The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-04
TRUTH WILL PREVAIL!
NORTHERN OF "REBEL.
LIOUS" SOUTH C1ROLINI.
Condition of Affairs in Laurens County
Absolutely no Ku-KIux There-Past
Outrages and Present Apprehens1ons.
Icsrrespondenca Of the New York Herald.l


Nv investigations into the condition OF al
fairs in Laurens County have failed to dis
cover any opposition to the laws, either STATE
or United States. have ascertained, how
ever. that not single Ku-kux raid has ever
been made in the county, the Radicals them
selves admitting this fact.
NO KU-KLUX N LAURENs COUNTY.
As showing how exaggerated and often ut
ter,y false have been the reports published In
the Radical press OF the outrages committed
upon negroes have only to mention that, eX-
cepting in an election riot last year, there mas
not been negro killed by white man IN Lau-
rers since tile war ended. There have been
z zSsyeral cases of whipping. but In every case
NE victim had been guilty OF some ofence
Tseaanst the laws, and for which he had not
bean punished by the proper authorities. vi
course mob law cannot be JUSTIFIED under any
circumstances, but mention the cause solely
for the purpose of showing that politics had
nothing whatever to do with the troubles.
SOME NEGRO oUTRAGEs.
While no negroes have been murdered white
men have The most notorious one was the
assassination OF DR.. c. Shell by negroes In
1868. In this case one OF the assasslns was
convicted and hung, and the others were per-
rnitted % escape. Furthermore. | have be-
fore me the story of an attack by negroes
upon The residence of Mr.. Harrison Scott. He
las absent at the time, and his wife was oru-
tally treated. after doing which the negroes
robbed the house and marched on: An al
tempt was also made on the lie OF MT. SnaW,
my purpose TO say anything harsh about the
NEGROES of Laurens County. all the whites
agree in representing the majority OF tnem
as orderly aud well behaved, and certainly
the negroes do not complain Of 1ny ill.treat-
meut at the hands OF the whites 40 not
7 "a tho NhioNt 0f the Kill
Klux better than by giving the words OF
negro TO me on yesterday Boss" said he,
sde Ku-Klaxeno trouble me. nebber steal
anything ffosm nobody."S
An ELECTION RIOT.
The election riot last year was reported at
the time In the Herald. but not as nave
heard it. The affair occurred In this way : A
large body OF negro militia, oficered by ne
groes, had been stationed in Laurensvllle for
some time, and had carried on things pretty
much their own way, to the great exaspera-
tiOn of the whites. A house occupied by them
had been converted into tort. with loopholes,
&c. On the day Of the election one OF the
State constables- "a white man-got into row
with one of the citizens, and light ensued
between them. The rowattracted numerous
persons to the spot, and quite a crowd had
gathered around the e0mbatants. when sud
denly the negro militia rushed Into their
> improvised fortress, closed the doors and
the loopholes. Tremendous excitement fol-
lowed this outrage. The whites hurried home,
armed themselves and returned to the scene,
and desperate conflict ensued. 1t was re-
sumed on the following day, and ended in the
disarming of the negro militia, and their with
drawal or disbandment by authority OF the
Governor. Some half dozen negroes were
killed or wounded. and two or three whites
the same. Radicals have admitted to me that
the conduct OF the militia had been overbear-
ingly insolent, and that 1t required only
another overt act to incense the whites beyond
yWhether the whites were criminal or not IN
-this riot Ii cannot pnaahly -ha Iorlureol lntna
Ku-klux outrage.
BURNING OF scHooL-HoUsE.
Much stress Is laid by the Laurens County
Radicals upon the burning of their school
house. The negro in charge OF 1t declares
that he had previously been given notice to
quit the county or he would be killed. He IS
living in the county to-day sound in body.
However, one night the schoOlhouse was
burned down and Instantly the Ku-klux were
charged with the incendiarlsm. Not living
soul has ever asserted that he saw the men
who did it. 1t Is stated, however, tnat tne
members Of the negro church TO Wnlcn tne
school was attached had had q row ABOUT IL
only few evenings before It was burned, anu
the whiteS believe that some OF them set IL on
fire in revenge for not having their own way
about it. It Is scarcely rational to suppose
that white men would have destroyed lt When
they were fully aware that they would have TO
furnish the money to rebuild 1t. All the taxes
PAID by the negroes OF Laurens County III ,as Ins
year could not have purchased the mails Win
which to fasten the panks together.
NO CONFIDENCE N THE AUTHORITIES.
In Laurens County hear the same COM
plant have heard in Newoerry County.
pf nf
cials placed over the people by the Governor
or by the votes of the negro. They run the
machinery of the government 10 the Interests
of the blacks, and the whtes-who own all the
= property-are only thought OF in connection
with the taxes. Governor Scott Is neld IN
supreme contempt BY the whites everyWher
BE is charged with duplicty and double-dea.
ing, with saying one thing to the whites and
the exact opposite to the blacks, while he does
everything TO satisfy his political party.
GOVERNOR SCOTS NALADMINIsTRATIoN.
do pretend to say that In all the disturb
ances which have taken place the whites have
been wholly blameless. Undoubtedly, they
have done some things which they ought not
to have done. But some allowance must be
made for human nature. Men are likely to
become exasperated when their barns, houses,
stables. &C., are burned TO the ground, and
after they have succeeded In getting the GRIM
inals convicted, see the Governor then let
them loose. l nave C0nVeISeu Will some vi
the most respectable citizens Of Newberry and
Iaurens Counties-men wnom to doubt would
q equivalent to pronoupolng the entire South
.efn people liars and scoundrels-and IN all
cases the same complaint has been made. The
laws of the State are bad enough, they say,
but let them be fairly enforced, and there will
be no Ku.KluX. They declare 1t to be no.
torious fact that any negro who possesses
political influence can commit crime with i'm
punlty. If even their offence Is so atroclous
that the negro juries are compelled to con-
vict, Governor Scott stands ready with par
don to set them free. Just previous to the
lass election, (by way Of illastration) several
negroes in Newberry County were convicted
OF rioting. They were sentenced to the penl-
tentiary. 1t 80 happened that they were in
fluenlial in politics. and they were turned
loose.
KU-KLUX COME SSIoNS.
Put together all the facts I have narrated,
and say whether there Is any community in
the Western States which would have resisted
the temptation to take the law into their own
hands. You will hear great deal about what
the prisoners arrested confess. AS tele-
eraphed you, some of them undoubtedly ad-
mItted that they belonged to the ku-klux or
ganization, but none have said that their object
was political. Reports of the character Of
their confession, as published in the Union, OF
Columbia, cannot be relied upon, for that paper
is notorious for its efforts to reduce the whites
into abject submission to the negroes. lts
Lo1 ioffn nod n