The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-03
THE RULE OF THE BAY0NET.
Il LITTLE SUNSHINE ON THE GRANT
CONSPIRACY.
1he Will of the People to be Override
ien-XVhoIesale Arrests of Unoffendtng
Ntizens-Inhumant Of G r t's
hilors.
Correspondence OF the New York SUM-
CoIuMBIA. S. c., October 27

Correspondence OF the New York SUM-
COLUMBIA, S. c., october 81.
The people of the North, secure In their
liberty, In their homesteads, and in every
right guaranteed to them by the constitution,
Gun have nut faint conception of the state of
affairs in iouth Carolina. With the suspen-
sion of thu writ OF hdbeaS corpus by Grant,
and the presence of Akerman, the plant tool.
in control of he soldiers sent here to make
arbitrary arre,ts, the situation of the people
is hapless one Evidence is fast accumulat-
ing that the events now occurring are but the
workings OF
| A GREAT CONSPIRACY
against the rightsof the people. in which the
President OF the Uited States is the chief con-
| spirator.
| learned many facts which tend to prove the
baseHess of Grants motives declaring martial
| law, or that which amounts to the same thing,
among people as innocent OF anything like
| rebellion against the government as are the
people of Connecticut. The suspension of the
| writ of hdbedS corpus is sham as fimsy as It
| is base, and as needless as it Is unworthy the
man who declared it. That there has been
| much disorder In the northern counties,
no one here among the better classes
even attempt to deny. But such dis
The wise counsels of the Taxpayers Con-
vention last spring had an immediate effect
r,pon the Ku-Klux, ina3much as alter the ad-
journment of the convention no, another gen.
uiue case of murder or outrage was heard oil.
The consequence is that not grand jury can
be found who will come out and say that any
thing like disorder exists IN any Of the coun.
. II, bo npnOlQ annap1d
preparing their crops for the piclers, and
otherwise getting ready to reap the fruits OF
their summers labors. The negroes were
working faithfully and well. Everything In
| the State looked prosperous, and the people
had taken fresh heart from the result OF the
August election in Charleston, and believed
that the hour of relief from the evils OF carpet
bag rule had come. All at once the attorney
general appeared 10 their midst, and shortly
after the proclamation came upon them.
LIKE CLAP OF THUNDER.
Since that hour all has been anarchy and
confusion. Crops are left standing ungathered
| In the fields, and whites and negroes alike are
fleeing from the country Men who have had
| no more to do with the Ku-KIux than the edi.
tor of the Sun himself, have been arrested
without process, marched to the jail, ana
| thrust into cell, without even knowing what
| they we're arrested for, or how long their I'M
prlsonment Is to last. In the upper counties
arrests have been made by the wholesale. The
only mode OF procedure is to get an affidavit
| from anybody-ignorant colored man or ma
lcious white-and tho accused Is at once
thrust into jail. The prisoners are kept in
close confinement. They are not allowed to
communicate with counsel or friends. not
allowed the privilege of boarding themselves,
or Indeed any comfort whatever. Deputy
Marshal Butts, who has charge of about one
hundred prisoners In the jail OF this city, told
q gentleman In his custody the other day
"D-n you, you are here for punishment
not for pleasure y $50,
These Columbia prisoners are hudd!ed in
rooms like sheep, thirty and lorty oeing ass,gn,
ed to each room. The apartments are filthy In
the extreme. Not a table or chair. or Q single
article OF furniture Is allowed, and the prison.
ers have no other bed than blanket stretched
on the bare floor. Add to this the brutality of
their keeper-the gentlemanly Butts-and the
picture of Arcadan bliss Is complete.
THE vuLTuREs AGAIN.
Nv friends the yultures are still in their
glory. The plumage of some ofthem Is o little
ruffled, but on the whole they seem to thrive
well. 1t Is to these birds OF i'll omen that the
people are partially Indebted ior tnelr sumer,
ings to-day. Carcasses have grown scarce
and the birds have grown hungry. Moreover,
the Charleston election sounded their death
knell and they have looked around for help.
While few OF the latter and best looking vu.
lures were dispatched to New York to look
out for the base of supplies, the rest remained
here to engineer the plan to keep the state
Government within their talons. These re-
naming drummed up a few recruits. Among
them are H. G. Worthlngton, who was at one
time minister to the Argentine Republic, ex-
Congressman Hoge. D. 7. Corbin, the United
States district attorney, and the possessor OF
half dozens other offices. These and other
WORTHLESS are the ones who, by series OF mis-
representations vigorously pressed upon the
vapid brains OF
THE GREAT NATIONAL IMBEcrLE,
brought about the proclamation which Is in.
tended to nullify the will OF the people and
keep the State in the hands OF thieves and
plunderers. These men have bought Grant
with promise Of Grant delegation from the
State In the next National Convention, and 10
turn he supplies them with the means OF gag
ginp the people. We need no other evidence
OF the design than the fact that the only coun-
ties in which the writ Is suspended are the
very counties which went Democratic at the
last g,lbernatoral election. Those that went
Republican-such tor instance, as Union, and,
by the way, more disorder has existed there
than anywhere In the State-are excluded
from the proclamation. The reason for this Is
so plain that he who runs may read.
In Lancaster County, so remote from outer
communication that tne people Inere ulu iioI
know of the fve-day proclamation until after
the suspension of the writ was announced,
the testimony is all to the effect that not an
act of organized violence has been commit
ted. It is a Democratic county. Martial law,
the suspension OF the writ, arbitrary arrests,
Incarceration and bayonet intimidation may
change the next election returns there. These
weapons may even serve to develop Kill kluX
organizations there, where none were ever
heard of before; and serve useful purpose IN
eXtorting from some weak-kneed prisoner OF
war further evidence in support OF
GRANTS RIDICULOUS POSITION.
But the effect of this conspiracy will be felt
elsewhere than in South Carolina. Since the
proclamation South Carolina bonds have de-
preciated over ten per cent, and are Still on
the decline. The October interest has not
been paid, and Governor Scott and the Hon.
Hardy Solomon are now in New York trying
to shin money to redeem the credit OF the
State. New York merchants refuse TO credit
another dollar to South Carolina dealers while
the proclamation Is in force, and as the people
are all leaving the State business OF all kinds
is completely prostrated. Columbia, the cap
itol of the State, looks like deserted village
and the town in the upper counties are COM
pletely dead. Especially Is this true OF York
Vile. Not wagon.load Of produce appears on
the streets OF that town for sale. Many ousl-
ness houses are entirely closed. and others
formerly doing large trade are run IL some
instances by a single clerk. am tod mat