The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-11

the democrats to occupy half the time,
and even then they were greatly APP
%prehcnsive of trouble. An arrange
ment was accordingly entered into by
which three speakers from each party
were to take part in the meeting, Al
the hour appointed we proceeded to the
place of meeting where we found the
republicans assembled, after the man
ner of ordinary political meetings.
As soon, however, rs the republicans
were assembled, companies of moull-
ted white men, marching In martial
order, and under the command of
officers or persons who gave orders
which were obeyed, began to pourover
the hill in front of the stand and to
take their places at the meeting, AT
this time | sat beside General Mellow
an, and we agreed in our estimate that
there were from eight hundred to one
thousand mounted white men present.
They came, as l know, from Edgelield
county, and us I vas informed, from
Newberry, Anderson and Laurens
counties, as we'll Is from Abbeville
county. When fully assembled they
covered more than one-lalf the space
around the stand, besides entirely ell
circling the whole meeting with
mounteh men. spoke first. In the
course of my speech, IN response to
loud and repeated cries from the white
men, show about Hambury''? "Tell
US about Hamburg,n I replied, ''yes, /
will tell you about Hamburg" where
upon | saw o sudden crOwding to-
wards the stand by the mounted white
men on my right, and heard distinct
ly the click Of Il considerable number
of pistols. l was followed by Colonel
D. Wyatt Aiken ina speech filled to
overlooking with the spirit Of intoler-
ance and violence. With his tbod-
sand mounted and armed partisaus
cheering him on, lie shouted to the five
or six hundred colored republicans ''if
YOU want war you can have it-yes,
war to the knife, and the knife to the
hilt." With . thousand armed white
men drinking in his words, he singled
out one colored man in the crowd for
special personal denunciation. Turn
ing to me he charged me personally
with completely in sending arms clan
lestinely to Newberry to arm the
blacks against the whites, with abso-
lutte fnlseh0ods in relation to the Ham,
burg massacre and the calling for
United States troops, and declared
over and over that the white leaders
must be held personally responsible
for all future misgovernment by the
republican party. Later in the day
Mr.. Jillson while speaking was so
greatly interrupted by the white men
that lie was unable to make a connec-
ted speech or to pursue his intended
line of argument. After the meeting
was closed, and while the colored re-
publicans were carrying q United
States flag past the public square in the
village, an effort was made bya party
Of mounted white men to snatch il
from them. fifteen or twenty pistols
were discharged in the air, AMI u gen.
eral riot was thereby made imminent.
DEMOCRATIC RIFLE CLUBS.
IneXt call your attention to another state
Of facts bearing upon yUur claim that the
present democratic canvass Is conducted 10y
| agencies which are peaceful and within the
law. | REFER now to the armed OrgOniZa-
| lions which go under the names OF rifle
clubs" "sltn'c clubs and "artiIlery clubs"
or the exact extent OF these organizations
your Information Is doubtless much more
anu,lc than mine; but | think I am warrant
rd in Saying that such organizations exist in
every cuunty IN the state. and that in many,
il not most, al Tie counties they embrace Il
large majority O! the white men between the
ordinary limits of age for military duty, as
! well as II large numhcr both below and above
such limits That these organizations are
armed, uitictrcrl, drilled 10 Il considerable cy-
tent Vt least in the manual and military
movements appropriate To the character Of
! their arms and organizations, md obey lie
orders of their officers, is clear in many cases,
and is p.ohably true In all cases. That they
have appeared In public on a amber OF Ccr;i;
SONS in various parts OF the stale, and recent
ly here in tOlumblh, with their arms ami uii-
der command OF their officers, Is well known.
ganizu,i6n, M under the command
aud control OF their officers engage
IN political dulles and work, is equal
~ c'car. in fact. II leading feature OF
| Inc present democratic State CANVASS is the
constant attendance upon the democratic
| meetings Of these clubs, acting IN litcir or
canizcd character and capacity. In no in
stance of such Cubs organized since Decent
Der /, lN1i, has authority for their formation
or existence been given by the governor, nor
! are any such organizations reported to HIM
officially Ur in amy manner authorized or rec
ouuIZch by him as imnIinS any put OF the
military iurcc OF the stale. The existence OF
II few military clubs organized for prO!eSScdiy
Snrial purposes. many months since, was
made known to Tie s'yernor; Put aside from
| these eases the whole System Of military OF
ganiznllon now referred to has no Official
sanction or recognition from the gov
Ierllur of the State. So long US these or
EXAMINATIONS retained their character ns social
lciuLS little Importance WIS naturally at
! ilchpd to the question Of their legality. Re-
cent and present events, however, and the
! use now made OF these organizations as a
| prominent agency IN the democratic c~ilnritss,
give public Importance 10 their character.
s. INSTANCES Oh ACTUAL VIOLENCE.
