The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-12-14
PICKENS G. H., S. c.:
Thursday Dec. III, 1876.
Editorial Correspondence.

COLUMBIA, 5. c., Dec. I, 1876.
Dear Sentinel: Excitement has been
intense in Columbia for the past week,
but the decision Of the Supreme Court
hae had tendency to allay it very
much. The crowd of citizens from
the upper counties in tho State, who
assembled hero on last Monday night
and Tuesday, have nearly oil gone
home. They came in response TO
report which reached them, that an
atrocious plot to assasinatc all the
Democratic members Of the Legisla
ture, on ast Saturday night had been
maturely conoocted, and every prepara
tion made to carry it out, but was
de,ayed only in consequence of ex,
posure, which might be removed and
carried out at any time. For the
truth Of this diaboiical and hellish de-
sign of the Radical party, we arc as
sured that there is the best authority.
The Democrats woro in the House,
unooncious of their perilous condition,
and could have been easily overpow-
cred and killo1 by their would-bo as
sasins, for many Of them were asleep
the whole night. There is hardly any
doubt but what the plot would have
been thoroughly carried out, had not
our friends outside learned oft in time
to mako preparations TO render us
assistance. This thoy did by station-
ing themselves around the State
House, we'll armod, where they could
qaickly rush in and rescue us when
the attack was made. Failing in
their plot to assault us, another
scheme WAS concocted by which they
hoped TO bring on conflict and kill
enough of ou, members to reduce our
number below constitutional quor~
um, and thus secure tho 1.-Two years of
good Stealing," they arc 80 loath to
give up. Their plan was TO bring in
tho hall over one hundred roughs,
we'll armed, rs q State Constabularv
force and put the Edgofold and Laur-
cns mcmbers out by force. This course
they hoped would provoke resistance,
and give them an excuse to slaughter
the Democrats by assis tanco of United
States troops. In tEis they were also
foiled, for acting upon the limo OF pol.
icy upon which we started out, that OF
contesting and maintaing our consti~
tutional and legal rights in the courts,
Speaker Wallace, just before tho con-
stabulary forced entered tho hall,
arose and said, that he had bccn in
formed that rvcr hundred armed
men wero without the hall, ready to
enter, for the purpose of putting out
the members of the House from Edge
field and Laurens, who were as legal
~ entitled to soats upon tho floor as
any other member, buC tor the sake
of preventing bloodshod, he would
advise the House TO retire to Carroll.
ma Hall, who're they could assemble as
legally as in the Hall of the State
House. Upon this suggestion we all
retired, with Mcssrs. Hamilton and
Myers, of Beaufort county, and Mr..
Westberry, of Sumter, all Republicans,
but who had become disgusted with
the Infamous course of their party
and left it. The Radicals, by this
movement of the Democrats were
completely non-pIussed, and very
much ehagrined at the loss of the
opportunity of having few of their
worthless followers killed by the Do.
nocrats, in order to create symparhy =
in the North TO aid them in their
desperate and revolutionary efforts to
rotain power in tho State. They foel
that with tho loss Of this opportunity