The Republican journal., 1877-10-11
South Cardinals Indicted Ex-Ofticials


generally sure. The retribution that is
overtdking the INSCRIPTIONS men who
ludaciously robbed South Carolina, not
only of her good name, but of her pros
peritN, under the protection Of Federal
bayoncts. may have been tardy, but it
bids fair to be cttctual. The authorities
OF the State are now engaged in hunting
down the whole brood of rascals. with the
determination to bring them to Justice.
The offenders against whom indictments
have been found for participation in these
gigantic robhcrics are to he brought to
justice as fast as they can be secured,
| most Of them having fled the state since
Hampton took possession of the govern
ment.
On Saturday last some large game Of
this kind was bagged, United States Sen
ator Patterson having been arrested at
| Washington, on a requisition from Gov.
| Hampton. He is charged with bribery,
| and conspiracy to rob the state After
| his arrest, a writ of habeas corpus was
applied for and issued on the ground that
| his arrest and detention is breach Of
his privilege us a Senator. He was re-
leased on bail. pending hearing.
| chamberlain. who is also under indict-
ment in the state of which he was once
| Governor, is now or was recently in New
York, and may soon be called for He
| appears to be quite indifferent to the pro-
| cccdmgs and serious charges. In 1870
this man wrote a letter to kimpton, one
of the gang in which the whole state gov
eminent seemed to be engaged, intent
upon robbing the people of their means
| for conducting the ordinary affairs of the
state. I'm this letter to kempton are
found the following Interesting and i'll
structiVe paragraphs in regard to con-
| templated raid on the railroads of the
state:
I'D" yau understand fully the plan Of the Il. 4
| {. enterprise! 1t is proposed Ia buy 500 900
worth OF the G d C. stock This, Will the 5i3},
600 Of stock held by the state, will give entire con
| troll to us, The LaurenS branch will be sold in
| February by decree OF court and will cost not
| more than 100000 and probably not more than
/ SlU,OUt The SptrtanShurg and Union can also be
got without difficulty We shall then have in g.
| u e. lGS miles in LaurcnS 81. and in s. 4. I 20
1 1nltS-in all 2b9 mileS-equpped and running
| Put first mortgage of 10000 mile on this, sell
| the bonds at - on 80, and the balance, after pay
| ing all OUTLAWS for cost and repairs. is immense,
| over S2ooiloo There is a mint OF money in this
| or ! am 4 fool. Then will soon compel the
:. {. X Il. to fall into our hands and complete the
| connection t" Ashrve, \. G.. There is an in
| definite verge for cXpenSion of power before us.
! " rite me fully and tel me OF anything You want
| done. My last letter very full"
| SO bold had their operations become ut
this time that the letter of which the
above is an extract, was written upon the
regular official paper of the attorney gen
erals office, filled at that time by Cham
berlain. This very pretty and we'll laid
scheme included the use of nearly half a
million Of railroad stock. bcM IN the state !:
the ring showing an innocent and guile
| less indifference as to whether they We're
making use of their own money or that of
the state in iurthering their own idea of
becoming immensely wealthy at the eN-
pensc OF the people they We're supposed
| to he serving as legal officers The clos
ing sentence of the first paragraph quoted,
with the two brief paragraphs following
are especially interesting, yet Chamber
lain seems to have forgotten about the
little scheme he wrote about 50 tluenty
and intellgently seven Years ago.
\ reporter for the New York Tribune,
which has long supported the criminal
and indicted South Carolina state officers,
called upon the late Attorney General,
Governor, etc, on Saturday last, and
showed him printed copy Of the kinp-
ton letter. when Mr.. Chamberlain dis
played only langud interest in the slip.
He had determined to say nothing at
present about his connection With the
government of South Carolina. He was
not unconscious that there had been
''some criticisms upon his course while
Attorney General and Governor" but felt
sure that the investigation ut Columbia
would disclose his own part in that gov
eminent.
In the interview, Chamberlain, refer
ring to the famous Parker letter which
inquired SO anNiously as to how the com
mission footed up, said it ''might be genu-
inc, but looked as if it had been doctor
ed ;" and, holding up the kimpton letter.
''this one may also be genuine" The Sum-
commenting on the interview. SAYS it will
assure him it was not dOctorcd, but was
published as written, with the exception
of the postscript, which was purely of q
domestic nature. The Sun further says:
''If Mr.. Chamberlain desires to refresh
his memory in regard to the contents Of
the autograph document with a view to
explaining the thievish propositions there
in contained, we shall be happy to afford
him any reasonable facility for doing So"
And if this letter is genuine" continued the
author of it, there isn't any tremendous wrong
concealed in II that can see. 1t is true that
we lost money by doing We did not buy the
other roads mentioned. | see that some uewspa
pers say we made a vast sum-was it two millions
through this railroad purchase 1t was. in fact,
Il losing speculation, Atter a few more languid
words i'll regard to the CRITICISMS" on his South
Carolina career Mr. Chamberlain, as the reporter
intors us, suddenly changed the subject. BY the
way, he said. who Is going to control the New
York republican convention ;"
Now Mr.. Chamberlain changed the sub
jet altogether too abruptly. 1t may not
be OF much Importance who wrote the
letter, but it is certain that an immense
fraud was under way, and the childish
plea that eve didn't make anything out
of it" is rather weak for one conceded to
be so excellent IL lawyer as is Mr.. Cham
berlain. The fact remains patent, and is
becoming more so that an almost eternal
measure of intamy, on the part of their
predecessors, is being developed by the
authorities of South Carolina, and the
Uunry naturally orcac ole tbara M and