Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-05-19
South Carolina Situation.

SOuth carolina SITUATION.
II. V. r., writing TO the Cincin-
natl Commercial from Columbia, S.
c., says:
To see large parties Of well-dressed
ladies and gentlemen going up tO
the Capitol, visiting the Senate and
House, calling ON the Governor,
chatting with the heads of depart
ments, and making merry all about
the dismal building, is n sight SO
new and novel as TO invite attention.
In all my experience i'm the South
| Carolina Capitol, which has been
considerable i'm the past eight years,
j have never seen a lady within the
walls of that building until this
! week This shows with what alb
horrence the whole thing was re-
garded by the white people. They
had as much aversion 20 their Capt.
tol as to a smallpox hospital.
How changed Yesterday and
to-day / have seen two or three
hundred ladies visiting the Capitol.
Seats have been provided for them
as much as possible on the floor of
the two houses, and the sight of so
much style and beauty among them
makes the old-time coiored legisla-
tor open his dull eyes in astonish-
ment.
The House Of Representative Is a
different looking concern from what
il was when last saw it. Formerly
the Democrats had only from TWEEN
ty-five to thirty members, little
body of whites shelved off In the
southeast corner and surrounded in
front by eighty or ninety Veritable
black Republicans. They were
powerless TO do anything but argue
with the black mass around them,
for their votes made but n small
showing upon the white side Of the
book. Wallace, represent Speaker,
was then member, fine looking
man from the up country, but ut
terly unable in former days TO see "a
way out. He used TO tell me that
he could not see from what direction
the salvation of South Carolina was
to come, but only knew that the
then state of affairs could not i'm the
nature of things forever continue.
Now the entire right side of the
chamber is occupied by as fine
will see in any legislative assembly.
What a change from the motley
crowd Of a few years ago-a change
for the better in appearance and
conduct. The old black Legislature
was q noisy and turbulent body,
smoking, drinking, dancing, laugh
ing and cutting up all sorts Of un-
mannerly capers i'm the truly joyful
African style. The Speaker had
about as much control over them as
a herd of Kentucky mules. Elliott
was the only black Speaker who
could hold them within the bounds
of anything like decency; the 9TH
ers, like Lee, who is a small man
with not much physical or intellect
ual force, could do nothing but rap
and yell, drowning other noises
with the volume of his own making.
But now the body Is so well be-
haved as to strike the observer the
first moment he enters. Upon the
right, as / have stated, every seat
(save two or three) are occupied by
white men. Upon the left half the
seats are vacant, and the others are T
occupied by about thirty coal-black
negroes. What contrast il makes
Step to the front, and look first ca
the Democratic side and then To the
Republican side. The contrast Is
overpOwering, and YOU instantly
ask yourself, can this cOntinue|
Shall we ever see again even as
many black legislators here as we
see now? This question Is answered
by close investigation of the feel
ings of the whites. Behind all their
professions i'm favor Of equal rights
they are bitterly hostile 10 the
negro rs a legislator, and they will
take him down from that position.
CITAMBERLAIN.
Yesterday / passed by Chamber
lain's house. His household goods
are packed, and his household gods
have gone before. The hallway was
filed with trunks and boxes. The
people pass by and say, "The chief
of the carpet-baggers is going; let
us give thanks" Yet he daily and
nightly walks the streets without
fear and without insult, which he
could not possibly have done while
attempting TO enforca his claims to
the office Of Governor. Itwas Cham
berlain as the leader of the blacks
and as Governor set up by their
votes, If set up mt all, that called
forth such deadly hostility, and not
Chamberlain as a citizen. As a cit
zen he could remain here with all
ease and safety, and get as much 10
do in his profession as the next man,
but should he branch Off into poll
tics again, and go about the state
speaking to and organizing the
blacks, the deadly hostility would
break out again. The simple truth
Is, the whites believe that they have
either to be under the government
Of the blacks, or on top.