The Newberry herald. (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, November 01, 1876, Image 1
000 li c rc r 4
A Family Companion, Devoted to Literature, Miscellany, News, Agriculture, Markets, &c.
Vol. XII. WEDNESDAY MORNING, .NOVEMBER 1, 1876. No. 44.
THE HERALL
IS PUBLISHED
EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING,
It Newberry, S. C.
BY THOS, LFt GRENEKEB
Editor and Proprietor.
Trerms, $2.50.per slaumr
Invariably in Advance.
;-The paper is stopped at the expiration c
imne for which it is paid.
R7 The 4 mark denotes expiration of sub
- criptioni.
SPEECH OF
COL E. S. KITT.
Delivered at NZewberry, on the 16t,
of October, 1876.
--0
Mr. President and Fellow- ',itizen~s
You are in the midst of E. stupen,
dous crisis in the political affair.;
not only of this State, but of th(
entire country; and let no man,
whether white or black, think for a
moment that he is not directly and
seriouizly interested in the result oJ
the election which takes place thE
7th day of next November. To-day
forty-four millions of people, occu.
pying a country extending from thE
frozen heights of the Canadas tc
the tropical waters of thc Gulf ol
Mexico, from the heaving and roll
ing billows of the mighty Atlantic
to the broad and majestic Pacific.
are profoundly stirred in solution
of the great problem before us.
150 miles from our coast. To know
how you got out of slavery you
must know how you got in it. You
came here to-day by a certain road;
to get back home you will have to
travel the same road. Four hun
dred years ago there was not a
white man nor a black man in all
this country. The Eternal Father
raised up Christopher Columbus, a
man of stupendous genius, who
demonstrated to the rulers of the
Old World that there was a body of
land on this side of the water to
balance that en the other side. The
King and Queen of Spain fitted out
three small ships and told him to
take them and go and find it. Af
ter days and nights of doubt, anx
iety and toil, his ships ploughing
the azure waves of unknown seas,
he landed upon yonder Southern
Island and ran up his flag and
erected his cross, and took all of
these beautiful lands in the name'
of his sovereign. Were any black
men there? Not one. Were any
white men there ? Not one. Who
were there ? The Indians, the
children of the forest. I may state
a fact here which some of my let
tered friei ds may not know. Los
Casas, the Span*sh historian, tells
us that Christopher Columbus, on
his fourth voyage to this part of the
world, lying off the port of Santa
Gloria, on the Island of Jamaica.
where all of his crew sickened with
the diseases incident to the climate
and were unable to-ido the work,
said, "go to Africa and bring the
black man here, he cn stand the
climate and do the work." Colum
bus was the first one who ever pro
posed that your race should be
brought from your native Africa to
this country, and for what ? As
the hewers of wood and drawers of
water. In this capacity, for 273
years-to 1776-your race served
all nations that saw fit to leave the
Old and come to the New World.
At that time all this country on the
Atlantic coast belonged to England.
No drums were heard through all
these lands save the drums of En
gland. No flags rode all the breeze
save the flags of England. What
occurred in 1776 ? Just what takes
place when one of you gets twenty
one years old-you feel that you
are able to set up for yourself and
you do it. At that time the thir
teen Colonies, of which this State
was one, declared themselves free
and independent States. The re
sult was a seven years' war, at the
end of which they won their liber
ties and established their indepen
dence. Did the patriot sages of
the Revolution give your race that
freedom they had won for them
selves ? No. When they laiid the
foundations of the Government,
when they framed, adopted and
ratified the Constitution,- they in
serted in that instrument a clause
making your race slaves by law.
Who did it? The North, the South,
the East and the West. All alike
did it. When you were born, you
were born slaves by law. When
'these white people here were born,
they were born free men by law.
