Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-15

ticed upon the colorcd voters, at tn
different precincts in said county, b,
your friends and partizans, with you
knowledge and consent.
39th. That at the different election
precincts in said county of Abbevillc
in said district, viz: the precincts O
AbbcviIlo Court House, Col1csbury
Greenwood, Ninety Six, Long Can,
Mills, Wood7illc, Whitehall, Goth
rams, Moslcy's, Calhoun's Mills
Cedar Springs, Bradlcy's Mills, War;
crton, Bordeaux, Triblcsand Lowndcs
willie, many of the managers of elcc
ton were not sworn, as in accordanc,
to law they should have been.
10th. That in the county of Abbc
vile, in said district, there were many
murders and assassinations of leading
Republicans that the Hon. B. +
Randolph was assassinatcd in said
county on the 10th day of October
A. D., 1868, whilo canvassing sale
county for me.
That James Martin, member o1
the General Assembly from said
county, and leading Republican
therein, was assassinatcd during the
same month, or tho month previous
and numbers Of colorcd mon, whose
names arc unknown to me, wcrc shot
and murdered, and that these murders
and assassinations were brought about
by members of the Democratic party
for the purpose of defeating my cleo
ton.
Sec. SD. That by virtue of the
general and wholesale system of in
Limitations, threats, outragcs and
terrorism practiced throughout the
counties of Lexington, Newbcrry,
Abbeville and Anderson, together with
the fraud and illcgality practiced at
the different election precincts in each
OF said counties, the election in the
said counties is null and void,
Sec. seth. That it would be impos-
slble for me, with safety to myself, to
go into the counties of Abbcville,
Ncwbcrry and Anderson, for the pur
pose of taking testimony in this con-
test, that l would he assassnatcd by
your friends and partizans if 1 made
the attempt to do so.
54th. l charge that in the Spring
and, Summer of the year 1868 an
extensive combination and conspiracy
OF persons residing in different parts
OF the State Of South Carolina, was
formed for the purpose of compelling
the electors Of said State to vote for
the candidates supported by said COM
bination and conspiracy, at the elcc
ton required by law to be held in the
several Congressional Districts. in the
said State, and to prevent from voting
at said election all electors supporting
candidates in opposition to those sup
ported by said combination and con-
spiracy; that in pursuance of such
conspiracy candidates were agreed
upon, to be supported by said combi-
nation and conspiracy, for the offices
of members of Congress to the Forty.
First Congress of tho United States,
from the several Congressional Dis
tricts of said State, and among others
that you were put forth as one of said
candidates, and supported by said
combination and conspiracy, for said
Third Congressional District ; that in
pursuance of the aforesaid objects and
interests, of said combination and
conspiracy, public meetings were
called at various places throughout
said State by the persons 50 combined
and conspiring, at which it was
among other things publicly resolved
as follows
First. That no elector in said State
opposing the election of said candi-
dates, supported by said conspiracy,
should be employed by persons be-
longing to said combination and con-
spiracy, or should be retained in the
service of said conspirators.
Second. That no such elcctor should
be retained in tho employment or be
permitted to reside on the lands of
said conspirator.
Third. That all electors supporting
said last named candidates should re.
ceiye support and protection as citi-
zens and neighbors from said conspir.
ators in their lives and property.
1t was publicly announced that
unless. tho people of color in said
State should support said last named
candidates that they would be driven
with violence from said State and pre-
vented from remaining or living
within the same. That in pursuance
OF the interests and objects @ said
conspiracy the public newspapers of
the State were almost without excep.
ton influenced and required to give
publicity to such determinations and
nhsoako ool h..