Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-12-09
TIE SITUATION In SOUTH CARO-
LIMA.

The events which have recently
taken place in South Carolina will in
any event fill prominent page in the
history Of the United States. Whether
this audacious effort of revolutionary
tyranny prove ultimately success or
failure. in either case it will form an
epoch in history. IF successful it will
be recorded as the event which deter
mined the conversion of great re
public, constituted of States enjoying
the most liberal provisions for self
government, into a centralized despot-
ic empire, all movements in which de-
ponds upon the impulses commuuica-
ted from the executive centre. If
failure, it will have been rendered so
blythe universal condemnation of the
entire mass Of the people, and then
will come the enquiry, how has this
great commonwealth come into such
imminent peril of destruction; and
how are such perils to be in future
prevented aud this will cause a scru
tiny of our organic law as bearing upon
the question, and the enactment Of
new checks upon the executive to be
incorporated in an amended constitu
ton. And so in either case the events
commencing in Columbia, South Caro-
lima, on the night of Nov. q, 1876,
and terminating We know not when or
how, will be the subject of an historic
page for which we are now furnishing
the material.
To render our statement the more
Ineligible we will repeat in abstract
the narrative We gave of transactions
to the night of Nov. 3, and then give
more in detail those which have since
TRANSFERRED.
It will be remembered then that on
the night of Nov. q the State House
was occupied by U. s. troops, and
that at first no one was admitted into
the building without passes furnished
by some agent of the Governor named
Jones but afterwards this order was
rescinded and sentinels we're withdrawn
from around the building, but that
sentinels we're place at the door of the
hall of Representatives who under the
direction of a man named Dennis, pre-
vented any one from entering but
those who presented certificates from
the returning board of their election
certificates from the records of the
Supreme court were refused admission.
Upon this the Democratic members
went in a body to another building
where they organized, the Radical
members organizing in the Hall OF
Representatives the Democrats max
ing formal protest presented in writ
ing to Gen. Ruger, which we printed
last week-the number of the Demo
cratic members was IS that of the
Radicals 50. On the morning of the
both the Democratic members went in
4 body to the hall and demanded ad-
mission with the delegates from Lau-
rens and Edgefeld, (the disputed
counties at their head. Armed soldiers
again prevented their entrance; but one
member afterwards in some way made
his way in aud read a protest against
the above proceedings. On the even
ing of this day the first symptoms of a
change in the counsels of the admins.
tration made itself seen, and Gen. Ru.
ger sent a message to Gen. Hampton
that all persons holding the certificates
either of the returning board or the
Supreme court would receive admit
lance. On the morning of the Both
accordingly the Democratic members
went in a body to the Court House
they found soldiers still around the
building but none in or at the doors Of
the Legislative Hall. The doorkeep.
ers made slight resistance which was
soon overcome, the Democrats enter
in a body and Mr.. Wallace theiI
speaker takes the chair. 4 few of the
Radical members had been dropping
In from time to time but were evident
ly taken by surprise and knew not how
20 act.
Speaker Wallace took the chair, the
Clerk of the house elected by the
Democratic members sat on the plat
form with him; two Sergeants at arms
one Democratic and the other Radica
(the latter colored) stood at the door
Of the house. About five minutes at
ter this Gen. Hampton presented him
self at the door and asked for admit
lance, but was refused by the Repub
lican door keepers backed by mob o
negroes. Some Democratic members
came out to his assistance and at thi:
point a collision seemed imminent
but Gen. Hampton prevented it b
withdrawing-no other demonstration
of anything like violence occurred
throughout the proceedings. At IL .
IN. +. w. NJ. Mackey cold, the Re-
publican Speaker arrived accompanied
by eolored Clerk and detective of
ficer. He ran up the steps of the
platform and said to Speaker Wallace
You will please vacate this seat
Mr.. Wallace remained seated and
rarIied rs follows
Il have been elected by a majority
of the House of Representatives Of
the State of South Carolina, duly
sworn in Carolina Hall on Tuesday
2Sth inst. The constitution provides
that the Legislature shall meet in Col.
umbia on the fourth Tuesday In No
member. IL makes no provision that
the House of Representatives shall be
organized in this hall. On Tuesday
last a majority Of the members of the
House of Representatives with eertiti-
Gates of election were refused admis-
sion here. They then retired 70 Caro-
lima Hail. and organized with a msm
bership Of siXty-six, who, according 10
the constitution, were duly'sworn and
officers elected. We are here in pur-
suauee Of our rights under the consti-
tuition OF the State We desire to Op-
press no man to deprive no msB of his
rights on the floor. We desire TO