The Anderson intelligencer. (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, January 14, 1875, Image 1
. t.-i -rtrt ' ba I' i -' 'i 1 ' ' ? -
f %& C!04 Proprietors;
ANDERSON C. H., S. C, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 14, 1875.
VOLUME X.?NO. 26.
THE LOUISIANA OUTRAGE; ' *
Gen*. Shen?an''h?s^?Mumed'.:c6mmanJrlVl, :the
Department of the Gulf, and in a- dispatch to
the Secretary of War he says that be regrets-to
anrjouncethe.existence of a: spirit of defiance
to all lawful^utb?r^,^?inong tire white con
Wvati*?3fr)iaacln?Q insecurity oft life and prtfp
?erty. Under his direction the -work, of- break?
ing . up the Legislat u re -was com pie ted y ester
j^^jvAei House of Representatives
came to ? "vote for a permanent speaker, ex
^TT^BIlF Hjff"^ ^iTjjJff Tfltiff'|'Br-it,w %
and "blank 2. A quorum of the members hav?
ing voted, Wiltz was- declared1 elected. Some
of the - Radical members gradually; withdrew
from the chamber, and'the speaker ordered the
sergeant-at-arms to prevent' the-, departure of
aby ?mare .tHiile' the. permanent organization
was<?eing'Completed. The Conservative caa
4idate fpr^ejckof tb& House jsas then elected,
and the swearing in. of .the. members began.
Several scuffles t?ot place Tri * consequence of
therpereistent-efforts of the Radicals to -leave
thenall.<' .These-Radicals, at last sent for the
troops, and three Federal army officers carhe
into the ball. Strb^iequently these officers call?
ed in a squad of fifteen, soldiers, and these sol?
diers forcibly ejected from the hall some of the
Conservative members who were lawfully elec?
ted, but, who had been counted out by the
returning board* They vaiWy made aprdtest.
Th^ohiieTs^hm-removeb:the' newly* eTected
clerk and placed tbe Radfcal clerk of the for?
mer House at the desk. At this point Speaker
Wiltz and the "Conservatives withdrew, and the
Legislaturewasi left without a quorum.
Gen. Sheridan bas sent the following dispatch,
to Secretary Balkn?p: na?
.New Orleans; Lb\, Jamarg 5.?I 'think the
terrorism now existing fci; ^uisiaira, Missis?
sippi and Arkansas could-be entirely removed,
and confidence and fair dealing established, by
the. arrest and trial of the-Vkigleaders of the*
armed White- Leaguers. : If Congress would
Sass a bill declaring-them banditti, - they could
8' tried^by niilftary commission. .This.ban-.,
ditti,-who-murdered men here on the I&h of2
last September," ?noT also ,more recently at
VieKsbuTg) Miss., should; irr gdsitice to l?^rand
order, and peace arid prosperity iij this sodth
?em parf . of/.the cwhlry, be punished. It>isv
possible that if the President should issue a
proclamation declaring: them banditti, that no
further action need be taken except'that which
would devolve upon me; -P. H. Sheridan,
Lieut.-Gen. U.S. A.
The city is very, quiet to-day.. There was no
unusual demonstrations in 'any quarter. The
military still occupy the State House.
The Times-t-his morning- says: "The farce of
the. State. Grovern meat in- Louisiana received
another illustration yesterday. Practically we
have no government, legal or illegal, and have
not had for the past two years. What is the
use of this show of Tespect for State rights?
The rule is that of ; the musket and .sword and
central authority; 'and* everybody knows it.
The., proclamations by the President and the
appeals for assistance .by , Go v. Kellogg are
formalities which do hot cloak the real nature
of the business. There is no pretence, in this
case, of riot or an insurrection. It is a seizure/
of the State-Houseiby the- United States troops'
in time of peace; a dissolution of the Assem?
bly,1 and a forcible expulsion of its members?'
The Pica^-n? says : "For the . first Jim^in
the history of the United S^tes^arnied soldiers
have' invaded the legislative TbalT^ and bayonets
have been used to expel the representatives of
the people from'their seats.; No one ever
dreamed that the President had the right to
employ the. army for the purpose of shaping
the Organization of the State Legislature. In
this case there Was? no emergency such as the;
law contemplate was made .upojo'.
him th rough the channel which the law points
out.. .There wasoq insurrection. The General
Assembly was in session, and had"not asked
him to-interfere. There was an organization
of tha^Hoase whSch?iras ript fagreeabje^'Go^
Kglng$f, *nd upon i?ell%gis Requisition^ ^hei
sent his forces to drag from their seats the
members whom Kellogg-asserted not to be
properly chosen, and to constitute an organiza?
tion under his jiir'ecti?us.' There is no escape
from this statement of facts. . Gen, DeTrobri
and announced that He was instructed to obey
Gov. Kellogg'a orders^ andKelloggordered-him
to- break up the organization' of the Honsel
With this'order he compHecr."*''
The BuUetlkWBjn^ u When- the hoar arri ved'
for the constitutional assembling of the" Legis?
lature, elected by the people, and absolutely
admitted by the retiring board, the army, of the
United States-was marshalled, and when the
organizatiou of the House of Representatives
showed' a working force- -against-the*Kellogg
usurpation,. a. General of the Federal Army
marched his -troops into the very hails of legis
fcion, and before the Speaker's chair dictates a
roll-call for membership and the organization
Of the Hoope,'.'-. - - * * gvrr j;
* ' . "'S' New YoEKjiTau.'
