The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 16, 1898, Image 4
We are Wot Responsible for the Blowing up of the Maine
BgM?MMMMMMiJUIMMMMMMMMMBMRUT WEJ JlRE ii fj SF* (h % "St H I J hjgSMMMSSMM. ?SJSJtJMii
FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF HIGH FRIGES IN SUMTER.
JUST RECEIVED:
A full line of Spring Pants Patterns. 30 Rolls of Fancy Matting. *
1 solid ease of latest pattern, colored bosom Shirts at 99c.
1 solid ease of Embroideries-Patterns and Pri?es to suit eyer jone.
J. RETTENBERG & SOWS.
--=--?w-mmmtmmmmm--amm
WEDNESDAY, MABCH 16, IS!
?_
The Sumter Watchman was tonne
in 1850 and the True Southron in 18(
Che Watchman and Southron now i
&e combined circulation and influer
cf both of the o!d papers, and is mai
festly the best advertising medium
Sam ter.
IS THIS JUSTICE?
A lenient jury makes publio lawle:
ness.
Wheo a court of justice saves t
life of a red-handed murderer who b
forfeited all claims to mercy by killii
in cold-Mood a good citizen, the peep
ara not to ba condemned fer belie vii
that law ts made and administered f
tba protection of the cr i m io al classi
and not for thc protection of tba Hvi
and property of the law-abidtog pei
pie.
The germ of lyneb lav is nursed inj
life and fostered by the failure of til
law to properly punish the crimina
who are carried toto court that jastk
may be meted out to them? .
Justice^ ia itself, baa co element c
; mercy ; it is not mixed with tecdernee
not baieney.
?kao? justice is cold and cruel aad i
founded upon the inexorable law of na
ture that says that which ? maa sow
?bat masc he also reap.
There are crimes that no punish men
?ava tba death penalty fits, and justice i
chewed when that extreme penalty i
not meted out upon the person of th
gnfity aso.
< Such a crime was the brutal mut
der of W J. Lee, and auch a erina
ina! waa Charles Williams, who wai
tried yesterday, bot recommended t<
j the mercy of the court by a lenien
and tender hearted jory. Death 01
fte gallows was his just deserts aux
what the public bad the right to de
,. maud and expect. But the lenten:
jury placed it beyond the power o
the judge tn impose the death sen
tence, and the gallows was defraud ec
of its legitimate prey Justice stooc
ready to avenge the horrid crime, bu!
the jury interposed its powerful veto,
i and the blood of William J. Lee
still cri?e alood from the ground foi
the exact and foll justice supposed tc
V:" be guaranted by the laws of the land.
Charlee Williams bas gone to the peu
itentiary for life, but is that adequate
punishment for his crime ! Is that the
||ii punishment that fits bis brutal mur
der of the man who fed bim from his
own table ? Ia that punishment fot
? stealing behind an unsuspecting man
v;via the darkness of night and crushing
::- in his skull with ao axe4? Is that pun?
ishment for depriving a young wife
of husband and protestor, and an in?
fant child of a father ? ls that jus?
tice? No, it is neither justice nor
right It is a miscarriage of justice
ss great and flagrant as bas ever
come under oar observation, and the
evil that will spring from it
will be greater and more griev?
ous than could possibly result
for any crime that could be com?
mitted by any criminal or criminals.
It bas incensed the friends, relatives
and acquaintances of the dead man
and the public generally, and has
strengthened the prevalent belief that
the courts are uncertain and unsatis
factory places to go when justice is
wanted and a criminal is to be pun
isbed. Tba people who are io favor
of swift and summary punishment for
well established and undoubted
crimes are entrenched io their posi?
tion, and we who have plead in sea?
son nod oat of season io favor of
patient submission to forms of law
tire stricken dumb, fo? law is a hoi
low mockery, justice sod has taken
flight from the temple where she was
j wont to preside in other days
! Charles Williams was either guilty
of the morder of William J hze lo
cold blood and with the most diabolic
malice, or be was innocent ; there was no
middle ground, the evidence direct and
implied, as well as that which was no;
brought out in the trial, made it im?
possible for ao impartial miod to do
other than to choose one or the other
j horn cf the dilemma. If guilty his
crime merited the death penatty
! no other punishment was adequate
to his heinous crime ; if inno?
cent he should have gone forth
from the Court House a free man.
