The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-05

be broken and thspersed and punished"
MEssBs. EDITORS: In 1868, immedi-
ately after the Reconstruction Acts Of
Congress became the law of the land.
| the negroes OF Columbia held mass
meeting and invited Gen. Wade Hamp-
ton and Col. Orr to address them oa the
new situation, whioh these gentlemen
did; and especially did Gen. Hampton
inform them that they were now, by the
law Of Congress. citizens in full with the
whites in alloivil and political privileges.
and invited the negroes now to join the
whites. to form one body polite. to be.
come one political family, and let us nll
now unite our strength and intelligence
together and select some OF our best
and wisest men to represent our State in
| convention to reconstruct and re.organ.
| ize our State Government in accordance
! with the Reconstruction Acts. This
speech Of Gen. Hampton was favorably
received, and met with marked favor by
| the press OF Virginia and other Southern
| States. And no sooner than the pro-
oeedings of this meeting became publicly
known, than the New York Herald
sounded the alarm to the Radical party
North. See, said that paper, did not I
tel! you that you were Sharpening q
sword with two edges. and it might cut
against you as we'll as for you? II these
South Carolinians are let alone, they
will absorb the whole negro population
| into the Democratic ranks, and swell the
majority against you. The Radicals
North did take the alarm, and immedi-
ately despatched Wilson to come to this
State and Kelly to Georgia and Alabama.
to prevent this union of whites and
blacks, to carry out the purposes of the
Reconstruction Acts. A committee OF
congressman I don't mean q committee
appointed by CoDgress) met aud had
printed Union League constitution,
with Linoulns likeness on tho fronts,
and thousands OF copies were sent South
by their agents to organize Union OF
Loyal Leagues all over ouS land among
tho negroes, to defeat the very letter and
intent OF the Reconstruction Acts And
we all know how successful they were
We all know that in this State every ne
gro, by threats aud intimidati0n5, anG
all manner Of prosecutions, were com
PEELED to join them. remember one
article Of that constitution, a lie, and
these Congressional gentlemen knew il
was lie, was, that if the Democratic
party ever got into power, they wouit
} remand them (the negroes) back intt
| slavery. They were bourd by an iron
Glad oath, more binding and fearful il
its revenge if violated. than the K'
Klux oath. And it proved one of tn
; best and most successful conspiracie
, against the General Government lha
has ever. been organized in this Stat
,, since the war; and the result was,
Union League Stete Government wa
! organized, jaoobinical and anti -Republi
8 can. trampling upon and tearing dow
I the very foundations upon which ou
. Republican State Governments ar
formed. See their militia bill. q
: rather Soott's enforcement OF it. Nc
d only the tax x-payers had no voice in thei
i. convention or Legislature, but the whit
!. inhabitants were taxed to buy arms
put into the hands of negro militii
O ignoring entirely the rights and priv
o leges of the whites to form into militar
companies. was in Laurens County {
the time, and all white companies WEI
rejected by Scott, and only negro cou
pahies accepted; and Joe. Crews, Scott
lieutenant. often marched through til
|, County with his Loyal League comp,
"a MES, with Winchester rifles and ba
cartridges. frightening, terrifying au
intimidatiDg the inhabitants. Look
l. this picture and then at that, and te
10 me which of the organizations, 10y
"a League or Ku Klux, oonspired mo
against the General Government, al
y the peace and welfare of the State.
20 PACOLET.
g.