The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-11

But it was not my purpose to dis
cuss at this time the trial and the
verdict. There is such thing as
losing sight OF the main point-that
an Innocent man was murdered, that
: his motives were misunderstood, his
acsions misconstrued, and much OF
this in acourt of justice, after his
lips were forever sealed and Il was
impossible for him to; speak for. him.
self. i believe that N. G.. Gonzales
was as cruelty wronged in the court
at Lexington, as he was, without ex-
s,cuse, siaEn on the. streets Of Colun-
bia. Some things brought out in the
triai as TO what he did and said on
occasions are SO utterly unlike the
man. SO entirely at variance with his
disposition, temperament, character,
and daily habits that his friends are
morally certain they never occurred; !;
Is is case OF mistaken identity. or
optical and auricular illusion. or de-
lusion, cs-well Z never like to say q
mar has lied, especially after he has
solemsly gworn TO tell ssthe truth,
8 the WHOLE truth and nothing but the
truth.
g Mr.. Gonzales was not the mau to
saIk Just anything, anywhere and to
anybody. He never did that. Those
Of as who knew him we'll and had
been In his company know he was
decidedly retfcent and reserved; he.
was represented la court as having
clustered, boasted, builied, threaten
ed and monEhed. wholly unlike him,
SO unnatural thae We do not and can
not believe it. Sometimes, 60 some
0f his friends on some subjects, he
talked freely, baS even chen he did
not brag, nor boast of what he would
OF would not do. That was not his
style, it was contrary to his ideas OF
good taste, It was unnecessary, for
his friends knew he was not a cow
ard, that he never adopted, assumed
or practiced the towards tactics
methods. language, or figures OF
speech.
IN justice to the memory OF this
man whom / considered my friend,
and whose friendship esteemed,
whose brilliant inteiiect, whose 10y
aity, patriotism, courage and lofty
ideas admired, wish to speak of a
conversational had With him in July,
1902. It was at Glenn Springs. He
was there at the bedside of an aged
relative, Ill, and who died few days
after our conversation. We were
sitting together and alone. After
talking for some time on the subject
of newspaper work and an EDITORS
experience. the conversation drifsed
sowards the political campaign then
Ia progress in the State. We dis
cussed candidates, and probable re-
suits of the approaching primary
eiection. In some things we did not.
s9f course, agree, but it was pleasant
60 talk with him Of issues on which
we differed, for IN it all he was a
gentleman, and he respected eone
who presented views with which he
had little in common.
Our conversation extended for per-
haps two hours. We talked of the
editorials then running in The State,
the editorials that were put in evi-
deiice at Lexington few days ago.
He distinctly and emphatically de-
Scfared that he was not moved to
write those editorials by personal
anImosity he disclaimed any feel
ing OF personal ili-wili in what he
was doing; he affirmed seriously and
solemnly that he was moved to- write
the articles by a strong sense Of duty
80 the people OF South Carolina. I
was convinced OF his sincerity and
Irnthfnlness in that statement. I
have never had any reason to doubt
what he then and there told me. He
showed no spirit of i'll will, there
was no bitterness in his words. there
was nothing like boastfulness in his
manner, there was no trace Of ex-
nltatio1 over the mistakes, the mis-
fortunes, or probably defeat Of an-
other with whom there was political
disagree or with whom there
might have been personal difference.
The matter Of possible persona!
encounter was suggested by myself,
but he quietly replied he had no ap-
pr.hension of such. He did not say
this in a boastful manner, there was
no sign of fear, there was nc trace of
threat, there was, / am sure, no
thought OF danger on his part, aud
no intention of taking up the matter
in another form, previous OR subse-
uuent to the election. He did not
seem to think Of personal encounter,
and he never apprehended any dan
ger, and I am morally certain that
when he quietly passed down the
street on the way home the day he
was shot he meyer dreamed of dan
ger, and he had no thought Of q
personal difficulty when be crossed
che sidewalk to pass on the inside of
the walk. He had no more idea Of
having pistol on his person that
day than he did the night we talked
together on the piazza Of the hotel at
Glenn Springs, when he said that he
never went armed, that his practice
was entirely and universally consist
eut with his written words on that
subiect. Mr.. Gonzales had not for
many years carried a pistn! and that
fact was we'll known wherever his
paper was read.
In our conversation l asked him
how far an editor is justified in ex.
posing an Individual. He replied, if
it was in the case Of a public official,
@or candidate for public Office, the
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