The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-04-12
General KerShaW'S Letter.

The following letter from that dis
tiDguished soldier and patriot, Ger.
j. B. Kershaw, appears in tho last is
sue Of the Camden Journal. 1t is in
the shape Of an answer to the letter
lately addressed to General Kershaw
and others by Senator Robertson:
CAMDEN, s. c., March rs, 1871.
Hon. T. J. Robertson, u. s. Senator:
DEAR Sir II have tho honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your favor
Of the 18th instant, and after giving
it that consideration which its grave
Importance demands, proceed to an.
swer it. This am compelled to do
without that conference with those
gentlemen with whom you have asso
oiated me, in the address of your letter
which l would gladly have had, if it
had been practicable.
need not assure you of my earnest
desire to secure peace and ordcr, and
a just and faithful administration Of
the laws in this uined and desolated
State. The sacrifices have made Of
time and labor, sentiment and feeling,
and even Of the regard Of valued
friends to promote those ends, are
we'll known to you. Nor need l do
more to vindicate tho earnest heart
yearnings of our good people for
peace and security, than to point to
their unanimous support of a party
which sought, last year, balm for the
healing of the hideous diseases of sos
ciety, in q concession of legal efficacy
and obligation to the amendments of
the Constitution and the so.oallcd re-
construction acts, asking in return hut
an honest and just administrat tion of
affairs.
These COM neessions and all ovortures
for peace were scorufully rejected by
the colored people and their leaders.
Under the high sounding and preten
Sfions title Of "National Guards" tho
negroes we're armed and equipped
with the deadliest and costliest wea.
pons and munitions Of war, at tho ex-
pense of the people. They were ex
cited, incensed and infuriated by the
speeches of false and unscrupulous
demagcgues, who played upon their
blind passions and prejddices as a
skillful harper upon the passive and
obedient chords of his instrument. un-
til they were ready for carnival Of
blood at the bidding Of their leaders.
The Commissioners, Managers and
Boards of Election were so selected,
and the election laws so cunningly
devised, as to secure the result of the
ballot irrespective Of the will of the
people. Thus by fraud, by force and
by cunning artifcc, negro domination
WAS secured and the whites we're prac
tically disfranchised.
The Legislature thus constituted, /,
many of the public officials openly,
notoriously and shamelessly plumber.
ed the psople Of the State, recklessly
squaudered the public money,
appropriating it to their own uses,
and selling their votes and their in.
fuenoe for the passage of laws to
open the treasury to corrupt specula-
tors. BY those means the expendi-
lures Of the State Government have
been increased to more than five times
the amount required before the war,
while the meaDs of the people have
cofrespondingly diminished. The
sazes for two years, aggregating moro
than four millions of dollars, are ex-
aoted in this year, q period of greater
financial distress than this people has
encountered since 1865. Swarms of
high salsried Offices have been created
before unknown to us, and for the most
part filed with incompetent negroes,
or malignant and corrupt whito men,
who seek to perpetuate the power by
fomenting discord between the races.
Under these corrupting influences the
negroes, in many places, have become
violent, threatening and dangerous.
Murder, arson and pillage have stalk
cd through the land almost unrebuked
Of justice, while every defensive act
Of the white victims has been magni-
fed into national crime.
Now you desire my tsaid in!arousing
and concentrating the opinion Of all
good citizens, in favor of law and or
der" You attribute to me, in COM
mon with tho other gentlemen whom
you have addressed, "intolligenoe
and good intentions" Let me re-.
mark, by the way, as illustrating one
Of the many anomalies Of the day,
not withstanding the confidence tbua
expressed, the most liberal amnesty
Bill yet reported by your committee
docs not propose to plaoe at the dis.
posal Of the State, in any official GA.
paeity, those qualities which you sup
pose me to POSSESS. Nevertheless,
disfranohissd and "unpardoned rob-
els'' though we. do be, ], claim, in
common with others similarly situa.
ted, to have done, moro to promote
peace and order In South Carolina,
than allfthe so-oalled loyal people
within her borders. am etill for