Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-14

sments OF our political opponents Our PoeltiOu
the present time has wi'nn Mnthsne shH Sai
the cowardice or weakness or treachery OF oul
own friends, can rob us Of the victory. state
what facts show, what overwhelming evidence
proves, when say that u we yield now, we shai1
cruel conspiracy on the part Of the democratic
party ofthis State to overcome by brute force the
political will Of majority of twenty thousand ol
the lawful voters Of this State.
I have mourned over public abuses which have
heretofore arisen here. have, according to the
measure Of my ability, labored to make the con-
duct OF our public affairs honest and honorable.
But stand appalled, at the crimes against free
dom, against public order, against good govern
against
And I am the more appalled, when I see the north,
that portion ofour country which is secure In its
freedom and civil order, and the great political
party which has controlled the republic for six
mentupon such questions. It is written In blood
on the pages Of our recent national history, that
no government can rest with safety upon the en-
forced slavery or degradation Of q race. In the
tice which swept away q half million Of the best
lives Of our country, We see the American people
divided by party lines upon the question OF the
disfranchisement and degradation Of thesame race
whose physical freedom was purchased at such
cost. And what Is more astonishing still there
are republicans who permit the errors which have
attended the first efforts Of this race In seif-gov-
ernment to chill their sympathies to such an ex-
tent that they stand eoldly by and practically say
that the peace Of political Is better than
the abuses and disqutet which newly acquired
freedom has brought. /, sG.j .E3tfs.i,G%. s..f7.
denounce the conduct Of the recent election,
on the part Of political opponents In this State
as q vast brutal outrage. Fraud, prescription, IN
timidstion In all forms, violence ranging through
all its degrees, up to wanton murder, were its ef
fective methods. The circumstances under which
we have assembled to-day show us how nearly
successful has been this great conspiracy. II is
In the face of all dangers in the face o. raise
or timid friends, in the face Of open enemies, e
show that we understand the cause In which we
are engaged, and that no earthly sacrifice is too
great to secure Its triumph. .ts -.
The gentleman who was my opponent Tor this
Office in the late election has recently declared as
peace of this city and State, but my life In his
hand. I do not doubt the truth Of this statement
Neither the public peace nor the life OF any man
who now opposes the CONTAMINATION OF THIS pon,
cy, fraud and violence, Is safe from the Assaults o'
those who have enforced that policy.
NV life can easily be taken. have held II, N
the Judgment of all my friends here, by q frau
tenure for the last three months But there ls onf
thing no man in South Carolina can 90, however
powerful or desperate he may be, and that is u
cause me to abate my hatred or cease my most
vigorous resistance to this attempted overthrow
and enslayement of majority Of the people o.
South Carolina.i "Here stand 4 can do no 9th.
erwise; God be my helper.s Wife and children
my sad heart'-all other considerations must give
way before the solemn duty to resist the fna! sue
cess of that monstrous outrage, under whose black
shadow we are assembled to-day. 5.5 ,sy
The Senate then retired to the Senate
Chamber, where Boone swore in Gleaves, who
said, be thought il, not essential TO make
speech, and accordingly he made none.
The Senate and Bayonet House then ed
journed. j. ,,..,E . s4sa sl.25 lF.S4
THE CONSTITUTIONAL HOUSE. t.,;t
The Constitutional House of Represents
tives met at 10 A. NJ, and after some routine
work, the following preamble and resolutions
were offered by Mr.. F. A. Connor, Of Abbe
Vile, and we're unanimously adopted:. So
Whereas, this House has seyenty-one mem.
bers, sixty-three Of whom hold as their creden.
tals certificates from the secretary OF State, and
eight of whom hold certificates from the supreme
Court, constituting quorum under the Consti-
tuition and laws of the State; Ia,
And Whereas also the Supreme Court, the
highest judicial authority in the State, has unan-
imously decided that this is the lawful Colstitu-
tional House of Representatives OF the State OF
South Carolina, and that there can be no other, e
RESOLVED, That committee be appointed 70
wait upon the officer in command of the United
States troops in South Carolina and inform MIN
of these facts, and request the removal OF the
United States soldiers from the Ssatehouse; and
also to ascertain what obstacle, II any, prevents
ing the hall in the Capitol intended for the House
of Representatives. ~, = .
The Speaker then appointed the following
members as the committee: Messrs. +. A.
Connor, D. F..Bradley, T. N. Edens. j. d.
Westmoreland and Thomas Hamilton. e.
The following resolution, offered by Mr..
john e. Sheppard, was aIsU auUpped
Resolved by the House of Representatives OF
the State of South Carolina, the Senate concur
ring. That the two houses meet In Joint assembly
on Tuesday, the 18th instant, and proceed to vote
for person to represent the State OF South Car
olina in the Senate Of the United States @ for the
term OF six years, commencing March 4, 1877.
The following resolution was then offered
by Mr.. Robert Aldrich and adopted: q
Be it Resolved, That this House Of Representa-
tives, as at present organized, composed Of sixty
three members holding certificates of election
from the Secretary Of State and eight members
holding their seats by virtue of Judgment OF the
upon case ne
and readiness to proceed to the business OF egis-
lation.
A recess was taken until 2 P. NJ, at which
hour the House was called to order, and q
quorum of .63 members holding certificates
from the secretary of State, found to be present.
Mr.. Muller, Of Lexington, offered resolu-
tions recognizing Gen. Wallace, as Speaker,
MI. Sloan as clerk, Mr.. Brown az sergeant
alarms, and Mr.. Williams as reading clerk.
Adopted unanimously. >. 80 -,
The committee on privileges and elections
submitted report recommending the seating
of the EGge6eld delegation on the evidence
of the county canvassers' returns, certified to
by the clerk of the Circuit Court and the Ger.
tificates of the Supreme Court and of the
managers of election also upon ffty-6ve af.
idavits of managers and supervisors Of cleo.
ton, both of white and colored men, that the
election was fair in every respect and that
voters were allowed to vote for whom they
chose. The report was adopted by vote Of
60 to 8. .-s...''.,. ....'.'..r ..1st,
In the case Of Laurens the committee re-
ported that they had acted upon the same,
and there was similar evidence in this case.
They therefore recommended unanimously
that the members should be seated. The re-
port was adopted by vote Of 60 to 8.
The members from Edge6eld and Laurens
declined to vote on the question of their own
admission.
A petition was presented from Judge Mack
ey and twenty-five other citizens of Chester
county, asking that the seats of Samuel Cole
man, Purvis Alexander and John Lee, mem
bers elect from that county, be declared Va.
can't and that writs Of election be issued for
the purpose Of filling the vacancies for the re
mainder of the time for which each of the
said persons were elected to serve. The Pc
tition was referred to the committee On privi-
1.,, .ul o1oot;ops. NJ Ho on,i1ton anucyna.