Referring to. the proceedlagaat New Orleans,
yefterday,; the Herald says: "There was wit?
nessed in the Louisiana Statehouse, yesterday,
a spectaclewhich is'-tbd first of its kind - in
this country, and which should cause every
true American to blush with shame and indig?
nation. We congratulate the citizens of Lqu
isiana and the people of the country that, this
extraordinary and most revolting scene did not
provoke: violence and. bloodshed.- Forcible
reslatance-would have been justifiable in this
case if itJb"S justifiable id any case?forja gjfeatl.
er butrage-"on*-eveTy^rin1ripie of rreVgoretn
ment was never perpetrated?were it not for
the fact that the people of Louisiana have a
sure recourse forTtnd're^fef?/of^f^eTr grievan?
ces in *the SSnse^rjusftce of The whole'country
and in the public resentment which will
be.-i^ndled ? to the highest pitch by- these
atrocities and,unexampled' pToceeding^.',
The Tribune says :? "Nothing in the history
of even the' great conspiracy by: which the
border ruffians undertook to seize the Territory
and State of Kansas, cab furnish any parallel
for this crowning iniquity of the Federal ad?
ministration. The citizens of Louisiana have
seen themselves cheated and defrauded,; and
when thefraud came near to failure, they have
seen -the whole power of the General .Geyern-,
ment used to consummate it and make the vit-'
lariy successful. .They make no outcry, but
upon tbefapts!as>they are they invoke; the de?
liberate ju^dgrrieht of the American people."!
The World says: "We hope there is nq
American who can read the news from Nevj
Orleans without a thrill,of shame and rage."
The Evening Post eay?: "The employment -
of the Federal army yesterday in th? organiza?
tion, of the Legislature, of the State of Louis?
iana appears to be absolutely unjustifiable.w
. n . '* - Washington, January 5.
In the Cabinet meeting to-day the Pres?
ident's Louisiana policy was fully approved.
During the discussion,.which lasted three hours,
the fact was elicited that. Sheridan had been
clothed with extraordinary powers to enable
him to sustain the Kellogg usurpation.
The debate in the Senate to-day indicates
the purpose of the leading Republicans to
sustain the "President's policy, but the more
Conservative members of that party regard the
events in Louisiana yesterday with apprehen
sioa.
New Orleans, Jan. 5,1875.
. At.a meeting of the Merchants' Exchange,
largely attended and held to-day at noon, the
following series of resolutions were unanimous?
ly-adopted :
<' Wfcere?s; Lieutenant General Sheridan has
telegraphed to the Hon; W. W. Berknap, Sec?
retary of War? at Washington, D. C, as fol?
lows : -v
.... . jf,c?j, Headquarters of:the
Milttary Division of. the Missouri, t.
New Orleans, La., Jan. 4,1875. j
Son. W. W. Belknap, Secretary of Wdri Wash*
? ingi?ii, D/G. > "
It is with deep regret that I have to anriotrnee
toyou the existence in-this State of a spirit' of
defiance to all lawful authority and an. insecu?
rity of life which is hardly realized by the
General' Government or the country at large.
The lives' of citizens have become so jeopar?
dized that unless something is done to give
protection to the people, all security usually
afforded by law will be overridden. Defiance
to the laws and the murder of individuals
? seems to .be looked upon by the community.
ihere from a.standpoint which .gives impunity
: to all who choose to indulge in either, and the
civil-government appears powerless to punish
,or even-arrest ;
I vi have to-night- assumed control over the
j Department of; the Gulf.
... P. H. SHERIDAN,
!....,. . Lieutenant. General.
^ Be it resolved, That we condemn as a posi?
tive untruth and as a libel upon the communi
jty ' the statement of Gen: Sheridan, contained
in the above; that we deny herewith that the
spirit of defiance!against lawful authority ex
jists, and that the lives of citizens have become
jeopardized thereby; and be it further
I. MesQlved, Tfiat.we emphatically condemn, as
ilavy-ahiding citizens, and do mostsolemnly and
jearnestly'protest against the military interfer
ience with and the draorganization of the Leg
islature-of Louisiana, which was duly elected
by ourselves and the citizens of the State.
