Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-04-09
WALHALLA, s, C, FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1869.
did you do to prevent it2

Al do not know that thore were such
armed bands In these counties, nor do I now
r%ocollcct Of any report of such armed bands
being made to me from Abbeville. It may
however have been made, as there was a
general rumor of armed bands Of negroes.
. Q.-Do you know that the importation Of
arms into the State was brought about by the
fact that every negro man in the State ives
the owner of a ire-arm, and the white man
almost entirely unarmcd7
A.-On tho contrary I know to the 70.
verse of that. You would scarcely meet a
white man who did not have one revolver if
not more, and a double barrel shot gun. It
is true that many of the colored mon were
armed with shot guns and old muskets, but
not more than a large minority of them had
evon these arms. I wish to soy that I gave
tho whites Of the State the credit with more
intelligence and knowledge Of the negro
character than to believe that it was necessary
in any emergency q provide themselves with
the destructive weapons in a time of profound
peace.
Q-You think then and testify that the
sixteen shooters were imported to kill ne
groes?
Al believe from evidence that I dare
not regard as worthless that it was tho belief
of a party or q large number of men in the
State that Seymour and Blair would be elect
cd, and thereby q decision would be given
against the Reconstruction policy of Con-
gress, and it was tho intention of those to in
aagurate civil war and overflow the govern
mcnts that had been established in the South.
L will give as one reason for this belief: Con.
Versations wore not uncommon among those
who wore most active in importing tLese
arms, they expressed fully and openly their
plan Of operation, in which they stated that
they would bring about a riot in this event
they would be prepared and kill off the lead.
ing Republicans, both white and black, and
that it would be an easy matter after they
were disposed of, to control the rest of the
negroes, with these guns in their hands. The
State officers disposed of, they would call a
election, when they would have tho whole
matter in their own hands. In answer to an
inquiry whether they did not fear that they
would be called to an account for this whole.
sale work, they said: "Who over heard of
any body being punished for n riot" and re.
fcrred to Memphis, Camilla, and New Or
leans in 1865.
Q.-You think then tho sixteen shooters
were introduced for another rebellion and q
new secession :?
Al think it was intended for another
rebellion, but not a new secession.
The; NEXT CorToN CRop.-Three million
bales Of cotton this year, if the season be ia.
vorable, yielding, at present prices, $500, 000,-
600, will be the contribution of the cotton
States to the material wealth Of the Union.
Hero is a prize worth oontending for by the
great oommeroisl cities, and New York, from
present Indications, will secure 80 largo q
share as to make up for tho dulness Of tho
last season. Freights to Europe will rule
high, as a matter Of course, and were it not
for the insane policy Of Congress, ship.build-
ing would Immediately rovive. Our great
mercantile marine before the war was mainly
built by tho cotton trade. It can be rebuilt
and enlarged now by judioious legislation.
We clip the foregoing representation from
an exchange, but we find the opinion very
general among Southern cotton dealers that
tho crop Of 1868 will show the maximum, no
matter what may be the efforts to produce a
larger yield. A heavy and universal falling
off Of labor in the fields is reported. On the
other hand, We think no due allowance is
made for an increase in the strictly white la.
Dor product Of Georgia. This, we boliove,
will be very considerable. Then we must
also allow for q considerable increase in the
crop resulting from tho diminutien in the
corn culture. This will be large generally.
The reports from oil points in Georgia indi-
cate that very little corn will be planted
On the whole, with q good years VIC expoot
to See three million: bales produced.
rMacon TelegrapM
----2 e~--
The TENURE OF OFFICE BILh-On
Wednesday, in the Senate, Mr.. Trumbull,
from the judiciary Committee, reported the
bill to repeal tho tenure Of Office act, with an
amendment in the nature Of a substitute. II
60 49,.