Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-10-28
A SOUTH CAROLINA PICTURE.

The Boston J0Ul7tdi publishes long
private letter from Laurens, ). c., ad-
dressed to an old army companion by "a
native of Massachusetts, who served hon.
orably in the 57th regiment Massachu-
setts volunteers, under Gen. w. +. Bart
lett, and subsequently entered the regular
army" which draws n shocking picture
of the present situation in South Carolina.
The plan on which the Democrats arc
conducting their campaign is, first to in
sist on n division of the time, whenever
the Republicans hold meeting, but when
Republican attempts to speak, to drown
his voice and make such display of their
firearms that the negroes are generally
frightened away second il the negroes
try to organize campaign club, the cry
is raised that they are organizing to attack
the whites, and the Democratic clubs,
armed and equipped, style themselves n
posse comtatus, and hunt and shoot down
the "niggers :" third, to thoroughly in.
tmidate the colored voters, the whites
oven shoot them down when peaceably ut
work in the field or in their own cabins;
and finally, to mako the thing doubly
sure, the Democratic clubs have arranged
to keep an armed force on the main roads
leading to tho polling places to turn the
negroes back should thoy try to come in.
As proof OF the rccklcssness with which
unotending negroes are shot, the writer
cites the dying statement recently taken
by him ut the bedside of one in Laurens
county: Perry Childers was in the field
near the house of X. A. Gray; was first
IN the road walking along. One Butler
Putnam approached and commenced to
fro on him fired three shots, one shot
hitting him in the right hip, ranging
downward and inward toward the spine.
! No words occurred between them. Put
nam rode up on horseback and com.
mcncod firing on the said Childers with
out any apparent provocation." And
nothing has been done to Putnam or will
be. lie gives this Illustration of the way
Republican meetings aro broken up
"Tho Republicans undertook to hold
meeting tho other day, but just before
the timo for speaking, the Democratic
clubs rode in to the number OF over one
thousand. Every man had his revolver
strapped around him, took iorcble pos
session of the meeting, and held one ot
their own Mt night they got drunk aud
took possession of tho whole town an
armed mob of over one hundred men Mt
tackled tho hotel where somo Of tho Re-
publican speakers Of the day before were
stopping, and threatened to shoot them
they escaped through the bacl, door and
came to our camp for protection. Tho
Sheriff and most of tho county officers
took refuge in our camp to save their
lives. had no authority to interfere,
except to protect all that came to me.
The mob next went for the ncgrocs
most OF them hid or went to the wood,
but they captured several, and with re-
volvers ut their heads made them promise
and take mn oath to vote the Democratic
ticket. This is the way the negroes nro
joining the Democratic standard. This
mob surgcd up and down through tho
streets and alleys OF this old town, yell.
ing, cursng and firing revolycrs nearly
all night. They acted like tlends incar-
nate, worse than Milton's devils" Tho
writer can see no other remedy except
" for the government to put the whole
State under martial law, food the State
with troops, arrest all violatOrs Of tho
law, without regard to color or politics,
punish all murderers," and he conclude:
" | do not know how long will remain
here, but hope not long, My family l..
still in Massachusetts. 1t is enough for
me to be here without dragging the rect
Of tho family along"
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