Neither you nor they had anything
bo do with it. As you were made
slaves by law, to be free men you had
to be made free by law. I will now
show 'you how that was done. I
have just told you that I was elect
ed eleven years ago a member from
Ith is County to the Legislature of
the State. Gen'l Williams, Gen'l
Garlington and Major Suber were
elected at the same time. Wie, as
1the representatives of your former
owners, voted every slave in this
County free by law. When I did
it I freed 120 of my own. Where
is the carpet-bagger or scalawagger
who did that? This State 'ratified
the thirteenthConstitutional amend
ment, about which you have heard
so much, and as soon as three
fourths of all the States ratified it,
'it became a part of the fundamental
law,and your condition was changed
from slaves to free men by law.
You are now free men by law, and
I care not what revolution sweeps
over this country, and which side
wins, you are forever free men, for
your former owners and their rep
resentatives ratified the law. You
are now not only free men, but you
have been advanced to citizenship.
1In this I had no share, being out
of power. Yow are now endowed
with the highest privilege of the
prodes ciizn-the right to vote.
Be careful that you do not abuse it.
The same responsibility that rests
upon the best citizen, now rests
upon you. Know that your ballots
affect more than yourselves and
your families; they affect God and
your country. My colored friends,
I have moved you up on a line with
my white friends and I will now
address all together.
What was the financial condition
of the State eight years ago, when
we yielded up the government to
the United States authorities and
they turned it over to the carpet
baggers and scalawaggers ? As
you are not familiar, my colored
friends, with figures, I will give
you a simple illustration in your
daily life, that you may clearly un
derstand it. Suppose one of you
had a three acre cotton patch that
you had carefully prepared and
planted, and early in May you had
a fine stand and a good season upon
it. You had time to run around it
with the plough; but you are so
pressed with other work you have
no time to hoe it. Just at this time
a man comes along who is hale and
strong and tells you he is a first
rate cotton hoer, that he can hoe
an acre and a half in a day. You
agree upon the price and put him
at it, returning to your other work.
He eats of you a good dinner and
supper, and you know all do that.
At night you ask him how he got
along. He tells you finely; that
he finished all you gave him; that
the cotton is beautiful. You are
delighted, thinking to-morrow you
will have all your cotton hoed and
be ahead of all your neighbors.
You are up early and* go to meas
ure off the rest of the patch for
him; but before doing so you con
clude, like a business man, to see
how he did the first acre and a half.
When you examine it what do you
find? He has cut up three fourths
of your cotton and knocked down
the limbs and bruised the shins
of every stock he left. What
would you do with this fellow ?
Would you give him the other acre
and a half ? Not a bit of it. What
will you think when I show you
that the carpet-baggers and scala
waggers have done the State worse
than this man did the acre and a
half of cotton-they have cut up
every stalk and are now stealing
and carrying awvay the soil.
When I left the legislature the
bonded and floating debt of the
State was a little over $6,000,000.
The credit of the State was so good
that her bonds were at a premium
in the market. You know the dif
ference between the man who pays
you every night when you~'work for
him and the man who never pays.
The State was like the man who
pays every night. A tax levy of
$400,000 met every public expenise.
The Judiciary was pure and eru
dite and the laws were justly en
forced in mercy. All were well
cared for and protected. How
stands the case now ? Instead of
$6,000,000 we have a debt of $20,
000,000 or more. Instead of the
credit of the State being at a pre
mium, she has none at all. Instead
of a tax levy of $400,000, we have
one of $2,000,000 and over, with a
large deficit each year. Notwith
standing these vast sums, your
public institutions are all languish
ing-some of them existing by pri
vate charity. Your puiblic build
ings are dilapidated; your roads
are almost impassible ; your jail in
this County is full, and while the
Constitution guarantees every one
a speedy trial it cannot be had.
The regular term of the Court here
was adjourned a few days ago be
cause there was no money to pay
the jurors and witnesses. Although
the State appropriated this year
$300,000 and the Counties contri
buted $200,000 in addition, to the
public schools, they have been
closed since the 15th day of April.
The teachers have gceived only
two months' pay. The only men
that seem to flourish are the car
pet baggers and scalawaggers and
a few blacks-their henchmen.
