The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-02
A SOUTHERN CAMP.
naturalization In South Caro-.
llna.sThe Whites Under
Arms.
THE DEMOCRATS DETERMINED
TO CARRY THE STATE,
Peaceably if they can,
but E'orcibly If they
Must.
Wade Hampton's Ap-
premiership in Mis-
sissippi.
tFrom white native Of the State who is not Re-
publican.

tFrom , white native of the State who is not Re-
publican
CHARLESTON, Oct. Gone passing through
South Carolina would imagine that it was III a
state Of war. Ii resembles a vast armed camp.
On every green and public square the clang of
muskets can be heard, as paradjng infantry
ground their arms. From every old field rings
out thrcateningly the note Of the buslc or the
booming of the feld-pece as cavalry and ar
tillery perform their evoluiions. The dCpots
are crowded with cases Of firearms, ordered
from tho North. The stores cannot supply tho
demand for arms and ammunition, and every
gunsmith in the city and blacksmith in the
country is repairing dilapidated weapons. No
one is seen on the streets without repeater or
rife: and not day passes in town or city but
that the quick and scattering reports of guns
and pistols used on targets III the vicinity,
would lead stranger to suppose that a skir-
mish, il not battle, was in progress around
him. Nor is this all. In every part of the
State there are monster open-air political mass
meetnge. Theso meetings are followed by
torchight parades, or preceded by professions
oi rifle clubs, cavalry, artillery companies, and
civilians. marching TO the sound of martial mu-
sic. The speakers, invariably master spirits of
the Lost Cause, arise and deliver the most vehe-
nlent addresses, dcnouncing the Republican
Administration and the Republican party, State
and National, Gnd calling on their hearers to
rise. The widest cheering rings out in re-
sronse, mixed with the notes of the bands and
the crashing of cannon, and the people diSpcrsc
10 their homes with war, war for their Cry-wdr
even TO the knife.
What has caused this. If the Democrats are
to be trusted it is grand uprising of intei-
,gcnce against ignorance, OF wealth against nom
taEp3yinC aggression, OF civilization and refine
nent against Darbarism and degradation. Their
banners bcar the inscriptions OF " The PROSTATE
State Aroused. " Forbe8rance has Ceased to he
Virtue, ," Down with the Thieves" -" Home
with the Carpet Dacgcr," -" Honest Government
or Death" 1t Is, they say, repetition of the
stirring scenes Of i'i6 an irrepressible uprising
of the people against grinding tyranny and in
tclerabie oppression; against outrageous en-
croachment on their rights and privileges: q
strike for liberty or to1 death in short, a secuud
revolution as momeutous as that of cent urv
ago. But, they say, it is q revolution this time
not against foreign domination and rapacity,
but against an Il lestine foe: against the sub
jection OF class to clss of enlightened property
holding Anglo o-SaXon, to a horde of African
h3rbarlans undar the guidance OF unprinciplcd
ecoun1Tsls from the North.
REACTION AGAINST CHAMBERLAIN.
-Four months ago The quiJt Of he graveyard
retgned in South Carolina For the first time
since the war the people were coutented. The
rotten government of the carpet -baggcrs had
Tassed away. The robher Governor was no
longer i'll power. An honest ruler had been
found al last. From The very moment of the
Installation of Governor Chamberlain in De-
ccnhcr, 1874, reform had been the order OF the
dav. lie presided over the ucoDlc with the cold
neutrality OF an impartial judge. The deprc-
dationS OF the Legislature were Iorciby stopped
BY the veto. The ignorant or corrupt officers
oi the former administrations We're relcntlesslv
removed; new and competent men, in half the
instances Democrats, wee pUt i'll their places
The taxes were reduced. The installation of
two unscrupulous judges was arbitrarily,
though with good reason, prohibited by The
Governor. The PROSTATE State was prostate
no longer; she had been raised from the ground
Her savior had come; d. H. Chamberlain was
the man. The whites were grateful, and were
loud in their expressions Of commenda-
ton. Their popular institutions of learn
ing made him their orator. The fashionable
clubs and associations extended cordial invita-
tors for him to attend their celebrations and
respond to tocsts. The gates of society were
flung open to him, and the haughriest member
OF the old Southern aristocracy-nay, even the
ladies-delighted to honor him and to entertain
him at their houses. The Democratic papers
loudly and generally advocated his reelection.
The AIanningh, the PerTys, the Kershaws, and
the Simontons--the political leaders Of the
whites-lent their sanction to the idea And
though the corrupt element Of the Republican
party-thc element which he had so remorse-
!essly thwarted-was bitterly inimical to the
measure, vet everything pointed to his rcnoui-
Conservatives, and triumphant reelection to
the executive Office.
But. wonderful to relate, this man is to-day
denounced from every Democratic stump in
South Carolina as an unpriucipled adventurer,
malicious liar, ringleader in rascaity, a car
pct-bagger OF the carpet -baegers. They have
let slip The dogs Of war against him. Verify,
change has come over the spirit OF their dream
What student Of polica! science could, four
months ago, have yeutured to predict that it
would come to this:
EFFECT OF DEMOCRATIC SUCCESS.
Governor Chamberlain S administration, then,
for a year aud half was the golden era OF
South Carolina politics. The negroes were free,
niranchised, and undisturbed in their rights,
and yet the whites We're conscientiousy protcc-
ted from plundsr and high taxes. But Governor
Chamberlain had not been III power year when
the ALlNth Congress assembled at Washington.
The great tidal wave OF 1874 had sent large
Democratic majority TO the House of Represen-
tativss, and prominent among that majority
were many eX-Coaiederate generals. From the
very moment IL met l noticed an unusual
though careiully-concealed agitation among
the hTe-eating aristocracy of this State. For
years their occupation had been gone. Dis
c4rded in politics, cut Of Office, they had been
compelled 10 keep the roseleSs tcuor of their
way slolg the cool, sequestered vale OF private
HE. But their priue, il seems, had not fallen
with their fortunes. They had been compelled
TO keep quiet; they complied against their
wills aud held TO their old opinions.
They bitterly reflected that they had seen
better days and Tursod their wrath to keep it
warm. But nov array ofhope dawncd on thcll.
They heard OF Ben Hin defending Anderson
Vile and Jefferson Davis in the Congress OF the |
United States They saw SoUiheners once |
more holding up their heads in the National |
Capital. They could hardly trust their senses. |
Aud then they looked around them; all the |
Southern States were once more Democratic EX- |
cept South Carolina and Louisiana. These |
States alone had Republican Governors and ne
gro legislatures. They alone had not their |
aLspAsA5es, Gordons, Lamars, Hills and Proc |
Tor knoas in Congress. Then they reflected on |
Missesppi-how her $4,000 negro majority had |
been Transformed into 80 900 Democratic ma
jority BY the Use Of the shotgun and revolver.