Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-09

Denlnu W allace lney glare IerOclouf-
ly at ont another.
Representatives of both parties ad-
vance aud back up their respective
Sergeants: Tableau.
A Democratic member moves that
a committee of six be appointed to set
tie the matter. Speaker Wallace APP
pointed the six calling them by name.
Mackey disregarding this ordered
Jones (col'd) to call the roll.
Temporary silence-Roll called amid
Interruptions. Democratic members
addressing the Speaker.
Roll was called however and Mackey
says a majority of members being pres
ent, proceedings, will be opened by
prayer.
Thomas, a colored member came
forward and made prayer.
Mr.. Gray (dem.) moved that the
chair appoint a committee of six to
inform the authorities that the House
was disturbed by band ofinsurgents.
Speak Wallace appoints a commit
tee.
Mackey calls upon all members who
had not been sworn. to come up and
Wallace does the same.
Then Democrats recognized by
Wallace and Radicals by Mackey made
speeches simultaneously and confu-
sion was worse COMPOUNDED.
Mackey now had a whispered con-
ference with Dennis (who had direct
ed the troops the day before) who took
a message to Chamberlain calling for
troops to suppress disorder, then said
smiling, order will soon be restored
now" Troops did not come.
Great confusion continued for long
time and finally Mr.. Wallace was nOti-
fed by a message from Gen. Ruger
that the members from Edgefeld and
Laurens would not be allowed on the
floor of the house after IL m. the next
day.
This occasioned the following pro-
test from Gov. Hampton and the two
other gentlemen undersigned:
LETTER TO GENERAL RUGER.
COLUMBIA, S. G. Nov. 80, 1876.
General i. II. Ruger, commanding
United States troops in South Caro-
DINA -
DEAR SIR-We have just heard
through Major McGinnis, of your
staff, your order communicated to
William Wallace, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, that twelve
o'clock tomorrow the members-elect
from Edgefeld would not be allowed
upon the floor of the House.
To say that we are surprised at such
an order, after the explanations and
pledges made by you to each one ofus,
is to use very mild language. When
the outrage of Tuesday last was COM
mitted by the placing of armed senti-
nels at the door of the House of Rep
| resentatives, who decided upon the ad-
/ mission of members to their seats, and
4 when the provisions of the constitution
and the decision of the Supreme Court
were brought to your attention, you
distinctly and warmly asserted again
aud again that your orders were mis-
understood; that you did not intend t.
/ have sentinels at the door of the hall
and that you had not, and did not in.
tend to assume to decide upon the le-
gality Of any mans seat or upon his
] h. hal
then reminded by us that your guard
received instructions from one Dennis
a citizen and partisan of Governor
Chamberlain, to admit parties upon
his own pass or that of Jones, and
had, through armed forces, excluded
/ all Democrats from the hall until the
republican reorganization was completed
You assured Us again that such were
not your orders, and were told by u;
that notwithstanding the Preparations
of this inexpressible shame upon ouI
free institutions and the right of the
people, the evils could still be RENE.
| died without violence or bloOdshed BY
a simple withdrawal of your guard
from the doors of the hall, and that Q
majority of votes decides all questions
in accordance with law and the usage
| of legislative bodies. You stated tha
no troops should be at the door, anC
that under no circumstances would yOU
interfere, except there should occur &
serious disturbance of the peace. YoI
affirmed your determination to exer.
else no supervisory control whatever
over the body or bodies claiming to b.
the House of Representatives. AL
this occurred on yesterday.
Last night, IN later interview will
Senator Gordon, you made the same
assurances, and this morning, after
both bodies were assembled in the hall
you assured General Hampton that
under no circumstances would you In.
terfere, except to keep the peace.
What now can Justly measure ouI
astonishment at tha issuance of such
an order as the one just sent by you
There is no breach of the peace anC
no prospect of its disturbance. You
had it officially brought to your knowl
edge that absolute good humOr pre-.
walls in that hall. We cannot refrain
from expressing the impression thai
the fact that number of leading re.
publicanS are taking issue with the lie.
gality OF the proceedings by the re,
publican House, has changed you
views as to your line of duty. 1t i!
proper that we should say, in oonolu
sion, that we relied upon your honor
as a soldier to maintain your pledged
position of nOn-interventiOn.
The Democratic members from
Edgefeld and Laurens are entitled tC
| their seats 10y the judgment of the Su'
preme Court of this State, and we have
advised them to remain in that hall
until removed by your troops, that the
issue may be made In this centennia
year of American independence wheth'
er we have a government of law al
construed by courts, or centralized
despOtism whose only law is force.
Let the American people behold the
spectacle of a brigadier general of the
army seated by the side of Governor
/ Chamberlain in room IN the State
! House and issuing his orders to a leg
islative body peacefully assembled in
one of the original commonwealth oil
! this Union.
Respectfully yours
j. B. GORDON,
WADE HAMPTON.
4. &. HASKELL.
These three gentleman had been IL
4 conference with General Ruger yester-
/ day and to-day.