The Tipton advertiser., 1876-10-26


unpaid, and that while they supported
him, as in the past, there was no dan
ger of misgovernlnent. But should
they rest content with this? Why
not get the upper hand at home, and
then make a desperate attempt to
seize on the reins of power at Wash
ington?
Violent Democratic papers were
started at different points. Conserva-
tive editors we're removed to make
room for firc-eaters from 6ther places.
The Fort Moultric Centennial was
made the occasion of the organization
and arming of the Confederate soldiers
by companies, over whom Wade
Hampton was placed in command.
The old fire-eaters rapidly came to the
surface, among them Gray and Butler,
aristocrats, duelists, and seccssionists.
They headed the secession element.
and they commenced paving the way
to the Democratic State Convention
by inaugurating race-conflicts at Edge
field and the horrible massacre at
Hamburg. The Mississippi plan was
started. As Gov. Chamberlain would
not be party to such plan, Gary
and Butler manipulated the Conven-
ton, and, although Gov. Chamberlain
was steadfastly supported by the re
spectacle element, they succeeded in
nominating Wade Hampton by a
small majority, but ii was sufficient.
Then hell was organized. Ritie-clubs
were formed all over the State, and
placed under the general command of
Butler. Race-conflicts began. Re-
publican meetings were broken up.
Negroes were killed by White-Liners
and masked bands of Ku-Klux. This
policy of preference and prescription
was inaugurated in all the large cities,
and the negroes were compelled either
to promise to vote the Democratic
ticket or be deprived of the means of
making living; in the rural districts,
it was cheaper to kill them, because
the probabilities were that the massa-
cres would not get into the public
prints and find their way to the North.
In this work Wade Hampton was a
convenien. auxiliary. Wha: he knew
Of the Mississippi plan may be seen by
this writer's description Of him:
Wade Hampton Ii as much Missis-
sippian as South Carolinian. 1t Is
true that he Is descended from Caro-
linians famous i'm the Revolution, that
his ancestors have always lived i'm this
State that he himself Is a citizen Of
this State, and that the family home-
stead is in the county of Columbia.
But besides the immense estates he
owned in South Carolina before the
war, he had vast demesnes I'm Missis-
sippi and other Southern States. This
will not seem surprising when men,
ton the fact that he possessed $1,000
acres of land in fee simple, and
owned 4, 900 slaves. Now the war took
from him the bulk of his property.
but so much remained after all his
losses that he il at this day the wealth.
lest man in the Southern States. Most
of his property now, however, Is in
Mississippi. He has abandoned by
far the larger part of his ancestral es-
tates in South Carolina. Though his
home is In Columbia, he spends half
his time on his plantations in Missis-
sippi. He has one plantation there
on which 800 of his former slaves are
employed-so well has he been able to
keep up this old plantation plan while
the small farm system has been be-
coming well nigh universal. The fact
/ desire to call attention to Is this:
Hampton was in Mississippi prior to
the last election there, which the
Democrats carried by the shotgun
policy. The similarity of the methods
employed by the Democrats i'm the
canvass going on here now, with
Hampton as their leader, forces me to
the conclusion that tho experiment is
to be repeated here.
What has been the result of the
Mississippi Plan in this unhappy
State? What progress has Wade
Hampton made in solidifying South
Carolina? We will let this writer tell:
On every green and public square
the clang of muskets can be heard, as
parading infantry ground their arms.
From every old field rings out threat
eningly the note of the bugle or the
booming of the field-piece, as cavalry
and artillery perform their evolutions.
The depots are crowded with cases of
firearms, ordered from the North.
The stores cannot supply the demand
for arms and ammunition, and every
gunsmith in the city and blacksmith
in the country is repairing dilapidated
weapons. No one is seen on the
streets without a repeater or rifle; and
not day passes in town or city but
that the quick and scattering reports
of guns and pistols, used on targets i'm
the vicinity, would lead a stranger to
suppose that II skirmish, if not bat
tie, was in progress around him. Nor
is this all. In every part of the State
there are monster open-air political
mass-meetings. These meetings are
followed by torchlight parades, or
preceded by professions of rifle clubs,
cavalry, artillery companies, and
civilians marching to the sound of
martial music. The speakers, invaria-
bly, master-spirits Of the Lost Cause,
arise and deliver the most vehement
addresses, denouncing the Republican
Administration and the Republican
party, State and national, and calling
on their hearers to rise.
How do Northern men like the pic
ture? What do the Union soldiers
and the loyal men who supported the
Union in the days Of the Rebellion
think of this picture of the Solid
South? We commend to them the
facts presented by this man, who is
not Republican nor a carpet-bagger,
but native of South Carolina, whose
name cannot even be printed in con-
nection with it, for fear that he might
pay the penalty with his life. Is it
not time for Solid North before
everything is lost?
Cattle NJ the Centennial.