The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-01
THB GOVERNORS DUTY.
VIOLATED LAW AND OUTRAGED PUBLIC
- SENTIMENT. .
II ia the Chief Executives Duty 10 OF.
fer II Suitable Reward for the Cap.
tare of the Outlaws. r.
(rreey,,{lIe Ne1Ds0 .
(Greenutlle NelDs.)

We are glad 10 see that the daily newspapers
of the state unanimously cnll upon the GoV-
ernor To meet tue cNtrl0rdinnry crlWe COLL
mitted in Barnweil County by extraordinary
use of his powers as the clIiei executive onicer
of the State. .
II not only violated law and outraged pub 4
lie sentiment that call upon the authorities
for action. Justice to the remainder OF the
state and to the South likewise require thnf
the proceedingslo 10 be taken shall! be 80 prompt
and thorough that there Will be no prete~t
| for saddling upon ms all the hOrrid crliue of
few men In Barnwel.
The more there rs revealed Of the slckening
details of The slaughter, the more horrible
does II appear. And the more there Is said In 5
eXtenuation the more plainly Is the lack OF
extenuation, reason or excuse made manifest.
| We gather from the statement OF Colonel
Alfred Aldrch, in the Charleston World, that
six of the eight men who were butchered suf-
| fered that fate because they did not 60 10 the
rescue of young Martin when he was shot.
Colonel AIdrici says. speaking oi Mr.. Martin:
He on'hls way from HIS plase of business to
his residence and shot with live sluss by some
one standing directly brhlnd him. the sugs passing
directly through his body. That 1t the act Of %
savage the wounds and the slugs taken from his body
at the post m0riem show fer themselves. The test-
mony Of all the ncrors who were lynched shows that
they oil heard the shot which caused bis death they
heard his cry OF agony ring out on the night air.
| They obliged to know that his body was lying
on the public highway during the night and for two
hours sunrise the next morning, and there was
ample evidence Of other kinds to show that they
were In sympathy II not in actual participation, with
the perpetrator Of the deed. In view Of all the testt
mony adduced the inquest and since. II Is impossi-
BILE to avoid tho conclusion that they conspred TO ac-
complish his death" 5
The statement is In direct accord with the
theory of Allen Quartermain, quoted by COL
oneEAldrich with approval ia another part OF
his statement, that We are all nineteen parts
savage to one part civilized. The ethics OF
the case are precisely those used by wild In
dians and among the barbarous tribes Of AZ
rica. A white man was shot and killed In a
negro settlement. consequently six men from
} that settlement, ready captured and Gagged,
having submitted themselves to the law aud
accepted its promised protection, without
arms or the power Of resistance or flight and
therefore to be taken easily and without risk
were seized by an overwhelming force In the
darkness of night, tied to stakes and trees, ms
the Indians used to tie captIves OF hostile
tribes, and shot to death In cold blood .-ss &
II we permit such crime To- 80 uhpunished
, we can not hope ferthe respect Of the country
or for Its sympathy In any sufferings or
wrongs our foes may do US; and we may LOOK
for the vengeance OF Heaven as surely as God
Is just and good.