How long, my countrymen, will
you continue to be "hewers of wood
and drawers of water" for twelve
or fifteen villianous office holders
in each County of the State ? I
have been asked why is every bus
iness in the country prostrated and
swer is easy when you possess the
facts. My countrymen, we are
nearly all planters and tillers of
the soil. Suppose one of you had
a plantation that yielded you $1,
000 annually, and you spent $1,500;
how long would you run it? This
is exactly what this country has
been doing since the Republican
I party came into power. Hon. Da
vid H. Wells, Special Commissioner
of Internal Revenue, by the closest
possible financial calculation esti
mated the net earnings of all the
capital and labor in the United
States in 1869 at $546,000,000.
By the same process of calculation
he reckoned the taxes in 1870 at
$730,000,000-$184,000,000 more
than was made in the entire coun
try. It cost to govern ourselves
$184,000,000 more than we made.
The same thing took place in
1871 and 1872. We all know what
happened in 1873. Henry Clews
& Company failed; when they sus
pended they shook 140 out of 1700
National banks in this country.
The shock was felt even in the Old
World. Why was Henry Clews &
Co. the first to fail? It was be
cause they invested largely in the
carpet-bag bonds of this State and
Georgia. Nor will it be surprising
when it is known that the carpet
baggers, the pets of the Republican
party, in eight years sunk $262,
000,000 for thirteen Southern
States; more than four States like
South Carolina would bring on the
block. The next news brought the
failure of the large government
bankers, Jay Cooke & Co. From
that day to this you can scarcely
pick up a newspaper but you see it
announced that some large capital
ist or merchant has suspended.
Why is this? It is because confi
dence in the commercial world has
been destroyed. Why did we run
on so long up to 1873? It was be
cause every ce lived on long cred
it. Now there is very little credit.
The Northern merchants have very
short credit, if any, beyond the wa
ters- Our merchants have very lit
tIe credit North ; hence they are
limited in their credits with you.
Each year we are in a worse condi
tion. As bad as it is now, it will
be worse next year unless there is
a change in the administration of
the government. The Republican
party, by its corruptions and mal
administration of the government,
has brought these sorrows and
wars unnumbered in the land. The
only remedy that can heal the mal
ady is a thorough change in every
department of the government,
both State and Federal, and a re
storation of confidence among our
people in all sections of the coun
try. Without confidence there can
be no peace and pt-osperity. Let
us, my countrymen, commence it
right here. Let us have union
amongst ourselves ; let us have
friendship ; let us have confidence ;
let us have reliance one upon the
other. If you have any wants, my
colored friends, come up like men
and tell them, and let us see if we
can not satisfy them. Do not be
backward ; come up and let them
be known. Come up and help us
save the State, now in peril. My
colored f-riends, the white people
are better friends to you than you
are to them, and I can prove it.
A large part of the lands in this
County are mortgaged to feed you
and your families. If you doubt
it go to the records in yonder Cou.rt
House and you will find true what
I say. What ! Just think of a
man mortgaging the roof that cov
ers his wife and chikMren, to feed
and keep you, too ; when you, by
your actions, force him into the
condition that compels him to do
it. You have eyes, and you see
not, you have ears, and you hear
not. I am here to-day to open
your eyes and your ears, that you
may see and hear..
The two great parties that divide
the country each has a history.
Let us turn to the record and see
what that history is. The Demo
cratic party for nearly sixty years
prior to 1860 controlled almost un
interruptedly the destinies of the
country. ~Uider its benign sway
cities, towns and villages sprang
up on all sides, railroads ii itersec
ted the country in every dir ection,
peace, prosperity and hap pinesf
nervaded the lnd an t l me ri
an American citizen was honore
and respected wherever the flag o
the Repablic floated. By an un
fortunate split in this party in 186(
the Republican party obtained con
trol of the government. As sooT
as iti was installed into power it in
augurated the grandest and mos!