I , Governor McEuery;has just telegraphed the
ifollowingletter. to the President:
\lb Sis JEzcellencg, If. S. Grant, President of\
\ the United Stales :
.In the name of liberty and alllovers of lib?
erty throughout the United States; I do most
solemnly protest against the1 actionof the mil-'
a^ary forces of the United States on yesterday,
ia the occupation of the State House, in the
forcible ejection by troops of members of the
legislature and. the elected Speaker of the
House, and the. subsequent organization of a
House by the direct forcible intervention of
the military. I affirm before the whole Amer?
ican people that the action-on the part of the
military in this city on yesterday is subversive
of republican institutions in this free country.
JOHN McENERY. .
Washington, Jan. 6., 1 A. M.
! The Administration', is well satisfied that
Gen. Sheridan is , in every way competent to I
carry'out the ideas of the General Government j
respecting' whatever participation it may be
thought necessary for it to take regarding af
jfairs in Louisiana. These, as now understood,
contemplate, an endorsement of the report of
the recent returning board, and maintaining
the authority of the Legislature reported elec-1
! ted by that*board. It-was not considered hec-j
ess^y tosend any telegrams to Gen. Sheridan, 1
nor. had any dispatches been received from that
jpfficer'up to the, adjournment of the Cabinet
meetidg' this afternoon.
A protest against the action of the United
States troops was received.by the President
from Mr. Wiltz, which was read at the meet?
ing. - '
I Gov. McEnery, of Louisiana, has telegraphed
to the President, in the name of liberty and 1
all lovers thereof th roughou Uhe United States,
a most solemn protest against the military, oc?
cupation bf the State'.House, and the forcible
ejection of the members of the Legislature. j
? . New York, Jan. 6. J
' ,' 'the New1 York Times, in an editorial oh Lou
i?iauavsays r "For ourselves, we must say that t
j the use which was made of the United States
troops seems to have been an extreme exercise
.of power, and one for,which the President, who
n primarily responsible for it, must find it very. I
? difficult to show adequate authority. The
'EToited States 'guarantee to each: State a repub?
lican form of government, and, on requisition,
' nrbtection against domestic violence: In this'
casethere'was no recent requisition; and there
'was no actual violence. The Governor called
in the troops in anticipation of his own helpless?
ness, and engaged their commander in. acts
Which have never, yet been performed by an
United States army officer. The troops did not
aid. the Statp. forces, they replaced them. We
do'nbt believe'the country will regard such
procedure with approval. If it does the conse?
quences to our system of government cannot be
?easily foreseen." v
The Herald?* New Orleans correspondent tel?
egraphs that Sheridan, in an interview with
him yesterday, said lie was going to put a stop
to the people down there. The solution of the
troubles is the measure proposed in his dispatch
of yesterday1 to the President. He has notcon
'sahed any citizen in coming to his conclusions.
'If the government and the President will en?
dorse him he-will settle affairs. He proposed
to -put down all secretly armed bodies.
; ; New Yore, Jan. 7.
A call for a public mass meeting has been
issued in this city to protest against the action
of the military in the organization of the Lou?
isiana legislature. Wm. Cullen Bryant heads
tie list, ?f signers, followed by other promi?
nent citizens, members of both political par?
ties. It sets' fbrtti that the liberties of the peo?
ple of the State of Louisiana have been viola?
ted by military force under the command of
[jthe general government, and that it is impera?
tive that the voice of the people of this city
and State should be heard in public protest.
The meeting will be held'some, evening of next
week, either at the large hall of the Cooper
Union or at the Academy of Music.
A New Orleans special says that United
States troops still occupy the State House.
The conservative members from the house,
since their1 retirement, have met daily in cau?
cus, all the senators meeting with them. Great
indignation still prevails in consequence of
Sheridan's telegram to. Belknap.
Sheridan denies that any orders have been
issued by him for the arrest of the leaders of
the white league. If arrested they will apply
"for writs of habeas corpus, having been advised
to do so by Senators Bayard' and Thunnan,
from Washington. ?
? Marshal Packard, of New Orleans, in his
testimony before the'Congressional Committee,
is reported as saying that he did not believe a
Republican State Government could maintain
itself in Lousiana or any other Southern State
without the aid or protection of the Uuited
States troops.
? The last despairing efforts of Christian
Ross, in search of his lost child, is the offer of
1?5,000 reward for his recovery, or information
that will lead to it, coupled with the pledge
that no questions shall be asked, and no at?
tempt whatsoever made to secure the punish
I mcnt or detection of the abductors.
Senator Gordon on the Louisiana Tronbles.
In the United States Senate last week, the
situation in Louisiana was fully discussed, and
a number of notable speeches were made by
Democrats and Republicans. The action of
the President was freely denounced by Senator
Th?r man and others, while the administration
Senators/ gave him a feeble support in this
.emergency. Senator Gordon, of Georgia, made
an eloquent and truthful vindication of the
Southern States, and we take pleasure in ap?
pending a summary of his remarks :
Gordon, (Dem.) of Georgia, said he did not
propose to reply to the speech of Senator West.
