The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-07-18
souTH OARo11NA.-Jean Vatican. 6

dnd Sentinel, thus writes of matters and
things in this State. Unfortunately,
his statements are too true:
| & A week just spent in the unhappy
State OF South Carolina revealed q
state OF affairs there not only disgrace
to the American name, but an insult
to civilization. I had supposed aud
even hoped that the charges now ring.
ing everywhere in the press of the
United States, of wholesale robberies,
Of universal petty aud grand larce nies
committed by State officials, from Go.
v.rnur down to the lowest ofics-h older,
were greatly exaggerated, If not in
many Instances wholly untrue Blu;
ins' '-ud Of finding it SO, 1 found tnnt
tii'- real truth had ouly partially b.eu
toll.
La interviews with several Radical
leaders. they openly acknowledge to
me that ihe career of their party, from
the time it seized the Government in
1868 to tho present day. 1t had been
one OF crime-ono of shame. Rank
and file was one putrid mass of corrup-
tlon--it was no more nor less than u
grand army OF rogues-the only differ
ence from the brigand being that the
majority of their thefts were in the
name of the law. But whether by Act
OF the Legislature, by decree of court,
by order of the Governor, still every
dollar collected by taxation was either
appropriated by Office. holders or lead.
ers or members Of the party, under the
head of salaries for services, or opeuly
stolen without any excuse whatever.
Vice aud avarice everywhere stalked
abroad at MONDAY, Judgment has
lied to british beasts. aud men huve
lost their reason" Unhappy South
Carolina! One of the original thirteen
cOlonies, but the other day one of the
proudest Suites in the Union OF Stutas,
with the blood of the Huguenots OF
Francs and the cavaliers of England
predominatiug in the veins Of your
children, L found you to-day bound
hand aud foot TO race but Que re-
move from barbarians, uficered aud
controlled by baud of white men lu
great part to whom the name of villain
| wonld be misnomer
The greater and the grand.r the
scoundrel is in Sonth Carolina, the
more intensely the negro loves him
the more enthusiastically does hs re-
ceive support for Offices which, in all
civilized lands, are studiously GU
trusted to men distinguished for
honor. So low are they sterpel IN
! vice, that it would be " useless to
preach morality to mule AZ they
They will support no man fur Office
unless he is more or less distinguished
for crime. Tue result is, that every
public office, from one eud of the State
to the other, is filled by men who
ought to be in the Penitentiary, or
who should long since have ended
their lives on the gallows! These are,
l am aware, broad assertions-grave
charges. But no intelligent, honora-
Bile American citizen can spend six
days in that State. mingling freely. as
l did, with men Of all parties, without
coming to the same conclusions-con-
clusions based upon notorious facts.
This political, Radical organization
extends from the centre to the circum-
ference of South Carolina. ramifies in
its every nook and corner, is most
thoroughly organized aud energetically
| officered by native nnd foreign men.
By It's machinery. pressure is brought
to bear upon the colorod man Which
he caunot resist. Its chief in,Lru
meuts are lies aud bravado. Thu
| negro is a most credulous creature; he
will believe any thing. He is told on
every hand by the orators Of his party
that the white race designs to put him
back into slavery, and that if be votes
the Democratic ticket. that will be the
speedy and certain result His fears
are worked upon by the members OF
this secret organic ,tion, the Loyal
League. who tell him plainly that if liz
votes other than the Republican ticket
he will surely be visited with nothing
less than death! It is intimated to him
that death may overtake him ut any
time or at any moment; that it may
come while planting in the fields.
walking through the woods or sleeping
in his bed. Thus terrorized over, those
of them land I think there are not
many who would otherwise vote for u
revolution in the affairs of their land
dare not do 30. Another source of
terror to them is the South Carolina
militia. It is composed of 10000
negroes, armed with Winchester rifles.
There are one or more companie, in
every County in the State. who, just
prior to any election, are frequently
paraded under arms, with cartridge.
boxes full OF ammunition. And still
another source OF terrorism, not only
IN ho k,,k - H..