The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-26
Wednesday,, March rs. 1879.

"Wednesday, March rs. 1879.
S.The Largo Majority Of Men 60
AEmed.o
Az proof of the high civilization of the
ancient Egy ptians, historians tell us tina
a thousand years before Christ Egyptian
citizens went unarmed, and carried no
of offence or defence except in
time OF war. No higher standard of civ
ilization could be applied. Apply it hero
and how do we Of the South and of South
Carolina stand the test? Let the omi-
nous words Of Judge Aldrich be the an
swer. Charging the Laurens jury that
Sat a few weeks ago on the McNinch trial
for murder, he said that In South Carroll
M "the large majority Of men go ar"-
ed" This was said in the year 9: Il
Lord eighteen hundred arr seventy
nine, said of the people of our State by a
Judge Of our Stst:, in a county next
door to Abbe-.ile. If it had been said OF
some dis;snt barbarous county-of Mo-
rocco, Afghanistan, or eron OF Mexico
IL would not have startled us. II IL had
been said of Hindostan, Japan, or OF the
so-vslled "heathen Chinese we shouid
have been easily able to point to the tes-
timony of trustworthy travellers 10 snow
that it was not true: the peaceful lives
led BY those industrious and thrifty Ash
atics-for industry and peace go hand III
hand-would be a sufficient refutation.
But It was said Of South Carolina and 1t
I'm. startled Us. It was said Of the coun-
ty Of our fathers and our children, and
,e cannot refute 1t. Try to refute the
charge that the largo majority OF our
people go armed, and the newspapers
alone would furnish countervailing testi-
mony sufficient to render The attempt
yain,-not to speak Of innumerable III
stances of drawing and shooting OF pis-
tolls that never arc pillor:ed in print, but
Of which every town and village. every
hamlet and highway, can furnish exam
ples. So much is the carrying of pistols
takon ~ a matter of course that our very
dress conforms to it, and peaceful men
ndtheir brooches endowed with q pistol
pocket. Pistols are spoken of in terms
of amusement, and little boys talk ia
miliarly of their "shooting-irons.'
This habit Of going armed Is 4 burning
shame to our people and does dishonor
10 our State. Gloss it over as VIC may, 1t
ID barbarous and unworthy of u time
and the civilization which is our heritage.
A peaceful man of the sixteenth centu-
ry went armed, 6 frontiersman OF
to-day goes armed, but tho times
Of the former and the surroundings
of the latter arc a sufficient reason
aud justification. What reason or
justification a a man offer to-
day for going ar ned in South Carolina,
in the streets of the peaceful town Of Alb
beyille? Is 1t g~entlemanly? The time
has gone past when it was thought essen
tiai for a gentleman to carry arms. Is it
! mark Of courage7 The brave man does
not carry his bravery in his pocket or his
pistol belt, but in hisheart. Is soldier
lyf The man who was q lion in war is
gentle as q lamb In times of peace: no
that faced death like a true man on the
battlefield, does not when tho war Is
over like to live in a atmosphere OF gum
powder. Is 1t necessary? Not unless
we are all like Ishmael with OAR hand
against every man and every mans hand
against US. Is it reasonable? The man
who isjustifed in his own eyes in going
armed can give only two reasons for it
he must confess to himself that either he
Is afraid that somebody will kill him or
that he desires to kill somebody. Is 1t
Christian? We leave the pulpit to all
swer this last question, und we hope 1t
will join the press in a persistent endeav-
or to wipe out this stain on u character
IS o people.
What are the consequences Of this VI
cious practice7 Human life is held so
cheap that scarcely aday passes without
the shedding of some mans blood in a
causeless, trivial quarrel. So long as
men are choleric, sudden and quick IN
quarrel, even although towards at heart
they will draw pistols and kill or be kill
ed The nero fact Of having a pistol
close at hand in pocket or ~pigeon-hole
prevents any attempt at e1ercising q man.
IL self.control over ones temper and
turns many a man who might have been
q peaceful member Of society inio a bull
~ and a braggadocio.
Another lamentable consequence il
that the prevailing habit of taking the
law into ono's own hand robs the law Of
Is sanctity and majesty and deprives the
death on the gallows Of its solemniIy.
Indeed society learns to be impatient and
antolerant of death by form Of law when
killing on tho street is so common; wit
ness Italy, the home of the assassin and
the paradise Of the bravo,-it Is difficult
10 carry any sentence Of death into exc
cutlon in that country.
What IL to be done? 1t is cheering to
see the press Of this State and of Georgia
loud In its denuncistion of the practice of
carrying concealed weapons. The News
and Courier and the Augusta Chronicle
and Sentinel and other journals have
done their part we'll in emphatically con-
demning it. Lot all the influence Of our
Southern press be strongly and persist
emily exerted in that direction. Let the
pulpit also use its powerful lever in the
same good cause. Let tho law against
carrying concealed weapons be rigidly
enforced, and let Judges and jurors see
TO It that no pistol-armed man whose
hand is red with his fellow-man's blood
be acquitted ON the miserable and thread
bsre pieaof self-defence. But above all,
because more potent than all, let society
pronounce its curse upon the barbarous
practice, the relic Of a bygone civilization.
Let society regard the man who habitu-
ally goes armed as its greatest enemy, a
man with malice in his heart-the es-
Fence Of murder. Not until'public opin-
ion Is clearly defined and strongly pro-
nounced against this practice, will the
youth of our country look for their e1-
emplar Of true manhood where alone it
can be found-midway between reckless
rsshness and cowafdice, the golden mean