He was quite willing that it should go to the
country and make its own answer; but when
the people whom he (Gordon) loved as his own
life, whose fortunes were his through weal or
woe, through life or death, were held up as
assassins and murderers, he could not, and
would not, remain silent; and if his voice and
gesture were tremulous now with emotion, it
was not the emotion of anger, but the emotion
of indignation at the outrage perpetrated upon
his people. He stood aghast at the spectacle
presented in this Senate yesterday. A specta?
cle of one portion of the members seeking to
i ruin the fair name and the honor of the people
of one section of this country before the civil?
ized world. He was amazed, utterly amazed,
that there should be found in the hearts of
.men with whom he daily associated upon this
floor so much hate. He was totally unprepared
for it, and if he believed to-day that the ex?
pressions which he heard from Senators' lips
yesterday reflected the sentiments of theNorto
j era people, he would feel that it was time for
' the Southern people to die. If he believed
I that those expressions foreshadowed the policy
I of this government towards the South, then he
;would sav let us have doue with this farce of
local self-government. He did not believe that
such sentiments were entertained by the North
?'ern people. He did not believe that brave
!men, against whom the people of the South
had lately contended, entertained any such
sentiments. He believed the great.majority of
the American people of both North and South,
white and black, abhorred any such spirit of,
animosity. He believed the movemeut inau?
gurated in 1872, by the large-headed and large
hearted men of the United States to bring
about good feeling and harmony would be suc?
cessful. In the support which he (Gordon)
?ave to the resolution, as presented by the
enator from Ohio,- (Th?rman,) he protested
against any construction which would make it
appear that he was wanting in respect to the
President, of the United. States. Much had
been said here about the President being com
manderrin-rchief of the army. He (Gordon)
was glad he was commander-in-chief; that the
military was subordinate to the civil power.
He did not propose to discuss the resolution,
but to reply to what he was forced to conclude
were gratuitous insults offered to his people by
some of the Senators on the other side of the
'chamber. It was charged that murder pre?
vailed throughout the South, and that these
murders were by the hands of the Democratic
white man's party. His reply to that was brief.
The charge was false. It was true that mur?
ders had occurred, But no one deplored tbem
more than himself, nor more than than the
people he represented. His people had always
said that the class of people committing these
murders were the worst enemies of the South.
If murders were committed, was that any rea
sou for branding the whole Southern people as
a set of assassins and barbarians ? Wherever
in the Southern,States people of honesty and
integrity have control of public affairs, proper?
ty, life and liberty are as safe as they are in
any Northern State. [Applause in the galle
leries.] Did the Senator from Vermont (Ed?
munds) forget that there were States in the
North in the hands of these same awful Demo?
crats. He (Gordon) apprehended that these
States were governed just as well as the States
governed by Republicans. He was sure that
fauch was the case in the South. Since the war
not a solitary arm had been raised in a South?
ern State against the power of the Federal
.Government, and yet the Southern people were
charged, day after day, with being disloyal to?
wards the Government because there were riots
at elections or riots at cross roads.
A oarid of misguided negroes who marched at
'night with arms to murder and hands to plun?
der could not be attacked by whites in self-de
ifence. Tf they were'attacked and a conflict en?
sued in which a few were killed, the South was
then charged with disloyalty and antagonism
!to the Federal Gbvernnieut, The colored mili?
tiamen might insult women, rob, pillage and
drag innocent men from their beds, and when
the white men resisted them the Southern peo?
ple were held up as murderers and assassins.
Men were sent down among them who had no
common interest with them. These men made
laws, collected the taxes and governed the
Southern people, and then maligned the same
people. If the South asked how New England
would like that, how the West would like that,
and 8trived, by every lawful means, to over?
throw these men, her people were charged with
being murderers and assassins. How long are
we thus to be misunderstood ? In the face of
every evideuce we give of our readiness to meet
the Northern people upon equal ground, we are
told that we intimidate voters. It does not
matter what may be our minority, though we
may be as one to many, still we intimidate vo?
ters. It would soon be found that there was
intimidation on the other side. lie (Gordon)
then read from the Chicago Inter-Ocean certain
testimony, taken in Alabama, to the effect that
the bacon for the relief of persons in the over?
flowed district was distributed to persons living
out of those districts on the eve of election.
Some colored men swore that they had been
discharged for voting the Republican ticket and
others that tliev had been beaten and turned
out of church for so voting. The Senator from
Indiana (Morton) yesterday had spoken of the
lies sent out by the Southern Associated press
agents. He (Gordon) thought it a libel on the
Associated Prcs4 of the South, and he thought
he knew as much about it as the Senator from
Indiana. He (Gordon) as a Senator and a man
recognizing his responsibility to his country
and'to his God, would say that these things are
true. [Renewed applause in the galleries.]
