The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-11-09


protracted absence, find you: Kind let
ter inviting me, in the name of the Dem
ocratic Executive Committee of Ander-
son County, to attend mass meeting on
the third day of this present month, and
address the people at a barbecue to be
given by all the Democratic Clubs of
your County.
thank you very cordially for the in
vitation, and regret that l am not in con-
dition to accept it. My trip West was
taken with view to the recupcration of
my health, which has been much; i'm
proved, but I am not yet entirely relieved
of a disease in my throat, and of a cough
which prevents me from public speaking,
and puts it out of my power to comply
with your wish.
I must, however, expires my cordial
sympathy with your movement, and my
earnest wish for the success of General
Hampton, your noble standard bearer,
and of the Democratic party of your
State, in the approaching election. Prob
ably no people on earth have had heavier
burdens to bear, on account of bad gov
ernment and maladministration, than
the people of South Carolina have en-
dured for the last few years. Whether
your people made mistake, immediate
ly after the passage of the reconstruction
act in lying still, and giving up the con-
troll of the State government to carpet
baggers, by allowing them to control the
colored people of South Carolina, is not
an appropriate subject for discussion at
present. If any error of that character
was committed, you have long since suf-
fered its penalty, and the united and de-
teermined effort which the intelligent,
high-toned, honorable citizens of your
once noble State are now making to
throw off the yoke, gives promise, in my
judgment, of an early deliyerance. In
this effort, you have the cordial sympathy
and best wishes Of all intelligent, right
minded people, both North and South,
who are not controlled by partisan inter-
est, or political malignity and the prayer
goes up from hundreds of thousands of
hearth stones, all over the country, that
you may be able to throw off the yoke,
and substitute good government and an
honest administration, for the bad gov
ernment and maladministration of past
years.
AS a native of South Carolina, I feel
the more keenly the wrongs inflicted
upon her, and trust the more ardently
that they may soon cease to exist In
General Hampton, your leader, you have
man who has the confidence and respect
of good people. everywhere, who has a
national reputation for gallantry and
ability, and character untarnished by a
breath of reproach, who is able, wise,
prudent and sagacious, and who, if he
should succeed to the position of ofGovernor
of your State, will, I have no doubt, see
that the laws are faithfully and impair
TALLY administered, and that equal and
exact justice is done alike to all persons,
without regard to race, color or any 9TH
er condition in life. l..
The colored people of South Carolina
may we'll give to General Hampton a
cordial and enthusiastic support. Some
of them knew his ancestor before him.
Many of them have known him all their
lives, and they have never been deceived
by Hampton, or had reason to call in
question the humanity, integrity or sense
of justice possessed by him who bears
the Democratic standard. 1t is to me q
matter of surprise that all intelligent col
ored people in your State do not see that
their interest lies in common with the
white people of the State, who were born
upon her soil, who are identified with
her interest, and who, at every stage of
their existence, have been in some friend
ly relation connected with the colored
race, and who have constantly shown
themselves its best friends. Can it be
that any sensible colored man who looks
to his own interest, and the interest OF
his family in future, can believe that
they would be better served by retaining
in power carpet-bag officials who have
piled upon the State an enormous debt
and burdencd its population with taxa
ton almost too grievous to be borne, than
by electing such native men as Hampton
and others who are before them for their
suffrage, whose interest it will be to stop
the accumulation of debt, and reduce in
every possible way the taxation by which
they are burdened? Every colored man
must see that his labor is burdened by
the yearly taxation with which carpet
baggers have loaded the people of the
State, and it would seem that the prompt
ings of self-interest and self-protectiou
will naturally lead him to lend his aid tc
throw off this grievous burden. The
carpet-bagger who makes a fortune by
dishonest means, and leaves the tax
payers to raise the money to meet the
burdens which have been imposed tol
his individual benefit, has no particular
interest in remaining in your State long
er than he can continue to accumulate
When out of Office he can return to the
North, carrying his spoils with him
How does it benefit either the white cltl
zen or the colored citizen to give his aio
to the carpct-bagger, by placing him IL
power where he can enrich himself a