The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-12-02


figures, for If we take into considoru
tlOn the relative number of the tw
races, as Mr.. Redfield argues, th
homicides by whites Of whites is mucl
greater ia proportion than the numbe
Of homicidos OF blacks by blacks.
| We may keep arms, guns and mis-
tolls, at homo for the protection of on
property and Of our families, though
this of itself argues Il dcplorable con
dition OF society. We carry them up0,
our persons not for fear of negroes, but
TO resent insults by our equals-whitt
men. We go armed not for fear. bnt
for resentment.
Another point to which Mr.. Redlicld
cal's attention is the fact that while in
tne Northern States the highest
nomlcllal rate is found In the cities
| whcro 1t is furnished by the loves,
foreign population which congrepatC
thcrec, Ia tho South generally, and in
south Carolina particularly, where
| thcre are no large cities, 20 violent
| cF Hjngs OF interests between labor
anC capital, no large importation OF
foreigners, with their often peculiar
hablts and associations, but instead OF
Ihesc, all the conditions for an ideal,
law-ablding community it is the rural
districts in which the manslayer most
abounds. And this he found to be
especially the case in the upper tier OF
counties.
Again he pointed out that while
there had not been as many political
fatal encounters in South Carolina
since the reconstruction Government
were ovcrthrown, the number Of homi-
cideS growing out Of personal Difficult
ties and street ARRAYS has continued
inn ~
as much or more crime against the
person in South Carolina under Hamp-
ton and Simpson as there had been
under Chamberlain and Scott. IF Mr..
fedlleld were writing to-day he would
add that they have SO continued under
Iagood, Thompson, Richardson, Till
man, Evans and Ellerbc. For alas .
so lar from improving in the seventeen
years since Mr. Rcdiield wrote, in 1880,
IN this respect matters have grown
worse.
This hOmicidal mania of our people
Is due altogether, therefore, to neither
race nor political cause. TO what is it
then due? MIR. Hedii9ld, like most
Northern writer's, attempts to connect
1t with the habits engendercd by the
institution OF slavery. The short and
decisive answer to this, at least us far as
no such homic:dal habit during the
existence Of that institution. Our
gentlemen then fought duels: out as
many men are killed in personal en-
counters in almost any single year
since the war as were killed in duels
IN all the previous history Of the State
indeed, so true is this that there are
not wanting those who attribute the
increase OF homicide in tue State to
the suppression of the duclling code.
| cannot myself doubt that all the
manifestations Of this crime have their
origin in the one great cause, to.wi
to habits engendered by our late war,
and more especially with us by the
actual, If suppressed war ofrec0nstruc-
tiOn which followed.
What are the manifestations OF
this homicidal spirit? Are they not
these:
1. The habitual disregard of the
sacrcdncss Of human life.
z. The military impress upon civil
government.
3. The contempt of civil govern.
ment.
4. And growing out Of these the
habit OF carrying. weapons on the per-
son.
l. HAMTUAL pISREGNRD OF THE SA-
REDNESS or HUMAN LIFE.
Scarcely less than tho calamity Of
the actual loss OF human life in our late
war was the disregard of its sacrcdness
engendered by our long familiarity
with bloodshcd. Just as young
physician or nurse will at first faint
at the sight of blood, and then become
callous to It's shedding, our people
during the long war became indurated
to the matter Of wounds aud sudden
death. OGher wars Of modern days
have been short, sharp and decisive.
The result has been obtained on the
one side or the other within u year, or
nearly so. The German army swept
over Austria and France within a few
months respectively. The battles
were lost and won by professional
soldiers and regular armies. Neither
tho people of Austria nor Of France
had time.tO become familiar with tho
cruelties OF war. But our war lasted
for four long years. The whole South
ern country was ovcrrun. Armies
marched, advanced and rctreatcd again
and again over the same ground. There
was scarcely a house in which there
had not been "a dead or wounded soldier
friend or foe. The Sensibilities Of
HUI ocCdLnc oluhtcu, anu buC IcnQCf-
ness even of women was Svraincd. In
facing death for four years men be-
came accustomed to live in Immediate
apprehension, and the constant strain
weak kcncd and dCadCncd alike the fear
and horror Of it's niliction. There can
DC no doubt OF tho lasting effect OF this
unfortunate experience.
,. TIE MILITARY IMPRESS UPON GOV
1t will surprise many Of the present
day to be tod that the arming OF con-
stables and policemen was mover known
before the war. Policemen carried
billics," small clubs, and rattles to
cal assistance, but no pistols. The
arming of tho police and the indis-
criminatc use OF firearms by them Is
altogether foreign to the English com
mon law under which we live. The
habit has grown out OF the cuotOms Of
war. 1t is q relic OF camp life. No
one, policeman or constable, has Il
right to take the life of a person at
tempting 10 escape, rnlCs3 the person
has .1c.. a iested a Il icon, and tvt y
then t'." taking CT l.tc can only 10
justilicu unOn the ground Of ncct lily.
The "A" on this subject, as aid uow \
h,. = ,l,,t