Continuing his argument, he said: Liars are
they ? What does the Senator do with the re?
porters-sent out by the leading papers of the
country from the'City of New "York ? Are they
also Mars? If so, why did not the Senator
charge it? They testified to the Very same
class of facts. \Vhy,.\y.by, Mr. President, does
it find a place in the Senator's heart to charge !
falsehood upon the Southern reporters, when, if;
falsehood existed, it also 'existed'in the City of i
New York? No, sir, the Senator cowered be
fore the- power of the Herald, Tribune and j
'Timct, and he dare not say it. [Renewed ap-!
plause in the galleries, at which the chair and
sergeant-at-arms gavo notice that, if any fur?
ther applause was made, the rule would be en?
forced and the galleries cleared.]
Gordon, resuming, said he was forced to the
conclusion that thoso on the other side who
claim to be the friends of law and order desire
murder in tho Southern States. They know
that when peace comes, wheu the people of
this country understood each other, as they arc
beginning, thank God, to understand each oth
er now, good government would ensue, life,
liberty and property would be safe, and there
would be no place for these disturbing spirits.
He was responsible only.for his belief, but he
thought it true, and in time history would write
it down so. Not one man in a thousand in the
South was armed. There were not half so
many armed as before the war. There.are not
as many military companies in the South as
before the war. Even the old-fashioned double:
barreled shot gun had almost disappeared.
Was it all right for the government to arm the
Mack militia and disarm the white? Before
the men had no interest in common with the
Southern people, except to array the blacks
against them, came there, good feeling existed
between the whites and blacks. There were
churches and school-houses in the South for
the blacks, and in every Southern State money
had been contributed by the whites for school
houses and churches for the blacks. The
Southern white people had contributed more
than any one else. Only the other day a resi?
dent of Georgia, in his last will arid testament,
bequeathed a hundred thousand dollars to ed?
ucate colored people. Did the senator from
Vermont (Edmunds) think these acts of semi
barbarism which he attributed to Southern
people in his speech yesterday ?
Edmunds here said that the senator did not
quote hjm correctly.
Gordon. Does the senator say that he did
not say that before the war the South was in a
state of serai-barbj.rism ?
Edmunds. I do. Edmunds then requested
the senator to read from the record what he did
say.
Gordon. Never mind what may be the re?
cord ; the words are in my memory and will
not go out.
Edmunds. Well Ihe Senator has the record,
and if he can fish out of it anything of that
character, then his ingenuity is equal to his
audacity. [Sensation.]
Gordon. I took down the Senator's words as
he said them, and am responsible for them.
Edmunds. Responsibility is a very good
thing.
Gordon. The want of it sometinfes is a very
good thing, too. [Laughter.]
G?rden then read from the record of yester?
day Mr; Edmund's remarks, where Edmunds
said :
"When I see, Mr. President, as I have not
yet seen, that the people as they call them?
selves, the White Leagues, or the White Dem
ocratsi or the White Conservatives, or whatever
they may be, of any State in this Union, when
they find that any of their associates have com?
mitted assassination or murder, or wrong upon
their fellow-citizens for no cause but opinion's"
sake, turn upon him as in Ohio they would
turn upon him, or in Vermont, without respect
of party, and bring him under the heavy hand
of justice, then I snail begin to have faith that
our Southern brothers who, it seems, have not
yet forgotten the old manners and ways of the.
semi-barbarous times, have thought better of
it," &c.
Resuming his argument, Gordon said:
Where is the audacity now in bringing the
Senator before the Chamber as I have done.
He then referred to the history of the Southern
people in the revolutionary war, and spoke of
many statesmen and soldiers from that section,
and said if such men and deeds be evidence of
semi-barbarians, he was willing to accept, be?
fore his country and before Heaven, all the
crime attached to it. But enough of this. He
came here with a heart full of good will to?
wards every one, and trusted that nothing he
had said would be attributed to any feeling of
animosity. His faith was firm that right, jus?
tice and "truth would triumph, and the feeling
of good will already begun between North and
South wouth continue to unite and build up
our common country. [Applause in the galle?
ries.]
An Interesting Incident.
The Washington corresponden of the At?
lanta Herald relates the following incident:
Some twenty-five years ago there came to
Crawfordville, Georgia, a poor Irishman, fol?
lowing the avocation of a ditcher. He remain?
ed ia Crowfordville for some years, during
which time he married a woman, by1 whom he
had three children, two sons and a daughter.
A few years prior to the war the ditcher left,
ostensibly on a visit to Augusta, but to the sor?
row of his wife, and the consternation of the
little village of which he was a respected, al?
though sometimes a rollicking citizen, he never
returned. The newspapers were filled with
"notices" of his departure, yet not a word was
ever heard from the wanddring son of Emerald
Isle. A few weeks ago, Hon. Alexander H.
