Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-02-18
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GROUNDS OF CONTEST
: 70 the Seat in tho Forty-First Congress from
the 4th Congressional District.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Dec 80, 1868.
To WILLIAM D. SIMPSON, Esq, Laurens Court
House, South Carolina.
SR:-You are hereby notified that shall con-
test your election and right 10 seat as member
of the House of Representatives in the Forty First
Congress, from the Fourth Congressional District
of the State of South Carolina, upon the following
grounds, touching the election held for said Dis
trict on the third day of November, A. D. 1868,
and other grounds as set forth in this notice:
LIST. I charge that you, William ID. Simpson,
were member of the General Assembly Of the
State of South Carolina, during the years A. d.
1858 and 1859, and that before taking your seat as
a member of said General Assembly, you took an
oath to support the Constitution of the United
States of America
End That in the yesr A D. 1850 you were a
member of the General Assembly of the State Of
South Carolina that called the Convention to frame
the Ordinance of Secession for the State Of South
Carolina, and that you voted for calling said Con-
vention.
srd. That in the year A. D. 1861, you volunta-
rily entered the Army Of the socalled Confederate
States of America as commissioned officer (Ma-
ior and afterwards Lieutenant Colonel) and served
in such capacity until the year 1863, and as such
officer, you took an oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the socaled Confederate States Of America.
4th. That on the 18th day of January, A. d.
1864, YOU were commissioned as member OF the
Congress of the so-called Confederate States OF
America from the Fourth Congressional District
of South Carolina, to Fill an unexpired term. and
that on the 18th day Of February, A. d. 1864, you
were again commissioned as member Of said
Congress from said District and served in said Ca
pacity until the close of the war; that as mem
Der of said Congress, you took an oath to support
the Constitution of the socaed Confederate States
of America
5th. That as said officer in the Army of the so
called Confederate States of America, you engaged
in open insurrection and rebellion against the gov
ernment of the United States of America, and that
as said member of Congress Of the so-called Con,
federate States of America, you gave aid and COM
fort to the enemies thereof.
9Th. That during the period from the year A.
D. 1860 to year A. D. 1865, at different times and
in different places you made speeches in favor OF
the rebellion and urged the men Of South Carolina
to enter the Army of the so-called Confederate
States, and in number Of other and different
WAYS, gave aid and comfort to the enemies Of the
United States, and that you are still opposed to
the government of the United States and to the
Reconstruction Acts of Congress.
7th. That you were disqualified from holding
any Office of trust or profit, either State or Fede
ral at the time you were voted for as candidate
for Congress from the Fourth Congressional Dis
trict of the State of South Carolina, on the third
day of November A. D. 1868, and that you are
still so disqualified for the causes and reasons here
tofore stated and that it was known to the electors
in said Fourth Congressional District at the time
they voted for you as candidate for Congress
from said District, that you were ineligible to Office.
sth. That sometime previous to the said elec.
ton, large quantities of firearms were taken into
the county of Union and distributed among your
friends aad partisans for the purpose Of intimida
ton: that for sometime previous to the day o.
said election, threats were continually and openly
made by your friends and partisans, that any mar
who should vote the Republican ticket, or for me
would be shot, and that several who were know
to be leaders in the Republican party, were shot
assaulted, beaten and abused; that houses were
broken open at night, by parties in disguise, WHIT
threatened the inmates of said houses, that if they
did not cease to electioneer for the Republican
c. &bot fhay,r ho od aDc
that several parties were driven from their home:
and forced to hide for some weeks, to save them
selves from personal violence; and that large sums
Of money were offered to any one who would xii
them.
9th. That for several days and nights previous
to the said day of election, large parties of armed
men, part in disguise, rode over said county O
Union, threatening and intimidating all persons
who intended to vote the Republican ticket, OF
for me that in this manner several hundred lega
voters in said county were prevented from going tt
the polls on said day Of election to exercise then
right of suffrage, all of whom would have votec
for me.
10th. That on said day of election, (the saio
third day of November, 1861 parties of armed
men went to the different election precincts in the
county of Union, in said District, and by intimida
ton, threats, force and violence, prevented many
legal voters, who we're known to be Republicans,
from approaching the polls, presenting pistols and
guns at them and threatening to kill them if they
did not leave and that many were prevented from
voting at said election precincts in said county OF
the pretense that their names could not be fount
on the registration books, all of said persons beins
duly registered and legal voters in said county
and that any person who would vote the Demo
cratic ticket, could do-so, unquestioned whethe
he was registrated or not
llth. That from the above mentioned causes a
least one thousand (1,000) legal voters of salt
county of Union, who would have voted for me
were prevented from casting their votes on sai'
ll.I lnno