Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-11

The Detroit Posi- prints from advance
sheets an abstract of the report on the
Hamburger massacre, which has been pre-
pared and will be submitted to the United
States Senate, on its reassembling by Senator
Angus Cameron, chairman of the sub-com-
mittee on Privileges and Elections, which
Investigated the charges of intimidation and
violence made in connection with the election
in South Carolina, in the fall of 1876. The
report calls attention to the fact that
the Summer of 1876 opened with every pros
pect OF quiet campaign in tine State of
South Carolina and Governor Chamberlain 5
unopp0sed reelection. The only drawback
was the uneasy feeling among the fire caters,
stimulated by the success of the mississippi
plan in Mississippi. The Fort Moultre
cente nnial celebration, when thousands of
the boys in grey paraded under Wade Hamp-
ton and were treated to glowing eulogiums
on the lost cause, Put an end to the peaceful
state of things. General Gary remarked
to Wade Hampton, after the conclusion OF
the e1erci-e' "lf had my way could get
out 500 men in Eigefeld county and cut the
threats of Chamberlain and every damned
radical in the State. This was two weeks
before the massacre. The day before the
massacre. delegates from the rifle clubs of
the vicinity marched into Hamburg Armed
men on hose back assumed military posi-
tiOns above the South Carolina railroad, and
"all the rioters, 'onc Of the witnesses testifes,
appeared to be in fighting attitude"
They made no concealment Of their
political purposes. I'VE have got
to have South Carolina the State
has got to be Democratic the white
man has got to rule about the time we kill
400 or 800 We will scare tho rest such,
according to the testimony, was their talk.
"iou could hear them singing on the
street. Captain Adams swears, :" We are
going to redeem South Carolina to-day"
Senator NJ. &. Butler, the report proves,
rea ;hed Hamburger Saturday afternoon, July
Sth, and four hours afterwards the fire was
opened upon the colored militia. lie fore
told a collision, and told white Radical that
he had no doubt he (the Radically would
stand poor chance il there was a collision
lie constantly figured in the ranks of the
assailants it was he who gave the com
mand to the rioters to fire in the first in
stance. 81 talked and begged General NJ
{. Butler, swears John Gardiner, the in
tendant OF the town of Hamburger. " to keep
the peace, and not fire on the militia, who
were not doing any one injury, telling him
he would cause the murder Of many POOR
and innocent people lie replied that he
would nave the arms OF the id militia
whatever be the consequence had no IN
fnoncc rifh h,Di, dndh he ordered he froops he
I'D. as H'r g'nrdi, 10 frc, wiicL hey hd."
There is much other testimony on this point
in the light Of which his own theory of the
massacre yanishcs into thin air The name
"i haihpurgh buticf VIII SLICK. lhc
Detroit Post, in commenting upon the owl
dence, which it reproduces at length. de-
clares that the report demonstrates that
Butler is filter for the gallows that the
Senate. These are severe words, but in |
the light Of the report it is hard to see how
any iair-minded man could reach different
conclusion