The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-03-09
Il WILLING WITNESS.
The Libel of the Governor of South Caro-
lima upon tho People of South Caro-

The Libel of the Governor Of South Caro-
lima upon tho People Of South Caro-
lima.
We make some extracts from the sworn tes
timony of Governor Scott in the Third Con
gressional District contested election case.
In reply to question by S. L. Hogc, Cover
nor Scott says:
1 am Governor R. Z Scott, Governor of tho
State-was so in July, August, September, Octobe
and November, 18G8-inaugurated 9th July, 1865
and have been Governor up to the present time
During that time the political condition of New berry
Abbeville, Anderson and Edgeield was one OF grea
excitement. The laws could not be enforced, and
were not enforced IN these counties. The o obsruc
ton of law from the fact that political or8anl
zations 70. ut defiance the officers OF the law The
organizations were the Republican and Democratic
parties. The Democratic organization " ar: ayeo
against the law I received the information as Gov
ernor that the Democratic party was organized fol
the purpose of preventing the officers Of the law from
enforcing the law against any OF their plrtsans, aud
for the purpose OF controlling the elections 10 take
place on the Sd November. IN the interest Of that
party alone These political organizations armed
themselves in order to carry out the objects and
purposes of their organization was informed bY
men who claimed to belong to Democratic clubs that
they providing themselves with sixteen shooters
and Wincht ster rifles with the declared purpose oil
first controlling the election by keeping the negroes
away from the POLLS. and ii resistance was made
they would shoot the negroes down. and thereby pre-
vent the more dmid from attending ut oil. They
did with my knowledge bring into the State
the Winchester rifles in accoid,nce with these
declarations. Thsre was no election for Con-
gross in Edgeaed County, Third Congressional
District. The reason why Is this The Law made
it my duty to appoint thIe- commissioners OF
election IN each county two of these first appoint
ed were white men and one o coored man, OF that
county. The white men objected to serve because
that particular coloreI man was member OF the
board. accordingly appointed three other commits
sioners, one OF whom was Mr. Root member of
The present house of Representatives. He replied
to me that il impossible for the board to serve
because it required all OF his time to save his
life. That he had been shot at twice In his own
residence, had escaped from his house under cover
OF darkness, snd was then writing to me from
his place of concealment in the swamp. 1t was
too lnte then to appoint any other commission
ers OF election. as the law required notice
of twenty days before election could be held The
general condition Of political affairs In that couny,ss
far the Republican party was concerned as regards
their safety can only state my opinion, based upon
reports of citizens living in the county. mir. Pope
objected to the opinion based upon such inforna.
tion) think there was scarcely mail received IN
the Executive Department during the months of
Septercber, October aud November, 1868, that did
not get ono more letters reporting the murder OF
citizens Of the county, and claimed In these Letters
to be murdered In consequence OF their political
opinion, or other outrases committed ON them, and
begging of me 10 seud military force to tho county
to give protection against lawless nen.
Q.-What was the condition in Abbeville as to out
ra,,es; also, of Newberry2
A.-The Same a. in Edgeaeld. In Abberille Coun-
ty have report on 1lc CT nineteen murders. Those
murders were nl5o committed before the November
elections Judging from the former election in
A ril, and making due allowances for natural
charges and influences that might egihmately have
beer brought to bear and judging furthermore by the
statements of men from the county OF both political
l,.. t,ats sha
have carried tue county by 1900 or 200e yotes. I
mean by Reputi can, Hoge's majority for Congress.
As to Newberry Couoty, in fair election. can only
Judge Of it fora the samc information l had as to
Abbevllle. Tho majority in Newberry could have
besu from ten to twelve hundred, same as f,r the
Legislature. The violence in Newbcrry was not to
the g1me extent IS in Abbsville as to mil der, but
the same intolerance existed as to colored men
berry-Lee Nance and man by the name of johnson
Glassgow-prominent eoIored men that now recol-
lect.
Examination by ]. D. Pope. Esq, for J. p.
Reed:
Q.-How many white men OF any party in South
Carolina supported you for Governes, do you
think?
Al have no mems Of knowing. It was q matter
white OF color Cd men, %: did regard it as impor
tant 10 the result SO long as there was fair eiec
ton ana the voters had the right to exercise the
privilege guaranteed to them by the laws ofthe
O.Eihat may be true, but was it not the fact TINT
you were elected by colored voters almost enreiy.
number of whito and coloreo votes cast for me- but
know matter of necessity that received near
Iy all the celored votes cast In tho statc % they
were Republicans from necessity, anu voted for the
o-ourirg tho canvass for Congress were you ut
any time ortines. and how often, in tho Third Con-
oressiopal Dtstric, out OF the County Of Richand2
Al was never out of the City Columbia 20 visit
any portion Of the Third Congressional rictdur'
oNWere you in any of these cou ties before the
canvass7
Al never was.
Q.-Haye you been since
Al have not. My duties hare have rendered it
almost Impossible to leave the capital.
Q.-Yolr Information. then, is derived from
Others?
A.-Yes. My information is derived from informa-
tfon ot citizens living in these counties from civil
officers of the state government aud military OH
GERS who were on duty in these counties.
Q-You say that the resistance to the laws Was en-
tirely by Democratic ORGANIZATIONS. Who gave you
this information Democrats or Republicans9
A.-Doih. Many men of the Democratic parry
were opp )sed to those Democratic organic ttsns for
the purpose of resisting The law and setting at de-
fancc the authority of the Staie government
Q.-Pray mare some Of these Democrats who
gave you This informationP
Al am not at liberty to namo them, as they en-
that they .nys the information whereby the parties
might be brought 10 justice. their own lives and
property would be 10 danger.
o-you say trat Democrats tod you that e:xteen
shooters were semported TO keep he negroes from
the polls Name some who told yol thl5Y
A-Members of the Democi ate CLUB told me this
1t don't follow that they are Democrats because thoy
belonged to Democratic clubs. number OF ke-
publlcaus joined Democratic clubs in order to dis.
cover what object they had in importing these de-
struchye weapons. I do not for precautionary rea-
sons feel justified In giving their names to the
public.
O-WouId you believe the tes'imo " Of any man
who became member OF O Democratic club for the
purpose of communicating to outsiders what he
there saw-and hearo2
A-wben surrounding circumstances and results
corroborate testimony fully, VT uld believe them.
O-You spoke of white men being armed. Do you
not know that there We're armed bands of negroes In
Edgehed and Abbeville, and were you not applied to
frequently to prevent their OF these armsf And
what did you do to prevent it2
Al de net know that there were such armed
bands in these counties, nor 90 now rrcolect of
any report o. ouch armed bands being made to me
from Abbevilie. 1t may. however, have been made,
as there was general rumor Of armed bands of nc
groes.
Q-Do you lnow that tho importation of arms
49,