The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-01-06
S c., THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 6, 1881
THE LAND OF sHOT.GUNs.

THE LAND OF SHOT.GUNS.
South Carolina as Seen by Western Jour
nalist-Anotter Budget of Lies.
We make the following extracts from
letter to the Chicago Times written BY
special correspondent from Columbia
under date of December Sth:
* The little hamlets along the
line Tof the South Carolina Railroad are
smothered, so to speak, in pine trees, and
the traveller is puzzled to explain how
human beings car content themselves all
their lives in such q wilderness. Yel
they do, and appear to think that they
belong to one of the choicest portions OF
the universe. Its 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 fashiona.
BILE for them to carry them. Itisa a coun-
try of small game, and this explains why
the shot.g gun is preferred before the rifle
In fighting niggers it is invaluable. be-
cause it terrorizes by its noise, and is not
quite as fatal as the army ffrearm, espe'
cially at 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
is 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 much scandal
on men of blue blood and chivalric ante
cedents. But it wiped out the obsIinacy
of the negro, and to-day he is one of the
most dociIe beings, at least in South Car
olina, that couli be desired. He has
recognized the logic of buckshot, and it
has in many instances, converted him to
Democratic principles. l have no doubt
that Forster, Chief Secretary of Ireland,
borrowed his bucAshot philanthropy, in
dealing with Parnell's followers at Dun.
cannon, and few other places, from
"Hamburg" Buffers 6re-eaters. Where
should humane and civilized England
look for a high example of humanity
and progress if not to tender hearted
and Christian South Carolina?
II X 81
The Mayor of Charleston did not hes
itate 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 p
That is fine morality whereon to found
"the supreme demands of our civiliza-
tion." / firmly believe that if South
Carolina dared she would willingly turn
again her cannon on Fort Sun,ter-if
there was anything Federal there to fire
on-rather than to count the negro bal.
lot fairly and squarely. She always must
have something to kick about. 1t used
to be emancipation. 1t is now negro
suffrage. In that slumbers another civil
war-desultory in character, mayhap-or
else the connivaoce of the national gov
ernment at the degradation and oblitera-
ton of a Constitutional amendment
which, whether or not 1t was wise in
adopting at first, represents, as it stands,
the will of q vast majority of the Ameri-
can nation. / can see no amicable way
to solve the difficulty. Either the gov
ernment must consent to be de6ed, or
South Carolina and her sisters in offend
ing must again oe placed under the iron
heel of Federal coercion.
do not believe, personally, that the
negro is fit to govern. believe that
materially and morally he is better off
out of politics entirely, but, as o journal
ist, state the facts as they present them.
selves. There is no freedom of suffrage
in South Carolina for The colored voter,
and she does not stand alone in her re-
sistance to the workings OF the fifteenth
amendment. Out of the mouths of her
own public servants the Palmetto State
stands condemned, as we'll as by 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. "The
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 very
grand air Of disdain, and answers: "You
buy white votes at the North; we buy
niger votes her; where's the difference :?
Put yourselves in cur place."
Unfortunately, there is some truth and
no poetry whatever in this kind of logic.
1t was bitterly cold this afternoon
when called on the Governor of South
Carolina at the State House. That ira.
ditioually thirsty parsonage was very
busy, or, at least, appeared To be so, but
he granted me an audience with rs little
delay as possible. Ushered into the great
mans presence, / had leisure to take him
in, or "size him up" to use an inelegant
term. Governor Hagood is u 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 fifty
men on the main thornnghfare of any
American city, any day in the week, that
might pass lor Governor Hagood. lie
looked so dry and so weary that, remem.
bering the ancient peculiarities Of his
predecessors, WAS about to suggest "it
is long ti'ue between drinks" but re.
membered that had not yet been elected
Governor of North Carolina. The po-
tentate OF the Palmetto State looked at
me sharply and said:
"Ah, you have been making tour
thro, gb this country ?"
eyes"
"Well, I hope you like it," he said
carefully.
81 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" 1 inter
rupted.
"Oh, very we'll then. I'll be happy to
af1nrd ynu any inflammation In my nnwer