terrific civil war that ever swepi
over the earth. It sent a millior
of the "bravest of the brave" to un
timely graves, and history will evei
hold this party responsible for it
for if they had not obtained contro]
f the government the war would
not have taken place. What has
been the history of this party since
he war? It struck ten sovereign
States from our galaxy and reduced
them to pure military despotism
and put them under the General
of the Armies. It manacled the
Supreme Court and curtailed its
jurisdiction to prevent its exercise
of the high constitutional function
entrusted to it of deciding upon
the validity of its enactments. It
struck with mailed hand the three
great fundamental principles of
aivil liberty-the writ of habeas cor
pus, the trial by jury and the free
dom of the press-that oozed up
trough the blood of centuries and
has come down to us through the
unfolding of the ages. Who will
ever forget the stupendous crimes
of this party in not only suspend
ing the writ of habeas corpus in a
time of profound peace, but in del
egating to the President the powex
to do so at his pleasure? Who is
so ignorant that he does not know
that this party has made the trial
by jury a mockery? Who does not
remember the bold efforts of Ben
jamin F. Butler and, other leaders
of this party on the floor of the
Federal Congress to stifle the free
dom of the press? Nor, my coun
trymen, is there a scheme of public
plunder that this party has not de
vised and executed. The Credil
Mobilier, that sent one Vice-Presi
dent to the shades of private life
and the recent Belknap and safe
burglary exposures by the Demo
cratic House of Representatives,
are of themselves enough to con
sign this party forever to the tomt
of the Capulets.. Rouse yourselves
to a realization of the fact that you
are in the midst of a- contest with
desperate men who will use every
means, fair or foul, to win, for they
cannot afford to have their officiel
lives exposed, which they know will
be done if -Samuel J. Tilden is
elected with a Democratic Con
gress.
I profoundly regret, my country
men, that President Grant, who
from obscurity, in four years fillei
all the earth with his fame as a sol
dier, should lend his ~powerful aid
to a party guilty of crimes so sta
pendous against the rights and lib
erties of his country. No man ir
ali the ages that have preceded u:
ever had opportunities so precioni
by deeds of virtue to render hii
name immortal and to go down t<
his grave covered with the bless
ings of his countrymen.
These two great parties have re
cently met in convention. The:
have announced their platform:
and have put their standard-beareri
in the field. The Republican part:
endorses all of its past acts and
puts Governor Hayes of Ohio ii
the field as its standard--bearer
Governor Hayes by letter approve;
the platform and accepts the posi
tion. He may be perfectly honest
but what will that avail hi,n in thi
hands of a party that bends the
iron will of Grant to its purposes
Simply a ball of putty to be mould
ed to their wishes. But Gov. Hayei
approves the platform. What doe
that mean but a continuance dur
ing his administration of the sam
policy the party has pursued fo
the past eight years ? The Demc
cratic party will be known hence
forth as the great reform party C
America. Its platform says reforr
from begi.nning to end. Reform C
what?i Reform of the abuses an:
corruptions of the Republican pai
ty. It has put into the field as it
standard-bearer, Samuel J. Tilder
the champion reformer of America
Words are but leaves, but deed
are fruits. Mr. Tilden, my cour
trymen, is a man of deeds. In 187
he struck corruption in his ow
party and, s.ided by O'Conor, tI
best lega mind ini this country an
I possibly in the world, he crushe<
f the most giant ring in this countr;
-and put Wm. Tweed,who had stolei
ten millions of dollars, in the State'
prison. This gave him the Demo
cratic nomination in 1874 for Gov
I ernor of the State of New York
He was elected over the incumbent
Gen. Dix, the strongest man th<
Republican party had, by a majori
ty of 53,000 votes. He was inau
gurated in January, 1875, and ii
one year he reduced the taxes o
the people of that State from $16,
000,000 to $8,000,000-just one
half. This, with numberless acti
of reform, put him prominently be
fore the entire country. The Dem
ocratic party have put him befor<
the People as their standard bearer
and urges them to elevate him t(
the Presidential chair, that he ma3
do for the whole country what h(
has done for the great State oJ
New York. Do you not feel the ab
solute need of these reforms ? Be
hold the impoverished condition o:
the country because of the enor.
mous taxation imposed upon us.
