Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-02
SOUTH CAROLINA'S WRONGS.
An Inside View OF the Federal
Occupation.
How Grants MyrmidOns Outrage
all Sense of Justice and Deeeney.
From the Washington Patriot. Dec. p.

From the Washington Patriot, Dec. %.
We give below extracts from a private
letter written by gentleman in Union,
south Carolina, TO friend in this city. It
unfoIds terrible tale of suffering, outrage,
and wrong. and every line and word in the
letter NAV be relied upon as true. The
gentleman who received it is one Of our
most reliable citizens, who would not vouch
for the writer unless he had full faith and
confidence in him. Although the letter
was written at Union on Dec. IL, it bears
the posfmark of Columbia, Dec. IA. The
reason is explained by the writer. He did
not dare to mad it at Union, because one Of
Creswel's minions. who is also United
States Marshal, would have broken the seal,
and the result would have been the arrest
and Incarceration of the writer on some
trumped-up charge Of disloyaltA Ii conse-
quently had to be carried eighty mlles 70 De
mailed. And YET the Radicals dare tell US
this is free country, and that the ADMIN
istration of the stold present-taker VINO slts
in the White House Is an honest ana patrl-
otic administration. Lacking the aDnlty 10
rule Justly, Grant and his weak CaoInet
seem determined upon measures OF rum.
After some preliminary matters OF per-
sonal character, the letter says:
UNION, s.. C., Dec. II, 1S7l.-As
you, of course, know, we are under martiai
law in this county. God knows that Is bad
enough, but we are suffering under other
wrongs, almost as grievous, and we have no
hope of redress from many of them until
affer the Presidential election. 1t would
take longer time than can possibly spare
to give YOU detailed account-of the
INFAMOUS CONDUCT OF THE MARsHALs
toward the white people Of this section, but
/ will state one grievance, and ask you TO
present the matter to the postoffice depart
ment to remove it. The position Of Deputy
limited States Marshal is very profitable,
and makes a good opening for man who
yalues greenbacks more than honor or the
respect of the decent portion of the COM
munity in which he resides. 1t is a capital
position for man
TO sWINDLE THE GOVERNMENT
IN. and that is done almost every hour.
You see. the Government allows certain
amount for every arrest and ten cents
mile, going and returning. This for wit
nesses as well as prisoners. Well, they get
hold of a negro and induce him to swear
that five or six men in neighborhOod are
Ku-Klux, and certain Democratic negroes
in the same neighborhOod can tell some
thing about it. Immediately squad OF
soldiers are called for by the deputy Mar
shals, and of they start for a night raid. Ii
thev travel fifteen miles from. town they
charge mileage there and back-thirty miles.
In the morning they return with from three
To six prisoneis and as many witnesses, and
they charge mileage for each one. For in
stance. II they bring in ten menthey charge
800 miles travel, besides the lee for arrest
ing each. If they can't make "big haul'
in one neighborh0od they don't care about
going. So you see, it is ''fat take"
Our postmaster, A. A. Hammett,
has taken the position Of deputy United
States Marshal, and leaves the duties of the
postefice to be performed by lis life and
his son. the latter about ten years old, con-
seouently the Office is much neglected.
Sometimes he (Hammett) is not in the Of
flee for twenty-four hours. A gentleman
wished 10 register letter last week, and
called at the Office four times in one day,
and could not find the postmaster at home,
and on the next day was threatened BY
Hammett. as marshal, because be COM
uIained. Three or four persons complain
that their
LETTERS HAVE BEEN OPENED BY SOME
ONE SOMEWHERE
while coming through the mail. These are
facts that can be proven, but If II was
known that orEaysope else here informed
.he Departmefit fe would be arrested
At once. / dare Ia "a this letter through
the postofice here for feasf its being
Ssnened. and the wrath of the marshal post
master visited on me. ], therefore, send it |
by friend to be mailed in Columbia. Il |
was a Ku-Klux sliould. not be in greater |
danger Of arrest tbaii4 am now. If. you
cannot get this matter beforeakhe Depart |
ment without disclosing my name, and id
(. 81 name is actually necessary, let it come,
n viii relieve the people Of the grievance.
Why, martial Law, during the war, was not