The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-20
Race Disturbances in the South

The HAYES organs evidently rely upon
the hope of stirring up sectional strife
again as their main dependence in the
pending campaign; and any reports of
race disturbances, whether real or
fabricated, are eagerly seized upon, exag-
gerated, and misrepresented in every pos
sible way, in order to create in minds
prejudiced by a long series OF atrocious
Interpretations, a feeling of hatred
against the white population of the South.
IL Is time that these efforts to prevent
thorough reconciliation between the two
SECTIONS Of the country should be met Us
they deserve. and that the public should
be informed of the actual condition of af-
fairs in the reconstructed States. III the
whole truth were known. these attempts
10 revive issues that were settled by war
more than ten years ago would recoil upon
their authors with crushing severity
IL Is fact that the Republicans are di-
rectly responsible for all of the race dis
turbances that can possibly DO construed
rs of political origin which have occurred
during the past four years. In the Afri-
canized States the negroes have been or
gained by their leaders upon the color
line In secret leagues, many of which have
been in the habit of meeting in armed
bodies at midnight TO drill and threaten
the whites. Appeals TO the cupidity and
20 the worst passions of the ignorant blacks
have been made in these secret ooncaves.
while the torch of the incendiary has been
openly advocated as nm instrument for the
advancement Of political ends. Every
imaginable device has been resorted to by
the carpet-baggers aud their accomplices
in order TO create dissensions between the
races; and the ignorant dupes of these
pestjlent demagogues have been taught to
believe that in obeying the commands of
their self-constituted leaders they were
following instructions issued for their spe-
cial guidance by the President Of the
United States. 1t has been common prac-
tice to issue printed handbills, purporting
to be signed by U. $. GRANT, ordering the
negroes of certain localities To vote for
designated politicians of the lowest order
for local Offices and the Legislature.
These pernicious teachings have had their
natural effect, aud the most worthless
class OF Southern negroes, taking TO poll
tics and thIevery for livelihood, have
robbed the white taxpayers offic ally when
they got Office, and systematically plum
dered aud insulted them IN their capacity
rs private citizens. The records of the
courts will bear out the assertion that
three-fourths of the crimes ag ainst life
aud property in the Southern States
within the past five years have been COM
mitted by negroes, q large proportion of
whom have escaped punishment on ac-
count OF being tried by partisan magis-
trates before negro Juries, who belonged to
the same secret political league as the prls-
oners.
IL Is not strange that under such circum-
stances the whites should sometimes retail
tate, though even the utmost provocation
cannot justify the employment of lynch
law. Where lynch Jaw has been employed
against the negroes in the south, it has not
in "a single instance that we can recall
during the past four years, been used ex
rept upon notorious o TENDERS against the
law, or in retaliation for repeated acts
of aggression. We do not defend the
regulators in South Carolina or in any
other Southern State; we condemn them
AS we do the acts of similar mobs in
Indiana and elsewhere in the Northern
States, who hang horse thieves and other
marau1crs, not because they vote the Re
publican ticket but because they are pests
of society. But we protest against an
isolated act committed by an infuriated
mob like that which re Gently occurred ia
Hamburg, ;. c., being held up Us an evil
denos that Republican voters are perse-
cuted by Democrats, when the fact is that
the whole white pop ulation Of South Caro-.
lima has been plundered, trodden upon.
md abused IN every conc eivuble way by
the worse class of b lacks, and stl meaner
md more villainous white politicians, ever
since the end of tho war.
The neg TO population about Hamburg
Is one of the wors in the whole South.
IL was there that was organized few
months ago plot for general rising
of the blacks against the whites in several
counties in Georgia, VIII ich would have in
Volvod wholesale murders aud outrages OF
tho most fearful kind. Fortunately CORE
fpondence rev ealing the details OF the
conspiracy was Intercepted, and by the
prompt intervention of Judge JOHNSON
hnd GOV. SMITH of Georgia bloodshed was
prevented. PRINCE RIVERS the negro
magistrate who figured in the Hamburg
histurba nee, was one OF the conspirators
Implicit ed in this plot. The so-called
militia company of DOCK ADAMS was mob
of negro ruflians who had become notori-
Gus for their outrages, and had been
ordered by the Governor to deliver up
their arms to the State IA year ago. They
were dcsperadoes who defied the authors
ties and private citizens alike, and though
this does not excuse the killing OF prisoners
who had surrendered themselves, it shows
that it was not political motive which
led to the tragedy.
On the other hand, while the negroes
have an nndisputed enjoyment of their
pohticai rlgh.s so long "a they vote as they
.ste directed by their Republican leaders,