Samuel J. Tilden is the man to ef
feet them.
I come now to the standard bear.
ers in this State. Gen. Wad(
Hampton bears aloft the banner oJ
the Democratic party. He has i
spotless name and matchless puritj
of life, and in his veins flows th(
hero'- blood of three generation
in this State-there has not been E
great enterprise or war in thii
country for 125 years but Hamp
ton's name has been amongst th<
foremost in deeds-in the hallowei
soil of the State the manes of hif
sires for generations repose. Suct
is the standard bearer of the Dem
ocratic party in this State. I livei
near General Hampton before th<
war and so.na0h, ayz,unrymen
do I value his word that I will sa:
to you if he violates it I am willing
to be shot. I will say that for n(
other living man.
Daniel H. Chamberlain is th4
standard bearer of the Republicax
party. What is his record i Eigh
years ago he came to the Stat<
without a record; since that tim<
he has made for himself one o
shame and infamy. There has nol
been a great fraud perpetratet
against the State during that tim<
lbut his name is mingled in it. Tak<
the conversion bond fraud in whici
the State was swindled out of nea:
six million dollars in 1871, ani
Daniel H. Chamberlain's name ii
on the financial board. Take the
land commission swindle in whici
the Stai,e has been largely defraud
ed- out of seven hundred thousani
1 dollars, and Chamberiain's name il
-on the advisory board. Now, m:
lfriends, after the credit of the Stat<
was destroyed by an over issue o
bonds, and no more money could
be had in that way, what do w<
find?i The State had a large amoun
of property in various stocks an<
town lots in different parts of thi
>State. An act was passed by tb<
- General Assembly appointing
Commissioner to sell this propert;
. not in actual use and apply th
proceeds to the debts of the State
and to make an annual report o
their doings. Everything belong
ing to the State that they coul
Sput their hands on has been sold
1but not one word or line of a repor
has ever been made by the Com
Smissioner, although six years hay
passed away and the legislatur
has called for it. baniel H. ChamE
berlain's name is on the commif
sion. Not only that, but he wa
the law-officer of the State during
all this time. Why, if he was no
an active partner in these crime
3 against the State, did he not prof
.ecute the - guilty parties ? Th
a State Government has been de
r ared a disgrace to the civilizatio
of the age. No man in the Stat
.is so much responsible for it a
i Daniel H. Chamberlain.
2 In 1870, when Judge R. B. Cai
penter, to stay the tide of corrul
tion, led the reform columns in thi
State, he was met by Chambea
s lain at Chester, who, in his speec
t, there, said : "I am here to defen
i. the policy and acts of Governc
s Scott and his administration in tbn
i- management of the funds and credi
1 of the State. I am aware this
athe vital point of our cause-thn
e rock on which we split, if at a]
d If any ne fraudulent act. one ii
I stance of mismanagement or mis
F appropriation of public funds under
i the present administration is proved
3 let your swift condemnation fall on
- our heads; drive us from office, aye,
- drive us from the State. When
ever there is made good one single
charge or one single fraud in our
history for the past two years, let
- us descend to merited infamy." At
- this very time it now turns out
that some of these frauds had been
F committed; and Chamberlain stands
self-condemned.
I will now speak to you of the
"Hamburg Horror," where one
white man and six black men were
killed-the white man first. It is
a philosophical truth that he who
siarik6s the blow is not responsible
for the deed, but he who caused it
to be struck. Let us see if we can
not find the party who caused this
awful deed. A large number of
white men were 'charged with the
crime and arrested. When they
applied for bail the following affi
davit was filed: John Lee (col.),
a brother of Samuel J. Lee, former
Speaker of the House of Represen
tatives and a resident of Hamburg,
swore, that Doc Adams, the Cap
tain of the Company, said to him,
"We are forming the Compan3 to
kill the white people; that Govern
or Chamberlain had promii;ed to
farnish the arms and ammunition."
