Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-10-20

America , t9r its supply Of bread
The Mississippi Plan Pursued in South
| Carolina.
The following article is an extract
from letter addressed by Governo,
Chamberlain, of South Carolina to
the Democratic State Central Com
mite. 1t shows conclusively that
whatever our Democratic friends in
the North may say, there is intimi'
dation practiced by the Southern
Democrats:
~ During the months of July
ana August last I made a canvas OF
number of the counties of the
State. The object OF the canvass
which was conducted almost wholly
under my own auspices, was, first,
the advocacy of the election of
Hayes and Wheeler, and, second, land
more especially, defense of my own
course as Governor, and an appeal to
the Republican party to stand by the
cause of reform in the coming State
convention. 1t was not general
party canvass under party auspices.
The meetings were generally called
at my request or suggestion, and for
the purpose Of hearing me upon the
question chiefly of reform in the
State.
On arriving at Abbeville, l
found our Republican friends, as
at Newberry, firmly convinc-
ed that if we held our meeting pru-
dencc would compel us to allow the
Democrats to occupy half the time,
and even then they were greatly ap-
prehensive of trouble. An arrange
ment was accordingly entered into
by which three speakers from each
place were to take part in the meet
ing. AT the hour appointed We pro-
ceeded to the place of meeting, where
we found the Republicans assembled
after the manner of ordinary political
meetings. AS soon, however, as the
Republicans were assembled, COM
panies of mounted white men, march
ing in martial order, and under the
command of officers or persons who
gave orders which were obcyed, be-
gan to pour over the hill in front of
the stand and to take their places at
the meeting. At this time 1 sat be-
side General MCGOWAN, a Democrat,
and we agreed in our estimate that
there were from 500 to 1000 mount
ed white men present. They came,
as know, from Edgefield County,
and as was informed, from New
berry, Anderson and Laurens Count
les as..well as from Abbeville county.
When fully assembled they covered
more than one-half the space around
the stand, besides entirely encirc-
ling the wholei meeting with mount
ed men. spoke first. In the course
of my speech, in response toloud aud
repeated cries from the white men,
"How about Hamburg?" "Tell us
about Hamburger" l replied, eyes I
will tell you about Hamburg" where
upon l saw a sudden crowding to-
ward the stand by the mounted white
men on my right, and heard DISTINCT
ly the click of a considerable num-
Der of pistols. I was followed by
Col. D. Wyatt Aiken, in a speech
filled to overlooking with the spirit
of intolerance and violence. With
his 1000 mounted and armed par
tisans cheering him on, he shouted
to the 500 or 600 colored Republi.
cans, eff you want war you can have
it-yes, war to the knife, and the
knife to the hilt." With 1000 arm
ed white men drinking in his words,
he singled out one colored man in
the crowd for special personal denun-
citation. Turning to me he charged
me personally with completely in
sending arms clandestinely to New
berry to arm the blacks against the
whites, with absolute falsehoods in
relation to the Hamburg massacre
and the calling for United States
troops, and declared over and over
that the white leaders must be held
personally responsible for all future
misgovernmcnt by the Republican
party. Later in the day, Mr.. Jillson,
the State Superintendent of Educa-
ton, while speaking, was SO greatly
interrupted by the white men that he
was unable to make a connected
speech or pursue his intended line OF
argument. After the meeting was
closed, and while the colored Repub-
licans were carrying United States
flag past the public square i'll the vii
lage, an effort was made by a party
of mounted white men to snatch it
from them, fifteen or twenty pistol
shots were discharged in the air, and
a general riot was thereby made i'm
minent.
Nearly every fact and incident
stated in the foregoing account fell
within my own personal knowledge.
l have omitted many facts vouched
for by perfectly trustworthy eye
witnesses, such as the repeated draw
ing of pistols on me behind my back,
and the threats against my lite, utter
ed at too great distance to be heard
by me. AT none of these meetings
did l witness or know of single dis
orderly act on the part of a Republi-
can, nor did I hear word spoken by
a single Republican speaker personal
ly disrespectful 10 Democratic
speaker.
Good Advice.
The women "knOW enough To