Litchfield enquirer., 1877-02-01
] WHOLE NO. 2644:

lature in counties sure to go republican; the negro majority, which the last census gives .as thirty-five thousand (seventy- thousand white voters and one hun dred and ten thousand colored), was bold- ly asserted to be only ten or fifteen thouss and; and the judges (mostly democratic whites who had professed republication, or consented to preserve silence) were in- duced to declare for Hampton and Hdyes (the latter for effect North) and denOunce Chamberlain; though e .fetO months be- fore, each aud eUery one of them had been the UeTy toudcSt supporters he lad i1l the State.
 So few colored men joined the demo- cratic clubs during the earlier weeks of the campaign that, to make the matter sure, there came proposals in the press and resolutions by the precinct and rifle clubs to employ no colOred republicans as laborers, and to give no patronage to republican brick layers, blacksmiths. car; penters, hack-men, market-men, etc, when democratic negroes were accessible. Thousands of republicans at once had ruin or democracy staring them in the face as alternatives; and hundreds of them finally began to turn.
 For election day.a coup detat was con- templated. The members of the rifle clubs informally agreed among them selves to guard the polls and systematic ally patrol the public roads in Q menacing manner, so as to frighten of the negroes and keep them at home.
 But suddenly the governor came out with his proclamation. In the earlier part of his administration he had accepted ten or a dozen rife clubs as militia; but the hundreds that had been organized since the opening of the campaign had asked no permission and were clearly illegal. So he ordered them to disband, and (as com. mander-in-chie he disbanded those he accepted, they too having been turned into political machines. The papers an- nounced day or two beforehand that the order was to be issued, and added, falsely and maliciously. that the arms of the clubs would also be demanded, al- though private property, each member having purchased his own gun. It would have taken but a wave of Hampton's hand to have caused f1ightful outbreak; but he counseled submission, especially when the presidents proclamation came out, as the more expedient course, and the clubs ceased drilling and parading, though, of course retaining their arms; it would have taken but @ drum beat to make most of them fall into ranks. Then United States troops were poured into the State, and Q garrison was stationed at every important town. The interfer- ence with republican meetings was imme- diately stopped.
 When the democrats first began their demonstrations the negroes were cowed all over the State. They kept remarkably quiet, and it seemed as if their old fear of their masters would so reassert itself as soon to force them into the democrat. ic ranks. But after while, in some of the counties where they predominate-- noticeably Charleston, Darlington, and Orangeburg-they became intensely ex- cited at what they judged a blow at thelr liberty They purchased guns and ammunition as fast as they. were able, furnished the arms the State had given them, had broken or rusty weapons re. paired, got knives, clubs, and torches ready, consulted together secretly, and syiinesa ia |. stern @ % deteTmination to resist az. alarmed at the daily defections from their ranks on account of work taken from re- publicans. began in the most fearful man. ner to maltreat and intimldate every col- ored man who gave promise of turning democrat. The excitement over this mat ter in Charleston resulted in a terrible ri- ot, during which the city for one night and practically for several days was in the hands of black savages, who shot or beat every white who appeared on the streets Indignant at the breaking up of their meetings by democratic soldiery, they began to attend armed. The bloody collision at Cainhoys vas the conse- qnence of this policy. After the arri- val of the garrisons, the negroes all over the State broke out into extravagant ex- pressions of joy and thanksgiving, ap- peared under arms on every occasion, and acted in the most alarming manner every where. Their orators advised them to cut the throats of white women, aud chil- dren, if the shotgun policy were contin- ued, and to apply the torch to the dwelling of any man who discharged them because of politics. In a week or two the increase of crime was positively ap- palliug. The whites had cOnjured up spirit which threatened to tear them in pieces.
 TcoNCrI1DED NEXT WEEK