New-York tribune., 1878-04-04

went to the polls saying, mo rght-mlhoeu
"man can witness the beautiful behavior Oh
I" the Kemper County people without resolving
"at once to lay aside partisanshlp ana Vote
90 the regular Democratic ticket" And wheh-
ever any low toned or querulOus person raised
objections to the Kemper County method OF
settling political differences, they rebuked
him with a noble fOrgetfulness. and repeated
the shibboleth, "Let bygones be bygones."
But it has somehow happened-by what in
comprehensive procedure we cannot imagine
that Kemper County grand jury has in
| dicted the spOrtsmen concerned III the nassa-
ere. This is obviously an outrage. The MEM
bers of the Grand Jury excuse themselves Tor
it upon the plea that they felt compelled
to do it by the obligations OF their
oaths. 1t is quito evident that they had
no intention of making trouble for the
sportsmen, and no purpose of prosecuting them
further. Conscious of having given offence to
the public sentiment of Kemper County IN
thus ruthlessly exhuming the past, they en-
deayOr to make reparation therefor by signing
petition to the Governor asking him to
pardon all the persons indicted, even be-
| fore they have had the fOrmality OF
trial They seem not to be ignorant OF
the conditions essential to peace and good
order in Kemper County. Notwithstanding
their disOrderly action, for they say In the
petition referred to, that the pardon OF the IN
dicted spOrtsmen twill accomplish more for
"the promotion of peace and good order III our
"county than a relentless prosecution OF
"these cases." Herein, of course, their
heads are absolutely level. 1t was for
the promotion of peace and good order that
the massacre took place. Kemper County is
section where the leading citizens devote
themselves to the promotion of peace and
good order to that extent that they permit no
| person to disturb them by disagreeing vote,
| and when any one attempts it they go for him
with double barreled guns till peace and order
are restored. Then they bury the past and let
bygones be bygones, like hgh-toned gentle
men. So this Grand Jury, although guilty of
the most reprehensible conduct with regard to
| bygones, has still shown a correct appreciation
of public sentiment in Kemper County by
recommending the pardon OF those who
brought harmony to the county with
shot-guns; and nOwit rests with the Governor.
| At the time of the massacre several civilized
persons said it was murder. This was to
degree a reflection upon Kemper County. But
Kemper County bore it patiently, and now
Kemper County grand jury has stretched cour-
tesy to its utmost limit, and said
frankly, ayes. it was murder. Now then
"let's bury the past and let bygones be by
"gonesn With this concession the civilized
world ought to be satisfied. Let the pardon
issue ut once.
And now, without cherlshing the slightest
desire to dig mp the past or bring forward
bygone, we take leave to suggest that it
might be well, in order to prevent confusion,
to have the limits of this bygoDe business
little more strictly defined. The American
people have been burying the past with great
assiduity for several years. But there
is a prejudice in the minds of many
against burying it before it gets fairly
cold Here is this Chisholm massacre,
for instance. Now, If that were defalcation
by carpet baggcr it would be altogether too
fresh to bury. OF course. we couldn't agree to
let that kind of a bygone be a bygone. But
being merely massacre of Rcpubh-
cans for the promotion of harmony in
Kemper County, there is no objection
to its being considered a bygone. Any
little thing of that kind Of course ought not
to be remembered more than year Mt the
outside. What we would have is a definition
| by some competent authority of the pre-
else age at which bygone should be
let be and the past buried. We are get
| ting more and more in the habit
of buryng these things when they are
comparatively young and fresh and there's
danger of q reaction. Even now there are Re-
publicans IN the South who say, "Weare willing
"to bury the past and let bygOnes be bygones,
"to reasonable extent but when Southern
gentleman comes in from shooting your
"father, brother or son, and offers to shake
"hands with you, and let bygones he by
cones, before he has wiped out his gun,
"we think it Is carrying it little too far"
| Still it is quite possible that those who talk
! in this way are not showing becoming spirit.
| We should hardly be willing to say. for our own
part, how long time we should think proper
to elapse after the killing of relative or
friend before shaking hands with the slayer
and calling it a bygone. We should certainly
want to wait till after the funeral. And we
give fair notice that when in Kemper County,
or anywhere else, they get to discounting
bygOnes and proposing reconcliati0ns
before they go out cunning for Re-
publicans, instead of after they have re-
turned, we shall mildly but firmly protest. 1t
is likely to come to that shortly. The by
cones we are letting be- and the past we are
burying are close on our heels now. But then
| the Kemper County sort are 80 high-t0ned-
who could refuse themf
|