Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/330

 320 Southern Historical Society Papers.

United States troops. To them was to be committed the police duty of the county. (It may as well be stated here, that the troops were never sent into that neighborhood. Their services were wanted else- where to intimidate the whites, and so protect the polls that the Rad- icals might win).

While imbecility was thus permitting lawlessness to run riot in Colleton, the Radical Sheriff of Beaufort, Wilson, appeared on the scene and showed how easily the troubles might have been nipped in the bud had the Government wished or dared to stop them. Without a posse, with no aid beyond a strong will and a revolver, judiciously displayed, Wilson appeared in the mob and arrested the leaders. The prisoners were carried to the Beaufort jail, and a short time afterwards were tried and acquitted of the charges which were brought against them. This was little encouragement for a good officer to go on in the way of enforcing the law. But by this time the riot had run its course; it had done nearly all the mischief it had intended. The harvest season was nearly over, and as troubles of a serious nature were rife in other parts of the State, the rioters were no longer the sole object of attention, and by degrees the country was quiet, if not at peace. A dangerous lesson had been taught to an ignorant and half-savage people, that violence was above law, and that the Government had no power which they were bound to re- spect. Throughout all the troubles which distinguished his admin- istration the conduct of the Governor was disgraceful. He showed clearly to the world that he considered himself not the Governor elected by the people to be their leader and director, but the clerk — let us say the chief clerk — of an administration bureau. In Edge- field, at Hamburg, and in the rice-fields, he kept aloof from the scenes, but sent agents, not to quell and punish, but to report what they had seen, and, if they could, to pacify. A real Governor ap- pearing and invoking of the people that aid which they had virtually promised to give him when they made him their leader, might, and probably would, have changed the whole course of this history. But his philosophic mind never conceived the simple and obvious duty of a chief magistrate, never comprehended the magic power which can be exercised by a chief To Edgefield he sent the corrupt Den- nis, whose mission was treated with contempt by all parties. Then he sent Judge Mackey, not to punish, but to pacify. To Hamburg he sent the facile Stone, who eagerly and instantly concocted an indictment against the whole county. To Combahee he sent procla- mations, trial-justices, and Colonel Laws. It never occurred to him