The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-05
zed, several of them from the volun-

| lZeQ, several or them IpOnl Lne VOlun-
teers who came at my call and tender
ed their services to the State, accom-
panying the offer of services always
with the remark: "Wc pledge our
selves to obey orders and uphold the
law" Not since the days which saw
the birth of the Southern Confederacy
has such martial spirit been shown.
With the arms taken from the old
companies as many of the new ones
as possible have been armed. In ad-
dition, the last appropriation for the
militia from the United States,
amounting to nearly $4,000, has been
expended altogether for arms; aid
there are now thirty companies armed
since the riot. of which twenty-six
have the latest improved Springfield
rifles.
1t is not necessary to tell the Legis-
lature that the militia of the State
merits and should receive your foster
ing care. Its value and necessity
were clearly shown at the time have
Just described. Hitherto the services
required of the militia have been at
long intervals and on occasions of mi
nor importance guarding a Jail or re-
pressing disorder among the negroes
-and the taxpayers have been dis
posed to grumble at the expense of the
annual appropriation. This has been
spent, not in equipment and arms but
paid directly to the companies ''to as
sist them in maintaining their organ
ization." The whole system needs re-
modelling and there should be radi-
ical change in policy. We do not
need so many companies, but we need
well-armed, well-drilled men who can
be relied on. There should be term
of enlistment, with better discipline
and means of enforcing it. We have
had severe lesson in depending on
holiday soldiers, whose officers on oc-
casion constitute themselves debat-
ing society to discuss the Governors
orders and vote as to the propriety of
obeying them. Without going into the
details, I wonld strongly urge that
the money appropriated be spent in
arming such Of the new companies as
have shown by their zeal and prof.
cheney that they are in earnest, and
are willing to enter the service under
the stringent regulations which should
obtain in future. All of the officers
of the companies which failed to re-
spond to my orders to 60 to Darling
ton have been suspended, with three
Exceptions. To have court-martialed
them would have been a costly farce.
Had I possessed the power, I would
have disbanded these commands; but
not having donned their uniforms and
gotten under orders, they did not
come under the Articles of War, and
I could not legally do more than I did.
This is a defect in the law which
should not be overlooked. Arbitrary
power is not desirable in a free gov
ernment, but there are sometimes oc-
casions and conditions when nothing
else will do. The Governor is, at all
times, responsible to the people, and
no harm could result. Under the
statutes as they stand, the Adjutant-
General has power to disband a com
pany which fails to pass inspection.
| But the Commander-in-C Chief cannot
do so, even for disobedience of orders.
1t is almost certain that had the other
officers of the Fourth Brigade done
their duty as did Ckpt. Edward An
derson, the command would have
promptly assembled and gone to the
scene of the riot. will say that there
are about twenty thousand dollars in
cash or securities belonging to this
brigade, which can be used to arm and
equip other men within the city of
Charleston. A good battalion is all
that is needed there, and I am sure
the material exists to form one which
will obey orders hereafter and wipe
off the stigma now resting on the
military of that city.
1t pains me to make known fur
ther instance of gross insubordination
and, indeed, outrageous insolence, on
the part of the officers of the Oldest
and most noted military company in
the State. The Washington Light
Infantry was ordered, along with the
other companies, to give up its arms.
This it declined to do, claiming them
as private property. 1t will take too
much space to enter into details and
give the grounds upon which this
claim rests. After consulting the re-
cords and comforting with the Attor-
Iney-General, the order to surrender
the arms was renewed, and again dis
|obeyed. But the matter did not rest
here. A temporary injunction was
sued out before Judge Golf, of the
United States Circuit Court, restrain
ling Zone B. R. Tillman, calling him
self Governor of South Carolina, from
seizing or in any way interfering
with the possession by the company OF
the arms in question" The case was
argued before the Judge at Baltimore
by the Attorney-General, who pre-
sented for the consideration of Judge
IGoff the following official papers:
| Here follows the opinion of Attor-
ney-General Olney to the effect that
the arms of the Washington Light
Infantry are held by the State for the
use of the whole body Of the State mi
Ilitia, as the State authorities may di-
rect. Also, letter from the Assist
ant Secretary of War, to the same ef-
feet.
| These papers show conclusively that
the arms are State property, subject
to the disposition and orders of the
Governor, and a prompt decision to
that effect from the bench was
what we had right to expect. But
the honorable Judge took the pa
pers" and has them yet. No decision
| has been rendered, and after next
week B. r. Tillmap can no longer