Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-02
BEGINNING OF THE END in SOUTH
CAROLINA.


d We are approaching the wind up of
military intervention in South CARROLL
ma. 1t was related in our last how
the Canvassing Board of that State
had illegally omitted the returns from
two counties which had voted Demo-
cratic, so as to give the Legislature
Republican instead of Democratic
majority. The next rumor is that the
Legislature is to be counted in under
the auspices of the United States army,
emitting the two Democratic members.
In anticipation of this the following
dispatch, signed by Senator Gordon,
of Ga, Senator johnson, of Virginia,
General Wade Hampton, several
circuit judges, large number of State
senators, representatives, white and
black, and many others, prominent cit
liens of this State, was sent to the
President of the United States
We the undersigned, visitors from a
distance, and a committee of the Dem
ocratic members elect of the South
Carolina Legislature, the Democratic
Executive Committee, and citizens,
having just seen by the Associated
Press dispatches that Gov. Chamber
lain has applied for United States
troops to be placed under his orders at
the assembling of the Legislature to-
morrow, send this our solemn protest
against the troops being placed under
command of the governor. We have
no objection to the presence of troops,
and will cooperate with them in pre-
serving the peace; but we protest
against the use of the United States
army in controlling the organization
of the Legislature and enforcing the
Inauguration of Gov. Chamberlain,
who has been defeated by the white
and colored voters at the ballot box.
There is not the remotest danger of
disturbance of the peace by the Dem
ocrats. If it occurs, it will be at the
instigation ofGov Chamberlain, whose
partisans have taken the only lives
lost in the late exciting canvass in this
State. Not one drop of blood has
been shed in any political disturbance
except by the Republicans. and it is
literally true that the Democrats re-
ceived their greatest majorities in the
counties where the United States SOL
diers were stationed. What pretense,
therefore, is there for Gov. Chamber
lain's demands for troops to keep the
peace Z? We refer, for confirmation of
these statements, to the commander of
the United States forees at this place
and elsewhere in the State.
All, however, was unavailing, as is
shown by the following dispatch from
Columbia, s. c., dated Nov. %;
At midnight the State House in
Columbia was occupied by Federal
troops, who camped in the rotunda
and kept the doors barred. This
morning a Gordon of sentinels was
formed around the building and adj
mittapce denied to all except to those
having passes from Gov. Chamberlain's
Private Secretary, W. r. Joues. The
streets of Columbia are crowded with
people from all parts of the State
Quiet Feigps, but the excitement is in
tense.
This exactly parallels the action of
the President in Louisiana in 1874,
when Legislature which nobody pre-
tends to have been elected by the peo-
pie was foroibly seated by United
States bayonets.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Nov. 28.-The
house burned on FRIDAY last, three
miles from this place, was the property
of the sisters of Gen. Wade Hampton,
but was occupied by him and known
as his house,
There is great excitement here to-
day. United States troops have pos
session of the State House, and have
refused admission to the Edgefeld
and Laurens delegations.