II procecd now 10 direct your attention to
iARB~Jsia-alher oe~cqrtcnrca III our >.aie which,
lave = c The r ,SsS ri r, ynMt AT. .%u
are peaceIuI, orderly amt within the !aw.
TIE iIAMBuRG IAsSACEE.
the massacre at Hamburg occurred July s,
| Il month prior to Inc opening OF INC demo
cratic cali vaSS. | will state some oi tho UNI
di,rutcd facts OF this massacre. Those who
committed the massacre were white dcnlo-
erals; those who were nlt>sacrcu were color
cl republicans. Passing over all that Orctir-
, red bcirrp The time when resistance or show
o.; resistance TO the white democrats had
ceased. il is Il fact. rs well atllhcnilcltcd AMI
undcnIaDlc as the assassination .; lit>idrnl.
Lincoln, that five unnrihcd republicans.
while held ny ctptivcs by u la,gc body o!
!, armed white democrats, were deliberately
anu wanIunly shot 10 death by their white
democratic .cIl'ors. IL the lncis OF he riot
we're admitted to SHOW HAT Do,l piilic,
WIRE equally responsible Tor Its origin aud
equally engaged in its progress from begin
nllig 10 riId, the uniInrcac!Itb!c FACT would
remain thai five cn!orcd republicans, after
the. riot was ended. were UutcilcTeu ny u Dalu
OF wuIle democrats. Intention and motive,
when not expressed in language. must he
Judged Of by uclsnnd circumstances Apply
ing this test TO The Hamburg lIiaSSacre, tue
conclusion seems To he that color ana pOiitl-
cal parry had much 10 uU in prompting the
massacre. 1t Is significant, too, That the mas
s,cre occurred in Il section OF our SttLe III
which the present "slrliEhl-OuL democratic
canvass look its rise. and where 1t found lis
most efficient promoters in all us c!t'ier
ela.rs, 1t Is in vain to seek 10 ev:lue tine Just
ANA awful responsibility Tor these murders ny
n>SriI!ng That The cOlOred rrpliplIcinS n
hamburg bad nlaIlrc:tlcu, ilSuilcu aud e%ah-
prrulcu the white democrats beyond cnuur-
ance.
II this be conceded, the fact remains that
the five cOlorru republicans who v ere nuicli-
cred, together with their companions, were
completely overcome and IN liIe complete
rllSIuliy OF the white democrats who biItclI-
has SOug Int to cover tiIIS vast came with the
plea OF Mr.. Burke for the Anne n.in cuiunis,>
II pardon sOiletiisng 10 ille SPIRIT oi llDcf-
~" EuL the i ulcrIc,n co!Oni@ts needed no
advocate to acuuiL Them OF wholesale muf-
dcrS, nor did Mr.. Eurke suily his lips wnh
tic ;truciOus plea that walton bulcliery Ul
uurcslsiins prisoner. could DO cOndUneu III
Tie IuInc Ot lIocrlS.
THE CHARLESTON RIOT.
On the night of September 9th II riot occur
red in The ely ul Charleston. Tie most trust
worthy intUi nation seems TO NIX The Chief
responsibility Tor causing this riot upon ltte
republicans. lcrtalniy such is my present
hcIluI. Tic riot continued for some hours,
and greatly endangered tho livhs, ane proper
~ OF the citizens OF Charleston. IT. Was IN
cXclSlbie and dtSgrtcciul. But IL WAS hlib-
ulIcti by The republican authorities. II was
attended by no slau.hter; 1t was nli0wcu
hy no bulrlIery. 1t is now, rs | Hrn crcdlhly
tnI,r,,,I .n nt,pn srf.rul thai inc Ont nl;ll