Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-07
9ninas 1t the Gapitfasl.

s-A--S -
guiugs 1t the Capital.
a From the Charleston News and Courier
THE SOUTH, CAROLINA LEGISLATURE.
CoLuMBIA, Tuesday, November 2S.-Fhis
morning, so anxiously awaited by the Democ.
racy and so nervously by the Republicans
dawned upon people whose nerves were
strung to the highest pitch, not knowing what
day might bring forth. There was no bitch
in the arrangements, and the American peo-
pie have the satisfaction of knowing that, tor
the second time in four years, State Legisla'
.tura has been organized by military force, and
for the first time in direct violation Of the de-
cree Of the Supreme Court Of a State.
AS tslegraphed you last night, the State
house was garrisoned quietly during the night
by United States troops, and when I went
there this morning found that no one was
admitted who had not q pass from A. o. Jones,
the former clerk Of the House, or from j. B.
Dennis, the uperintendent of the Peniten-
ttiafy, who seems to Be- Nj! Cham berlain's
special agent and representative. 33
About9 o'clock Senator Gordon, OF sGeor.
gis,and State Senator Bradley Il. johnson,
ofsYifginia, with Messrs. Beck and Jefferys,
Democratic members of the Legislature,
walked down to the Statehouse and demand
Id adn,itsance. They found the rotunda
filed with soldiers, whose arms we're signi6-
captly, stacked around the, bronze statue Of
: Washington. The two Democratic members
pesented their certificates of election from
tn Supreme Court, and, under the order OF
Dspnis, who was standing by, the corporal OF
th9 guard refused to, admit them. The whole
|.ofA Democratic members subsequently met
! Id Anens, and at fifteen minutes before IL
o'cl02k the Democratic mem bers from all the
b1ntkes, headed by Mr.. John @. Sheppard,
fsEdS field, marched up -Statehouse
door, which was guarded by United States
troops aud Dennis. Mr.. Sheppard asked for
admittan4 Dennis asked if he had a certifi.
.cateiof elek ektion from the: Secretary of State.
Mr.. Sheppard said, 81 have the certificate of
the Supreme Court of the State" Dennis
said, eff yoI have not Q certificate from the
Secretary of State you cannot enter" Mr..
Sheppard thensaid he would at least demand
the right to reid protest from the Demo-
Gratis, which he proceeded to do, ;yhen he was
stopped for moment. Captain kellar, U.
s. a., who was IL the door, then; after q con-
ference, said thai all persons with either GER
I tifeates from the Secretarylof State or the
Supreme Court would be admitted, and Mr..
Sheppard presented his certificate and passed
in. The guard Then examined the certificates 9 '.t
one by one, and the Democrats passed in,
being first asked for their arms. The Repub-
licans were allowed to retain their arms.
Gen. HamptopyI am told, bad had an inter.
view with Gen. Ruger, who changed the Or
ders to his officers so as to allow the Demo.
cratic membSfs to bspassed IN upon the Su-
preme Court certificates fatf7Ha t2' ~. -.
The DeW6crasic members, having at;,last
passed theguard and entered the lobby Of the
Statehou&, proceeded in body to the door of
the hall Il the House Of Representatives, with
the meubers from Edge6eld aud Laurens at
their had, and demanded admittance, pre-
sentiw their certificates Of election from. the
StatG Supreme Court. Twelve soldiers, un-
dor he Commando two officers, were station
ed the door. The dourkeeper declared the
SupBme. Court estifcates to be Insufficient
credsntiais. The Democrats remained fifteen
por twenty minutes in conference, when Sec
ond application was made with asimilar result.
IA Democrat who bore q certificate from
the board Of canvassers, entered the hall and
found the Republicans, already organized with
the Speaker in the chair and the clerk at the
desk. He retired to the door and was refused
egress until he threatened members with pros
ecution for false imprisonment. An immense
crowd gathered and the Federal officer asked
Gen. Hampton, who was in the Statehouse, to
prevent the crowd from pushing in. General
Hampton appeared on the front step and ad'
dressed the crowd as follows:
s.My friends, I am truly doing what have done
earnestly during this whole exciting contest pour
ing oil on the troubled waters tits of the great
est importance to all, as citizens fSouth Caro-
lima that peace should be preserved. 1 appeal to
you all, white men and colored, to use every ef-
fort 10 keep down violence or disturbaneel, One
act Of violence may precpitate bloodshed and des-
olation. implore You then to preserve the
peace Il beg all of my friends to disperse, to
leave the grounds ofthe Capitol, and advise all
colored men to do the same, keep perfectly quiet,
leave the streets and do nothing to provoke riot
We trust to the law and the constitution, and we
have perfect faith in the Justice of ourcause." g.
The whites immediately dispersed, followed
by q great many colored people. Having
learned that the House had already organized,
the Democrats Withdrew in body, only stop
4 ping at the door of the building, where the
following protest was read by Mr.. j. G. Shep.
pard, Of Edgefeld, in the presence of all the
Democratic members, the officers and soldiers
and large crowd aI.a.a er'.',i a.i e
Protest Of the Democratic Members Of the House
of Representatives. of South Carolina.
z. COLUMBIA, s. c., November %, 1875.
We, q majority OF the members of the House OF
Representatives of South Carolina elect protest
against the refusal to admit US to the hall OF the
House Of Representatives.
1--WE protest against the military power of the
United States barring the passage into the State
house Of members elect to the Legislature.
We protest against the legality Of the proceed
ing, and especially against the Army OF the United
States being placed for the purpose of this exclu'
sion under the command of one John B. Dennis,
partisan OF Governor Cham berlain. /"
WeprOtest against the said Dennis instructions
to the guard to admit one to the Statchouseex
cert upon his own pass, or pass OF A. 0. Jones,
the former clerk Of the House, who may thus ex-
elude all except his own partisans, and who. by
the Republican programme, Isl organize the said
House. -
We have presented ourselves, with the judg-
mfent Of the highest Court of South Carolina, GER
attached, as to our right of participation in the
organization Of said House. We are refused, by
the orders of the said Dennis, admission to the
said hall, except upon his pass the pass of the
said Jones, or the certificate of Hayne, Secretary
OF State who Is now under the condemnation OF
the Supreme Court for refusal to issue certificates
in accordance with its judgment and mandate
In protesting against this barefaced usurpatlon,
this tran, pfing on the laws and Constitution OF
the State this defiance Of the highest tribunal OF
this armed Intervention, but to make our solemn
appeal to the American people, without distinc-