The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-01-18
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Gov. Chamberlin before the SEN
ate Committee.
COLUMBIA. Ian. Il. 1877

NOLUMblAi JAM ~ 1911
The Senate Committee after a four
weeks secret session, amassing partisan
outrage testimony, closed its labors to.
day and departed for Washington night,
Governor D. H. Chamberlain, who was
the last witness examined, produced a
volume of documentary evidence in the
shape Of letters and afidavits from var
ious portions Of the State as the basis of
his action in proclaiming the State an
armed camp, and asking for troops to
preserve order.
CHAMBERLAIN'S ADMISSION.
Upon cross examination he was forced
to admit that when he visited the North
ostensbly to bring his family back, a.
bout the middle Of September, that he
had consultation with the President,
Secretary of War, and with leading mem
bers Of the republican party with regard
to the introduction Of troops, He ac-
knowledged that he had never even
made an effort to arrest any Of the par
ties concerned in either the Hamburg or
Ellenton riot; that there was no resis,
tance or obstruction of any one process
of law nor Of the lawfully constituted
authorities of the State; that all the re.
publican judges with one single excep
ton had denied, in the most positive
terms the allegation contained in his
proclamation; that the Sheriff of Aiken
had testified that he individually could
arrest any person in the county; that he
(Chamberlain) virtually abdlcated the
governorship Of the State; that he had
never called upon the whites to suppress
disorder or make arrests, and that peace
and good order existed by the consent of
the very people he had proclaimed in a
state of insurrection. In short, the Gov.
ernor's testimony amounted to confes
sion of the utter inability Of himself and
party to maintain government in the
State.
HOW RIOTS ARE GOTTEN UP
1t has also transpired that Judge Cook
republican, testified to a conversation
between himself and United States. Dis
frict Attorney Corbin on the cars. in
which the latter stated that if the enthusi-
asm of the whites could not be checked
in some way the republicans would loss
the State. and that it would be necessa.
ry to have some forty or fifty negroes
killed in order to make a case for the
United States Courts, which would result
in the introduction of troops, by the
presence of which the State could alone
be carried. The significance of this tes
timony, which Corbin denies, lies in the
fact that soon after the alleged converse.
ton took place the Ellenton riot occurred.
EVIDENCES OF PARTISANsHIp.
That the republican members of the
committee have been utterly partisan in
their investigation is proven by the fact
that while they have taken volumes of
negro testimony as to the Hamburg and
Ellenton affairs, they refused to go to
Charleston, Cainhoy Combahee anG
Baufort where the republicans created
riots and massacred the whites, and
where in the same counties, the grossesd
sort of intimidation was practiced. Lea
ding democrats protested against this
partisan action of rhe committee, and
Senator Merrimon, democart, insisted on
having these protests entered on the
records of the committee.
CORBIN'S EFFORTS.
United States District Attorney Corbin
who was elected Senator by the Mackey
House, seems to have directed his efforts
mainly toward injuring General Butler,
his opponent elected by the democrats.
Chamberlain estimated the number of
rifle clubs in the State at 300, but stated
he was not exactly familiar with the facts.
STATE ARMS GIVEN TO NEGROES,
He admitted that the State arms and
ammunition, the cost of which amounted
to SSH 900, only I25 rifles remained in
the armories the State, the remainder
having been distributed among the ne
groes.
The estimated expenses of the Com
mittes when it reaches Washington will
have amounted to about $4,000 most of
which was paid to negro witnesses.