Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-12-14

were reappoluCeu, anu Iue DesC Poa
rion in the County Of Charleston, tn
county treasurership, was bestowe
by me upon citizen known to bepc
litically hostile to the State admins
tration. s .t@g.i
1 recur to these facts to show tina
Che armed violence which has pre-
vailed in this State, and has success
fully bid defiance to the civil author
ities, cannot find a vindication in tn
plea, which SO justly commends itsel
to the American minds that it wa
the result Of q reaction against cp
preston appeal to force to rem
edys wrongs for which there was ne
other remedy.
Indeed, this system of organized
murder began in 1865, Immediately
after the cessation ofihostilities ih4hs
open field ,5Ainaugurating condition
Eof affairs that has continued with va
rying intensity up to the period OF its
recent elimination, and which diff
fered in its destructiveness from ac-
tual war only in this, that the,kstleo
and scounded aversaA on ons side.
In evidence Of this, refer to the
well known fact, that my immediate
predecessor, one of the most worthy
and eminent citizens of the State
Governor James l.. Orr, was both
publicly and privately maligned for
his efforts to suppress it and enforce
the laws againssthe Criminals. The
class Of men who assailed him for the
faithful and fearless discharge Of his
duty are the same who openly defend
the Ku-Klux and secretly moved the
springs that put and kepts them IN
motion. s I5ESsEa eEGE :,
A better temper seemed to prevail
among this class in the early, part Of
1868. This, however, was rapidly
changed under the written teachings
and public speeches Of the opposition
press and leaders. By the notorious
Broadhead letter of General Frank
P. Blair, and kindred utterances, an
nouncing the speedy advent of ma,
tional administration that would
"trample under foot the whole sys-
TEN OF reconstruction, the dorman'
disloyalty of the. opposition leaders
in this State was galvanized into ac-
ton, as is palsied limb of the human
body by the thrill of the electric spark.
These leaders at once evilced a re-
calcitrant spirit. They assumed the
ar and speech 'ofa defiant corqueror,
and where they did not vindictively,
assail the principles of the national
government, of whose rare magma
nimity they were living proofs, they
would declare, as the farthsst limit OF
their loyalty, that they "aecept the
situation; an expression which has
now become sterotyped, and which,
on the lips of such men, conveys both
a falsehood and au insult, in the
sense in which they use it, as it i'm
plies a reserved right to refuse obedi-
ence to the laws of their country,
whose authority they ceased to assall
only when they were deprived Of the
power to resist it.
They mistook the magnanimity OF
the government for weakness, and
pre- uln;ng upon lis .forbearance, bore
t themselves as if they had been the
victors in theslate struggle. These
old party leaders soon tanned into
flames the expiring passions Of their
followers in, the rebellion, doubtless
fearing that the new POLITICAL system
might, if unchecked, induce the-white
masses to break the thraldom that
had so long bound them under the
ancient rulers of the State. 1
They denounced the State Govern
ment, elected by majority of forty
three thousand of the votersof the
people, as "a tyrann cal usurpatlon,
and "a negro oligarchy," designed
to crush out. white. men; and they
-stigmatized its loyal supporters as
thieves and robbers and passed Il
general sentence Of outlawry upon
every Republican, without regard 70
character. The seed thus scat cred
broadcast from the rostrum, the pull
pit and thu press, soon produced a
terrible harvest. That Republicans
were the victims Of frequent murders,
both open and secret, could not be
accounted for on any known theory
of mere condolences. 1t soon be-
came evident that there was meth
ed" in this madness" and tsat a
large mass OF the whites, obeylng
the "blcody instructions ;" of their
political leaders, were engaged in a
concerted { effort to suppress Republl-
canism in the State, BY numbering
Republicans, white and coloredA y sole
" because Of their political opinions.
/ endeavored to check this system OF
violence and terrorism by an energet
ic use of the Sta constabulary, and
other civil agencies at my disposal.
In this I lncasurably succeeded for a
time, although the alleged criminals
were invariably bailed, or escaped
punishment through Jurors in accord
With them in political sentiment.
Just previous to the general State
election i of October last, there was, a
comparative lull in these outrages
The opposition party, in that election
was again defeated by an immense
majority. That defeat aroused the
fiercest hate the breasts of their
leading men against every loyal man
in the State, and, through their ef-
forts, the most. perfect cohesion was
given to the disloyal elements in the
Upper counties, where there was ar
approach to, numerical equality be,
tween the two parties.
In November following the cleo
ton. a prominent, citizen of the State
an active and recognized leader o.
the opposition party, used the follow:
ing language, in an address delivered
in this city to the Confederate Sur
A ,,oo,o tion. .aSegfT D. go