Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-12-21
Chamberlain's Inaugural Address.

The address of Gov. Chamberlain o,
South Carollns. given at the inaugural
ceremonies last week, is presented below.
1t deserves careful perusal by all thinking
people. Gov. Chamberlain made his ap-
pearance before the Legislature and said
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of Rep
resentdttres:
/ accept the office to which. by voice
OF the majority of the people Of this state,
/ have second time been called, with a
full knowledge OF the grave responsibilities
and difficulties by which it Is now attended.
No considerations except the clearest con-
viction of duty would be sufficient to in
duce me to accept this great trust under
the circumstances which now surround us.
l regard the present hour In South Carol-
ma as crisis in which no patriotic citizen
should shrink from any part to which the
public may lcall him. In my sober judg.
ment, our present struggle is IN defence of
the foundations OF our Government and in
stitutions. Ii We fail now our Government
the government of South Carolina-will
no longer rest on the consent OF the gov
erned, depressed by free vote of ma
jority oil the people. If our opponents tri-
umph, care not under what guise OF legal
forms, we shall witness the overthrow of
free government In our state. NV chief
personal anxiety is that / may have the
firmness and wisdom to act in manner
worthy of the great interests so largely
committed to my keeping. My chief pub-
lie care shall be to contribute my utmost
efforts to defend the rights. to guard the
peace and to promote the welfare of all the
people OF our state.
h.. -, .;.l.
other duties which could not postpone
has prevented me from preparing the usual
statements and recommendations respect
ing our public affairs. At the earliest prac-
ticable day will discharge this duty. Our
greatest interest, our most commanding
duty, now Is 10 stand firmly each in his
appointed place against the aggression and
allurement of our political opponents. Our
position up TO the present time has been
within the clear limits Of our Constitution
and laws. Nothing except the cowardice
or;weakness or treachery Of our own friends
can rob US of the victory.
| state what facts show, what over
whelming evidence proves, when | say that
II we yield now we shall witness the con-
summation OF a deliberate and cruel con-
spiracy on the part ofthe Democratic party
OF this state to overcome by brute force
the will Of majority of 1900 of the lawful
voters of this state. have mourned over
public abuses which have heretofore arisen
here. | have, according to the measure of
my ability, labored to make the conduct OF
our public affairs honest and honorable.
But stand appalled, at the crimes against
freedom, against public order, against good
government, nay, against government it.
self, which our recent political experience
here has presented; ; and am the more APP
palled when see the North, that portion
OF our country which is secure in its free
dom and civil order, and the great political
party which has controlled the Republic
for sixteen Years, divided in its svmpathieS
and judgment upon such questions. 1t is
written in blood on the pages of our recent
national history that no government can
rest with safety upon the enforced slavery
or degradation Of "A race. In the full blaze
OF the great example OF retributive Justice
which swept away half million OF the
best lives OF our country, we see the Amer
lean people divided by party lines upon the
question of the disiranchisement and de-
graduation OF the same race whose physical
freedom was purchased at such a cost. And
what is more astonishing, there are Repub-
licans who permit the errors which have
attended the first efforts ofthis race in self
government to chill their sympathy to such
an extent that they stand coldly BY and
practically say that the peace OF political
servitude is better than the abuse ard dis
quiet which newly-acqured freedom has
brought.
| denounce the conduct of the recent
election ou the part of our political oppo-
nents in this State as vast outrage.
Fraud, prescription in all forms, violence
ranging through all its degrees up TO wan
ton murder. were its effective methods.
The circumstances under which we have
assembled to-day show US how nearly sue
cessfu has been this great conspiracy. Ii
Is for Us IN the face of all dangers, in the
face of false or timid friends, in the face OF
open enemies, TO show that we understand
the cause in which We are engaged, and
that no earthly sacrifice is too great to Sc
cure its triumph.
The gentleman who was my opponent
for this office in the late election has re-
Gently declared, as | am credtaby inform
ed, that he holds not only the peace of this
city and State, but my life in his hand,
Neither the public peace nor the life OF
any man who now opposes the consumma-
ton of this policy of fraud and violence is
safe from the assaults of those who have
enforced that policy. My life can easily be
taken. have held it, in the judgment Of
my friends here, by frail tenure for H..
last three months. But there is one th.u@
no man in Sonth Carolina can do, however
powerful or desperate he may be, and that
is to cause me to abate my hatred or cease
my most vigorous resistance to this at
tempted overthrow and enslavement of a
majority of the people, of South Carolina.
Here l stand. l can do no otherwise. God
be my helper. Wife and children, dearer
to me than are the ruddy drops that visit
my sad heart, and all other considerations
must give way before the solemn duty to
resist that monstrous outrage under whose
black shadow we are assembled to-day.