Adams also stated that Goverr or
Chamberlain had said it was neces
sary to do this to carry the next
election and to keep the State un
der the control of the Republican
party. Is it not clear that the
forming of the Company and the
purpose wai based upon Governor
Chamberlain's furnishing the arms
and ammunition? If the Company
had not been formed the deed
would not have beii perA ted';
hence, Daniel H. Chamberlain is
the responsible cause. Nor is this
all. The white men charged with
this crime appeared at the regular
term of the Court at Aiken in Sep
ttember last and demanded their
Strial. It was refused and the Court
adjourned. A Republican Gover
nor, a Republican Jpgdge and a Re
publican Attorney-General refused
Sthem a trial. Why was it refused ?
IIt was because they did not want
the truth brought to light. "Fif
teen or twenty niggers killed," said
Governor Ames, of Mississippi,
"will help the Republican party in
ithe North." Chamberlain is run
i ning the same schedule.
SNot long after the "Hamburg
Horror" a box marked Agricultu
-ral Implements was shipped sur
reptitiously from Columbia to this
Splace. Thbe Citv Fathbers bere
were notified of the fact. When
Sthe box was called for they ar
rested the consignee and seized
the box. On opening it, instead
Sof Agricultural implements sixteen
b improved rifles and 675 ball car
Stridges were found-the property
3 of the State. Governor Chamber
a lain was immediately notified and
~requested to have the matter .in
I' vestigated ; but he has failed to
3 do it. For what, my colored
,friends, were these guns shipped
I here ? Could sixteen guns protezt
- your race ? No.; but in the hands
I of bad men they might have caused
the death of sixteen or more of
t your people, which is just what
- Governor Chamberlain and his
a conspirators want; but we are de
a termined they shall not have it if
we can help it. Foiled and de
tected in these diabolical scLsemes
Sto continue in power, he conspires
Sthe ruin and desolation of the
tState, by invoking the military
s power of the General Government
and threatening martial law.
s Rome had her Cataline who, fresh
Sfrom his midnight conclave, where
1 he had conspired the firing of the
8 city of his nativity in one hun
s dred places and the massacre in
cold blood of innocent women and
7children, dared to appear in the
- Roman Senate and even rose to
s speak ; but Rome had her Sena
-tors of virtue and courage, and
b. they bid him depart the city; and
a. for it they have been applauded
r by the good in every age. South
e Carolir.a has within her borders
t a viler conspirator than Cataline;
s she has IDaniel H. Chamberlain,
e who, to still hold the reins of
L power, not only schemed the
L- slanghter of his friends and sup.
ADVERTISINC RATES.
Advertisements inserted at the rate of $1.00
per square-one inch-for first insertion, and
75c. for each subsequent insertion. Double
column advertisements tenper cent on a&ove
X otices of meetings, obituaries and tibut"
of respect, same rates per square as ordinarf
adverLisements.
ISpecial notices in local colamn 15 cents
perline.
Advertiqements not marked wirb the num
jber of inscrt ius~ will 'e Lep~t in till forbid
1aud charged accor-linerly.
Special conit uects i-fle with large, adver
tisers, WIIM aJt dvductiwis ua above rafte
Dune with Neatness and Dispatch
Terms Cash.
p)orters, but now conspires the
desolation of the State.
You ask, my colored friends,
what counsel I will give you in
the present stupendous political
1--risis. I will tell you the advice
that Senator Boutwell, of Massa
chusetts, one of your warmest
Northern friends, gave to the col
ored nien of Mississippi, on a' re
cent visit to that State. I find 'it
in the New York Herald, a news
paper that is read wherever civi
lization exists. Hear it: "Select
for all the offices, State and local,
not colored men-not even North
ern men-but prominent, influen
Lial, intelligent men of the old
white residents, the natives of the
State, and vote for these." _+I
will add to this advice of Senator
Boutwell by asking you to vote
Lbe whole Democratic ticket from
Samuel 5, Tilden down to the cor
)ner; and I pro mise yo u, if they
are elected, that peace, plenty,
prospority and happiness -will
iq)ain reign supreme throughout
all, the land. You ask me when