Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-10-21

| els" documents. Both Grant and Chamber
| lain appear to have fatty misStated a fact in
| thelr proeiaIDatlon, p as they bolh assert that
| the rifle clubs have no legal existence. which
| does not appear to be the case. The PTesi-
1 dent, in. his proclamation, renearses
| "thRt lnsufrectiOn and domestic yiO-
| lence exist in several counties OF
the STAT Of South Carolina, and
| that certain combinations of men Of "a a
| State, known as rifle clubs who ride up and
down by day and night in arms, numbering
| some peRceable citizens and iDtimidating
| others, which combinations, though forbidden
| by the laws, cannot be controlled or sup
| pressed by the ordinary course o; Justice"
Chamberlain, in his proclamation, says:
And whereas, 1t has been made known to
me. as governor, that certain org sniZatiOus
and combinations of men exist in all the
counties of the State, commonly known as
rifle clubs and whereas, such OrgauiZl-
zations ar combinations of men are lie
gal and strictly forbidden by the laws of
the state, etc. IL Will be seen that both
90 me IlelF 0TofllInct 5nseitO 10 the
50 called rifle clubs, and both squarely assert
that said companies have no authority of law
for their existence. An examination OF the
Offic al editions of the acts and resolutions of
south Carolina from 1870 to 1873 show the last
statement to be false. According to this
record IL appears to have been the custom in
South Carolina since 1870 to incorporate rifle
clubs all over the State without regard to
race, color or previous condition OF seryitude.
Clubs, white and black, native and foreign,
appear 10 have been given legal existence
without stint anu without any conditions as
TO their carrying of arms. 1t appears also to
have been the rule that the white OTganiza-
tions, native and foreign. have almost in
variatly called themselves 'clubs " while the
colored rifle assoc atiOus generally dubbed
themselves "guar DIS, 3" "fusileers," 'iight ara.
gOODs," etc, which may possibly account for
the fact that either Grant nor Chamberlain |
inveigh against any thing but the or fie clubs"
In proof of the taCt her5 is terbdtinl copy of |
the titles OF a number of the acts OF incorpO- |
ration, with the book and pages where they |
may be found: An act TO Incorporate the |
Charleston Ritileman club, approved March |
9, 1871; acts OF south Carolina, lSi9-7l, pages |
jS and 5Sj. An act to incorporate the Pal |
metto State title club of Charleston South |
Carolina, approved January 5, 1915; acts |
OF South Carolina, 1872 70, pages 3i1 aud 3lS. |
An act to incorporate the Irish Volunteer Rifle
club of Charleston, South Carolina, approved
ian uarp %, 1878, same volume, page go. An
act to Incorporate the Irish Rifle cub of |
Charleston, South Carolina, approved Janu-
ary l3, 1873, same volume, pagrs 80 and 81.
Au act to Incorporate the PnOlean Rifle club
OF Charleston, South Carolina, approved |
March IL, 1874, South Carolina acts OF 1873 and |
1874, page 69l. an act TO incorporate the Peqty
Rlhe club, approved March 3, 1874, same vol |
ume, pages 5S2 and 563. An ACT to alter and |
amend the charter OF the German
Bile club Of Charleston, and to
II, 1875 acts of lE74-5, pp. 9Ol-2. There are
also acts of incorporation tor the following |
coloTed rifle companies: The Lincoln Rifle
S5uaIds, Lincoln Light Infantry, incorporated
in 1873; he Garrison Light Infantry, the
Grant and Wetson National Guards sherman |
Rifles, the Bowen Rifle company, the sum-
ner Light Dragons, the Mount Pleasant Rifle
ju u9rds, The ArtSOn Rifle Guards, the Cain |
Rifle Guards, the Black MingO Rifle Guards, |
.he wilson artillery. the Moses Guards, the
Logan FuStlers, the Whlpper Guards, etc. Ali |
,hese companies were duly incorporated IN |
he various legislatures since 1870, and the list |
,ulled In few hours, If cOmeleted, would |
doubtless include every rifle company in the |
state. Their rifle clubs, therefore, have a |
egal existence Oreathed into them by the |
State, and yec GeDgral Grant not only orders
hem to dispense, put to thereafter abandon
ucn corporations"