Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-02-12

OF Abbevillc, that any illegal vote o
votes were cast for me by persons VIII
were non-rcsidents of said county. O
other persons, ut any one or more O
said election precincts, other than b,
tho few persons, legal voters (and it i
not admitted that any OF them votcr
for mo) Of Edgcficld county, and also
IN an election for member Of CONGRESS-
legal voters Of Abbcville county. rs i
Is insisted, who were permitted t.
vote at certain precincts, as bcfor,
stated nor is it true that any illcga
votes were cast for mo in the count,
OF Abbcville; nor is it true that any
number of colored persons, leea
voters, werc driven from the polls, or
prevented by any unfair means, from
voting at any one of the precincts in
said county; nor is it true that armed
bodies OF men took possession of the
polls at any election precinct on cleo
ton day, for any purpose whatever.
But 1t Is true, rs | am informed, be
llevc and charge, that the said election
passed off with tho most perfect quiet,
good order and fairness, at every clcc-
tion precinct in the said county of Alb
bcville, save at the precinct of White
l1all, where a disturbance did take
place, in which some acts of violence
were committed, and in which certain
colorcd persons, friends of contestant.
were the aggrcssors and arc alone re-
sponsible for.
X * * &
s. 1t is not true, as stated and
charged in the 53rd specification of
sad protest, that 1 said in speech in
Columbia that if the Republican party
should carry certain States in the Oc-
tober elections, "thc colorcd people
might have the audacity and impu-
dence to attempt to vote as thcy
please" but that "in my part of the
District the negroes should vote the
Democratic ticket, or they should not
vote at all. I may have expressed
the opinion there, as 1 certainly did
elsewhere, both publicly and poivate!y
that the result Of the Congressional
election in this State would depend, in !
4 great measure, on the result Of the
October elections in the State of Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Indiana. That if
The Republican party carried those
States, it would most likely stimulate
'he carpet baggers and coloret persons
% turn out to the election and over /
whelm us. But that if the said States
should be carried. by the Democratic
party, it would discourage them, so
hat they would probably abandon the
contest. That it was my impression
hat the colored voters in my part of
'he country were very much inclined,
either to vote with their white fellow
citizens, who they were beginning to
earn were their only true friends, or
'emain away from the polls. But I did
lot, on that or any otaer occasion,
tate that any voter, of any class,
hould vote otherwise than as he was
prompted to do by his own free will.
Nor is it true that I ever said, on the
irecnville Railroad cars or elsewhere.
hat l "advised the most extreme vio-
ence against all Republican leaders
nd speakers in the District" The
barge is alike slanderous, libellous
nd false. So far from such charge
elng true, affirm, as is known to
very individual in the State with &
'hom l had any intercourse, that I &
'as more conservative and moderate,
my public addresses and private r
onversations, than any other individ H
al in the State, occupying public t
osltion, with whom I came in con. +
'ct, of either of the political parties i
insisted most strenuously, every s
here and oil occasions, that the peace '
'ust be preserved, all acts of violence r
Volded, and mono other than moderate
ad fair means resorted to, to carry T
le election, and if any other means 4
ere resortcd to, I had no knowledge of a
lem, either before or since the cleo d
on. And further affirm that I had f
ken no active interest in political '
alters for three or four years prior "
the opening of last summers CAM "
'lgn; that said campaign had pro. il
'essed for weeks before / identified e
yself with either of the political b
arties; that I was present at large
emocratic demonstration at Ander. a
N, (my own home) and another at .
reenville, in August last, and was en- Il
rely ignored by the leaders and g,
anagers, because Twas charged with p
.ving too pliantly accepted the stu a.
ion; and when was induced by b.
lends lends to declare my opinions, and
'cept q nomination for Congress-, 81
70 Of Of my leading purposos--and, in. B
'ed, the leading tpurpose.-,as T. Lpro-
aimed publicly and priyatalv. was n Eo