Yet the lenient jury found bim guilty
with a recommendation for mercy. Ia
God's name, what mercy was he enti?
tled to, if ho was guilty ? what mercy
did be show the man whom he brained
with an axe ! where was there justice io
asking meroy for so guilty and cruel
a wretch ? It was not meroy, bot a len?
iency, a miscarriage of justice inexpli?
cable and inexcusable. And the jury
is responsible.
May God forgive them, each and
every one, for thc wrong done their
county and their State.
When there is a lynching io Sumter
County, wheo some red-handed mur?
derer is put to death without form of
law by an outraged people, let them re
Sect on the first fruits of their leniency.
The presentment made by the Grand
Jury on Thursday last immediately be?
fore that body was discharged for the
present term of court should never have
been written, lt is a sweeping in?
dictment ?f the city of Sumter
and of tbs magistrates of the coun?
ty. This city ia alleged to be in?
fested with dens of infamy and vice,
but oo sp?cifications are msde. This is
an indictment that cannot bring the
guilty parties into court for trial and
punishment, and no one should know
better than the members of the Gra?d
Jury that such an indictment would be
promptly thrown ont were it brought
before that body.
The Grand Jury bas maligned the
reputation of the city without using the
power within its hands to eradicate the
evils. If the Grand Jury knew that
the evils complained of existed io this
city it should have gone a step further,
prepared an indictment and summoned
witnesses, or it should have remained
silent until prepared to do so. A general
charge is worse than no charge at ail.
An irjustice was also done the Mag?
istrates of the county when the Grand
Jury asserted that some of them were
negligent io performing their duties.
Who, save 'the members of the Grand
Jury, know which of the Magistrates
have bceo negiigeot and which have
not ? By making a general charge
each aod every Magistrate bas been
made liable to the charge. If some of
them have neglected their duties, why
net specify ? It is wrong to condemn j
the faithful officers along with the on- j
faithful. The Grand Jury bad the in j
formation requisite and the right to
speoify the Magistrates of whom com?
plaint was made, and the Magistrates
who failed to perform their plaia duty
should have been named io tho pre?
sentment, as a mere act of justice io
the other Magistrates who have proven
faithful.
We are opposed to measures of re?
form that injure tba inooosnt atong
with tho guilty; we are opposed to in?
dictments tbat damn feo inoooent per?
sons along with one criminal and leave
the public to gues9 which of the eleven
is the criminal
Seekers After Gold know tbey rtay be dn
sppointed, bot seekers after bealtb take
Hood's Sars&parilla with tbe utmost cocfi
deoce that it will do them wonderful good.
Hood's Pills are the oaly piils to take witb
Hood's Sarsaparilla. Easy, yet efficient.
Hon. J, Wm Stokes' Speech.
Wheo the bill to appropriate fifry
million dollars for tho defence of the
country w** ander consideration in the
Hou^e of Representatives many of the
Coh{?re8=m:in took advantage of the
time allowed for debate to speak in favor
of the hill There was no opposition,
and the ppeakers? merely placed them?
selves oo record sod pledged the support
of their constituents to the goveromoat
in cane of need. The Hon J Wm.
Smokes," the Representative from this
district *pok'1 as follows :
Mr Speaker, 1 take it that no argu
ment is necessary to commend this
bill to the judgment of this House or
of the county. It is, in fact, but an
expression of the conclusions which
have already been reached in the
minds of all informed people in this
House and in this country at large
It is scarcely necessary, either, Mr.
