New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-25
Hnlr Is - NENLDYl

The shooting OF a postmaster, because he
did noj allow the mails to- bee ridcd IN Che in
terest, OF Democracy and Reform, occurred
quite naturally in South Carolina, the State
which plcascs to be IeWosontcd-m The Senate
by Massacre Butler and by Fuu-at-the-Iair
Hampton. Mr.. Butler is the person whose sole
claim to the sunragcs OF his fcllow-ctzens
was that ne had been more responsible than
anybody else for the infamous massacre of
colored people at Hamburg. Mr.. Hampton Is
the person who made the most solemn pledges
that, il left unrcstmined by the presence OF
United States uoops he would take care that
all the laws should be faithfully enforced, and
all tine right; OF all citizens faithfully respected
and defended. That he has never made any at
temp, whatever to keep his pledges the whole
world knows. Their chief fruit was the gisan
,ic fraud pcrpe;rated by Hampton's friends
and party through the systematic use OF it's
sue-ballots State that Is so represented in
the Senate can hardly be expected to find local
officials who enforce the laws with especial
fidelity. Nor can il be expected that public
opinion III such a State will lean rather to the
defenders of justice and law than to the muir
derers OF helpless colored people and the stuff
fers OF bal0t-boXcs. a tree is known by Its
fuit, and the latest fruit OF South Carolina
barbarsm is the presence Of Hampton and
Butler III the Senate.
The friends of Butler, the hero of the mas
sacre, had been doing as they pleased at the
po,t-oilice in Backyille. They had robbed
the mails openly and without resistance, in
order to deprive Republicans of letters and
papers to which they were entitled, and the
postmistress, being of the HamptOn-Butler
persuasion in politics, did nothing to protect
the mails intrusted to her charge. Properly
she was removed and ought never to have
been appointed. Frederick Nix, a cOlOred Re-
pubican, whose letters show that he is n man
Of intelligence and fidelity, was appointed,
and the massacre-lOving Democrats found that
they could 10 longer tamper with the mails.
Thereupon they first threatened and finally
shot him. and but for the bad aim of the
assassin Mr. Nix would now be as helpless as
Judge ChisOlm, his daughter aud his boy, or
Dixon the murdered candidate for Sheriff in
Yazoo County. This, in brief, is the history
Of the case. Senator Butler, whose sympathy
with the assassins is natural, maniiests his
feelings by letter, in which he sets up the
usual Democratic plea. Nix, he says, was a
very bad man, dangerous. turbulent and In
competent. The facts prove that Mr.. Buffers
assertion has not word of truth in it, but it does
not appear that being convicted of falsehood
does any harm to his reputation. No doubt.
now that the shooting is over, he will observe
that it was ." deplOIable eventn but insist
that it was entirely due to the fact that Nix
was IA bad man. All the Republicans who get
In the way of Democratic assassins are very
bad men. We notice.
What j. the Government TO do 1t is physi
cally impossible TO put about every postmaster or
other official in the South sufficient military
force to protect him IN the performance of his
duties. Yet what is Government worth that
does not make any effort TO defend its officers in
the discharge OF their trusts Great Britain
has made it known that any nation or any
mob, anywhere on the face of the earth, that
assaIls a British official in the performance of
his duty, must render n strict account. Nay,
if a simple citizen of Great Britain, clothed
with no official powers, and guarded only by
that protecting care which is given To every
subject of the British flag suffers any wrong
whatever whether from cannlbals on an island
of the South Seas. from savage rulers in the
heart OF Africa. or from subjects Of the most
powerful nations OF Europe, il Is certain that
the matter will have to be settled, either peace
ably OF ut the demand of IL British army or
fleet. The red-sbirted mob who assassnate an
officer of the United States in South Carolina
or Louisiana do not dare to lift a finger against
an official of Great Britain and 1t must be