Year: 1871

! To the Senate and House Of Rerre-


sentatlues:


[ have received the concurrent
resolution of the Senate and
House Of Representatives request
ing me to inform the General AS
scmbly "why a sufficient militia
force for the protection of life, lib
erty and property Lave not been
stationed in such counties in this
State as have been hitherto riotus
and refractory; and, further, why
have not the outlaws in them
been brought to condign punish
mcnt and why the provisions OF
section 2, Of article 13, Of the Con-
stitution have not been enforced ;
and, also, to inform the General
Assembly what further legislation
is necessary to effect the purpose
herein stated"


In furnishing you such informa-
tion as it is in my power to sup
ply, and while I deeply deplore
the disturbances to which your
resolution refers, [ can scarcely
venture, as Executive of the State,
to pronounce any Of its counties
"riotous and refractory" upon the
reported cases Of individual out
rage, and while no information has
been received in this Office indica-
ting anything like county orngal-
zation to defy or 10 defeat the law,
| am the more cautious in this re.
spcct, because twill be rccollccted
that very many cases Of individual
violence have hitherto been report
cd, both from the counties of Abte-
Vile and Edge6eld. But the
prompt and impartial adminlstra-
ton Of justice in these counties
has proved that the civil power
was sufficient for the protection
of the life, liberty and property of
our citizens and these counties
arc now as quiet, pcaceable and
orderly as any portion Of the
State. But if there was any part
of the State in which violence and
disorder were SO general as to dis
arm the power Of the civil courts,
I must say, frankly, that l have
no such militia force as would be
competent to suppress them and
| if had, | have no means to place
and maintain such q force in the
field.


If by tho "outlaws who have
not been brought to condign pun
ishmcnt," you mean those indi-
viduals who have lately pcrpetra-
ted the outragcs in the counties
of Spartanburg and Union, I can
only say that every effort has
been made that could lawfully be
made by the Executive, to discov-
or these criminals, and bring them
to speedy trial. In some instances,
those suspected Of guilt have been
! committed for trial, and in their
cases, the Executive is without
power, as he ought to be without
disposition, to interfere with the
due administration Of the law. In
other instances, the perpetrators
Of these crimes arc not known,
and have not yet been discovered.
l can only promise that every ef-
fort shall be made to arrest and
bring them to justice.


l am not aware that the 2d Sec
tion Of the 18th Article Of the
Constitution has not been en-
forced. That section provides:


"Thc Governor shall have pow
er to call out the militia to exc
cute the laws, repel invasion, re-
press insurrection, and preserve
the public peace


1 cannot say with truth, upon
any information in my possession,
that in any section of the State,
the laws are not executed for not
a single case has been reported,
in which the officers Of the law
have been resisted in the discharge
of their duties. There is no inva-
sion which I am called on to rcpci,
no insurrcction which | am called
on to suppress.


While I cannot say, that "the
public peace" Of the State is
threatened to such degree as to
warrant the exercise of the pow
or of calling out the militia, given
,,o :, tLo co,+;op tbo rorctitu