The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-13
Chamber]ain's Inaugural.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,:
except the office to which, by the
voice Of u majority of the people of
this state, I have q second time been
called. with a full knowledge of the
grave responsibilities and difficulties
by which it is now attended. No con-
sideralions, except the clearcst convic-
tons of duty, would lie sufficient to
induce me TO accept this great trust
under the circumstances which now
surround US. | regard the present
hour in South Carolina as a crisis at
which no patriotic citizen should
shrink from any post to Which public
duty may call linn. In my sober
Judgment our present struggle Is in
defense of the foundations OF our
government and institutions. If we
fail now, our gOvcrnment-the govern
ment of South Carolina-will no long
er rest on the consent Of the governed,
expressed 10y n free vote of Il majority
of our people. If our opponents
triumph-I care not under what guiSe
of legal fOrms-we shall witness the
overthrow of free government in our
state.
My chief personal anxiety, is that
may have the tirn!nrGS and wi dom Ia
act in Il manner worthy OF the great
Interests 80 largely committed to my
keeping. My chief public care shall
be to contribute my utmost efforts to
defend the rights, to guard the peace
and to promote the welfare OF oil the
people of our State.
The constant occupation Of my time
with other duties Which / could not
postpone. has prevented me from pre-
pairing the usual statements and rec
concentrations respecting our public
affairs. AT The earliest practicable day
| will discharge this duty. Our great
est interest, our most commanding du-
~ now, is to stand firmly, each in his
appointed place, against the aggres-
sion, aud ailurtmenls of our political
opponents. Our position up TO The
present time, has been within the
clear limits Of our constitution and
laws. Nothing but the cownrlice OF
weakness or treacllery of our own
! friends, can rob us of the victory. |
stale what facts show, what over
wliclmiuS evidence proves, when ]
say that if we yield now, We shall wit
Hess the cnHSummation of y deliberate
and cruel conspiracy ON the Part OF
The democratic party of THIS state to
overcome 10y brute force tue political
| will of i majority OF twenty thousand
Of the lawful voters Of this state.
! have mourned owe pnblic abuses
which have heretofore arisen here. !
nave, according To the measure of my
ability, labOrcd to make the conduct
| of our public affairs honest and hon
cradle. But ! stand appalled, at the
crimes against freedom. against pub
lie order, against good government,
nay, against government itself, which
our recent political experience here
has presented. And | am the more
appalled, when ! see the north, that
! portion of our country which is secur
in its freedom and civil order, and the
grcnt political party which has con
~lrollei the republic for sixteen years,
divided in its sympatiiies aud judg-
mcnt upon such questions. IT is writ
ten in blood ON the pages of our re-
| cent national history, that no govern
ment can rest with safety upon the en-
forced slavery or degradation of 4 race.
In the full blaze of that great exam
pie Of ]rctributive justice which swept
| away d half million of the best lives
of our country we see the American
people divided Ivy party lines upon
the question of the Acknowledgement
and degradation of the same race
whose physical freedom was purchased
at such a cost. Aud, what is more as
constituent still. there are republicans
who permit the errors which have at
tended the first efforts of this race in
self-government to chill their sympa-
thies to such an extent that they stand
coIdy by and practically say that the
peace OF political servitude is better
than the abuses and disquiet which
newly acquired freedom has brought.
cent election, on the part of our polit-
ical opponents in this state, AS a vast
brutal outrage. Fraud, prescription,
intimidation in all forms, violence,
ranging through all its degrees, up to
wanton murder, wete its effective
methods. The circumstances under
which we have assembled to-day show
US how nearly successful has been this
great conspiracy. 1t is for US, in the
face of all danger. in the fuce of false
or timed friends, in the face Of open
enemies, to show that we understand
the cause in which we are engaged,
and that uo earthly sacrifice is too
great to secure lis triumph.
The gentleman who was my orpo-
nent for this office i'm the late election,
ma. recently declared, rs I am credi-
bIy informed. that he holds not only
the peace of this city and state, but
my life, in his hand. / do not doubt
The truth of his statement. Neither
The public peace nnr the life OF any
man who now opposes the consumna-
ton of this policy of fraud and violence
is safe from the assaults of those who
have enforced that policy
My life can easily he taken. I have
held it, in the Judgment Of all my
friends here, by Il frail tenure for the
last three months. But there is me
thing no man in South Carolina can
do, however powerful or desperate he
may be, and that is to cause me to
abale my hatred or cease my most Wig
ernus resistance to this attempted over
throw and ensIavtment of Il majority
of the people of South Carolina.
Here 7 stand; I can do 40 otherwise;
God he my helper" Wife and chill
dren, nearer to ME than ARE the ruddy
drops that visit my sna heart'-aH
other considerations, must give way
before the solemn duty to resist the
final success of that rn0nstrous outrage