Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-01-04
Terrible scene at an Alabama Election


4 lsdy 81 Kingston, Aisrsms, b.s vat
ten an sppeal ln tie "CLr.Ilsn women 81
the Nor,h." ~ use Iheu nhItnrr TO save
The women u( the Soulh lrnm tie terrible
Ptrils which lie Radical p"Iiry of rrrop-
s'rrc'ion is frrc,ng upon usm, L,rss
nun bers Of families IN rhe ScUth are lsf
WITHOUT any male head, rnd ,he irmplr-
have 10 work ant toll IN tie fi.lt. and zie
there. as evoryr here d.e, constantly s,b.
jeCted tn the insults srd cuUsse- cf hall.
civilized negrnCs, OhO kLuS nn Law bst
their own lusls ard Gesuos. Aier teie
women have worked in The open fields
and produced lh,ir hllle rroTs, ,hry sre
not unfreqnsnlly stolen by tie neero,st
night. She ssstrls that large numbers of
Ihe freedmen Who were three years sgo
industrious and honsst. lave, undtr The
new order Of Ihirgs. become d.unhsrd'
aud v,gsbouds. Here is an election scers
whlrh she reci,es. that viii prove Insruc.
tive To cur people IN regsri 10 The beau.
ties ol necrr elecliuss in Tie South
We viii elVe shgh sketch OF orc
scene only, auung tie hundreds Ihsi
SUu,heIn women hs,e io eRscu0'er. Our
recent elections have been awful. Al
ways. heretofore, lie y hiie men bad &C.
ted at eichI or icn precinct. in each coun-
Iy; but our military monarch ordered that
all should role al Tie co6rt-house. Ihets.
by. ~ some counties, collecting hgethrt
several thousand negroes, g. cfeale ros
with lie whites Msv God forgive Us ll
we ju 'se him wronll, but We can see no
other reason for Ibis order. Oor court
house 4, situated ~ spsTsciy s,tl ser
lion, only four or Eve families in tie 'i!-
lage, masty women and children. moro
thon twenty -Gvs GilSs lrOm military
post Well. ,he night before election.
between one and ivo thousand negroes
commenced coming in. al armed, With
guns, pistols. and bowic-knnc,, thry
were yelling. firing guns and tearing -
round Il oil the demon. from tie lower
regions had heGn turned Loose on earth 10
walk 10 and fro. The din continued lhrse
days. and We dc not see dozen White
men during tie time. The military or.
der wss Tor all groceries 10 br closed; II
was done here, but vhiskey Vas minded
out Of back winJoNs ss much as was wan
ted. During the time. one While nan at
tempted to vote; a negro Gu'r! knocked
him down; he had spirit 10 fire ai him; ho
made bis escape. and 70 one wa. hun.
But lsugu1ge cannot pSrluy The OpIosr
OF a thousand half-drunkcn negroes 10 pUr'
suit. The 6ring, scteeching. swearing.
and obscene laarnage were horrible. None
that witnessed that scene can forget IL
while life LASTS We lhorghI then. and
think yet. il would haze been a deed Of
mercy il Congress had sent old Brown.
low with his torch and iurpcnline. ts''r-
minated ihc women and children South. u
e would have laid or bodies beneath our
bloody SOIL with our loved ones gone be.
fore. The most off, have been reduced
from sillUence TO poverty; but wo do moi
ask aid and are willing 10 t'Il for our Ii'-
ing. Our young sons work manfully ,o
support ther aged parents. and Iundrej'
of women in Alsbsms work daily in lie
fields TO support theirchildren. Then lhe
lazy. prowling negroes rob our fields o.
night Oh tie iron heel OF oppre'-
sion is truly on our nerk', snj life i's
curse 10 many AT the South to-day. 10,
this is only the beginning oi The drsms.
God alone knows The srquel