Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-08-04
The President on the Hamburg
Massacre.

Whatever may be said Of President
Grants delinquenciss, he has never gone
back on the colored people of the South,
or abandoned their rights, fact which
will stand to his honor by the side Of his
great military achievements in putting
down the rebellion. In response TO the
Senate, for information relative to the
massacre in South Carolina, he sent sew
eral documents which he had received
from various officers Of that State, all Of
which show the atrocity of that slaugh-
ter and also one which he sent to Gov.
Chamberlain, in which he sharply speaks
of these political murders and assassina-
tions with no uncertain voice. We give
this letter entire as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, july 26.
DEAR SIR:-I am in receipt Of your
letter of the 22d July and all enclosures
enumerated therein, giving an account of
the late barbarous massacre Of innocent
men at the town of Hamburg, S. c..
The views which you express as to the
duty you owe to your oath of office and
to the citizens, to secure to all their civil
rights, including the right to vote accord
ing to the dictates of their own con-
sciences and the further duty of the
executive of the nation to give all need
full aid when properly called on to do
so, to enable you to ensure this inaliena-
BILE right, / fully concur in. The scene
at Hamburg as cruel, blood thirsty, wan
ton, unprovoked and as uncalled for as
it was, is only repetition of the course
that has been pursued in other Southern
States within the last few years, notably
in Mississippi and Louisiana. Mississ-
ippi is governed to-day by officials chosen
through fraud and violence such as
would scarcely be accredited to savages,
much less to civilized and Christian peo-
pie. How long these things are to con-
tinue, or what is to be the final remedy
the Great Ruler of the Universe only
knows but | have an abiding faith that
the remedy will come, and speedily, and
| earnestly hope that it will come peace
fully, There has never been desire on
the part of the North to humiliate the
South; nothing is claimed for one State
that is not freely accorded to others, un.
less it may be the right to kill negroes
and republicans without fear of punish
ment and without loss Of caste or repu
tation. This has seemed to be the priv,
ilege claimed by few states | repeat
again that fully agree with you as tC
the measure of your duties in the present
emergency and as to my duties to go OIL
and let every governor, where the same
dangers threaten the peace of his State
90 on in the conscientious discharge o
his duties to the humblest as well as thu
proudest citizen, and will give every aiC
for which / can find law or constitution
al power.
The government that cannot give pro
lection to life, property and all guaran
teed civil rights in this country 9Th,
greatest of which is an untrammeleC
BALLOT to the citizen, is so far failure
and every energy of the oppressed shoul(
$ be exerted-a always within the law ant
by constitutional means to regain thei
lost privileges and protection. Too lonl
denial of guaranteed rights is sure t.
+ lead to revolution, bloody revolution
where suffering must fall upon the limo
cent as well as guilty. Expressing (
hope that the better judgment and co
operation of the citizens of the stat
. over which you have presided so abb.
; may enable you to secure fair trial an
o punishment of all offenders without dis
tinction Of race or color or previous con
dition, and without aid from the FEEDER
al Government, but with promise O
such aid on the conditions named in tn
: foregoing, | subscribe myself, very re
:, spectfully, your obedient servant.
U. S. GRANT.
To Hon. d. H. Chamberlain, Cover
!. nor of South Carolina.
NJ