The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-14
BRAZEN IDIpUDENCE.
Chambcrlain's Pretended Inaugural
Address.

Chambcrlain's Pretended Inaugural
Address.
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatives::
l accept the office to which, by the
voice of q majority of the people of this
State, I have second time been called,
with a full knowledge of the grave re-
sponsibililies and difficulties by which it
is now attended. No considerations. ex-
cept the clearest convictions of duty,
would be sufficient to induce me to accept
this great trust under the circumstances
which now surround us. regaId the
present hour in South Carolina as crisis
at which no patriotic citizen should
shrink. from any post to which public
duty may call him. In my sober judg-
ment our present struggle is in defence
of the foundations of our government and
institutions. If We fail now, our govern
ment-the government of South Carolina
will no longer rest on the consent of
the governed, expressed by free vote of
majority of our people. If our oppo-
nents triumph care not under what
guise of legal forms-we shall witness the
overthrow of free government in our
State.
My chief personal anxiety, is that l
may have the firmness and wisdom to act
in manner worthy of the great interests
so largely committed to my keeping.
My chief public care shall be to contrib
ute my utmost efforts to defend the
rights, to guard the peace and to promote
the welfare of all the people of our
State.
The constant occupation of my time
with other duties which | could not post
pone, has prevented ME from preparing
the usual statements and recommends
tions respecting our public affairs. AT
the earliest practicable day l will dis
charge this duty. Our greatest interest,
our most commanding duty now, is to
stand firmly, each in his appointed place,
against the aggressions and allurements
of our political opponents. Our position
up to the present time, has been within
the clear limits of our constitution and
laws. Nothing but the cowardice or
weakness or treachery of our own friends,
can rob lis of the victory. state what
facts show, what overwhelming evidence
proves, when say that if we yield now,
we shall witness the consummation of a
deliberate and cruel conspiracy on the
part of the Democratic party of this State
to overcome by brute force the political
will of a majority of twenty thousand of
the lawful voters of this State.
Ihave mourned over public abuses
which have heretofore arisen here. 1
have, according to the measure of my
ability, labored to make the conduct of
our public affairs honest and honorable.
But I stand appalled, at the crimes
against freedom, against public order,
against good government, nay, against
government itself, which our recent po-
Iitical experience here has presented.
And am the more appalled, when see
the north, that portion of our country
which is secure in its freedom and civil
order, and the great political party which
has controlled the Republic for sixteen
years, divided in its sympathies and judg-
ment upon such questions. 1t is written
in blood ON the pages of our recent ma
tional history, that no government can
rest with safety upon the enforced slavery
or degradation of race. In the full
blaze of that great example of retributve
justice which swept away half a million
of the, best lives of our country we see the
American people divided by party lines
upon the question of the disfranchise-
ment and degradation of the same race
whose physical freedom was purchased
at such a COST. And, what is more aston
ishipg still, there are Republicans who
permit the errors which have attended
the first efforts of this race in self:govern-
ment to chill their sympathies to such an
extent that they stand coldly by and
practically say that the peace of political
servitude is better than the abuses and
disquiet which newly acquired freedom
has brought u
I Idenounce the conduct of the recent
election, on the part of our political OPP
ponents in this State, as a vast brutal
outrage. Fraud, prescription, intimida-
ton in all forms, violence, ranging
through all its degrees, up to wanton
murder, were its effective methods. The
circumstances under which we have as
sclnbled to-day show US how nearly sue
cessful has been this great conspiracy.
1t is for US, in, the face of all dangers, in
the face of false or timid friends, in the
face of open enemies. to show that we
understand the cause in which we are en-
gagged, and that no earthly sacrifice is too
great to secure its triumph. IL.
The gentleman vino was my opponent
for this Office in the late election, has re-
Gently declared, rs I am credibly in
formed that he holds not only the peace
of this city and State, but my life, in his
hand. do not doubt the truth of his
statement. Neither the public peace nor
the life of any man who now opposes the
consummation of this policy fraud and
violence is safe from the assaults of those
who have enforced that policy.
My life can easily be taken. | have
held it, in the judgment of all my friends
here, by frail tenure for The last three
months. But there is one thing no man
in South Carolina can do, however pow
erful or desperate he may be, and that is
to cause me 10 abate my hatred or cease
my most vigorous resistance to this at
tempted overthrow and enslavement ot a
majority of the people of Sou h Carolina
"Here / stand; l can do no otherwise
God he my helper" Wife and children
nearer to me than care the ruddy drops
that visit my sad heart"-all other CON
sidcrations must give way before the sol
emn duty to resist the final success of that
mo,lstrous outrage, under whose black
shadow we are assembled to day.
- In London, Jew has been charged