Stephens was notified through the State De?
partment that they had notice of the death in
Buenos Ayres of an American citizen, who had
left him a legacy. Mr. Stephens called at the
Department, where he was received most kindly
by Secretary Fish, who showed him the will
made by the American citizen, who proved
to be none other than the Irishman of Craw?
fordville, who had left without a penny many
years before. A part only of the will in the
handwriting of the wanderer I publish. The first
part describes himself as having left Crawford?
ville at a certain date, etc. He then goes on to
say: "Through the kindness of an all-wise
Providence, I have accumulated a small estate,
which I bequeath to my wife and children, if
they are living. I name little Aleck Stephens,
of Georgia, (I use his own language) the no?
blest man that God ever made, as my executor,
and want my estate sold and the proceeds paid
over to him. He will carry out my desires.
If wife and children be dead, or not to be found,
I bequeath all I have to Alexander H. Ste?
phens." This is the will. The American con?
sul had sold the estate, which netted $4,486.44
gold. Mr. Stephens, on being notified as above,
went to work to find out the whereabouts of the
lost ones. He found that the wife had died;
that both sons had been killed in the rebel
army, and here the search -seemed lost. Pa?
tiently and untiringly Mr. Stephens labored,
when a few weeks ago he found the daughter,
married to a shoemaker in Savannah, and the
mother of five children.
He drew the money from the United States
Treasury, and the other day scut it to the poor
daughter of his old-time friend, the wandering
exile. I gathered these facts at the State De?
partment to-day, and recite them to show how
truly grand is the spectacle of a man's life,
whose days have been so spent that ho has the
confidence of all?the high, the low, the rich
and poor. Such a man is Alexander II. Ste- j
phens, of Georgia, the last of the Romans,
whose name will be handed down to posterity
as a devoted friend, a pure statesman and an
honest* man. Who would not sigh for such an
epitaph, "when life's fitful fever is over?"
? The Committee on privileges and elec?
tions of the House of Representatives met in
Columbia just before the recess, and agreed to
hear the contested election case from Charles?
ton on the 12th of January. No plan of pro?
cedure has been agreed upon, but a proposition
to send a sub-committee to Charleston, to take
testimony during the recess, was voted down.
A Practical Illustration, of the Fairness of
Cumulative Voting.
Since we have been asked, "in all serious?
ness," to favor our contemporary (the Green?
ville Newt) with a calculation, we will endeavor
to be obliging, though it has been many days
since mathematics were drubbed into us, and
we;are somewhat rusty in figures:; .
nAk we have no statistics iq. regard to towne
and cities, we can give no positive answer as to
the result of cumulative voting as applied to
them, but we feel assured that in every town
there would be minority,' representation.?
Charleston and,Columbia would both be vastly
benefitted by such' a system. We can give a
definite answer as to the relative changes that
wonld result in the different counties; and if
our readers will bear with us, we will insert
some mathematical calculations.
It is scarcely necessary to explain the system
of cumulative voting. It applies when more
than one person is elected to any position.
For instance, if three county commissioners
are to be elected, the voter is permitted to cast
three votes, whether for three different persons
or whether he prefers to cast all' three for one
candidate. By the present system only one
vote can be cast for the same candidate, and if
he be "plumped" the oth ,t two votes are lost.
But by cumulating votes upon one candidate,
the minority, unless very small in proportion
to the majority, can always secure representa?
tion.
We shall base our calculation upon the vote
for Governor at the last election. And in or?
der to show the change that would result from
the introduction of cumulative voting, we
must assume that all the candidates, recently
elected hold the same political tenents as the
party electing them. For "party men" could
have just as easily been elected in stead of the
few Conservatives who were nominated by the
Regulars as a concession to the, very principle
laid down by us, that the minority should have
a relative representation.
Let us take the case: of Abbeville County,
where the vote stood, Republicans, 4,176; In?
dependents, 2,512. The .Republicans elected
all five of their nominees to the Legislature,
while the large minority of Independents have
no representation. Under the cumulative sys?
tem, each Abbeville voter would be eutitled to
five votes for representatives, making a total of
20,880 Republican, and 12,590 Independent
votes. Assume that each party nominated an
entire ticket. The result would remain the
same as at present. But the Independents by
consolidating their vote upon two candidates
could have given each 6,295 votes- The Repub?
licans, by dividing their vote among 4 candidates
could have given only 5,220 votes to each, and
only three would be elected besides the two
Independents. By consolidating on three Re?
publicans, each would receive 6,960 votes,
I while the two Independents would complete
I the delegation of five representatives. But if
the Independents nominated three instead of
j two candidates, each would receive but 4,186
votes, and the four Republicans would all be
elected, receiving each 5,220 votes as shown
above. The Independents would thus lose one
representative by'stfTving for too many. Cu?
mulative voting,jtberi, teaches moderation.
