The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-11-02

Chamber of Commerce, united with the
Methodist, Catholic nd Episcopal
Bishops, and leading Presbyterian,
Lutheran, Baptist and Jewish ministers,
and Presidents of all the National and
other banks in Charleston, in the fol
lowing address on the condition OF
affairs in South Carolina:
To The Peop1eiof lie United States
Well founded apprehensions that
the civilization of our State IS IN danger
of being utterly overthrown, and an
everything sense of duty to ourselves
and posterity and the country at large,
impels us to make an authentic state
ment of our condition to the people, III
the hope that it will induce them to ex-
tend MS their sympathy and aid in this
distressing exigency of our affairs.
There is so much at stake that We can
not afford to be silent or TO withhold
any effort that may possibly be of avail.
For ten long weary years the white peo-
pie of South Carolina have endured
a condition of things which any North
ern State would have been tempted to
throw off in two days at the point of the
b~ayonet, if it could not have been done
i bore re IN IN falt taa EEoTpesv 1, that 1hs s6m herf re anq f25;
sense O. justice or happy stroke of for
tune would bring relief, but no such
sense of justice nor happy stroke of for
tune came to their relief. and hope
sickened and died away in their hearts.
At last they determined, as by a COM
mon impulse and a natural and uncOn-
trollable instinct of freedom, to make a
supreme effort for their redemption.
but to make it under and within the
law. Those who hold authority here,
having. through party a~ffiliation, access
to the highest organ of political power
in the country and to the equally pow
erful organs of the partisan newspaper
press, have subjected this people to the
vilest misrepresentation and the most
cruel ISLANDERS. Some of these we de-
sire to correct. 1t is not true that the
white people Of South Carolina are dis
loyal or disaffected towards the United
Sta rs Government. On the contrary,
they are loyal and we'll affected toward
it. They obey it at home, and would
Defend it promptly from foreign aggres-
sion. It is not true that South Caro-
lima, or any of its counties, are in a
state of insufrection or domestic yio-
lence against the Government of the
State or that law and process cannot be
duly enforced within her territorial
limits, or that there is any lawful cause
or occasion whatever for the Federal
to interfere for the protec-
ton of the State Government against
t1H,. ,to1nnoa nf l,o,. nituapg 10 not
true that the white people of the State
are hostile to the colored people,, or
have any design or disposition to
abridge or infringe their political or
civil rights. On the contrary, in their
and in the speeches of
their candidates, for six years or more,
the most public and solemn pledges
have been given that, all the rights of
the colored people shall be protected
and res pected. The colored people
should know that these pledges will be
faithfully kept. 1t is not true that the
small number of rifle clubs in the State
are combinations of men against law,
or that they are engaged IN numbering
some peaceable citizens, and intimida-
others, or that they cannot
be controlled or suppressed by the or
course of justice. The President
has been deceived. The clubs existed
with the knowledge aud recognition
Of the Governor, and not ore of them {
ever acted in defiance of law. The {
hostility to them of Governor Chamber
ain and his coadjutors is recent; it is
political; and is designed to affect the t
election. sf -tfsssa 5
1t is not true that in the recent race ]
collisions the whites have been the ag-
yressors. Their forbearance, as in the Z
Charleston riot, the u%nprovoked Cain
10Y massacre, and the still more recent
assassination of a white citizen in Edge
ield, has been wonderful. The truth
$ that the leaders of colored people,
that the day of their power is
to a close, have excited their l
gnorant dupes, nave supplied them
With arms, have aroused their fears for
he loss of their liberty, and have thus
them to commit deeds of
.Iiolence. We may also affirm some
Kings which are true: 1t is true that
here is in the State n most active,
and excited canvass to over
brow corrupt rule and re- establish an
lOueSG otuue OOVeTUI1euI. lulS is q -
legitimate and lawful object, which :.
hould command the sympathy and
Import of every lover of his country. 8
t is not treason to defeat Chamberlain,
is it instruction or domestic vio- l l
to elect Hampton. 1t is true that j
the white. rifle clubs are ordered ,
y the Governor and President to dis 1
'erse, the colored militia are allowed to
emain organized and in possession of
heir arms, and to attend political Z
aeetings in military order, with rifles
nd other arms. The object of this
iscriminstion is as obvious as is the
comparatively d~efenseless condition in
a which it places the white people. y
We simply ask what would the people a