Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-11-21
[From tho New York Tribune.
SVEs;.s Ex-Goy.a Charlhcrlaifa
says. a. -

Arcporter for the Tribune yesterday
called upon ex-Goycrnor Daniel II. Gbpm-
bcrIain to speak with him rclStiye to &tp
indictment said to hayo been found against
-,4sr,t Lar in Coiumbia, S. g. This indictment
si9,,!is etatcd, charges Mr.. Ghamberain,
ws11o was in 1870 Attorney Geucral Of the
State of South Carolina; Financial Agent
II. II. Kimpton, ox.Comptrolicr John j.
Neagle and ex-lIand Commissioner G. p.
Leslie, with having sm,Adcd the State in
their capacity as land commissioners.
"Nlr, Ghamberlain," aako1 the reporter,
"have you received any official notification
Of an indictment said to have been found
against yourself aud others at Columbia on
Wednesday last?'
~ have no huawledgo," tho OK Governor
responded, '"respcctng tho fact of an in.
dictment having been found against me,
excepting what ! have seen in special
dispatches to Democratic newspapers. |
was i'll Washington yesterday on business in
the Supreme Court, aud rond the announce
ment in tho Post of that city, This was
my first intiniaion Of ary purpose to bring
an indictment against mo ut this particular
time. Bnt if it is truc--and | have no
been found against mo for alleged frauds in
connection with the land commission in
1870, it is simply a revival Of one of the
most thrcaabsrc OF the charges which have
been repeated against n,c for eight years.
Tharo arc no faals7--thcrc oan Lc 20 facts
which support any Charge of fraud against
me, either in the land sommission or any
other mnttrr in South Carolina. What
somo degraded vilain, willing to commit
perjury to save himself from punishment,
may have sworn to before the grand jury,
do not know. If a small fraction of tho
information which has reached mc sinoo I
left South Carolina is true, their so-callcd
Investigations there have boon principally
from the start hppt for some ground for
an indictment against me. They huvo had
full knowledge OF oil matters connected
|with tho land commission since 1872
Why have they waited until now to proceed
Itagainst me? 1t vail bo found that this
indictment rests ssloly on tho word of men
whom everybody knows to be common por
Jurors, ready to swear to anything to save
themselves. The dispatches do not mako
it clear what tho precise charge is in tho
indictment, but What have now said
applies to any chaEgo of fraud against me-.
They are ono and all false, and rest only
upon the unsupported statements of the
most shameless liats, who havo beon man
ipulatcd for this purpose. Whom 1 know
the exact facts which aro embodied in tho
Indictment, can speak moro specifically
regarding those fasts. At present the most
l can say is that there ore no transactions
of. any kind 10 South Carolina which can
afford any possible ground for criminal
indictment against tmo."
"What is your opinion as to the motive
which prompted tlto finding of this indict-
mcnt?"
"Thero has boot in tho first place, at all
tunes spcoial vi1dictiveness folt towards
me on account of ny public political course
in tho campaign q 1876, aud the events
which followed ptnding the decision of the
Presidential election. The Democratic
newspapers, legislators and stump speakers
everywhere in South Carolina have been
demanding thatl Chamberlain should be
punished, In tho next placo, have,
II suppose, rec3ntly givon thom two
causes Of offense, Tho first being tho dofenco
lof Kimptonsin BIston against tho rcquioi,s