Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1882-08-10
ALMOST KIND AND DPaRTLF 7 TRUE.
Gen. Butler, The Hamburg Mas
Sacre. and The Senate.

Sacre. and The Senate.
The speech of Mr.. Miller in tn
+ House 'be other day. reviving tn
recollection OF the inhnmau massacl
g oil black men at Hamburg, S. G, il
g July, 1876, and Senator Buffers re
ply in the Senate, led us to look q
the testimony which Gen. Butler
himself gave under oath before the
, Senate committee which in 1876 80
Investigated South Carolina Affairs
He most positively de"ied having
had any dishonorable part in that
infamous affair, or any other part
than that OF a lawyer and good
citizen. His narrative was very CON-
rlete and circumstantial,' and he ex-
pressed strong wish for a thorough
inquiry. His testimony waoin con-
f!et with that of some Of the colored
republicans. He said:
| had no more control over that
mob than !. would have over Il north.
east hurricane. did try as long as
could to prevent what outrages l
could, but it would have been impos.
sible for me or any ..other human be-
ing to control it. 'S + :" alter.
ward came to Columbia TO see Gov.
ernor Chamberlain in regard to it.
and went down to his office and sta
ted 10 him substantially as have
stat I'd here. His rep!ys TO me was :
" ! don't see how you are to be blam-
ed Tor it. The only horrible thing
is the killing Of these negroes after
they were prisoners that is murder"
Said |, certainly, that is murder
There Is 10 civilized man can Justify
th't thing, but l had no control over
IT," He htimated to me that there
Was no blame to be attached to me
Mr.. Yonmans Of this city COLUMBIA.
was with me- Congressional Rxoyd
of November &c, 1877.
There is much more OF most EN-.
ihaiic and indignant denial by Sena-
tor Butler Of any part in or sym
pathy with the..iearlul crime at H an
burg.
We DO not understand that Repub.
lican Senators, or others equally well.
nrormed, believe that Senator But
Ell was bimeelf privy to or in any
manner aided or ahetted that iuhu
nan massacre of citizens. Nor do
ve entert,in such % belief. 1t was
FOR him that man nam-
=? Butler mot rslatG z@ lZ'lj ,iai;usG
"a pine cause'oI tlfsssz 's4=
to such barbarities. T6ss circam-
scaace did more to connect his nau'
with it than his subsequent appear
anre as counsel
Well wou'd Il be for Senator BA'
ltr If he could as easily be defended
ay.iusl lie charge that as le"'i' I ol
the Damoc. attic party of South Caro-
lima he IL responsible for so mn'h ff
wrong and outrage as he might by |
outarnksn ,iennnciation OF it, ~
vent. Tie region Of the Hamburg
massacre was 40 given over to TIN
moil and riot during the campaign q
ia76, that as we read the testimony
ibe Two counties embraced IN II %ar'
no, counted III making NJ the legs
l4,iv. returns. So Senator i'u'''i
d es ot owe his seal to votes ,h's
created there. Rnt the world o'
Iieves that, ilom the day Of tht
tragedy, the blacks throusho"t the
State, except where they had no
white neighbora, were subjects OF the
terror it naturally canaed, and tia
the result or the election was tainted
with blood and crime. From thai
election Senator Butler finally came
TO the Senate. We should he GLAD
to see him ccme again with lawn
shortly al hia back, which he oo"'"
have ii hs would deserve It. Bat Is
Democrat lie cannot come II ths
laws are respected and equal rights
maintained in The Stale OF souti
Carolina :. Washington R'p"b''f'"