Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-01-27
Three South Caroliua Negroes Be-
siege Garfield.

CATION visited Mentor, in Ohio, the
home OF Garfield, and waited upon
him at his house. The delegation was
composed Of R. B. Elliott, Samuel
Lee and D. A. Straker, Of South Car
o!ina, Henry E. Curry, of Texas, Jas.
B. Deveraux, Of Georgia, and George
W. Prince, Jr., Geo. L. MADISON, JAS
w. Hood, John A. Isahy,J. W. Har
ris and Stewart Ellison, of N. c.
On being received by Gen. Garfield,
r. B. Elliott, the spokesman, address
|:ed the President elect, and after con.
graduating him on his election, said:
We have come to present you brief
statement of onr condition in the
South, but not in the spirit of dicta
tion. but in the belief that fair rep
resentation Of our causeican best be
made by those OF US who are COMPEL
ed 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
decisions, yet still in all the Southern
States we, are citizens in name and
not in Tact. Our right TO participate
in elections for the choice of public
officers is not only questioned, but in
many localities absolutely denied US
by means of armed violence. fraud
and intimidationin many of the South
ern States.
Sir, the.rights of majorities are il
legally and wantonly subverted by
the: imperious will OF unscrupulous
minorities for no,.other reason than
this, that these majorities consist Of
me. VINO, free and enfranchieed by
the laws OF the land, prefer to re-
main loyal to The country Of which
they are citizens, and steadfast in the
support Of that political party which
saved The life Of the nation, and to
the charge Of which can most safely
be entrusted the duty of preserving
the results accomplished by the late
war. The methods resorted to by
our political opponents in the South
to deprive us Of rightiul partic pa
tion in public sfsirs have been SO
often stated to-the public, and ere SO
well known to you, that it is unnec-
essary that we should enter upon a
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
ment from the polls Of negro voters
by armed mobs, by murder and a
general system OF terrorism, and by
the refusal in many instances to hold
elections at precincts where the ma
lority OF voters are Republicans, the
elections have been rendered mere
farce, State governments have been
made to derive their powers not from
the consen, of the governed, but from
the arbitrary will Of domineering mi
norities. We are powerless, sir, to
redress our wrongs through the ma
chinery Of the State courts, fer to all
iltents and purposes they are organ
lied against us, the jury oftentines
being composed not only of those who
sympathize with breakers Of the law,
butFfrequently consisting in part of
actual participants in wrong doing.
The address then goes on TO say
taat even in the Federal courts the
coiored people capnot 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 a feel
ing of unrest among the colored peo
pie of the South, and has led many
of them to seek relief in strange and
uncongenial pa, Is Of the country.
The address then sets forth the III
adequacy Of. educational facilities in
tne South. and urges the Importance
Of creating q national system of edu-
cation under the control Of the Fed
eral Government. The address then
| continues: eve deem it our duty in
the interest OF those whom we have
the honor to represent, as we'll as In
the interest Of the Republican party
at large, to call attention to The char
aoter of Federal appointments in the
South in the past. and respectfully
urge that the system 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 binder
the enforcement of the laws passed
for the protection of the rights Of
American citizens, be abandoned, and
that men who, though calling them
selves Republicans, sre of no fixed or
well-deGned political se~ tinents; men
who are all things to all men and
| nothing to any, and who are totally
without following and represent no.
body but themselves. be no longer
set over us as repre- resentatives OF the