Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-12-28
A Strong Letter from Representative w. J..
Whipper.

| UHIpPois
To the Editor of tie Beaufort Times:
SIR-No doubt you are aware Of my
aversion to appearing before the public
through the columns of the newspapers,
but, under the present circumstances, L
feel it to be my duty to state the motives
and impulses that will govern my political
action in the future.
I start out with the fact that I am
Republican by birth, by education, through
necessity, and color. not because all Re-
/ publicans are colored men, but because all
true colored men should and ought to be
~Repubicans, and because it guaranteed to
my race political and civil liberty. To the
great Republican party of the nation will
ever owe allegiance. l cannot and will
not support other political principles, but
when men under the guiss of Republican
principles rob, steal and plunder the pub
lie treasury, and thereby destroy the
political basis upon which the future Of
my race must rest, bring odium and dis
grace uphn the race and party to which l
belong, feel it my duty to dissolve my
connection, not with the Republican par
ty, but with the men who, by dishonesty,
demagogism and intrigue have DETAINED
| TIC uduc vi ltpuulCdbIolh; anu oAouSho
! financial ruin upon the State.
That this has been done in South Caro-
| lima no one can doubt, because the figures
of the officials themselves have written
their condemnation-this fact being pat
ent to ALL A resolution was introduced
IN the House of Representatives to i'm
peach the Governor, who was foremost
among the dishonest officials, but the reso-
luton failed. Why2 Because the very
money stolen from the impoverished peo-
pie of the State was used to bribe members
Of the House to defeat the resolution OF
impeachment. So eager and earnest was
the move to stay the hand of justice that
the briber and bribe-takers were known
even to those who had no official connec-
ton with the General Assembly. Though
the resolution failed, the Governor will
pass into history impeached and dishon-
ored before the bar Of the civilized world.
AS the Hastings of other days and An
drew Johnson o. our own time, these rob-
berries and briberies have become stencil
in the nostrils of all good men, regardless
of party, throughout the length and
b! eadth of the land.
Knowing this eel it is my duty to urge
the people of the State to Unite not simply
to bring these men to Justice, but to purge
the entire State of dishonest and corrupt
officials of whatever party. ask this IN
behalf of humanlty-in behalf OF a robbed,
plundered and impoverished State, and
| that the ends ofg good government may be
obtained. The government organized un-
der the reconstruction acts of congress has
proven failure, which has been fully de-
monstrated by the fact of its inability to
protect life and property, and that the
State is now necessarily invaded by tede-
raj troops; and, financially. because 1t
cannot meet its obligations. For the pres
ent condition Of things, the Republican
party is not alone chargeable.
At a time when good counsel, eXpe-
rience and advice were most needed by
that party, the men who should have been
most interested in the welfare and pros
perity of the State withheld their aid,
counsel and afliliatinn, and allowed bureau
agents and unscrupulouS men to take the
part which they have since seen should
have been taken by better men. Not on
ly have they continued to wi hhold their
counsel ana advice, but in the upper coun-
ties of the state have organized or encOur-
aged reign Of terror to prevent the Re
publicans from exercising the franchise
Of these men, natives of the soil, who
lent aid or counsel, what was their fate?
Social ostracsm. In this the press OF the
State has aided Ku-Kluxism on the one
hand and financ al ruin OF the other de-
mand different action in the future from
the press of the State. Does this condi-
tion of things ask for a change at the
hands of the people and the press? In
taking this position as Republican, it is
indeed a painful duty, only warranted
by the corruption of officials of the State
and the utter disregard Of law and order
on the part Of some of the members of the
opposite party. Hoping that the change
so much desired will be brought about at
the next election, and that new era of
peace and prosperity will dawn upon the
State, that all good citizens will lend their
aid and influence, and assuring the public
that am pledged to this cause,
am. sir,
Very respectfully,