and nullify its laws7 It
sometimes seems to us as if the Repub-
lican party had lost; at the last election,
some things which Francis managed to
cling to even at Pavia.
In this article the Times shows de.
plorable ignorance upon the subject
about which it attempts to comment, or
an utter disregard for even the semblance
of truth. If our contemporary had
enough patience. which, for wonder, it
gets up truth enough to admit that it has
not, to read the facts about the case of
the Ladd murderers, it would probably
see the ridiculous farce it anncta in at-
tempting to raise storm of indignation
over the prosecution of what appears
from the sworn testimony to be mali
cious and in6xcusable murder. II the
Times calls shooting peaceable and un-
offending citizen of this State down in
cold blood while standing upon the sa-
cred threshold of his own house, without
any charge against him, attempting
to stop whiskey Frauds" then the reve.
nue officers are incarcerated for that
otfense hnt the reople Of eog.h Caro-
lima have yet to be taught how revenue
officers, or any other persons, can stop
whiskey frauds by numbering innocent
men, and they have yet to learn the law
which gives revenue officials the privi-
iege OF killing one man because they are
looking for another, as wes the case in
this instance, for these officers were in
search of Redmond, and going to Ladds
house in the expectation of finding the
man they were looking for, killed Ladd,
no doubt taking him for Redmond, and
expecting to get the large reward offered
for his capture. What sympathy these
ruffians are entitled to more than is ex-
tended to ali criminals, we fail to Der.
ceive. The Times wonld greatly enlight-
en- the public by ina3rming US who
threatens any rebellion in this case. If
it is rebellion to leave the decision of this
subject to the Courts of the land. of
which the Supreme Court of the United
States is the highest authority, thenSouth
Carolina proposes to rebel, but not other
WISE If there was any spirit of rebel.
lion In the case, instead of leaving it to
the Courts the prisoners would have been
taken from the jail and lynched. Moth.
ing of the kind has ever been conten.
plated, and the TRADE of the Times about
rebellion is without enough foundation
to make its falsehoods even ingenious.
There is no semblance of notification in.
the attitude of South Carolina, unless il
is notification to ask the Courts of the
country to constsue law. The case Is \
simply one of jurisdiction, and is proper
ly for the Judiciary to determine. The /,
Executive department of the govern.
nent has no right to meddle with
It at all until the decision of the
judiciary has been reached, and all that
the cabinet has done in the case has
been fragrant usurpation on its part.
The members of the cabinet who have
favored interference have not only acted
IS judges in overrnling decision of q
competent Court, but they have acted aa
;:.-o . i1viii;ng Inc siieIits ui the case
by announcing that the killing was done /
in selfdefense. We are not aware that
the Executive department. of our govern
ment has absorbed ell of the powers Of
our Courts yet, and if it has not. tho
cabinet has no power TO mako any iispo-
sition Of what is contest purely about
. question of law, which our Courss
alone can determine. Nor is II any ...e-s.
evident to our obtuse mind where there
Z any treason in the attitude Of South
Carolina. Il has invariably been true
in hiatt :, that traitors ehunned the cot tn
of Justice, and yes ia South CaFolina the
people who are guilty ofthip ao-calIed trea.
=as. I s:i;i! ::z siig u OF the
question by Tho Courts, Thia Is q new