Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-11-02
CIVILIZATION vs.. BARBARISM.

readers, whether Methodist, Episcopa-
liam, Baptist or Catholic, to form q cor
rect opinion as I" the character of the
struggle now progressing in South Car
olina and what they are called upon to
uphold when they are asked to sustain
Chamberlain, Grant, Hayes and Wheel
er and the demonism the Republican
party is abetting and maintaining in the
South to-day, We publish below the ad-
dress of the Bishops and Clergy of the
different and Of oil religious denomina-
tion> working in the Masters Cause in
Charleston TO their co-religionists and
others throughout the United States.
II will not do to class this as q partisan
paper. II is partisan neither in terms
nor inspiration. Prelates and pastors,
of the highest culture and purest char
acter, eye-witnesses to and living under
the black diabolism of South Carolina
and representing every form OF Chris
tian faith, of their own spontaneity and
under the conviction Of pressing peril,
appeal to us in God name and in the
cause OF civilization itself to extend to
them our sympathy and aid in this the
supreme moment OF their travail Shall
they call in vain Will white Chris
tian men in our midst sanction on the
7th OF November, instant, the dishonest
and uncsean negro de>potism which
Grant and Chamberlain have set up over
white men and women in South Caro-
lima and which Hayes and Company.
including Mr.. John Henry Sellman. are
to-day uphoiding! Some there will be,
We know, who will do it, but for the
credit OF our common race. for Chris
tian dcccncy and Saxon civilization and
for the honor of our Old County, we
hope and believe they will prove to be
too few in numbers and too feeble in
position to discredit the noble and an
cient fame of our people or to attach re-
proach and shame to any but the mselves.
To the People ofthe United STATES:
Well founded appre tensions that the
civilization of our State is In danger of
being utterly overthrown. and an over
ruling sense Of duty to ourselves and
posserity and the country at large, i'm
pei us to make an authentic statement
of our actual condition TO the American
people. in the hope that il will induce
them to extend to us their sympathy and
aid in this distressing exigeney Of our
affairs. There Is so much at stake that
We cannot afford TO be silent, or to with
hold any effort that might possibly be Of
avail. For ten long. weary years the
white people OF South Carolina have en-
durcd a condition Of things which any
Northern State would have at,e mp,ed
TO throw off in two years At the po.nt Of
the bayonet, IL il could not have been
done in any other way. They bore and
forebere. - che hope tkat some return
ing sense OF Justice. or happy stroke OF
fortune, would bring rehei. but no such
sense at justice or happy stroke came
to their relief. - hope sickened and
died away in their hearts.
At last they determined, as by a COM
snon impslse and a natural and uneon-
srollsble instinct Of freedom, to make
one supreme effort for their redemption,
bu, to make il under and within law.
Those who hold authority here, having
through parry afstatiun access to the
highest organs of political power in the
country and TO equally powerful organs
OF the partisan newspaper press, have
subjected this people to the v,lest mis-
representations and most cruel slanders.
Some of these we desire 10 corsxct. II
is not true that the white people of
South Carolina are d;sloyal or disafiee-
ted tow ards the United States govern
ment. On the contrary, they are loyal
and well affected towards it. They
obey il at home and would defend /,
promptly from foreign aggression.
1t is not true that South Carolina or
any OF its counties are in state of i'm
surrection or domestic violence against
the government of the State, or that
law and process cannot be-. duly en-
forced within her territorial limits. or
that there is any law full cause or occas-
'on Whatever for the federal govern.
ment TO interfere for the protection of
the State government against the vio-
lcncc oF her citizens. Its nc, true that