New-York tribune., 1879-01-09
HE DIACLAIuS M4RTYRDOM.


the reports which our correspondent,
81. /. W." found in circulation. con
Cerning his treatment in 1876, endcaTcd INN
at once to the Democratic and scmi-Demo-
cratic press of the cOuutry. Our judicial CON
temporary, The Nation, after mangling our
CORE ,pOndent's account to fit 1t for the play
Of its sarcasm, hun ed to the exercise of its
special function Il universal Gblcr with
the amour oment that the Rev. Dr.. Cooke
WAS ono Of those who "diSclaim the crown of
"martyrdom which is thrust upon them, and
4atly deny the accounts OF terrorism which
"corI spondents have been at such pains to
collect" Otncr Democratic newspapers have
Glccfuly caught up the reverend gentlcman's
denial, and the result is that we have
not seen that department of political lltera-
| ture in such cheerful frame for many
months as it now is over this uneXr ccted re-
enforcement from the Rev. Dr.. Cooke. Our
correspondent, it will be remembered, III de
scribing the circumstances and conditions of
the late election in South Carolina, stated
that the Rev. DR.. Cooke voted openly the
! Democratic ticket He then related some
of the experiences which that gentleman un-
dcrwcnt. according to current report, in 1876,
glad to know if he was converted by the
buldozcrs in 1876" This brought out the
letter referred 10, III which the gentleman denied
that he had ever been il-tTeatcd and mani
tested some unnecessary Indignation on the
subject As he claimed to be a Republican.
and had been represented as a victim of bull
doMng, his letter denying intimidation and
giving rOse-cOlOred view of the situation in
South Carolina was a godsend to the Demo
cratic and senl-Dcmocratic newspapers.
Since then he has written another letter,
dated December IS, ostenSlby private, but
which he informs his correspondent he is at
liberty to make such use of as he deems
proper, and which has accordingly been pub
lished under the head "TcStimOny that Car
"rIcs Weight" as "a Striking Letter from
President Cooke" etc. The opening para
graph of this public-private letter is as fol-
lows:
The Government Of this state had, since recon
struction, been in the hands OF carpetbsggers,
joined by a few unprinciped natives, up to
within two years since then it has been home
rule in the hands of Democrats. When President
Hayes removed the army fro the state, consider
able number OF the Northern Adventures left dis
appointed and with occupation gone. AS class they
doing all they to provoke the South. They wish
to be martyrs, That they ntame the North, hoping
thereby to reastabhsh bayOnet government; then
viii OthclO's occupation return. When
spondents of the Northern press down here they
are taken in hand by these disappointed ones who
filled with hate toward Southern people. To use a
Hherncism. they ate them, they slape them, they
drink them" and the number OF the papers such
correspondents represent will ont at the North
with ali the distortion and cOlpUng Of the facts which
these disappointed haters can invent.
DR.. Cooke was not always of this way of
thinking. In ZiOn's Herald of November 2,
1876 we find a letter under his signature in
which he speaks in the following terms of
the carpet baggers " unprinciplcd natives
Northern adyenturers,n and disappointed
"haters =:
great change in the political horizon is apparent
since left here last June. Then everything seemed
promise peace, and the Of returning good feeling
Governor Chamberlain making his admins
traton decided success. He had redeemed
every promise or reform made in his inau-
gural nearly two years before. Taxes and the pub
Tic pendltures had been greatly reduced. No
labor more earnestly than he 10 tighten far
as possible the burdens Of the people The Gov
ernor, not of a party but OF the whole people he
has done all that he could 10 cOnciliatc opposing
elements short OF abandoning all party allie
glance and going over at once to his OppO-
nents. The conservative OF all parties
for Just and economical administration. lie seemed to
choice OF the better class of both Republicans and
Democrats for reelection as Governor. Thus matters
stood up TO July last.
Since reconstruction here there has always been
considerable party who advocated "a straight Out-lnd-
out Southern policy" but lacked the mum
bers to carry 1t out. pretcXt needed
to fire up anew the old Southern heart. The
unfortunate Hamburg affair presented Just the needed
excitement. The part enacted by Governor Chamber
aln in having the matter investigated and the Leaders
Of that massacre indicted for trial, was enough.
The Democratic State Convention met few dav-
after. OF course moderate cOunscls were at a dis
count The Buffers, ID genus had things Their
own way. The old aDte-bcllum spirit uI. south
Carolina must he rescued from Republican rule and
into lire with other Southern for the National
Democracy, at all hazards. ned not tell the You
know the facts the whole country knows them. Coax
ing intimidation. force and blood have been the record
IN several of the counties. But since the deci
sIyc stand taken by Governor Chamberlain and
President Grant, and the dreaded advent
of United States troops, things have settled
down into quiet. Even the mention of General
SherDan's name has the fearful talsmanic power Of
extreme dread with all troubled with rebel sym
pathies.
1t is scarcely necessary to point out the
change which occurred in Dr. Cookies senti
mcnts between his letter to /on's HerdH III
October, 1876, ana his latest publlc-pu-
vate letter that carries weight" of De-
cember IS, 1878. 1t was this change OF
sentiments that our correspondent com
mented on, and added the query suggested by
South Carolina Republicans, whether his con-
version was caused by his being buldozed in
1876. And the Doctor Indignantly denies that
he was ever bulldOzed or intmidatcd. We have
accordingly taken pains to look up in the files
Of /jOn's Hcraid for 1876, letter, which
we publish elsewhere i'll full, giving in
detail the particulars of the affair
..li.h nnr cnrrrsnnndent referrcd TO. and