The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-26

the oak closet
Federal Intervention la South Carolina.
The President is reported to have said
in conversation about South Carolina
affairs on Saturday that "he was deter
mined that the colored republicans in
that State should yGte in accordance with
their honest convictions, if he had to
order the whole army into the State to
enable them TO do So" If he had ut
tered this threat with an accurate com
prehension of South Carolina politics,
Mr.. Chamberlain, who has called on him
for troops, would be very badly scared
man. What Chamberlain wants is not
that the negroes shall vote according to
their convictions, bit TINT they 5haii ciist
solid vote for Chamberlain, conviction
or no conviction. The unfitness of the
federal authority TO Interfere ~ arms 0:
in any other way in elections Is clearly
shown by the attitude Of the President in
this case. He hears but one side, and
there are in South Carolina not two, but
three. sides. Three parties are there in
the field-one for Hayes and Chamber.
lain, one for Tilden and Hampton, and q
third for Hayes and Hampton. TO the
last named considerable number of
belong, and under their guidance and
instruction lnrge numbers Of colored mer
have determined 10 vote that ticket. W.:
believe they are right in doing so. III
fact they are following advice which the
Heruid gave them several weeks ago, and
for the best Of reasons it is to the inter.
est of the colorcd people Of South Carroll
ma to take General Hampton at his word
He has promised them solemnly equal
and complete protection in all their
rights he ie a man Of chara cter and &c.
termination, who will keep his word, and
he will do what Chamberlain, as every
negro in South Carolina knows, has never
done.
Whether the negroes are right or wrong
in voting for Hampton, however, they
have right to do SO; bu: :his federal in
reference attempts and is meant to de.
prive chem of that right. 1t not only
deprives them, but it also interferes with
the rights of those negroes, very consid-
erable in number, who mean TO vote the
democratic ticket outright, Tilden and
all. Wherever federal troops or fedora!
interference in eny Of its shapes are fel.
in the South there the intolerant and
lawless republican negroes are encour-
aged to persecute their brethren who
manifest democratic or independent
leanings, and these fellows 60 about very
freely aud openly threatening the lives
of colored men who are even suspected
af or :nt.ee:s.:o:: :o DO anything but "vote
de straight republican ticket This kind
of intimidation is going on now in South
Carolina, as it has been carried ON in
Louisiana, in Alabama, in every South.
ern State. No white intolerance is hall
as bitter OF half as brutal and cunning rs
this negro intolerance, and it is encour-
aged and embittered wherever federal
troops arc placed in the hands Of repub.
lican politicians to use for political pur.
poses. In 1874 an Alabama negro speak
or addressed crowds of negroes and nd
vised them to hang any negro who should
offer to vote the democratic ticket. He
advised the women tc have nothing to do
with such man; his wife ougnt TO leave
him, he said; his sweetheart ought 10
scorn him the Church should spew him
out; nobody should employ him or speak
to him. The same thing IL now going on
in South Carolina in the Chamberlain
iatetest A Charleston correspondent ol
o republican organ here makes this con-
fess!en: "The fact is, the negroes do in
tim!d1te man of their color who desires
for any reason to turn democrat. They
will tp.a him out Of their churches; none
of tie women will marry him OF talk with
him the men also ostracise him, and II
he is caught where there are no white
;i;e:: be :s s.;.e "a be mnhhad, stoned and
beaten" A correspondent of our own
writing from Aiken, sends us two affida.
Wits Of democratic ceg,ocs shown ec;ual
threats Of assassination, and the .rnhlen,
Is sell stated, BY one block man, who
asked who would protect MIN If, having
voted for Hampton, the State should
happen 20 go republican,"
The Southern plantation negro has nc
political nnslclious such as Gen, Grant
speess OF. HS has mainly fears, ground.
less fears, imposed on him by unscrupu.
lous republican leaders. He Is taugh,
that his white nsighbor9 me n to re.
enslavo him, that General Grant ID his
only protector, aI1 that tie republican
State candidate, as in this case Chamber.
lain, Is General Grants representative,
for. whom hc, is bound to vote because
those are the orders Of General Grant
That ia his whole political catechism
When he begins to doubt, as multitudes
are doubling in South Carolina this-year,
he leans toward tho democratic. party.
At this Chamberlain calls for troops.
Why? To protect the blacks7 Not OF
all. His edhefentb' do not need protec.
tion. It l. 10 intimidate those who are
about to oppose him; he calls ON General
Grant for troops; they come, and behold
every negro is at once perauaded tha.
Chamberlain is really, General Granite
man." and that the blacks must support
him. That Is the meaning of this trick
of calling for troops" Its object Il
simply and only TO indfnidate the black
voters; and when we sec report TINT
Major Merrill 10 to be- sort into South
Caroline .ssa hated aud dde5Piued there
aud everywhere in the South for his con-
duct at other times, and en- adept in Just
this misuse Of troops 1t seems but too
plain that the men who are misadyising
tine President in this matter are engaged
in disgracefnl and dangerous plot to
carry the State for Chamberlain by
Wholesale aud adroit naturalization of the
black as we'll as white voters.
But this question relates not to South
Carolina alone. This Unconstitutional
and dangerous practice of federal inter-
ference In elections goes on now, in the
midst Of the canvass, with tho consent Of
the republican party managers and with
the silent assent of the republican caudi-
date fof eh6 PresidencY,S It Is q part of
the policy of the party; indeed, its chic;
ana only policy, for its speakers profess
no desire for reform. They say nothing
Of hard money, Of civil service abuses.
Of economy; they tell 5is only of 'inni-
ted 9ouths" and boast OF their despatch
Of troops 70 different States. Are :e,