The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-05-07
5bee Gnhernatorial Question in South Carolina.

The Augusta Co,astitutionahst has cores
nondent in. Columbia, who has been devoting
considerable space to discussing the chances
of prominent candidates for Governor of this
State. We make the following extracts from
recent letters :. ...---
7i2:I'7 2F COLUMBIA, S. c., April %, 1874.
Mr. Editor: The counter memorialists have
returned from Washington, and are the bearers
of the tidings- from the Soldier President to
the leaders of the Republican party IN the
different counties oftthe State. As soon as the
party reached Columbia, Col. L.. Cass Car
penter, who is the recognized leader IN TINS
Congressional district, used the telegraph wires
freely. and in twenty -four hours several prom
inent politicians were at his Office, prepared to
get the "cue" for future operations. Just what
occurred at their meeting am unable to IN
formiyour readers, but report says that the
.eist of the message from Grant was that Moses
be laid aside, and an honest man nominated
for Governor in August next. Either Robert
SON. who is now in the United States Senate,
or Ex-Governor Scott will be the coming man.
Your readers may like to be informed of the
past history of Robertson. He is a native
Of South Carolina and, is descended from
Revolutionary stock, his grandfather having
commanded regiment of provincial troops,
under General Greene, and was actively en-
gagged in the battle of Camden and other hotly
Contested fields. The subject of this sketch is
about forty-fve years ofage, and was graduated
at the South Carolina College, where he stood
veilyiu his class and was highly respected by
both professors and students for his high sense
of honor and .probity of character. He inherl-
ted large estate, being worth over two hundred
slaves and. two, valuable plantations at the
commencement of the Late war.
In politics he was a Conservative Union
man, and was present at the convention which
passed the ordinance of secession In 1861,
where he implored the States Rights men to
reflect upon the course they were about to
pursue that separation was no remedy tor the
ills complained of, and that if the State could
not obtain safety in the Union, there was no
hope left for her if she left it. OF course, his
advice was not needed. During the war he
remained at home being in very low state of
health, and refused to participate with either
party. When the Federal army reached his
native county, he went out boldly and did much
to save the property of his neighbors from Sher-
mans incendiaries. He stood firmly by his own
home, and deied the minions to touch aught
he had, alleging that he had never violated the
laws of his country He was in the State
Convention which assembled under the recon-
struction acts, and might have been nominated
for Governor, but he refused to accept it,
in compliance with the wishes of many of his
neighbors and friends, who stated that they
would not support him in any such anomalous
position. In 1868, soon after the formation OF
the new State Government, he was elected to
the United States Senate by an overwhelming
majority, and was reelected in 1870. His term
of Office expires on the 4th of March, 1876
At Washington be enjoys the respect of Dem
ocrats as we'll as Republicans. He is eminent
ly conservative in all This transactions. He
battled long and faithfully in favor of the
removal of the disabilities of disfranchised
Southerners. When Yankee spite or hate was
depressing the true men of the South, Tom
Robertson threw himself in the breach, and
the journals of the Senate attest how success
fully he labored. He declares that the height
of his ambition is to secure for his native state
good government and rid her of the thieves
like Moses who are running riot on her SUD-
stance.
Ex-Governor Scott, the other candidate, was
a general in the Union army during the late
war. and commanded division in the battle
of Atlanta, and was within few feet of Gen:
Mcpherson when that officer was killed, and
was himself severely wounded, and made
prisoner. He has the bearing of an honest
man, and is highly respected, the only fault
against him being his neglect to have Moses
and other corruptionists, (who so seriously
embarrassed his administration prosecuted
and sent to the penitentary. He is best known
and appreciated by the planters in the yaclnlty
of Charleston, where as an agent OF the Govern
ment, in 1865, and 1866, he disbursed nearly a
half million of dollars worth OF supplies to the
impoverished people.
The nomination of either of these gentlemen
would save the State, and the, politicians will
be forced by the popular. opinion of the North
to do so. Were they free to nominate whom
they pleased, no one could defeat Moses, for he
does SO readily the bidding of the corruption
lists that they have no cause to complain. But
the fat has gone forth to "unload," and poor
Moses will be dumped out at the proper time
...as COLUMBIA, S. c., April 25, 1874. J.
Candidates for Governor are as thick as hops
several names being added to the already large
list D. III. Chamberlain, who was Attorney
General in the administration of Gov. Scott
has been trotted out by his friends. Your
readers have doubtless heard of the infamous
"Conversion" bonds, which were issued with
utauthority of law. We'll, was upon Cham
berlain's written opinion, as Attorney General,
that Treasurer Parker took the responsibility
of throwing them upon the market They
amounted to S. 100000 and were sold in New
York by the Cerub Kimpton, at 25 cents on
thedollar. Kimpton has proven the Nemesis of
South Carolina, the Iliad of all our financial
troubles. He was college mate of Chamber
lain's and was introduced by him to the "Fi-
nancial Board" Of the State. He was a Wall
street broker, quite youthful, and totally unfit
ted for so important trust Everybody
comedies that he has sunk the State over
$4,000 900, and the responsibility must rest on
the broad shoulder of Mr.. Chamberlain. Re-
port says that Chamberlain has a large sum of
money stored away, which he designs using
when the nominating convention assemblies in
August next. I shall obtain the "opinion"
above referred to, and send you copy of it for
publication, SO that your readers may see the
arguments adduced by the South Carolina
sharpers in favor of the issuing of bonds.
Happy were those States, whose financial rep