The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-12-21
Editorial Correspondence.
COLUMBIA, Dec. Is, 1871.

in MANY months, induces me to pen a few
lines for the readers of the Lntclligencer. Not
that there is anything of especial moment to
communicate, more than has been occurring
here for the past several weeks, but that the
impressions are fresh and may embrace points
not familiar to our readers.
To-day has been memorable thus far, how
ever. that the trial of the first case in the Uni
ted States Court, commonly known as the Ku
Elnx trials, has been concluded. 1t is the case
against Mitchell and others, indicted for con-
spiracy to prevent certain colored citizens OF
York County from exercising the right of suf-
.ftage, and to punish them for exercising that
right. The evidence was completed on Satur-
day, and has been fully reported. On Chat
day, the Hon. Mr.. Stanberry addressed the
Court and jury in behalf Of the accused, and
he was followed by Hon. D. Ell. Chamberlain
for the prosecution. Early this morning the
corridors of the State House revealed an anx-
Soiis crowd of persons, many of them belonging
10 the Oppressed race" so-calied. Hon. Rev.
erdy johnson, it was understood, was to open
the argument for the defence upon the sitting
of the Court, and his great fame attracted us
thither. 1t was difficult to obtain access to the
floor of the Court room, but the open sesame
of the press brought admission from the polite
doorkeeper, who strictly enforced his orders not
to admit persons unless they had business. at
the time of our entrance, Mr.. johnson was
fairly under way with his argument, and was
scathingly dissecting the prosecution, its attor-
news and witnesses. and making the strongest
appeal to the jury in behalf of justice. He was
grand in the effort to defend his clients, and
eface the stigma attempted to be placed upon
the respectable white people of South Carolina,
whose gallantry, devotion and patriotism was
worthily extolled from his standpoint as an
original Union man.
..,s District Attorney Corbin followed, but we
did not hear his argument nor the charge to
the jury by the Court The jury returned a
verdict, after several hours deliberation, finding
the defendants guilty upon the second count of
the Indictment as to .intimidating and prevent
ing the aforesaid colored citizens from exer-
cising the right of suffrage in 1872. The de-
fence gave notice of appeal. The Court is un-
derstood to be m dilemma as to the section Of
the Act of Congress under which the sentence
must be passed, if the appeal had not been
made. And thus ends the first case of the Ku
Klux trials, which were to be made so memo
7rabte
To In our opinion, the learned counsel employed
20 defend these prisoners have accomplished a
good deal, in this, that they have bafied the
astute lawyers for the government, and have
. shorn these trials of much of their terror. But
- prominent Radical remarked to us that it
does not matter whether or not there are con-
yictious-fhat the government does not care to
convict, since the testimony has been given to
the world, and the Radical party will be en-
abled to manufacture all the political capital
needed in the next Presidential campaign.
IL. We left the Court to visit the Legislature,
having cards of admission to both Houses
, The Senate adjourned after short session,
which was altogether business-like and un-
marked by any of the extraordinary scenes SO
common to the House of Representatives. In
). This latter body, there was goodly collection
of visitors, and tolerable attendance of men,
:. bers. The special order for two O'clock was
the report of Bowen's committee as to the over
issue of bonds by the State government, and it
was evident that the interest centered in this
report. The discussion took wide range, and
: numberless motions were introduced. Upon a
motion to adopt the report of the committee as
the sense of the House, the Speaker ruled that
it required two-thirds vote of the House,
since the recommendation of the committee
looked to impeachment of certain State officers.
From this decision of the Chair, an appeal was
taken by Whipper, and after several hours dis
eussion as to sustaining the Speaker, the House
refused to sustain that officer and over-ruled
his decision, so that it required bare majority
to adopt the report as the sense of the House.
The adoption of the report followed, as a mat
ter of course, and we have just been informed
that Mr.. Bowen then introduced the following
resolutions:
Rcsozued, That Robert K. Scott Governor of
South Carolina, be impeached for high crimes
and misdemeanors.
Resolued, That Niles G. Parker, Treasurer of
South Carolina, be impeached for high crimes
and misdemeanors.
Under the rules, these resolutions were Or
dered to lie over until tomorrow At present,
it is thought the requisite two-thirds will vote
for impeachment, but there is "many slip
betwixt the cup and the lip" and it will not
be strange if means are not employed to
prevent such vote.
We leave tonight for Charleston, to attend