The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, April 04, 1879, Image 1
^>rrjv^fr~" . *? % %
# '* " ' I III! ? ! .. , . t , i _ ???_ . . ^ f 1 TT 1 '*| T" 1 "' "' ?' ' " " 0 . > ?. , , !
VOL. X.?New Series. UNION C. H., SOUTH CAROLINA, APRIL 4, !879: NUMBER 14.
HON. J. H. EVINS' SPBBOH.
The Campaign of 1876 ably Vindicated
on the Floor of Cong rets by a True Son
of South Carolina
Wo copy from the Congressional Record,
the following extracts from the able and
exhaustive address of Hon. J. H. Evins,
our Representative in Congress, delivered
in the House of Representatives, Friday
February 28th, 1879, on tho Contested
Election ease of Richardson vs. Rainey,
from tho First Congressional District of
South Carolina :
Mr. ?j^eo?e/-: I trust I shall bo pardoned
9 the WwrirtK Tir.'sonto l in >hii mi?? TV til
enable us, I am sure, the better to understand
the condition of things which brought
about the oampaign preceding the fall election
of 1876, out of whioh this contest has
arisen.
I confess, however, when I remember
that for eightceu years (years into which
are crowded so many signal events of our
' *7 *" history) that the voice of no true son of
South Carolina had been heard in this llall
in her defeuse, I am oppressed with a sense
of my inability to give uttoranco to the
thoughts which such an occasion should
inspire, and feel stronger than boforo the
desire to shirk from the undertaking.
Under the operation of the reconstruction
laws of tho Freodmen's Bureau aud
the bayonet, the whito peoplo of Soath Carolina
were in 1868 subjeotod to thooomplote
domination of their former slaves.?Iu the
history of tho world it was reserved for a
peoplo who had given to the oountrv in the
hour of its diro extremity suoh patriots as
Laurens, Pincknev, liutledge, Marion,
Sumter, and Moultrie, aud bad contributed
to tbe noontide of its glory tho luster that
shone around tbe names of Lowndes, Hayne,
Calhoun, and McDuffie, to drink to tbe
dreg9 this bitter cup of humiliation. All
the poople of tbe Southern States who had
joined with South Carolina in the war between
the States were put to tho rack aud
broken upon the wheel set in motion by
these laws, but <hose of South Carolina and
Louisiana alono went down under their
irresistible force into that dark valley and
shadow of death whero for years they struggled
against ndverso legislation, an adverse
administration, and all the red dragons of
political nnd social revolution.
*#** ?*
FEARFUL CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
I will do my friends on tho other side of
this Hall the justice to say that, blinded by
the passions engendered by tho war, I bci:?
.1 ,i:A ..... c. .1.^
11*;VVJ HlfJ Wiu UUI 1UIWVC Uiu UIIUIUI VUUBUqucnces
which would necessarily follow
their legislation iu regard to the States of
the South, and that so great has been the
partiaau prejudice of tho last decade that
they do not yet fully appreciate them. I
ask their attention, therefore, for a very
few moments while 1 sketch in the briefest
manner possible the condition of things in
my owu State, brought about by the reconstruction
law9 of Congress and the arbitrary
measures adoptod by the Executive in enforcing
theui, iu order that the supremacy
of a political party might be maintained.
By rhe fortunes of war and its results the
aggregate wealth of the Sfate was reduced
from six hundred and thirty millions, to
about one hundred and thirty millions but
her people returning from the war with
stout hearts went manfully to work to repair
their shattered fortuuo9 and build up
their wa9topluccs. It was impossible for
them at once to appreciate the full effects
of tho complete revolution wrought by the
emancipation of their former slaves, or to
understand how best to deal with a problem
where they had no precedent to guide them,
.and the solution of which had never beforo
taxed the human understanding. It should
not, therefore, seem strango in the light of
subsequent legislation on the part of Congress
and subsequent events, that they did
not act with the greatest wisdom, or even
with that intelligence and foresight with
which others who had no life-long prejudices
and opinions to overcome would have
acted.
