National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-07-14
BANDITfI TACTICS.

In another column will be found cor
rect history by an eyewitness of the politi-
cal murders at Hamburg, 8. G. Before
the arrival of this statement and from our
knowledge of how the Southern agents of
the Associated Press pervert facts, we gave
tolerably correct history of the cowardly
assassination that msrred the celebration
of our Centennial anniversary by the loyal
colored militia of that city. But we could
not and did not realize that the Hamburg
affair surpassed in iendish atrocity any of
those of similar character which had pre-
coded it. In so far we were mistaken.
But the naked facts are now presented to
our readers, and they are sufficient to make
the blood of all honest men run hot in their
veins. We hear Democratic orators from
the South and from the North, in the halls
of Congress and out of them, preaching
fraternity. brotherly love, good feeling on
the suspicious occasion of the celebration
of our hundredth anniversary, and we see
fifteen hundred of their followers assem-
bling and deliberately numbering half q
score of unoffending citizens.
The facts of this case of tnegro rioting"
are simple. On the fourth of July regu
larry organized company of colored militia
assembled in Hamburg to assist in celebrat-
ing the day. Two young men attempted
to drive in carriage through their ranks,
and were not at once permitted 10 do so.
Finally, to. avoid trouble, the ranks were
broken. They prosecuted the captain of
the company, however, before colored
justice of the peace for obstructing the
highway. The justice, instead of promptly
deciding on Wednesday that the company
were entitled to the highway, as they lie
gally were, adjourned the trial, at the re-
quest Of the prosecutors, until Saturday.
General NJ. C. Butler, one of the chiefs of
the Ku Klux, was sent for, ostensibly as
counsel, but reallyto command the bsnditti
All the arrangements were made, and on
Saturday fifteen hundred armed white men
from Aiken and Edgefeld counties, s. c.,
and from Georgia assembled in the town of
Hamburg, under the leadership of General
Butler. The militia company had assem-
bled, and Butler demanded that they
should disarm. The company agreed to do
this if protection was guaranteed them.
General Butler refused to give the guaran-
tee, and the militia took possession of their
armory and prepared to defend their lives.
The Infamous wretches, who had come
to Hamburg determined to murder these
men, commenced firing, and one account
says at the same time endeavored to roast
their victims by firing the adjoining house.
Failing to drive out their victims in these
ways,a piece of artillery was obtained from
Augusta, Georgia. When this was brought
to bear, the colored men fled from the house
through a cornfeld, and were caught and
killed. This is the plain, unvarnished truth
about "the negro riot" at Hamburg.
The first question that arises is will
Governor Chamberlain submit to have his
militia murdered IN this way? And the next
is, will he allow the State of which he is
Governor to be invaded by Georgia Ku-
Klux and its citizens murdered in cold
blood2 Thee for him, and then for the
people at large there is the question, will
the loyal people OF the United States stand
idly by and see the men whom they res
cued from slavery, ard on whom they con-
ferred the precious boon of citizenship,
murdered for opinions sake by the rebels
who once held them as slaves? The ques-
ton is pertinent.
The Hamburg murders are but the be.
ginning of the Democratic campaign for
Southern supremacy. The tragedy there
is to be followed by others, until tire reign
Of terror is SO complete that the solid
Southern vote will be given to Tilden.
By supplementing this vote with few
from the Northern States, the murderers
and assassins of the South hope to elect a
President who will be their supple tool.
They will be disappointed. The people
of the North will turn from these mur-
derers with disgust. They will not pei
mitthis system of Campaigning to WIN, but
will see to it that men are put in power
who will crush out such murderous assls-
sine, if it costs as much blood and Treasure
as it did to crush the rebellion.