The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-14
Correspondent of the New Iorh Times.
GREENvILLE, S. c., August 2

! correspondent oJ the NeW 1U" A"''S'
GREENvILLE, S. c., August 2.
The condition of the Republican party
in South Carolina is deplorabte. Tine
leaders, with few exceptions, are utterly
detected. Many who, in the palmy days
of the Scott and Moses administrations,
were reveling in luxury, are actually in
want of the common necessaries Of life !
their worst enemy could not devise a
worse fate than has befallen them. The
only members of the Central Executive
Committee who still cling to the planks
of the old ship are r. B. Elliott, Q: G.
Bowen, E. w. N. Mackey, Thomas John
son, DR.. Ensor, Cochran and Wilson
Cook; but even these few are divided by
discords and jealousies which lessen their
influence and usefulness. The masses,
especially the colored portions, seem less
despondent. They complain of the de-
sertion of their leaders at time when
they were most needed, but they are
hopeful that wrong can never be more
than temporary. During q recent tour
through portions of the State, a Times
correspondent sought the opinion of
number of the most prominent and trust
worthy Republican politicians regarding
| the talked of reorganization of the party.
| They seemed anxious that their "tales of
woe" should reachthe public, bit, fearing
annoyance and possibly prosecution, they
begged in almost every instance that
their names, unless specially demanded,
should be withheld.
One of the most intelligent colcred men
| in the State, who Vas one of the Hayes
electors, and is at present a member OF
the State Executive Committee, and
whose veracity is not doubted, even by
Democrats, in the place where he resides,
said: "We"-meaning the Executive
CommitteeA"have had no formal meet
| ings since last summer, when we refused
to endorse the Hampton administration,
but some of US have met an odd times
| and exchanged opinions regarding the
duty of Republicans in the future. We
have as yet no fixed plans when or how
reorganization can be accomplished, but
I am confident something will be done
shortly. The colored people are, how
ever, not so entirely unprepared for an
election as you may think. They have
well.disciplined organizations in every
county, which meet periodically and dis
cuss the situation. They are also collect
ing funds for last resort-emigration.
If they are not permitted to enjoy the
rights of citizenship peaceably in South
Carolina, they will seek homes elsewhere;
and the scenes recently witnessed in Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana viii. be reproduced
| in this State on 6. much larger scale and
under more favorable auspices" Re.
garding the conservative utterances OF
the Charleston Ne,cs and Courier, he
said: "Sweet words cost nothing. l
was brought up among these people, and
know them better than most men. l
have been one of the leaders of my party
since 1868, and I have not forgotten the
lessons taught me two and four years ago.
So long as we keep in the background
we will not be molested, but if we make
efforts to regain what we have lost, and
there appears the slightest prospect of
success, the red shirts will hunt us down
and shoot US as heretofore, and such
! journals as the Mews and Courier will ST.
lently acquiesce in the bloody work,
while others more outspoken will laud it.
See what the Kingstree Star says about
Swails," alluding to the following ex-
tract from that paper:
"It is currently reported that Swails
contemplates returning TO Williamsburg
County. If this be fact, it is incum.
bent upon the Executive Committee of
the Democratic party to find out what is
his purpose in returning. If is to take
up his permanent residence among US, it
is their duty, as good citizens, to warn
Swails that he will do so at his own per-
sonal peril. The white people, if true to
what has been pledged in their behalf,
will not permit Swails to return here to
live. If he proposes to come here to
arrange his private affairs, so as to leave
permanently, the Executive Committee
should have him so state, in writing, CIV
ing the exact time within which he will
leave for good and beyond which he will
not be allowed TO stay. If he declines to
state his purpose, the public should be
made aware of the fact, and he will have
been made aware of the fact that his res
idence here will be at personal risk, and
his permanently remaining here will not
be permitted by the whites of the county.
If, after this he makes his appearance,
he can take the consequences Of his past.
From what we hear, he will likely have
lively time, and be glad enough to re.
tire to more quiet and profitable scenes.
We do not see what induces him to re-
turn, if, indeed, he intends doing so. His
property is all in the hands of Sheriff
Jacobs, by whose intervention alone it
has been kept from being sold at public
outcry long ago."
81 was one of the Hayes electors" he
continued, sand as such stood in con-
slant dread of assassination before we
crossed the State line. According to the
State laws, we were entitled to the same
per diem and mileage az the members of
the Legislature, but we never received
q copper. We employed lawyers and
appealed to the Legislature, but, while
they did not deny the legality of our
election, they rejected our claim, and
merely because we were Republicans.
AS Republicans ne have no rights in
this State. We can neither talk nor
vote as we please. Our only hope rests
in our Northern friends, and if they
desert US, God knows how 1t WILL END
Il am afraid to think"
Another of the old colored leaders,
who bears good reputation for homes
ty and veracity, said: "Our only sal
vation lies in the election of either
Grant, Sherman or Blaine. Grant is our
man, and he is the most feared by the
Democrats. I heard some of the latter
say, few days ago, that if Grant were
nominated he would be elected, but they
would kill him before he could reach the
Presidential chair. They also said that
they would sooner kill every niger from
the mountains to the seaboard than per-
nit the State to fall into the hands of
the Republicans again. These assertions
might have been made in jest, but they
evidently had the desired effect. The
aged e1-leader of his race seemed to be
most thoroughly frightened, and he firm