PLACED UNDER NEGRO DOMINATION.
Their efforts at solving the difficulties of
this problem, had, however, a very brief experiment,
and after a few years of absolute
military rule, new amendments to the Constitution,
and new acts of Congress, gave
the newly enfranchised race complete control
of the State, Grant was magnanimous
iu the terms he made when he rc
ceivcd the spotless sword of Lee, but it
cau scarcely bo said that the Government
of the couc|ueror was magnanimous, which
jdaced a brave people, who had in good
faith accepted the terms of aa honorable
surrender of the cause for which they
fought, under the dominion of their former
slaves. What, I ask, in the eaim judgment
of this hour, were the results which might
have been reasonably expected to flow from
the creation of such an abuormal condition
of society ? Would rapine and violaaee
murder, and wholesale butchery of men, and
women and children, as the result, have
surprised any one who had any knowledge
of the laws by which society is held together
qr .who had been a student of history ?
j ?!? . : ^lf? - ~ - .. J.- J ?1 -I. 1 . ! . 11
Is it surprising that such a people, thus
rudely thrust into power, should have become
the easy prey of the worst elements
of tho more intelligent white race and made
to serve their villainous schemes of plunder
aud spoliation ? Th j story of how their superstitious
nature was appealed to j how
their passions were aroused and their prejudices
excited; how tho "leprous poison" of
hate was poured into their ears by the
northern adventurer and southern renegade i
until they were uiado to beliovo that their i
former owners and tho wholo southern
people were their worst enemies, and only
waited for an opportunity to re-euslave theui,
has burdened the press, weariod the ear, i
umferical majority "of its black voters, of- |
fered, unfortunately for alt classes of her i
people, the most inviting field for the en- {
terprising operations of these twin villaius I
in crimo aud in infamy. i
WHOLESALE PLUNDER AND ROBBERY. I
How they "improved each shining hour,"
to plunder and to rob her citizens "without
regard to race, color, or previous condition,"
trangc to say is uiost graphically told in
the stenographic diary of one of tho chief
pluuderers which recent investigations has
brought co light. To mention even the
sulicut points ot tho gigautic and shameless
schemes of spoliation which they conceived
and carried into effect while they held the
reins of power would fill up my hour and
leave the half untold. How, uuder Scott,
not conteut with robbing tho treasury of
nil it contained and the tax-payer of his
last dollar, they attempted with scrip and
bouds, issued by tho millions, to put generations
unborn uuder tribute to their
cupidity and to insert their long, lank, lurlarcenous
fingers into the pockets of posterity
; how, under the "native young governor,"
who has attained not only a national but
an international reputation as a thief, they
held high carnival and roveled in druuken
debaucheries in the halls of the State
eapitol, wasting, for what thoy called
"refreshments," during one session of the
Legislature, tho cuormous sum of 8350,000,
while tho poor lunatics in the asylum,
whoso unfortunate and helpless
condition would have moved a heart of stone,
were left to starve or to find support ut ,
the hands of privato citizens whose own
resources wero almost exhausted ; how the
learned, the cultured, and polished leader
of the plunderers, Daniel II. Chauiberlaiu,
chief architect of the miserable thing miscalled
a government, becoming its chief executive
officer, attempted to gloss over its deformities
and yet how intelligence and virtue
and honestly were still thrust aside to make
room for ignorance, iucompctcnce aud vice,
until the polishep carpet-bagger himself,
affrighted by tho monster ho had created,
cried out that "the civilization of the Puritan
and the Cavalier, the llound-head and
tho Huguenot," is in danger of being supplanted
by the barbarism of the negro.?
Thus for eight years did the peoplo of this
poor, down-trodden, aud oppressed Stato,
with a puticnco that was heroic, bear their
sufferings and their wrongs. Prometheus
bouud to the rock, while tho ravenous vultures
tear at his vitals, presents not too
strong a picture of tho "prostrate State"
during these sad aud trying years.
A STRIKINU ILLUSTRATION.
