The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-11-04
THE SOUTH CAROLINA CRIME.

We beg of voters before casting their bal
lots for Hayes and Wheeler next Tuesday, tC
stop moment and contemplate the crime
against popular liberty which is now being
enacted IN South Carolina.
Up to the disastrous result Ito the republ
cans) of the October elections Grant had hest
lated to consummate this crime. Chamber
lain, the republican candidate for governor
in South Carolina, finding that lie was DIES
tined to be hopelessly defeated by Wade
hampton, had called on Grant for troops &c
help him control the negro vote but Grant
hesitated and seemed inclined to give him, as
he had done Ames year ago, the cold shoul
der. But after the October elections 1t became
evident that without carrying two or three
southern states the case of Haye, was hope
less, and then Grant showed his willingness
to act.
Wade Hampton had been making vlgor'
Gus campaign against Chamberlain. Not
only half the leading white republicans in the
state, including all the supreme Judges, were
supporting Hampton, but he was drawing at
ter him half of the nagro vote. Chamberlain
pretended that the whites were carrying the
negroes by threatening them with their rifle
clubs, and issued a proclamation ordering all
the rifle clubs to dlsband, and the proclama.
ton was instantly obeyed, though there was
no constitutional or legal warrant for it. Still
Chamberlain knew that unless hecould make
the negroes believe that it was Grants order
that they should vote for him, be would be
unable to detach them from the support of
Hampton So he renewed his GILL on Grant
for troops. The sending of the troops is &C.
cepted by the negroes as evidence that 1t is
Grants Will that they shall vote br Chamber
lain, and they are taught to belieyethat Grants
will must be obeyed. That is why troops
were called to South Carolina, and that IS
why this federal interference in favor of re-
publican corruptionists is so ubiquitous and
so mischievous. When last year the honest
republicans of Mississippi brok, away from
Governor Ames he called at onse for troops.
When troops were refused him the negroes
turned against him. They no Logger believed
him to possess General Grants hvor, and did
not scruple to vote against HIN or stay at
home. Ames knew very well that if the
troops had been sent him he COLD have car
rled the state, not by their use, hut by the con-
vlctlon their presence on his demand would in
spire in the blacks that Ames was General
Grants man" This is the secet of the use
Of troops in South Carolina JUS now.
What Grant is doing in South Carolina is
also being done in Louisiana AMI Mississippi,
and thus the country is to be deated out of
an honest election Of President
But will the North allow thiscrlme against
liberty to be consummateds Is AN honest
republican contemporary forcibly remarks,
"Gov. Hayes and the party managers ought
to know that the use Of troop, and all this
Federal interference in the South is causing
a vague feeling of alarm among thoughtful
voters. They ask themselves, where and
when is this thing to end? The war closed
eleven years ago, and here is General Grant
DpShIy oNhuihS tuC "uOIC army lulD lIlt SOulu
for no other object than to re-eect partisan
ot his, contrary to the will Of the majority of
the people of the state. Here are the repub-
ican managers using the most dangerous and
unconstitutional measures, not merely to per-
petuate their own power, but to support and
'ecect in the Southern States set Of men
who have for years kept those communities
IN turmoil, have robbed them and haze mis-.
ed and misused the poor negro to his own
destruction and their selfish advantage Moth
ng is more certain than that if the epubli-
IAN party is to continue its league with the
'ackards, Kelloggs. Spencers and Chamber.
aims, it ought TO be beaten. No party de-
erves success or can safely hold power over
he country which deliberately continues its
alliance with and support of such me,."
AND The BRYANTS COME Also!