South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-03-08

HE DEMONSTRATIONS OCrRAGES IN
SoUTH CAEoLINA.-Er- Gotey7or Noses
Makes Some RereiIiion..-Ex-G Governor
Moses. OF South Carolina. has written
long letter to the New York Herald
concerning the doings OF the republicans
I'm that State under the reconstruction
regime. He appears disposed to make
clean breast OF his experiences whilst
prominent member OF that party and
sharing in the spoils. His revelations
In regard to the kuklux prosecutions
throw good doal Of light on sub.
Ject that has never yet been properly
understood by the general public He
sa|s OF The operations OF Major Merrill,
OF The United States army, and his sub
ordinates:
Young boys just growing up. men in
the prime OF manhood. and old men tot.
tering on the verge OF the grave, were
ruthiessly and without the least warn.
ing borne from their homes and families
and hurried to y distant town to stand
their trial, without the least preparation,
before republican judges and juries com.
posed almost wholly OF colored men or.
ganized specially 10 convict. If by
chance there happened 10 be on those
Juries any white men it was ALWAYS
found that they were the most rabid and
partisan republican politicians, who had
been placed there for the express pur.
pose of keeping tie colored men up to
the mark in their work of hate and re-
ven2e. 10 such an extent was this prac.
tice OF packing the iuries carried that on
two or three memorable occasions, when
Judge Bryan, of Charleston, an honest
man and an impartial iurist. presided
he animadvertea in manly terms on the
gross and pafpable injustice which had
been practised by the subordinate offs
GERS Of the court. In many cases lead
ing republican politicians were found to
have been empanelled who were noted
for their influence over their fellows.
and who, /: was well known, entertained
the conviction that white men, charged
with crime or injustice toward negroes
had no right which they the negroesl
were bound to respect. While this reign
of terror was dominating our State, cast.
ing its baneEul shadow over mary n pure
and noble life, it, was found TO be utter
~ useless for any legal resistance to be
made
For these services the sum of thirty
thousand dollars was voted by the South
Carolina Legislature, Of which Merrill,
although an officer Of the United States
army, was awarded twenty-five thous-
and. The bill was passed through the
Legislature, according to Ex-Governor
Moses, 10y bribery, eX-Gov. Chamber
lain being the council and active agent
OF Merrill in the matter. For his share.
Us consideration for signing the bill.
Moses confesses that he himself secured
five thousand dollars, and "A further war.
rant for twenty five hundred dollars
was put in his hands, to be given to
Bowley, the chairman of the committee
OF ways and means. The report OF the
committee appointed to investigate
these and similar or worse transactions
has yet to be published
Two replies have been made to the
Moses statement-onc by Merrill. who
confesses and avoids lie does not de-
ny that he received the sums that Moses
charges he obtained but declares that the
awards were made by board who ex-
amined AMI decided upon the validity
Of the claims. and distributed the sums
awarded, and that Moses had nothing
/ to do with the matter. The other reply,
| II reply 1t can be called, is by x-Goy.
/ Chamberlain. His answer is summed
| up in the following swords: Moses ia
entirely beneath my notice.