Who, while wandering through the beautiful
art gallery at the other end of the
Avouue, which tho munificence of a
distinguished resident of this city has dedicated
to the public, has uot felt his steps
arrested as his eye fell upon the brave words,
"The. crime makes the shame am] net. the ,
scaffold," has uot felt his heart to throb
with inexpressible cuiotion as he l>okcd <
through window-gratings of a prison-cell <
iuto that face so sad and weary with troubled
thoughts, and into thoso mournful eyes (
with their touching expression of quiet,
patient endurance, which the genius of the
artist has made to speak so eloquently from
the canvass? As 1 gazed upou the picture i
with deepest interest it suddenly became
tome no longer the face of Charlotte Corday,
but the impersonation of the genius of my
own raluictto JState, persecuted, insulted,
and incarcerated by the mercenary and
heartless stranger and the fates uud traitorous
renegade; thus she stood, peering
through her prison bars, during all those
dark days of which 1 have just spoken, pure
and uudefiled, without the "crime" which
"makes the shame," waiting with calm endurance
her hour of crucifixion while still
hoping almost against hope, for the hour of
licr deliverance. With a grateful and joyful
heart I turned away, remembering that
the prison bars had already been broken
and the sceptre of pure and honest government
already restored to her bauds.
Thus much I have felt it my duty to say
in vindication of tho honest whito pcoplo
whom I havo the honor in part to represent
upon this floor and in vindication of the
motives and purposes with which in August,
187(>, they refused any longer to co-operate
with any wiug or faction of the republican
party and declared for a straightout democratic
ticket.
INAUGURATION OK THE STRAIGHTOUT
TOLICY.
Having made use of every lawful expedient
to improve their condition and lighten
the oppressive burdens of taxation without
-xi.i j no?imj_w.anj_a_i__i.ji i.i.i i ihim
avail, the good people of the State Id tl
summer of 1876 met in convention, and i
spite of the blandishments and skillfi
diplomacy of Gov. Chamberlain, who d<
sired a re-election, determined they won)
no longer vote for any member of a part
that had become 10 infamous, and resolve
that they would put a full ticket of the
purest and best men in tho field and oa
upon every honest voter of the State, witl
out distinction of tiolor or party, to unite i
a supreme effort to wrest the go^ernmet
from ibe hands of the publio thieves an
plundereres who had gotten possession of i
Gen. Wade Hampton, a man wbos
reputation waa without stain and ever
afthc State and the good of &??trh*b pet
plo, was nominated for Govertidf* dud upo
the same ticket were placod the names c
those who wore in evory respect worthy t
1)6 his coadjutors in this good work. Th
wild enthusiasm kindled ainoug all olasse
by this new departure and the loud ao^laim
with which Hampton's nomination wa
greeted from the mountains to the seuboor
was a presage of certain victory, which a
nice filled Cbamberlrin and his confederate
n misrule with dismay. They saw th
'handwriting on the wall" and the pcnitec
tiary opening to receive them, and in thei
Icspair determined by every means withi
neir power to stine ttie roicc ol an irdip
iant aud outraged people at the ballot boi
tud save themselves from the just fate ths
iwaitcd them.
The republican convention soon followct
Chamberlain was re-nominated, and on th
,icket with him were placed those whoi
ic had denounced as the greatest villain
who had ever disgraced civilization, an
who, in their turn, had spoken in quite n
complimentary terms of him. The struj
;le on the one sido was to redeem the Stat
ind save her people from social anarch
tud irretrievable bankruptcy; on the othei
.he sole purpose of the leaders was to mair
ain their hold upon the public treasury
with a viow to furthor schemes of spoliatioi
uid to save themselves from the sure put
shmeut which they knew their crimes do
?ervcd.
CHAMBERLAIN CALLS FOR TUB MILITARY
Thus was inaugurated the campaign ou
)f which has growu the contest now undc
consideration. I propose, in the first piac<
:o examine very briefly the grounds upoi
which Gov. Chamberlain and Presiden
Crant issued their proclamations dcclurinj
hat "insurrection aud domestic violence'
existed in several counties of the State, an*
hat "certain combinations of men ngains
aw existed in many couutics of the State.
