The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-28
THE CHAMBERLAIN CASE.

The indictment of Ex- Governor Cham
berlain for official misconduct had been
looked for by our people until they al
most despaired of any effort ever being
made to bring the great carpet-bagger to
Justice for his misdeeds while an Office
holding citizen of South Carolina, and
when the announcement was made that
he was indicted, it produced different
emotions in the hearts of our people.
We presume that there is is not patriot
in South Carolina who does not feel
that justice requires the punishment of
Mr.. Chamberlain and his associates for
the crimes which are alleged and be-
lieyed against them, but there has been
so much dallying with these criminals by
the State, and so much talk accompanied
by such meagre results, that we are be-
coming heartily tired of the whole busi-
ness, and before any expression as to the
proceedings in this case, the general de-
sire is to know whether in common Ian
guage it means business, or is simply an
other of the many farces we have been
compelled to witness growing out of the
fraud committees report. As soon as
the committee began its work, General
Connor, then ttorney-General pounced
down upon Carpenter, Smalls and Car
dozo, conyicting each of them, and pro-
curing proper sentences in each case.
Circumstances at this juncture compelled
hisgresignation, and since Mr.. Youmans
has been in Office there has not been an
other trial, and even the appeals taken
in the cases named have not been de-
cided. The only effort which the new
Attorney General has made was tosec
h. b. Kimpton, and in that case he
treated with him, instead of arresting
him in New York, where he would have
been delivered up, and allowed him to
fee into Massachusetts, where the whole
matter ended disastrously to the State.
Now the move upon Mr.. Chamberlain is
made, and the people are anxious to see
whether it is to end creditably to the
State, or to add one moreto the comedy
of errors to which we have become ac-
customed lately. We are told that Mr..
Youmans is not responsible for the
Kimpton fasco, and no doubt it is true,
but the unfortunate position in which
he has been placed in that case only rem
ders it the more important that there
should be no mistake and no fooling in
the Chamberlain case. There has been
too much leniency to the criminals in
South Carolina, ard instead of caging
them by inficting the punishment the
laws made by themselves impose for the
crimes they committed, we have simply
exposed their crimes and allowed thein to
scatter throughout the whole Union to
traduce and yillify The people who were
short-sighted enough to allow them lib
erty instead of giving them a peniten-
tiary cell. The result has no doubt been
disastrous in political point of view, for
these men have represented themselves
as victims of political prescription, and
their statements have been plausible, for
it is unreasonable for State to have
such testimony as we claim to have
against the whole of tie Radical crew
and yet do nothing to bring them to
punishment. The policy of forgiveness
has been mistake, and should be in
dulged no longer. These fugitiyes from
justice are procuring the arrests of our
citizens and firing the nations heart
against the Southern people, and yet
nothing of any consequence has been
done to put quietus on them. Not
only do we think Chamberlain should
be vigorously prosecuted, but White
more, Swails, Scott, Patterson, Kimpton,
Cardozo and all the leaders should be in
dicted and punished or vindicated in the
Courts. If this is done the enemies of
the South will lose some of their most
effective instruments, and the crusade
against our people will have much of its
bitterness taken out of it. The policy of
amnesty should be changed for the policy
which justice requires, and then the
honor of the State and the cause of good
government will be subserved.