The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-02-08
THAT FATAL LETTER.
A SECRET FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF
CHAMBERLAIN, PARKER, KIMPToN g. co.

i HA L n ALI ALA L1es
A SECRET FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF
CHAMBERLAIN, PARKER, KIMPToN g. CO..
From The Charleston Ne,rs and Courier.
The public will remember the highly
dramatic scene in the State Republican
Convention last September. Mr.. Cham
berlain, then Governor, was candidate
for the Republican nomination. Elliott,
Dunn and Patterson opposed him. The
grievance of Elliott was that Chamber
lain had publicly denounced him, and had
solemnly declared that salvation for the
Republican party lay in unloading such as
be, and in that only. 1t was announced
that Elliott would make disclosures dam
aging to Chamberlain, and when he arose
to make his set speech the excitement was
intense. He said she had been approached
by the friends of Governor Chamberlain
and advised not to make known what he
had intended to-" He said that he had
been warned that whatever he might say
would do no good, Gas Governor Cham.
berlain has seventy-six votes that would
stand by him, if he was proved guilty of
larceny" With a flourish, however,
Elliott then presented q letter, written in
1870 by Mr.. Chamberlain to State Treasu-
rer Parker, explaining that, at the time the
letter was written, Cardozo and Delany
were candidates for the United States
Senate, and that Cardozo "had just been
ruined. hv q conspiracy in which he was
induced to take the Seal of the State to
New York to seal" fresh batch of tile
fraudulent Conversion bonds. He then
read the letter, as follows:
LAURENs G. H., -, 1870.
Dear Parker: Yours Of the 21st received
this evening. Twas very glad l." hear from
you. There is nothing of special interest
now. For few days we have had some
fears of an outbreak in Laurens and
Newberry, but the danger is over.
About the United States Senatorship I
don't know what to say. am we'll salts
fed with my present office, but my posi-
ton is just this: If my friends wish me
to be candidate for the sake of keeping
the party from going over to negroism, l
shall, if it is to defeat such a calamity,
consent to run.
D. II. CHAMBERLAIN.
There was nothing specially offensive in
this letter; it did not come up TO the ex-
pcctations of the Convention, and was
a lame and impotent conclusion to Ell,
liott's speech. The hypothesis was that
Elliott. in some way, had been bought
off, and that the letter he read was not
the letter that was promised, or was only
part of that letter. Mr.. Chamberlain,
who followed Elliott, said that he had
been forewarned for weeks that "his pri-
vate and personal character" would be
attacked in the Convention. and that he
was told that he could purchase the sup
preston of the threatened disclosures,
either with money or with a promise to
give his influence in favor of the Blue
Ridge scrip and Conversion bonds, if
elected. Those propositions he had re-
iected with scorn. The end of it all was.
that Chamberlain was nominated for
Governor, and Elliott for Attorney Gen.
eral. They worked harmoniously to-
gether during the canvass, and had been
fast friends ever since.
It will be noticed that in his speech in
the Convention, Elliott mentioned that
Cardozo, at the time the letter was writ
ten, was candidate for the Senate, and
had Just been ruined by conspiracy in
which he was induced to take the Seal of
the State to New York to seal bonds. Ell
liott did not mention that Mr.. Chamber
lain, then Attorney General, gave his
sanction to this proceeding, authorized
the Seal of the State to be taken to New
York, and instructed Cardozo that his
business was to seal as many bonds as
were presented to him, and that the pur.
pose for which the bonds we're to be issued
was no concern of his. Nor did Elliott
review the history ofthe Conversion bond
frauds, and show that Mr. Chamberlain
was one of three persons constituting the
Financial Board, who, with Financial
Agent Kimpton, had entire control over
the emission and safe or hypothecation
of those fraudulent bonds. The allusion
to Cardozo was bare hint of what might
be said and, if our information is correct,
what Elliott read in the Convention, as
the letter of Mr.. Chamberlain to Treasu-
rer Parker, was only a part of that letter.
What purports to be an exact copy of the
letter has been sent to us. We give it in
full. and print in italics the words and
sentences omitted by Elliott in reading
the letter in the Convention:
SEPTEMBER %, 1870.
Dear p: Yours, of the 2lst, came to
me this evening, was glad, indeed, to
hear from you; and especially that the f.
nances no,o promise to aceather the storm.
Ihave no doubt it aUas aceH to defer the
statement" untI October.
There is no special news here. For
few days we have had fears of an out
break in Laurens and Newberry, but we
hear, yesterday, that the danger is over.
About the United States Senatorship, 1
don't know what to say. I know very
aceN tits, IN EVERY WAY BETTER FOR ME,
to remain where I am for the r"st Of my
term. Still, I am called q candidate al.
ready, and my position is just this: If
my friends wish me to be a candidate,
for the sake Of keeping the party from
going over to Negroism, l will stand;
but, If no such need erists, l should prefer
to remain achere I am. What the chances
are have no means Of guessing now. I
viW serue my friends in any acay IN my
power, and especially YOU.
Do THE COMMISSIONS FOOT UP PREF
TY WELL? Ell i! REGARDS TO K.
Yours, faithfully, CHAMBERLA1N.
A glance at the italicized passages and
those in capitals will explain why Elliott
did not read the whole letter, and how
.L~ la..a. aould oon,.al Mr Cho m horlain