New-York tribune., 1878-11-21
TIE LSSUE At TIE SOUTH.

| THE ISSUE At THE SOUTH
| One of the most important statements of our
! South Carolina correspondent has been quickly
confirmed. On the 10th he wrote from Kings
tree: 81 hear from the cOlOred people that
"open threats have been made to prosecute
" for perjury before trial justice here any
| negro who testities against the white people,
and heard one Supervisor say that unless the
Federal Government would guarantee him
protection from such prosecution he would
" give no testimony at all. He did not pro-
"pose to go to jail for testifying the truth"
Printing this letter yesterday, we printed at
the same time a private letter telegraphed
from Washington, relating the prompt
fulflment of these threats. 1t appears
from this communication that when the
Federal Commissioner began the eXaInlna-
ton Of witnesses at Klngstree, two OF
the "red-shrtn State solicitors Stationed
themselves in the room, made notes oi
the testimony, and as soon as the Commits
sioDcr's back was turned issued warrants on
complaint of perjury. and proceeded to lock
ND the men who had given evidence Of fraud
and violence at the election. Several unfortu-
nate Republicans were in jail, at latest advices
I
Commissioner. Others were III hiding; and
there seemed to be a general belief among
the cOlOred people that the prisoners were IN
danger Of personal violence. Of course the
taking of testimony under such circumstances
is likely TO be efiectually stopped, and as long
as the red-shirts are unmOlested there IS
no probability of the punishment of any cleo
ton frauds in South Carolina. Law is sus-
pended III that State. The Government is
administered by the rife.
Another letter from South Carolina, printed
in The TRIBUNE yesterday, describes the be
Eavlor of the "red-slirts" on the day OF
the election The chest men" were swell
"hreed" on that occasion, and the operation
of stunng the balot-boxes was varied with
the shooting, shouting, drinking, swearing,
and abuse of the weak and Ignorant by
which it is the custom of the Southern
gentleman, now that the era OF peace and
reconciliation has begun, to vindicatc his man
hood. 1t is impossible to read this description
of the scenes in Hampton County without
! being forcibly reminded of the performances
! at Columbia two years ago, when General
| HAMPTON and his friends undertook to settle
the legal points at issue in the clnyaSsing of
! the votes, by summoning :" all the right
| "men" to :" come to State Fair Ostensibly,n
and to "bring rfles if they could be con-
"cealed," while Colonel Pelton and his secret
agent were corresponding in cipher about the
purchase of four State Senators and " couple
"pew negroes in the other House" The
| South Carolina method of dealing with politi-
cal questions does not change 1t is
the same arrogant Impcrious, brutal
1.o1 ,I,x tl,pf
was all through the slavery controversy
| and the great rebellion. To-day, as of DID,
"the colOred people, even where they have
"the numerical majority, cannot hold their
| Gown against the superior intelligence, means
"and courage of the whites" That is the
| language of The Charleston Ne,cs and Courier.
! What that organ has in mind when 1t talks
about "means" and courage" the country
now understands.
There Is no longer reason to be surprised
at the phenomenal election which, with no
| imaginable cause for change in public SEN
| timent, suddenly wiped out the time-hOnOred
| Republican majOrities Ill every county OF
| South Carolina except Beaufort, and rolled
| up enormous apparent votes Tor the
| white mans ticket in localities where
the preponderance Of the population was
| enormous on the other side. The Demo
cratic majorities polled-Or rather re-
| turned-in the negro counties were SO vast
as to be preDosterous. Six thousand in Alb
beville, 1000 in Barnwell, 5000 IN Charles
ton, 5000 III York, $500 in Chester, $500
in Richland, 1000 in Edgefeld-thcse are
specimen majOrities manufactured by the
shot gun or the tissue-paper ballot. And 1t
must be remembered that these monumental
frauds, perpetrated under the protection Of
rihe-clubs, and protected now by violent
defiance of the Federal authority, are the
means by which the "red-shirts" not only
subdue their own State, but combat the law
full votes of honest men at the North and pro-
| pose to rule as, and to appropriate our money.