Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-28
NATIONAL NOTES.
Tho Cougressionai Committee In South Caro-.
nsa-Democrats Oisgusted 20 Find a Fair
hiecuon-The Massacres Of Hamburg and
Elienton- Gov. Chamberlain aud Gen.
Hampton-The Supreme C0urt-Grsnt and
Mosen.
Correspondence OF the Grant County HERALD
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Hampton-The Supreme Court-Grant and
Moses.
Correspondence of the Grant County HERALD
COLUMBIA, S c., Dec. 10, 1876.
The Congressional Committee.
There are two Congressional Com
mittees in South Carolina The House
Committee has been in session nine
days. Thus far, after having exam
ined, with microscopic patience, both
the official and partizan returns from
every disputed county, the House
Committee have been unable to dis
cover the faintest trace, either of fraud
or unfairness, on the part of Republi-
can election managers or of the Re-
publican State Board of Canvassers.
1t has been established, on the contra
ry, that, in every case, they have
counted the Presidential vote Gas actu-
ally cast" even when the returns were
sent in unsigned, or not signed as the
law requires, as well as when the
tickets bore the names of "Tilden aud
Hendricks" only. instead of the names
of the Democratic Presidential Elect
ors. The Republicans not only dis
dain to take advantage of any tech
nical violations of the election laws
but they did not examine the evil
dences of fraud, intimidation and
assassination that came up from ev-
cry county in the "Black Belt" Yet,
among the score of lies, without the
shallow OF a shade of truth in them,
that have been telegraphed from this
city to the North, was the statement
that this committee had discovered
that the votes Of thirty Democratic
precincts had never been counted in
the Presidential election / called the
attention of Gen. Banks to that state
ment. He pronounced it utterly and
UNANIMOUSLY false, and added that the
only precinct that had not been
counted was Robbins Precinct, in
Barnwell county, which gave 1866
Republican majority. Early in tie
morning of the election day, the rifle
clubs rode up to that precinct and
fred into it. Tie managers and voters
fed in terror. They opened the polls
at another place. There, the Repuh
licans voted. But, as the returns were
not sent to the Board within the time
required by law, they were never
counted at all. There has never been
an election in the North more honest.
ly managed than the election here
was managed on the part Of the Re
publicans. This Is the declaration of
more than one Of the House Commit
tee. The House Committee will prove
a second Balaam-but without the
old prophets honesty. The Democrats
came here TO curse and they remain to
swear; because-they have found no
Republican frauds.
The Senate Committee.
The Senate Committee began their
Investigations on Saturday. Senator
Cameron, of Wisconsin, Christiancy,
of Michigan, and Merrimon, of N. c.,
constitute the committee. They are
examining witnesses as to the Ham
burg Massacre and Ellenton Cor Mat
lock Church, Slaughter. Their ses-
sions are held in secret, as it would
put the lives OF the witnesses in peril
to testify in public. | can give no
hint of the testimony taken by the
Committee (although | have heard il
ally until the Senators return to Wash
ington but as have spoken outside
of their rooms with Republicans who
have been summoned to appear be-
fore them, l have the right TO indicate
what the evidence will prove if they
all tell under oath what they have
told to me.
The Hamburg Massacre,
It will be shown that this slaughter
of over seven unarmed prisoners un
lawfully captured, and guilty of nc
offence, was preconcerted plot de-
Uised several months before 1t occurred
for the openly avowed purpose o.
overawing the colored Republicans
and carrying South Carolina for the
rebel State ticket and the Democratic
national candidates. The stories told
by the survivors of that shocking car.
mage, will reveal condition of society
that must astound every Northern
reader. who is not personally familiar
with the true character of the con
spicuous leaders Of the shot gun De
mocracy, especially when they are
brought face to face with the signifi
cant fact that the Rebel State Legis
lature here have just elected Gen. NJ
e. Butler to the Senate OF the United
States.
The Matlock Church Slaughter
1t will be demonstrated that many
negroes were warned, both by friendly
whites and by frequent threats
months before the Matlock Church
Massacre of last September occurred
that there was to be slaughter of the
colored leaders in Aiken county. Some
thirty negroes were killed in cold
blood there. The pretext was, thai
two unknown blacks had assaulted a
white woman. The white men there
when they heard of it, made up their
minds, without any evidenced that
two negroes in the neighborhood
were the offenders. They arrested
one; a sick man who had not been
out of doors for several days. They
took him toward the house where the
woman dwelt Before they reached
it, her husband met them He knocked
the negro down and beat him and
then shot him. The men who had
arrested him did not interfere. When
the woman was called and saw the
DYING man, she confirmed his constant