The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-06
THE LAND OF sHOr.sUNs.
South Carolina as Seen by Western Jour
nnlist-Another budget of Lies.

eouth Car6nnS as seen by Western Jour
! nalist-Another Budget of Lies.
Wa make the following extracts from
letter TO the Chicago Times written by
q special correspondent from Columbia
under dato Of December S,h:
The little hamlets along the
| line of the South Carolina Railroad are
smothered, so to speak, in pine trees, and
the traveller is puzzled to explain how
human beings can content thems, yes all
their lives in such = wildern Yet
they do, and appear to think that they
belong to one Of the choicest portions OF
the universe. 1t is the land OF shot guns.
At every station men get on, armed with
these weapons, and women look envious
because it has not yet become fashions.
bic for them to carry them. II is coun.
try OF small game, and this explains why
the shot gun is preferred before the rifle.
In fighting niggers it is invaluable. Lc.
cause it terrorizes by its noise and is not
quite as fatal Us the army nrearm, espc-
cially ut anything approaching long
range. Besides, it either kills outright.
or wounds in such manner that the
victim does not lose limb and become a
burden TO the county. When buckshot
ls used. the effects are very deadly, but
that style of lead has not been popular
since the rather too violent onslaught on
the Senegambian militia at Hamburg.
That escapade was little too rough for
decency, and brought too muck scandal
on men of blue blood ard chiyalric ante
cedents. But it wiped out the obstinacy
of the negro, and to-day he is one of the
most dociie beings, at least in South Car
olina, that could be desired. He has
recognized the logic Of buckshot, and it
has in many instances, converted him TO
Democratic principles. have no doubt
that Forster, Chief Secretary of Ireland,
borrowed his buckshot philanthropy, i'm
dealing with Parnell's followers OF Dun
cannon, and n few other places, from
Hamburg" Buffers fre.ea;ers. Where
should humane aud civilized England
look for q high example Of humanity
and progress if not 10 tender. hearted
and Christian South Carolina?
y
The Mayor of Charleston did not hes
itato to say to me, in the spirit Of a
choice between two evils: ut is better TO
count the nigger out than to kill him 7"
That il fine morality wherein to found
tion." firmly believe that if South
Carolina dared she would willingly turn
again her cannon IN Fer. S"a::c.-;s K
there was anything Federal there to fire
on-raiher than II count the negro bal
lot fairly and squarely. She alway must
have something to kick about. 1t used
to he emancipation. 1t IS now negro
suffrage. III that slumbers another civil
war-desultory in character, mayhap-or
else the connivance Of the national gov
ernment at the degradation aud oblitera-
tion of a Constitutional amendment
which, whether or not 1t was wise in
adopting ut first, represents, as it stands
the will of vast majority of the Ameri-
can milton. / can see no aniicable way
to solve tho difficulty. Either the gov
ernment must consent to be defed. or
South Carolina and her sisters in offend.
ing must again be placed under the iron
heel of Federal coercion.
do not believe, personally, that the
negro ~ Tit to govern. believe that
materially ana morally he IL better off
out OF politics entirely, but, AZ q Journal
lst, state the facts as they present them.
selves. There ia no freedom of suffrage
in South Carolina for the cc!cred voter,
and she does not stand alone in her re-
sistance t. the workings of the fifteenth
amendment. Out of the mouths of her
own public servants the Palmetto State
stands condemned, as we'll rs b. the re.
suit of her elections. Her rulers must
feel that they are in power only by
trampling on the amended Constitution.
And these people feel that they are
wise and patriotic in cheating the mig.
ger" out of his vote. That Is the most
hopeless aspect of the case. :sThe
South" in her own eyes, is always right.
whether she fights for slavery or against
universal suffrage. When I, or any of
the Northern men, protest against the
dishonesty of the transaction, the South
erner shrugs his shoulders with q very
grand air of disdain, and answers: "You
buy white votes at the North; we buy
nigger votes her; where's the difference :?
Put yourselves in our place"
Unfortunately, there is some truth and
no poetry whatever in this kind of logic.
1t was bitterly cold this afternoon
when l called on the Governor of South
Carolina at the State House. That ira.
ditionally thirsty parsonage was very
busy. or, Mt least, appeared TO be so. but
he granted me an audience with rs little
delay az possible. Ushered into the great
mans presence, had leisure to take him
in, or "size him up" 10 use an inelegant t
term. Governor Hagood is man of
middle age, with handsome, somewhat
delicate face, and hair that has begun to
bleach. There is nothing of the cavalier
in his appearance. You can meet fiftv
men On the main thoroughfare of any
American city, any day in the week, that
might. pass for Governor Hagood. He
looked so dry and so weary that, remem-
bering the ancient peculiarities of 'his
predecessors, was about to suggest "it
is long time between drinks" but I re-
membered that l had not vet been elected
Governor of North Carolina. The DO.
tentate of the Palmetto State looked at
me sharply and said:
."Ah, you have been makirg tour
through this country?"
Yes"
i Wei, hope you like it" he said
carefully.
~ have come to talk with you about
public matters; that is my business here,
| Governor"
Really, if you came to talk politics
L"
Not necessarily politics." inter.
rupied.
aOh, very well then. III be happy ia
afford you any information in my powe,
otherwise"
How is the State doing financially
and commercially 2"
Really, fear must refer you to the
| reports of the Comptroller and the Cono.