New-York tribune., 1876-11-25
SOUTH CAROLINA AT PEACE.
REPLY TO MSS sCHoFIELD.

4
ABOUT oUTRAGEs-THE THREATENED coNFIcs
IN AIKEN.
| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The letter of Miss Martha Schofeld in
vour issue OF Nov 49, and the article following 1t ths
next day on "The Negroes in South Carolina" do our
section much injustice. We feel that If they are permit
ted to pass unchaenged they will work injury to our
people opinions of Northern brethren and
would ask space, therefore, to reply Drey 10 the stat
ments contained In them
The object OF Miss schohed seems TO have been Co
counteract the impression which the Rev. E. Edeer.
toms letter in your paper OF Nov was calculated to
producean impression favorable TO the character and
good reputation OF our town and people. AS TO her
attack upon Mr. Edgerton there is nothing that she
say rejecting upon his integrity, that can obtain weight
among such Of readers of THE TRIBUNE remember
hs communication Mr. EdgertOn. besides being minis
ter the Gospel and the rector OF the Episcopal Church.
beloved and admired by all who within the range Of
his influence for his Christian humility and the religious
beauty of his character ia gentleman Of the highest
honor Nothing but of duty to his State could
have induced him to appear before the public in the
letter which he sent you. 1t political sentiment
that mpelled him, but the same high motive which
tuaed the bishops and other clergy of Charleston in
their late appeal to tho country He honestly submitted
TO the readers Of The facts which he prefaced
by the solemn declaration that they should be the TRUTH
the whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH help him
God Fortunately there not less than 5000 readers
OF THE TRIBUNE who know Mr. Edgerton either
ally or by reputation and with them such slanderous
charge as willfu ignorance and suppression Of the
truth have no weight.
AS to Miss Schoed herself she is correctly indicated
in your paper of Nov. 16 as "strongmnded woman
She came here nine years ago missionary from soma
Society OF Friends and invested q small sum Of mouey
mot out OF her private fortune is claimed, but Of
the fund given her by the society, we informed in
the purchase OF lot in the lower part of our where
II
has been teaching the coored children steadily and las
os what esteem she had Of the whites by her
treme course conducting her school Like other
phanthropsts Of her class she is fanatic on the sub
feet OF their education and came here deeply imbued
with the spirit OF ansavery in the most extreme form
that assumed before the war. In her public exh
billions has shown this spirit In the selection OF such
pieces for her scholars TO recte-gleaned from
hors not only partisan character but bitter in their
denunciaon OF the people Of the SOgtas caousted
to excite their anmosity against their white friends,
aud the consequence is that rule her scholars
very pert and mpudent to the white citizens, and
cuary 70 our white children Narrowed by her ante
belum prejudices, she has done to prevent the
amcable relation which the races would naturally have
assumed the close of the war-a relation unintelhgbe
TO her from her point OF vewand her efforts to educate
have tended produce anything but the good result
are all earnestly striving for Living almost entirely
among the blacks Miss SchOeld has been almost socially
ostracsed by those OF her own section who have
visited Aiken and this has ranked s0rey in her breast
An advocate of womans rights she has intruded herself
and her advanced ideas upon county meetings and
at the COored Baptist Church she was so persistent in
ecturing the congregation Sunday after Sunday
from beside the preachers desk various
subjects, notably the duties OF social life and
OF the marital relation that she requested by the
minister himself to discontinue the practice. But we
orbear any further comment upon her character and
course here lest it be construed into an attack and we
are far from such intention, for her ,womanhood
shields from attack at our hands. AS the writer in
your paper says she may be governed bya strong
Of duty all that she does, but be the motive what
may under its influence she is like the Berserker IN his
Madness who strikes both friend and foe alike Sho has
injured the white people Of section by her extreme
teachings and injured the poor creduous blacks by Inn
buing them with the doctrine Of hate Like others OF
ner class she feels chagrn at the Of the Demo
in this State for she knows that now her oecupa
tons gone" and that the little negroes at last to be
emancipaed from such disquieting influences as she
has been exerting upon their too impressibe minds
We do not charge upon Miss schofeld williu misrep
resentaton OF the facts the stories she nrraes
untrue The least that can lay at her door is will
l credulity That there have been coOred men killed
during the late Eenton riot is true and also that there
was excitement on both sides; but the number OF the
Killed is exaggerated by her and the account of the ter
rorism is purely imaginary. The whole affair occurred
over fifteen miles from her, and whites also killed
and wounded in that greatly dopOred trouble The con-
hct originated, os your readers wen Know IN an out
the whites were merely attempting 70 arrest the offend
ers under the authority Of law when the outbreak OF
the negroes occurred which brought the whites together
for defense of their families and property There was
no black list" such as she states We nave never
heard of such thing and we can safely say tiat tne
lives Of no coored women have ever been seriously
threatened by men OF south Carolina All VINO .s sIs
familiar with the negro character VIII see the Impress OF
unlikelihood upon all of Miss schoeds stories Doth
the ideas expressed and in she African language which
She puts INTO the mouths of her drdmGs pe,Soe. Ihe
truth Is she shows fondness for dramatic ,nect aud
like Others who seek this end, she mas ONerstepped to
mark She has sought accomplish her purpose OF an
tagOnizng friends at the NOrth ana our eooled
friends here 10 us by appeals TO tho passions ana
endeayorlng to inlame Northern creduhY by pa
radng facts she cannot substantate ana describing me
trials the cOlOred she Ignores entirely the ho
bic which they perpetrate ana wnen she Knows
are ndispuabe She has not one word IN Deha OF tao
ycnms OF the dabOlical murders Oy neRl0 monsters,
sch MS the poor negro Hatcher who butchered at
Granteve by the negro Dent Tor matter on Ten cent,
VINO tried, convicted, sentenced 10 De hanged and
was paroned by our model Governor Not word upon
the inhuman murder OF the old gentleman, Mr. Haus-
mann from Cleveland, Ohio, who wItn his nephew Port
mann were upon at night IN their hOne some miles
members OF the State militia with state arms
IN their hands, robbed, murdered ana the
house red their eharred remains being discovered he
next day. Six OF the murderous gang are now IN jan
upon proofs of guilt and upon confession
could have witnessed the dual funeral soemnitles con-
ducted by Mr.. EdgertOn at the lscopd Church!
Again. she says nothing OF the case OF Mr. Parkinson ad
wife, living outside the town, who Were so recently
rObbedin r house at dead OF night by this same gang
of negro outlaws. No 10 DID not SUIT her purpose 70
expose this side Of The picture to YOU These aes are
true and indisputable while her statements are IN he
main but the enlbelsned stories OF tmid negro women
All the troubles that have occurred IN our county cOuo
have been repressed but for the iDbecty Of he sao
Government aud confident that the restoration
STATE To the hands Of honest anu competent Me1
Will speedily put an end 10 these acts Oi lawesses anu
restore quiet order and peace The statement nade
he aPtIe al