Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-13
THE HEIGHT OF AUDACITY,
A Manifesto from the VirtuOus Vir
ginia BOurbOns Fabric of
Untruth--COlOnel Sims
Shows Its Falsity.

WASHINGTON, December 4.-The Ma
tional Republican prints several col
umns from the sworn statements taken
by Colonel Sims, in the mattersot his
contest for his seat in the State Senate.
The testimony demolishes the report of
the Democratic Committee of Forty,
and sets the facts of the massacre in
clearer light than those heretofore made
known. The evidence is presented with
the following introduction:
The Bourbon State Central Committee
of Virginia has issued manifesto, con-
graduating the Democracy on the result
of the late election, and has attempted
to break the force of the history of the
campaign, as given in the address of the
Readjuster Committee, through its
Chairman, General Malone. The au-
dacity of this latest Bourbon emanation
exceeds anything which has yet come
from that source. as it fatty denies the
truth of current history, and even gives
the lie to official records. 1t is necessa-
ry that the issue thus joined should be
settled by an appeal to evidence. Conf
dent as the friends of law and order
we're from the beginning that the burn
ing words of General Mahone's address
were founded upon facts, neither he nor
his friends have desired that the public
judgment should be formed upon b S
mere assertions. The Danville atrocity
is one of the feulest blots upon the his
tory of the country. Its perpetration
created panic of terror, and armed
rage held such control that any inquiry
into the facts by the friends of outraged
law was for time impossible. During
this period of Bourbon martial law-for
martial law is only the condition which
exists when Courts are suspended and
an armed force executes its will-during
this period the political party benefited
by the massacre engineered an investi-
cation, so called, at W which the witnesses
were all on the side of the accused.
No friend nor relative of either of the
seven murdered negroes had dared to
complain before any officer of the law
that the crime of murder had been CON-
mitted. No Prosecuting Attorney moved
a step; no Magistrate would administer
an oath to witnesses whose depositions
were required in the election case to
prove that no valid election had been
possible in Danville and other places in
the county. No warrant could have
been obtained for the arrest of the muir
derers, nor could any man have been
found fOolhardy enough tc have served
enc, unless backed by more power THAI
the law could muster in Pittsylvania
county.
In the presence of arms the laws were
silent. The Democratic party then tried
itself, declared itself innocent upon its
own testimony, and fOrgave itself for
being guilty. The committee of forty
of Danville's best citiZeus exhausted the
political whitewash at their command,
and reported as they were expected to
do. Their report has now been supple
meRted by the RoGrbon address above
alluded to. This address declares that
at the late election sin substance, peace
was nowhere broken" that relations
between whites and blacks were sub
stantially as set forth in the Danville
circular; that news of the riot lat Dan
ville) did not reach the remoter parts of
the State till after the election" but that
"it did reach and consolidate the negro
vote for the Coalition party in what is
known as the Black District that riot,
therefore, a controlling influence for
Democrats; that the only intimidation
practiced in Virginia was intimidation
of Coalition negroes upon negroes ;
that the election machinery was almost
without exception in the hands Of Coali-
tiOnists,' and, finally, "to sum up, fair
er. more peaceful. more legal election, Sc
far as the Democratic party is concern
ed, was never held in Virginia than
this"
Both parties having published their
assertions, it is proper that the public
should now have some proof This is at
hand, and from it we give below as
much as space will permit in this issue.
And first in order is the testimony of
ninety-six most reputable white citizens
of Virginia, all whom participated act
lively in the recent campaign, and wh