New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-01
WHOLE NUMBER 2975.
BY TELEGRAPH,
THE SITUATION.

COLUMBIA. s. c., November 30.-Th
Democratic House took peacesble posses
zion of the State legislative hall at thei
regular hour Of convening (eleven O'Clock
this morning, and proceeded TO work unde
their organization. The Republican Hous,
entered the hall at twelve o'clock, their regu
lar hour of meeting. Both Speakers are Of
the stand, Wall ace (Democrat) in the chair
| and Mackey (RepublicaD) at the clerks
deck. A debate is progressing. R.publican
members Hamilton and Myers den0uncf
the action Of the Republican House as lille
gal and unconstitutional. Everything is
peaceable, and good temper prevails. No
persons are allowed in the hall except mem
bers. The Democrats are cheerful and con-
fident. The Republicans are anxious and
dispirited. Some of their members say
they want a settled government, and are
for South Carolina rather than for the men
who have ruined her.
The situation is but little changed at the
State House. Good humor prevails on both
sides.
Some reports are being made at com
promise which may result satisfactorily.
About 3 P. NJ General Ruger sent his
staff officer to the Speakers stand and noti-
fed the Democratic Speaker, Wallace, that
at twelve O'clock tomorrow the Demo-
cratic members from Edgefeld would not
Upon the receipt of that order the follow
ing letter was Immediately sent:
General T. H. Ruger, Commanding United States
Troops In Souih Carolina:
DEAR SIR-We have just heard, through
Major McGinnis, of your staff, your order
communicated to Mr.. Wallace, speaker of the
House of Representatives, that at twelve
O'Clock tomorrow the members elect from
Edgefield would not be allowed upon the
floor of the House. To say that We are sur
prised at such an order, after the explsna-
of us, is to use very mild language. When
the outrage of Tuesday last was committed
by the placing of armed sentlnels at the
door of the House of Representatives, who
decided upon the admission of members 10
their seats, and when the provisions Of the
constitution and the decision Of the Supreme
Court were brought to your attention, you
distinctly and warmly asserted, again
and again, that your orders were
tended 20 have sentinels at the door of tho
hall. and that you bad not and did not in
tend to assume to decide upon the legality
of any mans seat or upon his right TO enter
the hall. You were then reminded by ~
that YOUR guard received instructions from
one Dennis, citizen and partisan of Gov
ernOr Chamberlain, to admit parties upon
his own pass or that of one Jones, and
had through armed forces excluded all
organization was completed. Y0u assured
Us again that such we're not your orders;
you were told by us that notwithstanding
the perpetrati0n of this inexpressibla shame
upon our free institutions and the rights of
the people the evilo could still be
remedied without any violence or blood
shed by the simple withdrawal of your
guard from the doors of the hall; that
the Democratic members would struggle
with the Republicans, and by majority
of votes decide all questions in accordance
with law, or usages of legislative bodies.
You stated that no troops should be at the
door and that under no circumstances
would you interfere, except there should
occur q serious disturbance of the peace.
You affirmed your determination to exer-
else no supervisory control whatever over
the body or bodies claiming to be the
House of Representatives. All this occurred
on yesterday. Last night, in later inter-
view with Senator Gordon, y0u made the
same assurance, and. this morning, after
both bodies were assembled in the hall,
you assured General Hampton that under
no circumstances would you interfere ex.
cept to keep the peace. What now can
Justly measure our astonishment at
the issuance of sudh an order
a. the one just sent by you? There
ia no breach of the peace and
no prospect of it's disturbance. You had it
officially brought to your knowledge that
absolute good hum0r prevails in that hall.
We can not refrain from expressing the ap-
prehension that the fact that number Of
leading Republicans are taking issue with
the legality of the proceedings by the Re-
publican House has changed youv views a.
to your line of duty. 1t is proper that We
should cay, in conclusion, that We relied
upon your honor as Q man and your char
acter as soldier to maintain yonr pledged
position of nOn-intervention. The Demo
cratic members from Edgefeld and Lsurens
are entitled to their seats by the Judgment of
| the Supreme Court of this State, and we have
advised them to remain in that hall until
removed by your troops, that the issue may
| be made in this centennial year of Amer
| lean independence whether we have q gov
ernment Of law, as construed by courts, OF
| q centralized despOtism whose only law is
force. Let the American people behold the
| spectacle of q Brigadier General of the
army seated by the side of Governor Cham
berlain in q room of the State House and
issuing his orders to legislative body
peacefully assembled in one of the original
thirteen commonwealths of this Union.
j. B. GORDON,
WADE HAMPTON,
A. e. HASKELL.
These three gentlemen had been in con
ference with General Roger yesterday snt
| to-day.
The courts in South Carolina did nothing
yesterday.
The Republican House, by . vote o
forty-five to fourteen, seated :he Barnwel
delegation.
The Senate recognized the Republioa.
House by amending their joint resolution
to canvass the vote for State officers.
Five Republican members admitted from
Bsrnwell county are negroes. Two Repuh
lican members protested.
After argument in the habeas corpu
case, Judge Bond said he would take tim
to consider the case. The marshal retain
the canvassers in custody.
The Senate has postponed until Monda
consideration of the rule identical with th
twenty second Joint rule of Congress. Thi
is considered to be an advantage gained t
the Democrats. Three Republican Sen,
tors ale Watching closely the direction q
affairs in the Republican House.
The admission OF the five Barnwell r
publicans yesterday gives the Republican
sixty-four votes, clear majority even
; l24 votes be called q full mouse. Alike
county, with four votes, and Abbevill
with tour votes, are also protested and ms
be reported on in the same way.
A Democratic Version of tho Fiorfd
Case.
TALLAHASSEE, November 3O-The boa
} met. The Democrats claim that besides Il
points of irregularity in the altered Bak
, county returns, the justice of the peace wi
!, signed it had been appointed since d
l election.
a The Alachua county testimony Greats
;. great excitement The Democrats ii ret
fered proof that the alleged affidavit fro
Green K. Moore, purporting to deny csrta
8 facts in another affidavit he had made, W
q dated and executed on the twentieth, VIII
l a auit hot ho aH N "a