Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-10-17
South Carolina.

| lue 1TlOuue puDlSnes u EcNItW VI INC polIl.-
cal situation in South Carolina, by a white native
of that State who is not republican, from which
we copy the following:
"Never since the passage of the ordinance of
secession have there been such scenes in the State
| The whole white population is up in arms and
drilling. Wade Hampton and his colleagues
| canvassing the State. Everywhere they 20 there
| are mass meetings and torchlight and military
4 PROFESSIONS, recalling those OF lS606l a WIDE
| spread system Of terrorism and intimidation reisns
| supreme. The negroes, row so long unmo!o sted
| that they have come to look upon freedom as the
| natural order of things, have been suddenly
awakened from their di cam. They see the mill
tary drilling all around them. Dark faces scowl
at them when they 20 abroad. They hear OF Sc
cret meetings and gatherings OF their oldtime
| owners. Whisperings Of the Hamburg buchery
reach them. They hear the whites all around
| them saying that the bottom rail has been on top
long enough-that the darkey has got to step
down and out-that Hampton must be elected.
La alarm they call mass meeting of the repub-
licsns for consultation. Their prominent men are
invited to be present and speak. The time comes.
Thousands are present They organize and the
speaking begins. Suddenly comnotlon arises.
The orator stops. The tap of the drum and the
sound Of the bugle are heard down the road. Then
long columns of white soldiery, armed to the
teeth, mounted and on foot, come fling around
the corner and march to the platform. They push
aside the frightened negroes and select the best
| mount the platform aud demand half the time for
| democratic speakers 1t is tremblingly accorded,
| A confederate general arises, delivers a blood
| ndthunder harangue, telling the negroes they
| have been fools long enough, have got to discard
| their presen leaders and come back to their old
masters, who intend 10 carry the election peacea-
bly,, ii they can, but forcby ii they are resisted,
| A republican follows. lie Is greeted with storm
of Kisses and a deafening yell of derision from
/ the military. lie mutters few words, every SEN
L h,,s t,a A
| sentiment is uttered loud enough 10 be heard.
| Forthwith armed bully steps forward from
| the ranks and pronounces that assertion lie.
| The speaker dares not resent the insult-nay, he
daIes not notice or allude to it. He talks on for
| a WHILE But the insults, jeers, impairment ques-
lions, &C., come faster and faster, and finally, in
| alarm for his life, heresumes his seat. When the
| kissing has subsidized, another confederate takes
the floor. lie goes over the rambling remarks of
| the poor republican, pronouhces each and every
| one of them an infamous, malicious, damnable
lie, and dares him to arise and say they are not.
| There is wild cheering. The republican, CULVER
ing with fear and indignation, is forced TO swallow
| IL at the point of the bayonet. The other speak
efs on his side are treated in the same way. The
| meeting breaks up with three times three and
tiger for Hampton and Tilden. And such of the
negroes as have not already fled in alarm are fol-
lowed to their homes by the jeers and curses Of
the rfemen.
But this is not ALL The air is filed with re-
pear in print. No prominent republican of either
color can safely leave a town. Let hint that he
intends to ride out into the country get wind and
he is sure to be ambuscaded. But more than
this. The whites regard = republican of their
own color with tenfod the vindictiveness with
which they look upon the negro. Scores Of white
republicans are hurrying in alarm to the newspa-
per offices to insert cards in which they renounce
| their party and profess conversion to the democ
| racy. Ii these men hang back and refuse or
I lnntt sn.. he ala
military company, their conduct is reported to the
township meeting. committee is appointed to
request an explanation. They call the sus-
pected man ut their earliest convenience. If he
be sensible, he will submit profuse apologies and
regrets, and hurriedly take up his rifle and follow
them to the drill room. Three or four white cir
cult judges have been dragooned into conformity,
and the crowd OF lesser lights threatens TO absorb
| every white republican in the State, except Gov.
| Chamberlain and the United States Senators.
| There is no doubt OF it that many white men
| and negroes have already been murdered in cold
blood. In the Hamburg region, especially, the
| butchery Of the blacks is wholesale. Even as |
write there comes the account OF another conflict
| at Ellenton, few miles from that memorable
| spot. And the Charleston News and Courier, now
| almost dragooned into thorough conformity after
trying TO insinuae that the negroes started the af
fair by heading its despatch relating to the gath
ering of the rifle clubs with the words, ain arms
| in self-deience-a battle imminent" proceeds to
|
| Two whites certainly killed only % or 30 ne
groes killed SO far" A stranger on casting his
| eye down the column and reading a vivid descrp-
ton OF unprovoked attacks by mobs of negroes on
the rifle clubs, cavalry companies and sherifrs
posse In which the latter were taken entirely un-
| awares, might have supposed that the printer was
| IN error; that he should have said % whites
| killed and only two negroes; but, no; at the bot
tom OF the article Is statement of the casualties
in which the same tell-tale information is given
| A m no
| negro member of the legislature
If awhile man refuses to JOIN the precinct club .
| if white mans loyalty to the party Is suspected
| if white republican persists in his opinions he
/ is spotted, maj ked, doomed. He is scowled mt If
he walks abroad. Ii he passes a crowd of loiter-
ing whites on street corner, all ominous silence
| falls upon them Till he is out of hearing. No
warning is given him. No midnight visits are
| now paid OF ku-klux despatched. The whites
| have found by bitter experience, that such things
| are ooomerangs, which return with ten-fold force
| to injure the thrower. They manage the matter
better now. They wait till an obnoxious man
whom they have doomed as a victim chances to
| stand or pass near them say the public square,
| at the post office, in bar room, on the street.
a crowd Of white desperadoes will cluster around
MN or follow him. They appear 10 be drunk,
| and begin 10 quarrel over some silly matter bay-
ing nothing to do with politics. Several bystand-
ers come up and take sides Finally blows are
| exchanged, pistols drawn and q regular street
night occurs. Shots are fired by all the party.
Yet, strange to say, when order is restored, il il
| found ths; not one of the contestants is Injured
while the poor republican has been struck bv
several random shots and killed. An account OF
the afray appears tle press (the press is al
most wholly democratc) under the heading
| street r0w-one man killed" Not only are
| single men picked off in this way. but sham
fights are arranged by white rufiisins on some
non political prctense, which swe II to the proper