Speaker, that I should state what al!
must be aware of, that the people of
the State which I represent are in
favor of this and of every measure
which may be deemed necesssary in
the wisdom of our Chief Executive
for the prcservatien of our national
honor and vindication of the traditions
of which our flag is the symbol
There is scarcely a day, Mr Speak- j
er, I might say scarcely an hour,
since the relation between this conn
try and the Spanish Government be?
came strained that the people of my
State have not been sending words
of encouragement and assurances of
support to die executive department
of this Government. The entire
militia of our State-infantry, caval
ry, and artillery-are already pledg
ed. My people are ready for peace,
and they are ready for war. In calm
expectancy they await the issue
Within twenty foo' hours they may
be mobilized ; and once in the field,
they will go as far 88 the farthest in
support of the dignity of tbe nation
and the honor of the flag
I have to day, Mr Speaker, trans?
mitted, at the request of parties from
my State, assurances of that sort and
requests for the address of enlisting
officers. In short,' Mr. Speaker,
never in her history has South Caro
lina more sincerely nor more unani?
mously illustrated the motto which
for well-nigh a century has inspired
her sons-Al ways ready with our
lives and our property" for tbe de?
fense of liberty and for the honor of
our entire country. [Applause.]
Wo are granfied to learn from what
seems reliable authority, that there ?B
a good prospect of the appointment of
Capt. E. H. Holtnao as postmaster of
oar city. While we regretted hie leav?
ing the Democratic party before the
Presidential eieotioR and openly allying
himself with tho Republicans, still we
acknowledge the right of every man to
have and act upon euch opinions of
national policy as he shall deem best for
the country We are entirely satisfied
that his appointment will give very
general satisfaction to both Democratic
and Republican patrons of this office.
Tho State's Reward.
There have recently been some in?
quiries as to whether the reward of?
fered for the Lake City murderers by
the governor applied to a conviction
in the United States court Yester?
day a representative of The State
asked about the matter at the exe?
cutive office, eliciting the information
thal the reward by the governor was
offered for the apprehension and con I
viction of the parties who committed ?
the murder ; inasmuch as the parties j
cannot be tried for minder in the'
Federal courts, the reward conse?
quently applies only to a conviction
in the ?tate cour and has no bear?
ing whatever upon any of the other
charges that might be brought in the
Federal court.-The State. '
A SPANISH THEORY
! AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE
MAINE DISASTER.
Havan?, March ll.-To day Cap
tain Peral, president of the Spanish
naval court of inquiry into the cause
of the Maine disaster, granted au in?
terview to the correspondent of the
Associated Press, whom he author?
ized to say it was the first and only
interview he had given any newspa?
per on the subject of the inqtairy. i
Captain Peral speaks excellent Eng
lis!? With him in the naval court is
Lieutenant Salas. He has power to
call in for consultation any army or !
navy ^engineer or expert on ex
plosives or marine building. He has
twice called in such, and will do so
again when necessary. Captain Peral
said :
I 'Our divers are hard at work ex
I ami o i ?jg tbe bull of the Maine Great
j difficulty is experienced, owing to the j
j deep med in which the bull is buried ?
j and the condition of the wreck for j
ward of amidships The whole for- j
ward part of the ship is a mass of j
iron and steel debris. We have hoist -?
ed up mach of it ; but in the mud it !
is not always possible to tell what j
parts of the ship, armor, deck beams
or stanchions are found, the explosion
so changed their positions
"We think we have located the j
ram or prow, but not in tbe position j
supposed The forward turret, mount?
ing two large guns, was blown clear
off the hull into tbe water on the star?
board We shall continne our work
and try to examine the huU forward i
down to the keel lt is possible that
we may propose to the American au?
thorities to raise the hull by means of
the floating'dock brought from Eng
land and now in Havana harbor
"We cannot believe there was an
external explosion of a torpedo, for
the following reasons : A torpedo,
following the line of least resistance,
must have blown a great bole in the
mud at the bottom of the harbor. No
each hole was found A torpedo
must have thrown a latge mass of
water into the air if exploded at a
depth of only twenty-five feet or so,
or at least have produced a wave
reaching to the other ships and the
shore* of the harbor We have ex
amined every one on shipboard and j
on shore who saw the explosion, but
no one can be fcund who remarked
any upheaval of the warier or a big
wave
"A torpedo explosion always kills
fish in the vicinity. No fish were kill
ed by the Maine disaster, as fisher
men who have known the harbor for
many years testify To produce the
effects noted in the wreck, a torpedo
would have to be of enormous size,
fully 150 or 200 kilos.
