The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-10-11
General Hampton to the Supreme
Court Judges.

General Hampton to the Supreme
Court Judges.
SUMTER, October Z.
DEAR SIR: In view Of the grave
charges made by Governor Cham
bcrlain against the Democratic par
ty and their mode Of conducting
the present canvass in his letter to
Colonel Haskell, chsrges declaring
that the State is an armed camp
and that our meetings are attended
by organized armed bodies. may |
ask you as q Republican and as the
Chief Justice Of the State, TO say il
in your observation these charges
arc borne out by tho facts of the
case? You saw to-day one Of the
largest meetings we have held, and
You can, therefore speak from ex-
pericnce and personal observation.
| havo been through seventeen OF
the counties of the State and [ have
addressed. l am sure, at least one
hundred thousand people, and can
say with perfect truth, that l have
not sccn one single armed.hody OF
men, nor has any disturbance occur
rcd ut one of these vast meetings.
My solicitudo for the good name
Of our State, will, | trust, be Il sutfi-
cient excuse for my calling your at
tention TO this matter. Requesting
ar early answer:
am, very respectfully.
Your ohedicnt servant.
WADE HAMPTON.
To His Hon. F. J Moses,
Chief Justice.
REPLY OF CHIEF JUSTICE MOSES.
SUMTER, S. c., October 7, &c.
My DEAR SIR: 1 am just in re-
ceipt of your note and at once reply
to the same. For the last three or
four months / have not been in any
Of the Counties but thosco Of Sumter
and Richland. Within that period
I have been present ut only two po-
!itical meeti. gs-one held by the Re-
publican party and the other today
at this place by the Democrats.
Although / was at the latter but a
short time, l was for the greater
part of the day in the streets, with
every opportunity of observing the
behavior and demcanor Of the large
concoulse which the occasion had
brought together. The collection
consisted Of citizens on foot and
horseback. l saw in no instance
no. exhibition Of arms or any be-
inconsistent with the strictest
oropricty. At the Republican
to which l have above re-
there was no attempt ut in
terruption.
l shall require very strong evil
lence to satisfy me that South Caro-
ina is an armed camp. | know
nothing which would lead mo so to
conclude. For myself | do not
know Of anything which would
make me doubtful in any parto of the
State of enjoying the Same security
I feel attached to me under
NY own root.
/ trust tho day is far distant
when violations of the peace in our
own borders will require the inter-
'crcnceo of any arm more potent than
hat of the law.
Very respectfully yours,
+. }. MOSES.
REPLY OF ASSOCIATE JUSTICE WILL
LARD.
In reply to letters from a. c..
Haskell, Chairman of the Demo-
:ratic Ex'tive Committee, Associate
Justice Willard, Republican, of the
Supreme Court, writes:
.iCoLuMBIA, S. c., October I, 1876.
To Col. 4. c. Haskell:
DEAR SIR-Iour note Of this
late is before me, asking an cx-
preston Of my views as to the ex-
stance Of rancor and manifestations
If violence in tho character of the
Democratic canvass Of this State.
am unable to throw much light on
his subject, for two reasons. In
tho first place, l have been absent