The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-11-01

picture of the real horrors of tb,
Southern situation vet given to tn,
public 1t is calm, judicial review
of the history of South Carolina pol
tiles from the time of reconstruction
and it shows that State to be the
scene Of a reign of terrorism fully
equal 10 arrogance and atrocity tc
that of ls60-6l. The writer saws:
"One passing through South Car.
olina would imagine that it was 10 a
state of war 1t resembles vasl
armed camp. 0n every green and
public square the elang Of mnskets
can be heard, as parading Infantry
ground their arms. From every old
field rings out threateningIy the note
of the bugle or the booming oi
ield-piece, as cavalry and artillery
perform their evolutions. The de-
pots are crowded with eases of fire.
arms. ordered from the North. The
stores cannot supply the demand
for arms aud ammunition, and every
( gunsmith in the city and blacksmith
in the country is repairing delspida-
ted weapons. No one Is seen on the
street without repeater or rife; and
not day passes in town OF city hut
that the quick and scattering reports
Of guns and pistols, used on targets
in the vicinity, would lead stranger
to suppose that skirmish, il not g
battle was 10 progress around him. "
He shows that tbes9 notes Of prep
aration date fsom the Gay Of the as
seGbiing Of the Democratic Confeder-
ate National House Of Representa-
tives Previous 10 that quiet reigned
throughout the borders of the State
Governor Chamberlain's honest adj
ministration had apparently won him
the eou6deace Of the hre-eaters. 1t
had opeaed to him the doors Of the
aristocracy, and made him almost
the pet Of the conservatives But
from the dsy of the couyening
OF the Confederate House the
situation rapidly changed The
journals those conservative editcra
had supp Irted the reform administra-
tiOn Of Gov rnor chamberlain were
bought up and placed 10 new hands.
kiae clubs were formed in every
white community 10 the State, The
conservative convention which was to
have indOFsed Chamberlain's nomina-
ton was packed to nominate Wade
Hampton With @ known over
whelming majority against them, the
ex-Confederates resolved ,e carry tbe
State. The ediet aaa gOle from Til
den's tsnesmel that there must be
ga united South" and the Butlers
and HamptoBs OF South Carolina pre-
pared to carry out their part of the
programme with the pistol, the knife
aud the shotgun. The following de-
scriptiol Of q Republican mass meet
ing shows exactly how much of the
{eedom ofspeech and Of political ac-
tion tbtre is left 10 South Carolin:
''in alarm they THE negroes call
a mass meeting Of the Republicans
for conss,lation- Their prou inent
nea are invited to be present and
speak. The time comes. Thousands
are present They organize, and the
speaker begins Suddenly commo-
tion arises. The orator stops. The
tap of the drum and the sound Of the
bugle are beard down the road Twj
l)ng columns Of soldiery, armed TO
the teeth, mounted and on foot,
come fling around the corner and
march to the platform. They push
aside ths frightened negroes and Sc
leot the best seats. Their leaders,
ex-Confederate officers, then mount
the platform and demand half the
time for Democratic speakers. Il is
tremblingly accorded A CoDfeder-
ate General arises, delivers blood
and-thunder harangue, telling the ne,
groes'that they have been fools long
enough. have got to discharge their
present leaders and come back TO
their old masters, who intend TO car
ry the election, peaceably if they can,
but foreibly if they areresisted. A Re-
publican follows> He is greeted with
a storm of Kisses and deafepisg yeIl
o derision from ,ss military. He
mutters c few words, every sentence
Q. which is drowned by the hootings. |
At last sentiment is uttered loud /
enough to be heard. Forthwith sa
armed bully steps forward from the
ranks and pronogG0ss that assertion a
lie The speaker dares not resent
the insult-nay, be dsres not notice /
or sllude to it. He talks on tor =
while. But the insults. gaers, imper-
tinent question:, etc, come faster and
,ss;eF. and Gnally, ia alarm for bis
life, be resumes his seat When the
Kissing has subsidei, another Confed-
crate takes the floor He goes over
the rambling remarks Of the poor re-
publican, pronounces each aud every /
one of them 80 Infamous, malicious,
dsmnsble lie, and dares him 70 arse
aud say they are not There Is wild
cheering The kepubliean, ,quigering
vita fear and indignation, v forced
10 allow it at the point ai the bay yoEet.
the other speakers on bis side are
treated 10 the same way. The meet
ing breaks up with three times three
and tiger for Hampton aud TiIden-
And such Of the negrUes as have
not already hed in alarm are followed
to their homes by The ieers aad
curse oi ,he riae-men."
Yet there are Republicans in the
North who are still distressed on the
subject of 'civil-serviee reform
They remind Us Vi man who bus
led hims IF with plans for the ;m-
provemeat Of bis dwelling " bile the
house Was burliag over his head.
The whole white population Of South
with nov and then an ex-
eep.ioD, is a mass of brutality aud
treason. This mass has resolved, as
one man. 10 carry the STATE iut IIlzi
den aDa llampton 4y ,sEEoFlsm, as
sassinallog, and fraud; and, strange
and awful fatality, zoe cou1-
try besilates 10 demaud VI the Presi-
dent that the army be sent there 10
nip the new rebellion 10 the bud Ihe