"I am therefore of the opinion that
the explosion occurred within the
ship I know and respect Captain
Sigsbee, and I believe the Amer?
ican regulations affecting naval
conduct, which I have read and
found admirable, were carefully
observed But some things which
cannot be foreseen are bound to hap
pen in any navy 1 have been read
ing of the explosion on the English
ship Doterel, which the English be
lieve was caused by chemical com?
bustion in the paint used for quick
drying. I have also read an English
account of shells that were found
burst open because of hardening
points that split and produced heat ;
thus flashing the powder in the in?
terior of tbe shell
.'As I have said, I do not believe
there waa any carelessness on the
part of the officers of the Maine. I
do believe there was an accident
which could not possibly have been
foreseen. Such is my judgment, at
present, with the facts that are in
possession of the court. W7hen our
court of inquiry finally decides, its
judgment will be in accordance with
the best evidence that can be pro?
cured. We are having pians, dia?
grams and drawings of the wreck
made as fast as the divers are able to
give us definite information."
Captain Peral waa mo3t courteous j
during the entire interview. He j
illustrated nome of the points he
made by ink sketches on the desk
before him He spoke as a judge
would whose miod was ready to
weigh any evidence brought before
the court over which he presided.
Captain Pera! requested this corre?
spondent to make it known that he
had granted the interview iii his un
official capacity, and not as presi?
dent of the Spanish court of inquiry,
which the ?aw forbids him to do.
Military Department of South
Created. Two Warships
Purchased. Rushing
Work of Fort?fi.
cation.
Washington. March ll -Hoping
for and expecting the best and prepared
for the worst, about represents the sit?
nation in the war and navy department
these days The officia!? still profess
confidence that there is to be a peaceful
outcome of the present threatening dif?
ficulties, but meanwhile prepare with
serenity to meet their doty if events
should shape themselves otherwise.
The most important and sigoifioaot
developomeors of the day were tho de?
cision of (be hoa-e naval committee to
' place ia the naval appropriation bill a
provision for three new battleships and a
(.occlusion oa the part of the secretary
of war to issue, tomorrow morning a
new military department, iocludicg
within i<s confions that part of tbe
coaotry which would in all likelihood be
nearest to the field of hostilities ia case
it *ho?id corns to that. The order will
create a commotion ia tbe south. The
present department of Texas is abol?
ished, and <he headquarters, which has
been at San Antonio. Texas, for so
many year?, are a bandoo ed. Io place
of the old department i? created a new
one, the Department of the South
General Graham, at present commander
of the department of Texas, will be eora- '
mander the new department. This de?
partment will include the States of
South Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Ala?
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
All of these states save the lase are at
present attached to the fiasr, under
command of General Merritt of New
York [t is said at the department
that General Merritt is fully compensat?
ed for the strength of the command
which passed away from bim, by the ad?
dition to his forces of th? two r?giment?
of artillery now recruiting. Head?
quarters of the new department of the
South will be at Atlanta, Ga , because
of its fine strategical value and from
its excelleot railroad oonoections. At
present the government has no accom?
modations in Atlanta for the head
quarters of the department, so it will
be obliged to hire the most available
buildings
General Wilson, chief of engineers,
who ba* been in Florida, is expected
back to-morrow to report to Secretary
Alger upon the progress of the fortifi .
cation works in thu seotion of the cou o
try, and especially as to the defense of
Tortugas.
For the first time, to-day the officials
of the war department admitted that
they were straining every nerve to im?
prove that part of tho defenses of tbe
country confined to their care, lt is
without question the most unusual
mark of confidence in au executive of
flier to empower him to <?ive orders
withoar. limit for the purchase of war
material, yet (his is what the presi?
dent and Secretary Alger n*ve dooe
in tba case of General Flagier, chief
of ordnance ; and the officer has not
shown any disposition to ?birk this
large responsibility. b"t lias instructed
every oonoern capable of supplying war
material, such as rapid-fire guos, shot,
shell and ammucitiou, to go to work at
full capacity.
The navy department has now rea?
son to believe that n has secured the
, two warships Amazonas and her sister
ship oow bailding in England for
Brasil It was stated ac the cabinet
meeting to-day by Secretary Long that
the naval attache ai London, Lieuten?
ant Coldwell, bad almost completed
the negotiations for the sale. So far,
however, the final notification from him
that bis offer has been aeocpted ba? not
yet reached the navy department.
