Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-02
THE SITUATION.

our last issue. and as our space is limited,
will do so without preface.
In South Carolina. on last Saturday,
the supreme court Issued an attachment
against the returning board tor contempt;
the members were subsequently lncar-
cerated IN Jail by order Of the court.
They were put in a single room' but
Dunn and Stcne, the two white mem
beers. both of them Northerners. and re-
publicans of course, refused to sleep IN
the same room with the three colored
members. saying. There are no civil
rights in jail" On Monday morning a
writ of habeas corpus was sued out ny
District Attorney Corbin, in the case OF
the board, before Judge Bond, U. 5.
District Judge, who, according to the
opinion of lawyers and the press gen.
erallv. had no jurisdiction in the case.
and the board was placed in charge OF a
United States marshal. which was u vlr-
tual release. On Tuesday the conspiracy
was consummated at Columbia. by the
organization of the house under the pro-
lection OF federal bayonets. supplied by
order of Gen. Grant. A negro speaker
was elected by the republican members.
the democratic members beng refused
admittance into the hall of the state
house by federal troops. a corporal be-
ing stationed at the door. A full house
numbers 124 members, \ majority n
shutting a quorum, but the republicans
claimed that the members from Edge
field and Laurens counties having been
thrown out it would only require SO to
constitute a quorum. They accordingly
organized with this number, fifty-four OF
them being negroes. and five whites.
The democrats then read a protest
against the high-handed outrage perpe-
trated upon their right of ~peaceably as
sembling as the duly elected representa-
tives of the people, SO declared by the
highest judicial authority of the state.
aud withdrew to hall in the city, where
they met for consultation. During the
exciting scenes consequent on these out
rageous proceedings, Gen. Hampton
made a pacificatory speech, telling the
people to quietly dispense. and to de-
pend upon the law and the constitution
for redress. On Wednesday last the
two houses OF representatives met, but
accomplished nothing. the state house
being guarded by three companies o
federal soldiers, and nobody being ad
mitted without a pass from n of Gov
Chamberlain's attaches. On Thursday
morning the democratic house tool
p~eaceable possession ofthe state legisla
tive hall at II o'clock; a. m. the repub
lican house met at noon. Both speaker!
were on the stand, Wallace, democrat
in the chair, and Mackey, republican
at the clerks desk. Hamilton ane
Myers, republicans. denounced the actor
of their side of the house as illegal ant
unconstitutional. Good humor SCENE
to be manifested on both sides, which
is hoped will continue. Gen. Ruger sen
a staff officer to the speakers stand t.
notify him that at noon on Friday tn
members from Edgetield and Lauren
would not be permitted on the floor of tn
house. To which the following reply
signediby j. C. Gordon. Wade Hampton
and A. c. Haskell. was sent:
The members from Edgefield and Laurens ar
entitled to their seats by the judgment of til
, vised themt to remain IN the ~urfrdnTerR9yeI rs
your troops, that the issue may be made whetl
er we have a government of law, az construe
BY the courts, or centralized despotism, who!
only law is force. Let the American people b'
{ hold the spectacle of q brigadier general of Il
army, seated by the side Of Gov. Chamberlain
s in a room OF the state house, and issuing h
orders to = legislative body peacesbly assemble
5 in one of the original thirteen commonwealth
, OF this Union.
n We have received no news of the pr
ceedings yesterday.
The Louisiana returning board hi
s been gradually approaching the CO
summation of its purpose Of countin
out Mr.. Tilden and counting in NJ
e Hayes. A clerk was detected in tar
If pering with the returns from one OF Il
d parishes, which it Is said c%onsiderab
70 disguised some of the northern '.visltil
Statement" but for one discovered fral
h how many undiscovered ones there ha
d been, nc mortal can know. Some del
D. ocrats are respondent as to the result
this state, but others, ex-Gov. Curt
10 among the number. think that N
4, Tilden's majority is too large to be
III tirely whitfield away. The board h
ne constantly refused to fill the vacs
,e place with a democrat, OF to adopt a
it, rule suggested by the democratic col
oe sci. 1t has commenced its intimidati
it testimony by placing a negro won
re upon the stand who e to a fear
re tale OF outrage, but the misfortune in
case seems 20 be that it was easily p
ven that she was unworthy of creden
at and that the crimes which she rela'
Il were not connected with politics or CO
lis mitted by democrats.
,al In Florida the returning board met
an Monday morning and adopted rules, {
il of which was to admit a committee
he six from each party, On Tuesday mo
ing the returns were opened, the roll
not counties called, all but Dade being
ua ported. The face of the returns SHOW
ma, a majority OF Al for Hayes. Alac]
at county which gave a republican maj
the t, of 499. vas made By the returns
give III, and from appearances it
tho evident that the returns had been t.
cd. pered with and republican MAORI
las raised. Dade county though de
to cratic. is very small and cannot mater
lu- ly effect the result. Frauds were
led posed during this session by Mr.. Pa
;yl- democrat. which changed the face of
returns to l35 majority for Tilden.
Wednesday the canvass progressed
!cks orably to the democrats, wLc
.on' thoroughly organized and armed ,
vail proof from every quarter. They
/ is posed the fact that the republicans "
ows using afidavits of men who had L
I'VE dead some time before they were