Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-01-28


> Carolina, together with those
D many moderate Republicans, an
:, will soon DO formally presented I
> Congress;
usITED STATES oF AuEkIcA,
STATE OF SouTn CAROLINA,
}. 10 tho Honorable tho Semitic an,
: House Of Representatives OF III
/, United States Of America;
/ Tho petition of tho undersigned
/ citizens OF the Stats Of South Caro-
lima, showelh TO your honorable
/ bodies that they frankly and with
, ont reservation adopted tho conse
, quenees Of defeat, and have endeav
ored, since. the wsr,to conduct them
selves ms good citizens obedient "a
law, under whatever government
has been imposed on them, wheth,
er military, or cisils That, reoog.
nizing tho chsngos in tho constitn.
ton, and tho various laws passed
for the reconstruction of tho States,
they have willingly and without
murmur rendered obedience TO the
samo. That they have patiently
endured the state of affairs herein
after get forth, in , the hope that
when the preiudiccs succeeding the
war abated, Congress would provide
for them tho benefits secured 10 the
States in tho fourth seetion Of the
fourth article in the Constitution,
which guarantees to every State in
the "Unon d republican form Of
government, and shall protect each
of them against invasion" That
soon after the war, the State was inva-
ded by set ofunprincipled adven-
turers, who, by pandering TO the
prejndices and passions of the uned-
ucated colorcd race, obtained CON
troll of the convention, Legislature,
executive and judicial departments,
and have administered the govern
ment to the great oppression of the
State, and utterly obliterated all
forms of q republican government,
using tho taxes, finances, and laws
for their personal advancement and
the injury of the people. In this
/. That the Governor has 80 ma
nipulated the finances that he has
made Il largo fortune by specula,
tion in State bonds, State moneys
and public property.
2. That he has maintained n
State constabulary and armed the
colored militia, excluding thereirom
the.whites, for the express purpose
of fomcnting dissension and antago-
nism between the races, in order to
secure his reelection.
g. That he has shamefully abus-
cd the pardoning power, by letting
loose upon the community persons
convicted of tho most heinous
crimes, for the sole purpose Of ena-
bling them TO vote.
4. That the appointed trial JUS
tices in every county and township |
of the State, in violation of the con-
stitution, who are generally ignor-
ant and INSCRIPTIONS, oppress the
people by collecting costs and fines,
appropriating the latter to their own
,uso instead of paying the samo into
the treasury.
5. That the whole executive do
partmcnt, including the Attorney
General without single exception,
have systematically plnpdered the
State, and appropriated to their
own uso moneys which should have
been used TO alleviate the excessive
and oppressive taxation under which
tho people now labor.
6. That the legislature is com
posed of the most ignorant and Vi
cious men of both races, who have
passed laws to secure their own re-
election, have acccrted bribcs for
the passage of laws to advance. Pri- T
vate interests, and that many of
them cannot read or write. ~
z. That they have elected judges
without regard to character or
qualification, SO, that Justice is de-
layed or lily administered, and cases
decided to SUIT the designs of q
party instead of reaching the ends
of justice.
g. That under this condition of
things, property has deprecated in
value, industry and energy ore /
paralyzed, vice and immortality en-
couraged, and life is not protected.
Wherefore your petitioners pray
that the political condition Of South
Carolina be referred to q committee
of your honorable body, or to any I
commission of sensible, patriotic,
honorable men, with power to send
for persons and papers, to oinvestr
gate and report on the POLITICAL con-
dition of South Carolina, and TO
make such suggestions as to them
may sccm wise, fit and pepper Ard
your petitioners win ever pray, &c. |
Tins presentation Of tho above
will afford an excellent opportunity |
to test the honesty and patriotism !
of the dominant party in oQ Ma
tional Legislature. Here is q ro-
spectful petition coming from peo.
pie Who. rs citizens of the United
States. have a right to call npon the |
Government whose Authority they |
acknowledge for protection. 1t is
not political dodge, Tor the elec- !
tiou is over, and another Of any i'm !
portance will not occur for two