Never was there a grosser libel uttcre<
IQUMIUV UUJ ^bUJIIB vnuu io vuumiucu 1U 111
words of these proclamations. Tboro wa
tbsolutcly no "unlawful obstructions an*
combinations and assemblages of person
in the counties of Aiken and Barnwell," c
elsewhere, which made it impracticable "t
cnforco, by the ordinary course of judicu
proceeding, tbe laws of the State;" thcr
was no insurrection and no domestic violcuc
to give tbo slightest warrant of authorit
for the interference of the President, ovei
if he had been applied to in the mannc
prescribed by the Constitution. * * *
The Circuit judges (all republicans wit
one exception) declared that there was Uu
lawlessness, no violence, which the conri
could not remedy, and that the law w;i
administered without difficulty."
In reference to the condition of thiugs i
the first congressional district which th
contestec claims to represent on this flooi
I assert without the fear of successful cor
tradiction, that during the whole canvas:
with the exception of one or two attempt
on the part of the republicans to provec
democratic speakers from being beard, thcr
was as little lawlessness or violeuce as i
iiny other congressional district in th
Union. Although t ho canvass waa\
most earnest ono on both sides, almos
the only eases of lawlessness which oc
currcd grew out of the violent effort
made by tho black race to prevent person
of their own color from co-operating wit
the whites or votiug the dcuiocratci ticke
The law was wholly unobstructed, and th
authority of the courts was respected an
obeyed as in days of profoundest quiet.The
testimony of tho two judges, (Sha
aud Townscnd,) whoso circuits embrace
overy county in this district, is conolusive o
this subject. * ? *
DISBANDING WHITE CLUBS AND AEMIN
NEGRO MILITIA.
The so-called rifle clubs in this distric
with the exception, perhaps, of two or thre
which had existed for years with the fu
knowledge and sanction of Governor Char
ucriain, aro abundantly shown to have bee
political organizations, such as existt
every where throughout tho country, withoi
any military feature whatever, except thi
in one or two localities the u]CDika>H>f tho
clubs, with their privato arms, were soui
times forced by tho disorderly and thrcatc
ing demonstrations of the well-armed nogi
militia companies to do police duty to sai
their property from the torch of the incc
diary.
Can any ono, therefore, longor dou'
that the orders disbanding these politic
clubs while tho negro militia was allow*
to retain its arms and organization, and tl
sending ot armed soldiers to tho votii
t
is precincts, constituted s bold violation of
in the Constitution and the rights of the oitinl
ten, with a definite purpose ef carrying the
B* elections, both Federal and State, at the
Id point of the bayonet ? This purpose is
ly further made manifest in the order of the
id Secretary of War to General Sherman,
ir dated the 17th day of Ootober, the very
11 day the proclamation of the President was
i- issued, and before it was even kiftwn in
n Sooth Carolina, commanding bim to send
it forward "immediately all the available force
d in the military division of the Atlantic to
t. report to Gen. Ruger, commanding at
e Colombia, South Carolino," and to 'instruct
y that officer to station his troops in such
n nnoe to the
if These instructions weie given, too, notwitho
itunflina >ik* f*ot tViat fl*nor?1 nnrror Knit
e telegraphed the President only the day bets
fore from Columbia, saying all was quiet;
is uif I need more troops I will send you a
s dispatch leUiog you I need them." The
d evident design was to get, under the prot
text of tbo charges made in the proclatnats
tion, as many troops as possible into the
e State, in order that they might be used at
i- the polls to bolster up the failing fortuues
ir of a party which, in South Carolina at
n least, was fast falling to pieces under the
weight of its own rottenness and corruption.
r * * * * * *
L?
It U. 8. SUPERVISORS AND DEPUTY MARSHALS
IN CHARGE OP THE POLLS.
