The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-20
pILcRIMy TO MENTOR.
Elliott. xee, and other Self -Constituted
REPRESENTATIVE Eelign the Eouth md
. Piesd fer tho Negro.
CLIvRIAHD. Ono. Jan IA

PisAd tho Negro.
CLIvgLAED, ONO, Jan. IA.
l. A e0iored delegation visited Mentor
to-day and waited upon Gen. Garfield at
his house. The delegation was comnoscd
Of Il. b. Elliott, Samuel Lee aud ID. A.
Strakcr, Of South Carolina, Henry l..
Curry, OF Texas, James B. Deyeraux. of
Georgia, and Geo. W. Prince, Jr.. Geo.
l., Madison. James w. Hood, John A.
Leahy, J. w. Harris and Stewnrt Ellison.
Of North Carolina.
On being received by Gen. Garfield,
Il. B. Elliott, tho spokesman, addressed
the President elect, and after congratu.
lating him on his election, said: we
have come TO present you brief state.
ment of our condition In the 3outh. but
not in the spirit Of dictation, but In the
belief that q fair representation of our
cause can best be made by those Of us
who are compelled TO endure grievous
wrongs for opinions sake. Although
clothed with the rights Of citizenship BY
the provisions Of the Constitution Of the
United States, and recognized as such by
legislative enactment and judicial dccis.
ions, yet still! In all the Southern States
Wo are citizens in name and not In fact.
Our right to participate in elections for
the choice Of public officers is not only
questioned, but in many localities ubso.
lutely denied US by means of armed vio-
lence, fraud and intimidation in many Of
the Southern States. Sir, the rights Of
maajorities are illegally aud wantonly
subvertsd by the imperious will of un
| scrupulous minorities for no other reasun
thnn this, that these mnjorites consist of
men who, Tree and enfranchiscd by the
laws of the land, prefer 10 remain loyal
10 the country of which they are citizens,
and steadfast in the support Of that
political party which saved the life of
the nation, aud to the charge of which
can most safely be entrusted the duty Of
preterving the results accomplished by
the late war. The methods resorted to
oy our political opponents in the South
to deprive US of rightful participation in
public affairs have been 80 often stated
to the public, and are so we'll known to
you, that it is unnecessary that we should
enter upon detailed statement on this
occasion. Suffice it to say that by the
Infamous use Of fraudulent tissue ballots.
by liberal Justification Of registry books
and election returns, by forcible eject.
r ent from the polls of negro voters by
ar:oed mobs, by murder and general
system of terrorism, and by the refusal
in many instances to hold elections ut
precincts where the majority of voters
are Republicans, the elections have been
rendered mere farce, State governments
have been made to derive their powers
not from the consent of the governed,
but from the arbitrary will of domineer.
ing minorities. We are powerless sir to
| redress our wrongs through the machine
ry of the State courts, for to all intent.,
and purposes they are organized against
US, the Jury oftentimes being composed
not oEiy of those who sympathze with
breakers of the law, but frequently con.
sisting in part Of actual participants in
wrong doing.
The addraas then goes CO &c say .I;at
evcu in the Federal courts the colored
people cannot obtain redress of wrongs
done them for the reason that those who
are responsible for these wrongs sit in the
Jury box to pass judgment on them. That
this condition of affairs has created d
feeling OF unrest among the colored peo-
pie of the South, and has led many of
them to seek relief in strange and un-
congenial parts of the country.
The address then sets forth the made
quacy of educational facilities in the
South, and urges the Importance of ere.
ating national system of education ,n-
der the control of tae Federal Govern
ment. The address then continues
We deem it our duty in the interest of
those whom We have the honor to repre
sent, as well as in the interest of the
Republican party at large, to call atten-
tion to the character of Federal appoint
ments in the South in the past, and re-
specr'nlly urge that tho ,ystem of placing
in public positions men not only in want
Of sympathy with the principles of the
Republican party, but who use those
positions to obstruct and hinder the en-
forcement Of the laws passed for the
protection of tue rights of American
citizens, be abandoned. and that men
who, though calling themselves Republi-
cana, are of no fixed or we'll. ll.deflned 90
litical sentiments; men who are all
things - all men and nothing to anv.
-nd who are totally without following
and represent nobody but themselves, be
no longer get over us as representatives
of the Federal Government. Such MP.
pointments, sir, instead of strengthening
the Republican paIty. have been n posi-.
tive source of weakness.
The address closes with the expression
Of the hope and belief that the rights
and interests of the colored people will
not be forgotten by the President elect il,
the hour OF his triumph.
Wise Answer and Wholesome Advice,
Which VIII Not be Needed.
The & lowing is the sensible and sig
nifcaut reply made by Gen. Garfield On
Friday last to the hypocritical ieremiad
of z. B. Elliott, tho Spokesman of the
gang Of colored politicians WHO called
on tho President-elect at his homo in
Ohio:
Gen. Elliott and Gentlemen: thank
you for your congratulations for the sue
cessful termination Of the great cam
paign that recently closed, and especially
for your kind allusion To me personally
for the part bare in that Campaign.
What / have done, what have said con-
cerning your race and the great problem
that your presence on this continent has
raised, have said as q matter of pro.
found conviction, and hold to with all
the meaning of the words employed in
expressing it. What you have said In
regard to the eituation &C your people.
she troubles that they encountered, the
eveats from which they have suffered
and still suffer. 1 listened 10 with deen
attention, and shall give il full meas.
ure OF reflection. This is not the time
nor the place for me to indicate ANYTHING
as to what shall have to say and do by
slid Dy iu an oia0iai way, but iinis may
say: noted as peculiarly significant one