The day passed again without word
from the court of inquiry, aooording to
the statement of Secretary Loog, who
says that he has received nothing what?
ever from tho court itself or from Judge
Advocate Marix, regardless of the fre?
quent publications to the contrary.
- ? i
A dispatch from Habana says :
"A telegram received by Consol Gen
oral Lae from Cooee! Baker this after?
noon say* the wife of Senator Thurston
died to-day on board the yacht Aiita,
Sagua harbor."
Would War be Right?
Greenville News.
A nation threatened with war is apt
to "go wild" with excitement. Yvar ia
ao unshackling of the hoods which
hold coen in civilization, a brief and
bestial reve? in barbarism. Even the
nation with right oo its bide cannot
emerge from war without its people
being stained with blood and without
their losing purity and nobility War
is retrogresi?n. It is a joint saori?ce
by nations to evil deities-to passion,
envy and selfishoess.
Ins.'Crtd of people io times tike
these giving themselves over to excite?
ment, to enthusiasm and shallow
demonstrations miscalled patriotism,
they should look upon the situation with
candor and calmness Over and above
all things, the question for every
I American citizen to ask himself is "In
the circumstances would war with Spain
j be right?"
Read these stanzas from Kipling's
sublime "Recessional Hymn," publish?
ed upon the Queen's Jubilee last year.
Their application to the people of the
Uoited States is not less appropriate
than they were and are always to the
people of Great Britain :
Far called out. navies melt away
Oo duce acd headland sinks tbe fire
o, all oar pomp o yesterday
Lis Oos with Nineveh and Tyre 1
Judge of che natioos, spare a* re',
L-st we forget, lest we forget I
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues tost have not Tnee in awe
Such boasting as (be gentiles ase
Or Leeser breeds without tbe Law
Lord God of Host?, be with os yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget !
The Washington Post closes an ex?
tended notice of the Lee family with
this graceful tribute to Consul-General
Fitzhugh lise: "As a soldier, Fi?z
bugh Lee was among tbe very first of
that gallant lot of youog genera! officers
who bel ped to make 'Stuart's Cavalry'
tbe famous corps it became under tts
brilliant youog Virginia chieftain and
head As a leader Fitzhugh Lee was,
perhaps, the most popular officer in the
corps after Stuart himself. Stuart is
io evidence in oft-repeated words, show?
ing bis appreciation of bis young lieu?
tenant It is, indeed, bigh praise
when Stuart commends an officer as be
does Fitzhugh Lee General L?e is no
ordinary tu; a Under bis frank boc
hommie he bas a quickness and accur?
acy of judgment that has thus far never
led bim into a mistake or a blunder,
in war or in peace His career as coo
snl-generai and Uoited States commis?
sioner extraordinary at Havana has been
a marvel of prudence and boldsess
combined, which bas delighted his
friends and won the commendation of
all Americans.-Spartaoberg Herald
Proctor in Charlotte.
Charlotte, N. C.. March 13 -
Senator Proctor passed through Cbar
loite this morning and took breakfast at
the eaciog bouse here. He talked free?
ly exoept on the subject nf Spain and
the probability of war. He said that
the moit gratifying thing he had met
with on his trip was the splendid coo
duct and spirit of the southern people.
He felt that it was worth the total cost
of all preparation for war to demonstrate
what a sterling loyal spirit was cher?
ished throughout the south as be bad
seen it. He said be had gathered some
facts, but did not know just what
bearing they might have on the present
situation Be would have to find
out the situation at home before hs oould
even judge fairly of the knowledge be
had gained on toe trip
NOTES,
Pure, sweet and delightfully enchanting
captivate tho ear it is this very charm of
tone that most tistioguiibes th*
and makes thnm the favorite home instru?
menta. Singers prefer them as accompani?
ments, and for . nstrucnectal music, both popu
lur and clasesiotl, tbey are unexcelled.
TERMS ACCOWODATING.
S TAITE ABD 0&&&2TS.
. TUNINi* AND REPAIRING.
CHAS. M. STEIFFj
BALTIMORE 9 North Liberty St.
Charlotte, N C., 213 N. Tryon St