The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-04-02
The Taxpayers Committee

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This body after being personally presented
by Secretary Fish, had an interview with the
President on Friday, the 9th March last
The Hon. W. D. Porter, the chairman of the
Committee, set forth in brief terms the many
grievances under which South Carolina was
laboring, and hoped that the President would
take some interest in a matter of so much I'M
portance. The President replied at some
length, and stated that he sympathized with
the people Of South Carolina, and admitted
that he thought they we're badly governed, but
stated further that as South Carolina was now
a sovereign State, she must enact her own laws,
and govern herself In parting, however, he
expressed hope that Congress might do some
thing for their relief when they presented their
memorial. The Committee is receiving much
encouragement from the leading politicians OF
all parties, and at last accounts expected to
present their memorial on Monday last, the
3Oth March. A correspondent of the New
York Herald gives the following report OF their
interview with the President:
An interesting interview occurred to-day be-
tween the delegation representing the South
Carolina taxpayers, the Chamber of Commerce
Of Charleston and President Grant. The dele
cation embraces some of the most distinguished
men in the State-four or five ex-Governors
and Senators, members of Congress and others
more or less identified with public affairs. The
party, some twenty-five in number, were intro
duced by the Secretary of State, whereupon
Governor Porter proceeded to set forth the
cause of complaint. He said that the delega-
tion represented no partisanship, because it
comprised Republicans and Democrats, and
the chief object of the application to the Ex-
ecutive was to procure relief from the infamous
attempt, by the ruling powers of the State, to
enforce demands to which the people could not
respond, The demands of the Governor OF the
State were described, the manner in which he
draws upon his various appointees for money
to support himself and the general diabolism
of a Legislature, which allows itself to be
bought and sold at will, individually and pub
licly, in order to effect the passage OF certain
public acts-all these entered into an eloquent
review of the political situation to which the
attention of the President was directed. Col.
Lathers also made an address, as the represen-
tative of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce,
in which he set forth many of the financial
evils of the State, resulting from the ignorant
legislation of the mass of negroes who constl-
tute the majority of the General Assembly.
The President, who listened apparently with
great interest to the respective statements, re-
sponded with more than usual force. He said
that he deplored the condition of South Caro-
lima lust as he did that of Louisiana, but the
committee must remember that that was a
complete sovereign and Independent State,
with which it was impossible for either the
executive or the legislative departments of the
general government to interfere. The fault of
the existing condition was possibly due to the
class represented by the present delegates, for
they were unwilling at the close of the war to
accept the condition which war had forced
upon them. Hence, it was necessary that COL
ored men should take the place of white men
in filling various governmental positions. lie
was glad, however, to see these extreme views
modified by events, and to recognize the pres
ence of so many gentlemen as representatives
of a brighter and better future. The President
added:
'sI cannot allow the occasion to pass without
calling your attention to speech delivered in
South Carolina, although l do not know the
author, which has done me more personal in
Justice than I ever suffered from any other
source, and I cannot refrain from the remark
that it abstracts somewhat from the sympathy
which would naturally extend in behalf OF
your purpose" At this juncture several mem
bers Of the delegation made the explanation
that no such speech had been delivered on the
floor of the Convention, and that purely. po-
litical address by an antagonist of the admins
tration had been garbled by the republican
press of the State for the purpose of bringing
into disrepute the action of the entire body.
The President rejoined that he was glad to hear
the explanation made by those who were pres
ent on the floor of the body, and that between
Congress and himself, he hoped some measure
of redress might be effected which would afford
the desired relief. Subsequently, in private
conversation, the President was still further
satisfied that the speech to which he referred
had been mutilated for party purposes, and
especially so when Secretary Fish declared
that he had not recognized in any authoritative
way the newspaper statements to which the
had roforraH