In Aiken four Republicans were elected by
only '60 majority. Cumulation would have
given two Regulars and two Independents.
Anderson cast 2,534 Independent and 1,762
Republican votes, and elected three Indepen?
dents. But had the former consolidated three
votes each on one candidate, he would have
received 5,286 votes, while two Independents
would have received each 3,851 votes, and the
delegation would have stood one Regular to
two Independents, But should the Indepen?
dents have nominated a full ticket, each would
have received but 2,537 votes, while the Regu?
lars could have given two candidates 2,643
votes each, and obtained a majority of the del?
egation. This would be a check on the majori?
ty, keeping them in just limits for fear of giv?
ing greater representation to the minority by
endeavoring to grasp too much for themselves.
Barnwell, which now sends lour Regulars,
would have sent one Independent. Beaufort
would have sent five Republicans and two In?
dependents.
Charleston sends 18 delegates. The vote
stood 11,465 Independents to 8,803 Regulars,
;dr multiplying, by 18, stood 206,370 to 158,454.
Ten Independents would have, received each
20,637 votes; and eight Bowenites 19;809 each.
Had the former nominated twelve candidates,
the latter could have elected,nine. and{the del?
egation would be nine to nine instead of ten to
eight.
Chester, Fairfield, Georgetown, Kershaw,
Newberry and Williarasburg would have each
elected two Republicans aud one Opposition-;
Barnwell, Darlington, Laurens, and Richland,
three Radicals and one Opposition each ; Col
leton, Edgetield and Orangeburg, three Regu?
lars and two Independents; Aiken, Greenville
Mariou and York, two to two; Anderson and
Union one to two ; Spartanburg, one to three;
Chesterfield, Lancaster, Lexington and Marl?
boro, one to one; Bickens, one Conservative.
In Clarendon, Horry, Oconee and Sumtcr,
the minority would have been too small to se?
cure any 'representation. Clarendon cast 737
Regular and 1,895 Independent votes; 737
multiplied by two (the representation) gives
only 1,474 votes, not equal to the unmultiplied
vote of the opposition.
In Oconee and Horry the minority were also
too weak to secure representation even by cu?
mulation.
Sumtcr cast 4,091 Independent, and 75S Reg?
ular votes. Multiplying 758 by four, we have
only 8,032 as the greatest possible strength of
the minority, one thousand less than that re?
ceived by each of the four opposition candi?
dates.
' To recapitulate, both parties would be repre?
sented in all but four counties, under the pro?
posed system.
At present in nineteen counties the Inde?
pendents are not represented, or only so by
sufferance, and in-the Republicans arc not
represented. In the former 33,506 Indepen?
dents, and in the latter 23,318 Republican
voters have no voice in the Legislature.
That every minority should be represented
is a sound principle, and for this reason we ask
cumulative voting, whether we lose or gain by
it.
Let us now examine the change that would'
be effected. At present the House stands, we>
believe, sixty-seven members elected by Repub?
licans and fifty-seven by Independents. The
estimate we have prepared from actual calcu?
lation gives, by cumulation, sixty-four Repub?
licans and sixty Independents. Now, by sim?
ple proportion we find Unit the ratio of Cham?
berlain's vote, 80,134, to the whole vote, 149,395,'
is within a fraction the ratio of 64 to 124, or
that an actual estimate by counties gives pre?
cisely the result required by a comparison of
the total vote in the State.
We cannot pursue this subject further at
present. Our article is already too long, but
we hope it will serve to some extent to demon?
strate the workings' of the system of cumula?
tive voting.? Winnsboro News.
? IMant fruit trees well, care for them, and
got good crops.
I President Grant and the Republican Leaders.
. The Washington correspondent .of the New
York Herald gives the annexed sketch of the
"happy family" at the nation's capital.
Washington; Jan. 3,1875.
? The Republicans, returning hither from their
Christmas vacation, are not in high spirits.
I Many of. them, on the contrary, are deeply
i discouraged, and almost ready to give up aH
. hopes of a future for the Republican party.
It is their almost unanimous belief that the
President is a burden the party cannot easily
carry ; that no measure of legislation is nearly
so important to" rally them as it would be to
either get rid of the President, or inspire him
with such an appreciation of the dangers of
the situation, as would lead him to change his
attitude and course. But the President feels
not a little contempt for those party leaders
who seek to put blame on him. It can be said
on the highest evidence that he still thinks a
third term the best solution of all the difficul?
ties of the political situation. Two years ago,
when congratulated upon his re-election, he.
replied that, "though some people had been
fearful, he had always been confident that he
would be able.to drag, the party through ;" and
the recent elections have not in the leaskshak
en bis convictions that without him the party
must go down two years hence. Several influ?
ential Republicans have of late met with a cold
rebuff when they argued with him to let it be.
understood that he did not seek a third term.
