The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-06-14

Icreu with Dy outsiders wilhelm the perform
ance of that duty.
U. S. GRANT.
COLUMBIA, S. c., December 5, 1876.
To Hon. j. d. Cameron, Secretary of
Var, Washington, ID. c.:
General Ruger announces this morning
that he will no longer guard doors of State
House. The city is filled with armed and
violent men. There is greater need than
ever before of protection of State House.
Specific orders must be sent respecting this
matter at once, in order to avert riot and
bloodshed. Nacillation here now is most
unfortunate.
Please answer. All 1 ask is that State
House be protected againt violence
ID. ii. CHAMBERLAIN,
Governor of South Carolina.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON City, December 5, 1876.
TO Governer ID. II. Chamberlain, Colun
Jiu S. c.:
General Rugcr's instructions are to pro-
tect the Legislature from all outside inter-
ference, and those instructions will be
repeated. j. d. CAMERON,
Secretary of War.
1 hold in my hand the official testimony
taken in relation 20 use of troops at the
Presidential election, before special COM
mittce of the last Congress, of which the
honorable gentleman from New York (Mr
Wood) was chairman and | was q member
The publication Of this testimony could not
be obtained at the time, but I-havc it as it
was written. In it find the testimony of
Gen. Rugcr in plain and unmistakablc
terms that he construed these kilograms to
him to mean that the Laurcns and Edge
field members and the other conservative
members of the South Carolina Legislature
were the "unauthorizcd persons" And he
interpreted these kilograms Alright, for they
could have no other significance, and accord
ingly he took steps to enforce these orders
The kilograms and the testimony of Gen.
Ruger | will insert in my remarks.
Gen. Ruger sent word by his orderly to
the Legislature of South Carolina, after the
two houses convened in the hall of the State
House, telling the Conservative members
that they must not be there at IL o'clock
on the next day. In obedience to that Or
der they withdrew, and having withdrawn,
committee waited upon Gen. Ruger, and
asked him if these members would be per-
mittcd to return the next day, and he told
them that they must not go back. Here is
the testimony of Gen. Ruger:
Question. Did you give Governor Cham.
berlain any assurance that you would aid
his force in excluding anybody at that time
from the hall Of the House? l mean while
the two Houses were in session together.
Answer. | had some orders in reference
to that subject, but gave Governor Cham
berlain no such assurance, prior to receipt
of such orders, that [ would aid in eXclud-
ing any members.
Q. What orders did you have?
A. | think you have the kilograms
here.
Q. At still later period than that did
you make some order in reference to the
exclusion of certain persons from the house?
A. A committee of the Conservative
Legislature called upon me and submitted
certain propositions in writing; I do not
recollect now exactly the words, or perhaps
the substance, but they asked that they
should be permitted to occupy the hall as
the legally constituted Legislature [ told
them that if their body went to the hall
for the purpose of entering there as the
lower House Of the Legislature they would
not be permitted to enter, that is, that if
they were refused admission by the civil
officers or the civil guards at the door, and
if the doorkeepcr should call upon the
military officers there to prevent their fore.
ible entrance or assist in doing so, tho off
GERS would prevent it. That was after they
had gone out in the first place and when
they pvopessd to So back, but they did moi
| 60 sbaoksfe
What authority did you have or 70,
sessoh did you make that oricr?
~ 5raason for it was the instructions
which had and my understanding of my
duty under the circumstances. Governor
Chamberlain called upon me before that fol
assistance in enforcing the authority Of the
Speaker, think. he made verbal ap
plicaton, and aftcrward made an application
in writing the same day. That was,