The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-10-26

the precedent befo te which the
whole fabric of American liberty
will fall, and will be applied to other
States, just as soon as party exi
gencies require it.
We make the declaration of our
innocence not in disrespect of the
President of the United States, but
as an act of justice to ourselves as
American citizens, md to put our
case upon the record for an impair
tial trial before the great national
tribunal. We bow in perfect sub
mission to the proclamation of his
Excellency the President, and or
hort our fellow-'itizens, whom we
represent in tho present canvass, to
yield free and entire obedience to
every command Of the said procla-
nation.
We know that tho clubs called
''Rifie Clubs are associations formed
for home protection that they arc
not combinations, rs charged by tho
Governor of this State that thore
are but few that have arms or am
munition that those which have
been equipped were so done with
tho sanction, nnd sometimes with
the aid, of the Governor, and have
been recognized by him as useful
and appropriate bodies, and not one
Of them has been accused of disor-
der. We know that this necessity
was occasioned by the reckless dis
trlbution of arms and ammunition
among the colored people by the
State officials, md we further
know that our white fellow -citizons
were on the sixteenth day of this
month massacred at peaceful po-
iiticul assomblage where by agreo-
ment with G. G. Bowen, tho Repub
Lean chairman for Charleston Coun>
ty and sheriff Of the said County,
present at tho meeting, and first
Presidential elcctor for the State ut
large Oh the Republican tickot, they
went without arms to mcet the
colorcd race, tho voters Of the So
called Republican party in this
State, who were likewise by Mr..
Bowen's agreement bound to Le
without arms; and wo know that the
politicians, whoss are the authors of
all our evils are teaching among the
colored race the use of tho rife and
the torch. We know that our hcm.s
are in peril, and that our women
and children arc exposed to the
horrors of ruthless butchery and
barbarity. But nevertheless, we
advise and command, so far as our
authority goes, that every such rifle
club, against which the misrepresen-
tations of the Governor of the State
are aimed, be forthwith disbanded,
and that the members thereof DO
held in future only by those ties of
humanity which bind all good men
together; that the name of tho club
be abandoned and the officers cease
TO exercise their powors.
This is said with tho express de-
claration that these clubs uro not
associated with or subject to our
political control. We repeat that
we speak without disrcspcct to the
President of the United States. He
acts upon the statements made by
the Governor of this State but we
say it that we may show our willing
ness to obey without committing an
untruth against ourselves by seem
ing to acknowledge that of which we
are not guilty.
We are not engaged in unlawful
and insnrrectionary proceedings.
We cannot dispense, boc,luso we arc
not gathered together. We cannot
retire peaceably to our abodcs, be-
cause we are in our homes in reace,
disturbed alone by the political agi
tations created by the Governor and
his minions. But We resignedly
and cheerfully in the performance
of our duty suspend the exercise of
our individual and private rights to
prevent evil to the whole people.
Relying upon the universal sense
OF right and appealing to the
Almighty to sustain us. we exhort
our people to the continuance of
submission to the auth' rites of the
government, feeling assured that
time and patience will work our
dclivcranco Remember that tho
campaign is now short ono and all
signs hopeful that the 7th day of
November next will witness the full
and complete vindication of our
cause through the peaceful instru-
mentality of tho ballot box.
A. G. HASKELL, Chairman,
II. B. FRASER,
j. ID. KENNEDY,
JOHN BKArToN,
JAS. A. HoYT,