The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-03-20


The Hon.J. II. Evins' speech in the
contested election case of Richardson vs..
Raincy is printed at length in the Cbn-
gressiona! Record, and is full and con-
vincing argument in favor Of the report
of tue majority of the committee of cleo
tiens, which declared the election void.
After briefly alluding to the Importance
of the case, Mr.. Evins said:
Under the operation of the reconstruc.
ton laws of Congress, and by the help of
the ireedmen's bureau anu the bayonet.
the white people of South Carolina were
in 1868 subjected to the complete domi-
nation of their former slaves. In the
history of the world it was reserved for a
people who had given to the country in
the hour OF its dire extremity such pa
triots rs Laurcns, Pinckney, Rutledgc.
Marion, Sumter and Ioultrie, and had
contributed to the noontide of its glory
the lustre that shonc around the names
of Lowndes, Hayne, Calhoun, and Nc
Dullie, to drink to the dregs this bitter
cup Of humiliation. All the people of
the Southern States who had Joined with
South Carolina in the war between the
States were put to the rack and broken
upon the wheel set in motion by these
laws, but those of South Carolina and
Louisiana alone went down under their
irresistible force into that dark valley
and shadow of death where for years they
struggled against adverse fortune, adverse
Legislation, an adverse administration.
and all the red dragons of political and
social revolution.
l admit that during this revolution,
novel and unparalleled in its character,
harsh and cruel measures were sometimes
resorted to by men of my own race and
party which l have never attempted to
Justify, and which deserve only the pal
liation extended to the offence of those
who swing horse-thief upon the most
convenient limb and the incendiary to
the nearest lamp-post without the inter
vcntion ofjudge or jury, where the law
iails to give + lection against such
crimes. But when the truth is Known,
and the world is ready to receive it, men
Will be astounded that such ali overturn-
ing of the whole social fabric could be
effected without the most direful conse-
Huenccs; they will stand aghast with as
constituent that an intelligent and brave
people could ever have submitted even
for d:T &c 5iich enormous wrongs and
expressions.
will do my friends on .he other side
Of this hall the justice to say chat, blind
ed by the passions engendcred by the
war, | believe they did not foresce the
direful consequences which would neces-
sarily follow their legislation in regard 10
the States of the South, and that SO great
has been the partisan prejudice Of the
last decade that they do not yet fully ap-
preciate them. .
MIR. Evins then proceeded to show how
the Government of the State vas sub
verted, and in the course of his a: :,,ument
drew the following truthful picture of
THE BEAUTIES OF NEGRO DOMINATION.
Is it surprising that such people, thus
rudcly thrust into power, should have
become the easy prey of the worst ee-
nlcnts of the more intelligent white race
p and made to serve their vilanous
schemes of plumber and spoliation? The
story OF how their superstitious nature
WAS appealed to; how their passions were
aroused and their prcjudices excited
how the "leprons poison Of hate was
poured into their ears by the Northern
adventurer and Southern renegade until
they were made to believe that their
former owners and the whole Southern
people were their worst enemies, and
only waited for en- opportunity to re-en-
slave them, has burdencd the press,
wcaried the ear, and made the heart sick
for years past. South Carolina, by rea-
son of the large numerical majority of
its black voters, offered, unfortunately
for all classes of her people, the most in
viting field for the enterprising opera
tions of these twin villains in crime and
In infamy.
How they improved each shining
hour" to plumber and to rob her citizens
without regard to race, color or previous
condition., strange to say is most graph
ically told in the stenographic diary of
investigations has brought to light. To
mention even the salient points of the
gigantic and shameless schemes of spolia-
tion which they conceived and carried
into effect while they held the reins of
power would Gll up my hour and leave
the half untold. How, under Scott, not
content with robhing the treasury of all
It contained and the taxpayer of his last
dollar, they attempted with scrip and
bonds, issued by the millions, to put gen.
eratlons unborn under tribute 10 their
cupidity, and to insert their long, lank
larcenous fingers into the pockets of pos
terity; how, under the "native Young
Governor" who has attained not only q
national but an international reputation
IA thief, they held high carnival and
revelled in drunken debaucheries in the
halls of the State capitol, wasting for
what they called Refreshments" during
one session of the Legislature, the enor-
NOUS sum OF $350,O00, while the poor
lnnatics in the asylum, whose unfortu-
nate and helpless condition would have
moved heart OF stone, were left to starve
or to find support ut the hands of private
citizens whose own resources were almost
exhausted how tile learned, the cultured
and polished leader of the plunderers,
Daniel Fl. Chamberlain. chief architect
OF the miserable thing miscalled gov
crnment, becoming its Chief executive
officer, attempting to gloss over its de-
formities; and yet how intelligence aud
virtue and honesty were still thrust aside
to make room, for ignorance, incompe-
trnce and vice, until the polished carpet
bugger himself, affrighted by the monster
lie had created, cried out that "the civil
ization of the Puritan and the Cavalier,
the Roundhend and the Huguenot," is
in danger Of being supplanted by the
barbarisn of the negro. T.:t,s for eight
years did the people of this poor, down
trn'lden, and oppressed State, gith 9 Pc
tience that WAS heroic, bear their suffer
ings and their wrongs. Promctheus
bound 10 the rock, while the ravenons
vultures tear at his vitals, presents not
too strong picture of the .'prostrate
Stnte" during these sad and trying years.
A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION.