Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-11-02
Address to the People Of the country

Address to the People Of the Gcunfr!
| CHARLESTON, S. c., Oct. 25.-Th
president of the Chamber of Com
lnerce has united with the Methodist
Catholic and Episcopal bishops, and
leading Presbyterian. Lutheran, Bap-
fist and Jewish ministers, and the
presidents of all the national and al
other banks in Charleston in the
following address on the condition o.
South Carolina
TO the People of the United States :.
! Well founded apprehensions that
the civilization Of our States is in
danger of being utterly overthrown
and an overruling sense of duty te
ourselves and posterity and the coun
try at large, impel us to make an
authentic statement of our actua! con-
dition to the American people. in The
hope that it will induce them to ex-
tend to us their sympathy and aid in
IN this distressing exigency of our
affairs. There is so much at stake
that we cannot afford to be silent, or
to withhold any effort that may posi-
bly, be of avail. For ten long, weary
years the white people OF South
Carolina have endured condition Of
things which any Northern State
would have attempted to throw off in
two years at the point of the bayonet,
if it could have been done in no other
way. They bore and forbore, in the
hope that some returning sense OF
justice, or happy stroke of fortune,
would bring relief but no such sense
ofjustice or happy stroke came to
their relief, and hope sickened and
died away in their hearts.
At last they determined, as by a
common impulse and a natural and
uncomfortable instinct of freedom, to
make one supreme effort for their re-
demption, but to make it under and
within law. Those who hold authority
here, having through party utilization
access to the highest organs of tie
partisan newspaper press, have sub
jected this people to the yilest misle-
presentations and most cruel ISLANDERS.
Some of these we desire to correct
1t is not true that the white people of
South Carolina are disloyal or dis
affected towards the United States
government. On the contrary, they
are loyal an d well affected towards it,.
They obey it at home and would de-
fend it promptly from foreign agrees
sion.
1t is not true that South Carolina or
any of its counties are III state of
Instruction of domestic violence
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 government to interfere for
the protection of the State govern
ment against the violence of her
citizens. 1t is not true that the white
people, of the State are hostile to the
colored people, or have any design Oh
disposition to abridge or infringe thei;
political or civil rights. On the con-
trary, in their conventions and il
speeches of their candidates for six
| years o: more, the most public and
solemn pledges have been given that
all rights of the colored people shall
be respected and protected. The
colored people should know that these
pledges will be faithfully kept.
1t is not true that the few rife
clubs in the State are combinations O
men against the law, or that they ar,
engaged in numbering some petcesole
citizens and intimidating others, o
that they cannot be controlled o
suppress sed by the ordinary coarse o
Justice. The President has bee
de ceived. These clubs existed witt
the knowledge and recognition of tn,
Governor. Not one of them eve
acted in defiance of law or agains
the government or the constitute,
authorities The hostility to them 0
Gov. Chambe, lain aud his eoadiutor
is recent. 1t is political, and is de
signed to affect the coming election
1t is not true that in the recen
race collisions the white people have
been the aggressors. Their forbear
ance, as in the Charleston riot, tn
unprovoked Cainhoy massacre. ant
still more recent assassination OF
white citizen in Edgetield, has beer
wonderful. The truth is that tn
leaders of the colored people, fearin!
that the day of their power is drawing
e to close, have excited their ignoran
dupes, have supplied them with arms
: have aroused their fears for the loss {