1- Passing by, in the next place, the innu*
c merable irregularities in the manner of
n conducting the election, which so greatly
18 facilitated fraudulent voting, I desire to
d show the partisan conduct of the republi18
can managers, supervisors, and deputy marV
shals who controlled and surrounded the
;c ballot boxes, aud the groes outrages upon
y the rights of the citizen and a free ballot
'i committed by them.
>* Thomas E. Khades, a republican, who
fi supported tbe Jones republican ticket in
l? Georgetown County, testifies that be was at
>* the Suntcc poll on the day of tbe election,
>- and that the managers refused to allow him
to vote the ticket he desired ; and other
r. witnesses testify to a similar partisan spirit
t shown by the managers at other precincts.
r Many of tho republican supervisors were
j themselves candidates, and took an active |
? part in electioneering at the polls. In the
t County of Suuitcr alone, the testimony 1
p shows that the followiug persons were can"
didatcs upon the republican ticket, and also '
j acted as United States supervisors: J. H.
Fcrritcr, John W. Westbury, W. J. An- 1
? drews, T. B. Johnson, were candidates for 1
j the State Legislature and United States 1
c supervisors; T. J. Tourney, for school com- 1
s missioner and United States supervisor;
j Rufus C. Westbuay, for oounty couiuiission3
er and United States supervisor; -Samuel
ir Leo, for judge ot probate and United States
o supervisor.
t| But I desire to speak uiore particularly i
e of tho large number of deputy United States i
;0 marshals (all of them republicans, and many j
j of them candidates for office) who were i
u appointed, not only without authority of i
,r law, but contrary to the plain letter of the i
law, for every precinct in Darlington and
h Sumter couuties, if not in all the others,
0 for the purpose of intimidating and overs
awing voters. These marshals claimed to
,8 have orders to make arrests and to control
the military statioucd at the polls. In or
t) der to show how thoroughly they performed
c the lawless and disreputable work assigned
r> them, I quote ouly a few passges from the
i. largo amount of evidence on this subject:
5, NEGROES FORCED TO #VOTE REPUBLICAN
:s TICKET.
!t The evidence is abundant and orerc
whelming to convince any unprejudiced
u mind that in theso three counties none but
e the boldest and most fearless negroes, or
a those who had the imiuediuto and strong
Jt protection of tho whites, dared to rote a
democratic ticket. Hundreds in each of
8 these counties were forced to vote the lie18
publican ticket or to refrain from voting
h through fear of bodily harm or injury to
the small property they possessed. And
e in the county of Georgetown, where the
^ colored population so largely preponderates,
~ the uegro loaders had during the campaign,
w by the denial of free speech to demoorats
d of both colors, by their own incendiary
Q and inflammatory harangues, by tbreuts
and violence of the most savage character,
a inflicted upon those of their own race who
even dared to advocate a republican ticket
with a single democratic name upou it, so
maddened and infuriated their followers
II that they acted more like ferocious wild
j. beasts in their fieroe opposition to the
ii, whites than like free voters in a free couutry,
Uy such means was the voice of the
at people stifled and largo majorities rolled up
for the contcstee. And yet tho report of
se the minority declares that "there is noth0.
ing in the record to show social ostracism
i,. or that fear was preventing tho colored
ro voters from supporting Hampton."
rC THE WHITES CONSERVATIVE AND CONn.
CILIATORY.
After all tho flourish of trumpets in the
bt proclamations of the governor and the
al President about innumerable 'rifle-clubs" in
sd hostile array agaiust Chumberlian and his
lie govcruuicut, and with the fullest opportuig
uity in seveu hundred and fifty pages of
printed testimony to show their existence,
only four ere shown to have been formed,
two only were armed, and all were disbanded
upon the publication of the governor'*
proclamation. Democratic clubs were organised
in every neighborhood in the State,
and many of them were uniformed with ?
red shirts; but they were unarmed, and In
so sense of the word were they military jn
organizations. In a very few instances, in
localities wbore the colored militia, with
aruis and fixed ammunition furnished then*
by the State, were so violent in their demonstrations
to menace the lives and
property of the whites, the members of
forced to contend with an armed mob imbittcred
and infuriated by the vile teachings
of their leaders, who publicly declared to
them that they would be justified in using
the incendiary torch against their former
masters. And in bo instance did these
club* eter parade s? atr armed military otganisation.
