The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-08
The South iCaroltna Riets..

The following intelligible summary-and
it Is the first one yet given-of Che riots in
South Carolina is given by DR.. 81. ". Red
field, the Cincinnati Commercials southern.
correspondent: =. ..IHafR.f{a rf:ttar ).
4 There have been four important riots, IL I
may use the term-namely, Hamburg, Ellen.
ton, Charleston, and Cain Hoy. The num-
Der OF killed in these riots Is, as figure it.,
twenty blacks and eight Writes. In
every one Of these riots, except Charleston,
the whites were the aggressors. AT Charles.
ton the blacks were to; blame, and ut Cain
Hoy, while the blacks were not the aggres-
sors. they were not entirely blameless.o But
the Eilenton and Hamburg affairs were
massacres Of the Blacks pure and simple.
There was no fight about it worthy OF the
name; 1t was black slaughter. ~. ''.2
i But the Charleston affair, was the fault OF
the blacks. They were ,as much to blame as
the whites at Hamburg, only far less muir
derous. They did not kill anybody in cold
blood. They gathered in tof Demo-
cratic cclored clubhouse, and when the
Democratic blacks came out they fell upon
them most sayagely. But for timely white
interference they wonld have reduced the
black Democrats to jelly and mince-meat.
The very sight Of Democratic darky has
the same effect on the, blacks that q red rag
does when put upon q sharp spike and
thrust under the snout OF mad bull. They
will never interfere with white Democrats,
for they have an idea that the place for q
southern white man is in the Democratic
party, and they think none the less OF him
on that account; but Democratic colored
person has to look out for his scalp with
great caution. Withdraw white protection,
and the life Of the Democratic darky would
not be worth copper.
The Cain Hoy riot was peculiar, and the
only one I ever knew in which the blacks
came of victorious. They killed six white
men, and only lost one They reversed the
usual order Of things, and taught the whites
that a.long g-sutfering race may sometimes turn
and wreak q terrible vengeance upon the
aggressors.
In this case, as I have said before, the
whites were the .aggressors, but the blacks
are not altogether blameless. 1t happened
in this wise A joint discussion was agreed
upon by the local committees. Itwas agreed
that the time should be equally divided be-
tween the speakers, and that neither party
should come armed to the meeting. The
whites kept their part Of the agreement; 4;
that is, they brought no arms except pis-
tolls, but these they fired off occasionally,
creating needless excitement.
Some of the blacks-thirty or forty out
of several hundred present-either not un-
derstanding the agreement, or from some
other cause, brought their guns. But they
were easily persuaded to lay them aside, and
part OF them were deposited in IN old car
riage-house near the speakers stand and the
rest in the woods near by.
The first speaker was a Democrat. lie
finished without Interruption, and appa-
rently the best of feeling prevailed. But
lust as he closed his speech a lot OF white
rouehs slipped around into the old car
riage-house, and, without q word OF warn
ing, grabbed the colored mems guns and
commenced firing. An old colored man,
who stood near them leaning on his stick,
was shot dead. OF course the blacks
were terribly enraged at this unprovoked
assault. While they were listening to the
speaking their arms had been stolen, and
one OF their number shot down. They
rushed for the woods, where they had lett
the guns not in the carriage-house, and re-
turned the fire with spirit, killing six white
men OF the party who were the aggressors.
The rest got out Of the way, after emptylng
their guns and their pistols.
Undoubtedly this has had q quieting effect
on the white roughs in that quarter. They
will be little more cautious hereafter now
they fool with the blacks.
Such is the true story OF the riots. HAM
burg and Ellenton were massacres OF the
blacks. At Charleston the blacks were to
blame, and at Cain Hoy the whites were the
aggressors, but the blacks are blamable for
bringing arms.