The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-19
Auaerspn gateltigenem,
The Situation Viewed from On Indepen-
ss dent Standpoint. g
Governor Chamberlain has hi sIa at last mac

The Situation Viewed from on Indepen-
dent Standpolnt g +
Governor Chamberlain has at last made
feint towards preserving the peace in
South Carolina. 1t is a step not taken
without consideration of q certain kind.
Paterson suggested it, Grant approved
! il, and Chamberlain, not .withont'a brief
struggle with his. conscience, orders that
the rife clubs; be disbanded. Only a
week ago the Governor did not share in
the apprehensions of Patterson in regard
to trouble in South Carolina On the
contrary, he said most emphatically to
reporter that he could not believe that
either party would seriously, contemplate
any.overt aet(which would lead to a col
lision, as such conflict would necessarily
be bad for. both parties. He added
''The Democrats have everything to gain
by pursuing pacific course, and while
there may be occasional disturbances, ike
the affairs at Hamburg and at Aiken, !
do not believe there will be any general
disturbance Since these views were ex-
pressed South Carolina has been quiet to
degree exceptional in a political cam
paign. A sherih's posse secured order IN
Barnwell and Aiken; the determination
of the white people to protect the colored
Democrats from negro mobs has main
tanned peace in the streets of Charleston,
and every day the report has been that
all was quiet on the Combahee. In tact,
the only serious breach of the peace that
has occurred since Governor Chamberlain
returned to his seat of government was
the brutal whipping of Emanuel Robin
son and other negroes of Cav Cav town
ship for declaring their intention to vote
the Democratic ticket. the, lash being
applied by jealous Republicans of the
same color. What, then, has brought the
Governor around to Senator Pattersons
way of thinking and led him to issue this
warlike proclamation? 1t is simply the
discovery that unless something be done
to break up the wonderful Conservative
organization, and to stir up the whites to
resistance, Gen. Wade Hampton will be
the next Governor of South Carolina. A
pretext for the intervention of the mill
tary arm of the Federal government, must
be made, and Governor Chamberlain has
consented to do his part in this direction.
Another blood letting like that at Ham
burg would be a godsend to him and his
party. The object of his proclamation
is, therefore, not to preserve the peace,
but to provoke war. -''o'so
The nature of the rifle clubs, against
which Governor Chamberlain's proclama-
ton is directed, may not be generally
understood in this section. These organ
izations grew out of grossly partisan leg
islation, 'placing the entire militia Of the
State in the hands Of the negroes. Near
ly every officer and every man in the
South Carolina militia is a negro. The
whites would not serve under negro Off
GERS, and they could not enlist without
danger of their companies being assigned
to regiments commanded by negroes.
Under Governor SCOTS, administration
immense appropriations were made for
the purchase Of arms and ammunition,
and these were distributed throughout
the State with a lavish hand until every
negro was supplied, whether enrolled in
a militia company or not, Naturally,
the whites saw danger to their interests
in this state of affairs. All attempts to
procure arms from the State for indepen-
dent companies proving futile, they re.
sorted to the organization of sabre and
rife clubs, composed of men who bought
their own uniforms and arms. So far
from conderaning this step, the ConserYa-
tive Republicans looked upon it with
favor, and, if we mistake not, Governor
Chamberlain, among others then of this
class, was elected to and accepted homo
rary membership in several Of the associ-
ations thus formed. Further, he has
even spoken of them in the North as an
honor to the-State.s Such ran association
isSthe Washington Light Infantry of
Charleston, which has been; foremost in
advocacy of reconciliation and peace,
and the members of which, at Bunker
Hill last year, and at Philadelphia few
months ago, manifested, at considerable
personal sacrifice and expense, their, ,zeat
in this cause For five or six years these
clubs have been in existence, and no dis
turbance, of the peace can be traced 70
theirtinHhence; on the contrary, their is
reason to believe that they have been
conservative force and served good pur-
pose in keeping the armed negroes from
rash acts which might have brought on
race confictsg But the trouble is thats
being white, the members of these clubs
are Democratic, and, being thoroughly
organized and disciplined, they. consti-
tute a political power which is, used with
great effect id this-campaign : qheif dis
organization would, in Governor Cham
berlain's opinion, break the backbone of
the Democratic party. If the! edlct of
the Governor should be resisted by force,
an additional point would be1 gained.
Happily, however, there is reason to be.
lieve that the Governor has counted
without his Host.. The 1peopleS ofoSonth
Carolina have resolved to bear and for.
bear to the utmost in order to elect the.
Reform ticket. It is stated that the clubs
Will formally disband, retaining their
arms, which, with the exception of two
companies, are their own property. The
authority Of, the State Fwill be respected
however unworthy its representative.
Governor Chamberlain will have to try
new goad.
Perhaps it is as well that Governor
Chamberlain has thrown off his mask.
Those who have had the most faith in
his Professions a. desire for reform
were andeceiyed by Ibis alliance Hith
Patterson ] and sother scorruptionistss IN
order. TO secure the Republican nomilnee- M m lle
ton for Governor from the men whom he
had denounced, as the worst thieves that
ever disgraced a country. By his press
ent adoption of revolutionary policy,
.hc, lie, is given TO his professions Of "a
desire for, peace and reconciliation, he
is playing into the hands Of the worst
men injy6is party, and the stake is an
official position which he cannot legiti-
mately secure. Heneeforth we may ex-
pect him to be found where he was Before
his. pretended .conyersion-in the s'99t fro9n9t
raiikH of the phunderers Of" the State,
whose interests it is his sworn duty to
protect. In any honest and earnest effort
to maintain the peace he has always had