The proof on this subject, afforded by a
multitude of witnesses of the highest character
and respectability throughout the congressional
district who were active in tho
campaign and had every opportuny of knowing
the truth, hus not been and cannot be
successfully assailed. Governor Hampton,,
in testifying, says truthfully, that the effort
on the part of the democrats "was to
make the campaign thoroughly conservative
and conciliatory." He spoke iu every
county in the State, and saw no intimidation
except that which proceeded from colored
republicans, and was intended to prevent
any of their fellows from voting with
the democrats, lie says, further, that "at
no single meeting attended by mo was tliero
an armed orgsnixation^of men." In his letter
to the New York Tribune, dated November
2, 1876, published in the record of this
case, (page 560,) he gives tho true character
of these so-called "rifle clubs.1' "They
are," says he, "neither more nor less thau
campaign clubs, moving and actiug together
for reasons as prompted the organization
of the 'boys in Blue,' tho Grand
Army of the Republio, or other kindred associations."
Ho further declares in thia.
letter that "during my canvass of the State
I have not seen a single gun or saber iu tho
possession of these clubs, and they have not
carried anv nueh nt. nnu maniinn T
j _ ? ?? ? - mmj miv??iu w n uiv/u x.
bave been presont." They were called "rifleclubs"
in the proclamations; the colored;
voters heard thorn called "rifle-clubs" by
their leaders, who understood better thanthey
the political necessities of their party
to have the in so denominated, and so wcro
prepared to see a rifleman in every mam
who wore a red shirt.
UNEXAMPLED FORBEARANCE OF TUB
WHITE*.
********
Thv? we bave seen the unlawful and
partisan agencies employed by the republicans
to avert a political-defeat which seemed
inevitable. A republican- governor, himself
a candidate for re-election, (without
the slightest degree of truth in the allbga- 4
lions made to warrant such action,) in violation
of every right of a free citizen,
virtually declaring the State under martial)
law ; the whites disarmed whilo the negro
militia, in the midst of a heated political
contest, not only allowed to keep tboir
rifles and muskets, but encouraged to used
thcui, to menace the whites, aod overawe
and intimidate colored voters who simply
desired to exercise their right of voting for
the candidates of their choice; the polls
surrouuded by this militia, with arms in
their hands; the preoioet managers chosen,,
as it would seem, on account of their bitter
partisanship, opposing with the authoritv of
their office the free ehoic* of the voter; a
host ot supervisors who wore themselves
candidates upon the republican ticket for
office, and having the strongest motives to
secure their own election by any means,
foul or fair; a republican deputy marshal
appointed in violation of the law, guarding
the pathway to every poll, backed by Fcdoral
bayonets, in tho exercise of his assumed
and unlawful authority, and in the commission
of his lawless acts ; boards of county
canvassers, who violate without hesitation
the law and the sanctity which it had
thrown around the ballots; and, last of all,
a State board of oaovaseers, every one of
whom are republicans, and a majority of
whom are candidate# upon the ticket of
their party for high State offices, surrounded
by a cordon ot United States soldiers,
declaring the result iu doGance of /he mandato
of a supreme conrt composed of reDublican
iudcrcs !
? * - - And
yet the minority in thoir report
say the oontestee was fairly elected, and
mildly hint that the report of the majority
is an effort on their part to induce their
party associates in this chamber "to expel
from tho House of lleprcsentative" the
contestec, who is "reflecting honor upon bia
raoo and creditably rcpresentating his constituency"
upon this floor.
* * * ? * *
DENUNCIATION OP MILITARY INTERFERENCE
IN ELECTIONS.
But, Mr. Speaker, the gravest feature in
this eontest, and the one upou which 1 desire
to speak more at length than I can do
[ Concluded on 4(h Page "]