The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-03-04
[rnoa t coLvMprA connEspoxpExcr.l
Tho Washington Committee.

The House Of Representatives has
sent to the Capitol OF the Nation, three
of its members, to implore of the Presi-
dent of the u. s., aid and assistance for
the State Government in subduing the
lawlcss riots of the ~up:eountry. This
Committee consisting of Messrs. Whip
per from Beaufort, Wilkes of An
derson and Mickler, started on the
10th of last month on their mission.
The Chairman Mr.. Whippcr, after an
absence of a few days, zeturned to Co.
iamb u, le9yisg his Two colleagues at the
National Capitol to await his return
What was the reason of the sudden re.
appearance in our midst of Que OF our
messengers, who were to carry the cry OF
distress from our good people, TO the ON
nipotent father at Washington why
simply, that it wasimpossible for our Com
mittee to get a hearing before the Presi.
dent, and so Mr.. Whipper returned
with the very laudable intent, as he
could do no good to his country in Wash
ington, to give his valuable aid in the
efforts to defeat the most gigantic at
tempt to swindle the people cvcr under.
taken. We refer to>the Columbia &
Greenville Railroad Bill. 1t is true
Mr.. Whipper laJored in vain. All his
persuasive eloquence, brought forth in
the most earnest manner, could not fight
against the SPINNER ARGUMENT advauc-
ed by the advocates Of the Bill, and the
parties directly interested in it. But be-
cause a man has fought hard and been
beaten, does that detraet from the credit
due him? Let us though return to the
Committee which SO singularly failed in.
obtaining an interview with President
Grant. Surely the authorities in Wash.
ington were aware Of the coming of such
a deputation, they surely know the very
important mission on which the Com
inittce had been sent, and yet he doors
of the Executive Office would not open
for them, the Chief Magistrate would
not hear them. This action on the
part of Grant, admits of two dcGni
tons, either Of which may be. tho true
explanation. First, the authorities ut
Washington do not recognize Il Commit
tee sent on the part of the House Of
representatives alone, - a true repre-
sentation Of the people of South Carroll
lima, ard therefore refuse to listen to
their pieadings, or, the appointmeat of
such a Committee has offended our Rep
rcsentatives in Congress, aud they have
used their influence to PROSTATE the
plans Of our envoy. This latter propo-
sition seems to us, almost, the more rensona-
bic of the two. Had tic Senate been
allie TO concur in the action of the nousc
and so made this a ioip Committee,
then its members would have borne the
character Of a deputation sent by Tie
people Of the State Of South Carolina, as
represented in General Assembly. Our
Represe atativcs both in the upper and
lower branch Of the National Assembly,
would have been oBLiqrp to. recognize
and assist snch a deputatioD, s-us as it
were, by the powers that made them ; and
tho Executive could not have stopped
its ear against its demands of q dclega,
ton seat to them by a Sovereign State,
to ask for a constitutional right due that
State and its people, namely protection
bS o. $, Troops when the military of