He receives snch suggestions ingrira silence.
Nevertheless, there is a strong feeling bete
among leading Republicans that if the party
is to be saved the President mustbe dealt with,,
and awakened to the mischief he is doing.
They want him promptly and very explicitly to
disavow all expectation or desire of a third'
term; and to express himself as opposed to it
on general principles; as wrong, dangerous and;
net on any account to be tolerated. Nor is!
this all. They think he ought also to begin at
once to-weed out the officers, removing some
even of the higher officers of the government,;
land putting better men in their places. It is,
also said that the President ought to be told
that he must conciliate the Liberal Republi?
cans ; that he ought to call to important places
in the Administration such men as Judge
Trumbull and Senator Schurz, and that he
should lose no time in making such removals
and changes as to enable him to bring back the
Liberal Republican leaders to their old allegi?
ance. Those who talk thus include many of
the most important and leading men in the
Republican ranks?men who believe that, un?
less such a radical change in policy as is above
described is quickly carried out, the party wilt
go down. Those Members and Senators who
have spent their vacation North come back
with very decided feelings that something has
to be done, and that within the next thirty
days. They do not attempt to conceal their
uneasiness; and it would not be surprising if
the President were plainly told that he must
change; must cast off his odious personal sur?
roundings, and must declare opeuly against a
third terra.
But nobody feels much hope of expectation
that he will receive such suggestions with re?
spect,, or that he will change his course so de?
cidedly as' the Republican leaders think he
should. In fact, the very general belief among
prominent Republicans here is, that the party
would be in a very happy and promising, con?
dition if it could get rid of General Grant.
How to manage and control him is the question
of greatest importance here, just now, among
them. On the other hand there is reason to
believe that in General Grant's opinion he
would be in a very comfortable position, if it
were not for the burden of the party, which he
believes to be hanging about his neck. He.
has great contempt for the people who imagine
the country to be in an uncomfortable or un?
natural condition ; or who are alarmed at the
result of the recent elections. He is not scared
at all, and counts those who are as mere
alarmists and enemies of his who ought to be
sternly put down.
Affaibs in Edgefield.?Gen. M. C. But?
ler and others, representing the citizens of
Edgefield, had an interview with Got. Cham?
berlain one day last week, i They represented''
that Ned Ton nan t, a captain of militia, had
taken his company to Edgefield and'received
from the militia colonel of the regiment a\"}
stand of arms and several rounds of ammuni?
tion ; that he had indulged in night drills,
marches, drum'beating, etc., to the great alarm .;
and terror of quiet people, particularly females, }
in his neighborhood, keeping it up frequently "
all night. They came jo the-interests of peace :
and good order to request of the Governor that
he issue an order requiring these arms to be
given up and placed in safe-keeping. Judge
Carpenter, who was present by invitation at
the inteiview, gave it as his opinion that it was .
both illegal and unwise for militia-men to re?
tain in their own keeping, as if their own pri?
vate property, arms which belonged to the
State, and thought that it ought to be prevent?
ed.
Governor Chamberlain, with complimentary
expressions of approval of the discretion of
the community which had sent the committee,
and to the committee itself, promised to take
the matter into immediate consideration, and,
as there appeared to be no complaint made, no
threats uttered which would justify or excuse
the exceptional action which had been taken
by Tennant and his militia, he felt inclined to
issue an order that they should deliver up the
arms. They had been issued without his
knowledge or consent. He agreed with the
committee and Judge Carpenter that it was a
proceeding which was threatening to the pub?
lic peace, and, in the 6tate of feeling which
unhappily had for some time existed in Edge
field, might, unless checked, lead to collisions.
These he was most anxious should on all ac
o unts be avoided.
Mild Winters.?The Baltimore Gazcttehas
gathered some statistics of mild winters which
are worth reading. It is stated that in 1172 in
England the temperature was so high that the
leaves came out on the trees in January, and
the birds hatched their broods in February. In
1820 the winter was equally as mild, and the
maidens of Cologne wore wreaths of violets at
Christinas and on Twelfth Day. In 1421 the
trees bloomed in the month of March, and the
vines in the month of April; cherries ripened
in the same month, and grapes appeared in the
month of May. In 1572 the trees were covered
with leaves in January, and the birds hatched
their young in Febuary, as in 1172. In 1585
the same thing was repeated, and it is added
that corn was in the ear at Easter. There was
in France neither frost nor snow throughout
the winters of 1538,1609,1617, and 1759. Fi?
nally, in 1662, even in the north of .Germany,
the stoves were not lighted and trees flowered
in February. Coming to later dates, the win?
ter of 1846-7, and that of 1866, the year of the
great inundation of the Seine, may be mention?
ed as exceptionally mild.
? The crow is not so bad a bird after all. It
never shows the white feather, and never com?
plains without caws.