Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-08-04
President Grant ON tho Hamburg
Massacre.


President Grant ON tho Hamburg
Massacre.
Below will be found the Presidents
special message to the Senate in ref
ercnce to the Hamburg Massacre,
and also the Presidents letter to the
Governor of South Carolina. Both
are characteristic of Grants bold,
frecspoken manner, and will be en-
dorsed by every order-loving, loyal
citizen in the Union.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 1.-The
following message was received by
the Senate from the President to.
day:
To the Senate Of the United
States: In response to resolution
of the Senate, July 20, calling upon
the President to communicate to
the Senate, If in his opinion not in
compatible with public interests, any
information in regard to the slaugh-
ter of American citizens at Hamburg,
S. c., l have the honor to submit
the following: Here follows num-
Der of papers relative to the Ham,
burg massacre.
The President says: These inclos-
ures embrace all the information in
my possession touching the late dis
graceful and brutal slaughter OF I'M
offending men at the town of Ham,
burg. S. G. My letter to Gov. Cham
berlin contains all the comments I
wish to make on the subject. AS al
fusion is made in the letter to the
condition of other States, and partic-
ularly to Louisiana and Mississippi,
l have added to the Enclosures letters
and testimony in regard to the law
less condition of portion of the pee
pie of the latter State. In regard to
Louisiana affairs, murders and mas
sacres of innocent men for opinions
sake, or on account of color, have
been of too recent date and too fire.
quent occurrence to require recapitu-
lation or testimony here. All are
familiar with their horrible details,
the only wonder being that so many
Justify them or apologize for them.
But recently committe of the Sen
ate of the United States visited the
State Of Mississippi to take testimony
on the subject of frauds and violence
in elections. Their report has not
been made public, but l await It's
forthcoming with feeling of conf
dence that it will fully sustain all
that l have stated in relation to fraud
and violence in the State of Missis-
sippi. U. S. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, July 81, 1876
The following is the Presidents
letter to Gov. Chamberlin, referred
to above:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHING
TON, d. G. July 26.-DEAR SIR: 1
am in receip. of your letter of the
22d of July, and all the Enclosures
enumerated therein, giving an ac-
count of the late barbarous massacre
Of innocent men at the town of Ham
burg, S. G. 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, IN
GLIDING the right to vote according
to the dictates of their own conscien-
ces, and the further duty of the Ex-
ecutive Of the nation to give all need
full aid when properly called on to do
so to enable you to insure this in
alienable right, fully concur in
The scene at Hamburg, cruel, blood
thirsty, wanton, unprovoked and I'M
called for as it was, is only repeti-
ton of the course that has been pur-
sued in other Southern States within
the last few years, notably in Missis-
sippi and Louisiana. Mississippi is
governed to-day by officials chosen
through fraud and violence, such as
would scarcely be accredited to sava-
ges, much less to civilized and Chris
tian people. How long these things
are to continue, or what is to be the
final remedy, the Great Ruler of the
Universe only knows. But l have
an abiding faith that remedy will
come, and come speedily, and l earn
estly hope that it will come peaceful
ly. 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 all others, unless it be the right
to kill negroes and Republicans
without fear of punishment and with
out loss Of caste or reputation. This
has seemed to be privilege claimed
by few States
! repeat again that I fully agree
with you as to the measure of your
duties in the present emergency, and
as to my duties. Go on, and let
every Governor where the same dan
gers threaten the peace of his State
go on In the conscientious discharge
of his duties to the humblest as well
as the proudest citizen, and l will
give every aid for which I can find
law or constitutional power, The
Government that cannot give pro-
lection to life, and property, and all
guaranteed civil rights-in this coun.
try the greatest is an untrammeled
hallot-to the citizen is in so tar a
failure, and every energy of the op-
pressed should be exerted always
within the law and by constitutional
means) to regain lost privileges and
protection. The denial of guarantee
ed rights is sure to lead to revolu-
| ~ J. Al.