Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-18
The Mississippi Plan in South
Carolina.

Carolina.
The Report of fAs Usited States Dis.
trd .atte'aey to Governor Ckam6e-.
lais, Rststise 70 Oxtreges IN .diken
County.
COLUMBIA, s. c., Oc.. 9Th, 1876
Coz. ID. II. Chdm6eridin DEAR SIR
You having asked Of me a statement Of
, the general condition Of sffairs iu Aiken
county Is found them on my visit
there during the past week, have the
honor to state that | spent three days
III Aiken, and had before me and took
the atidavits of a considerable number
Of citizens from different parts Of the
county. | find that rifle clubs or regu-
lar military organizations, organized
substantially after the manner of mili-
taIy companies in the United States
Army, exist throughout the county.
The officers of these companies are
called Captains and Lieutenauts, and
the subordinate officers are all called
Sergeapts and Corporals. They are sll
armed with weapons Of various patterns,
but many of them Of the latest and
most improved kinds. Rifles and six.
teen shooters are most common, aud
pistols are almost universal. These
companies meet at stated intervals for
drill in the various military manGuvres.
They are also subject to be called out
on occasion BY their commanding Off
GERS. These clubs have created and
are causing perfect reign Of terror.
The colored men are many Of them
lying out of doors and away from their
houses at night. Many Of them have
been killed, and many have been taken
from their beds at night and merci'ess-
ly whipped, and others have been hunt
ed with threats of whipping and murder,
who thus far, by constant watchfulness
aud activity, have escaped. The white
men of these clubs are riding day and
night, and the coiored men are inform
ed that their only safety from death or
whipping lies in their signing an agree
ment pledging themselves to vote the
Democratic ticket at the coming cleo
ton.
From the best information / could
obtain in the time | was in Aiken, fix
the number of coiored men killed in
this county alone by white men of these
clubs during the past three weeks at
thirteen certainly. and probably twenty
FIVE or thirty. The civil arm of the
Government in this county is as power
less as the wind to prevent these afro
cities. The sheriff of the county, If
disposed, dare no. attempt to arrest the
perpetrators of these crimes for fear OF
his own life being taken. He did not,
as an credibiy informed, 60 within
seven miles of the 500 men, SO estima
ted by United States Army officers,
assem- bled under the command Of A. z.
Butler, near Rouse's Bridge, aud
marching upon crowd of colored men
there whom they had surrounded aud
intended, as scores Of them alIege, to
kill.
In conclusion, have only to say that
the condition of affairs in Aiken county
rivals the worst demonstrations of the
kuslux Khan in 1870 and 1871. In
my judgmen. you owe it to yourself, as
Governor, and to the people of the
State, to exercise, aud at once, all the
powers vested in you as Governor of
the State to put down this deplorable
state of affairs. Very respectfully,
ID. T. CoRBIN,
U. S. District Attorney for South Car
olina.
d. Fl. CHAMBERLAIN, Governor of
South Carolina.