The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-13
- - - -'--------------
XIGHjS and SIYhNES OEC<HOITy,

Northern Noportsr's Observmtions -IIor
rnrs Of Radical Rule Desperate PcouL
--k"d shirts to tho Front--Our New El.c
tiou INV.
lt'c":''Sn'ndeAcA' Of the New York sun
CHARlEsTuR, fcccmbcr 17.-Thi>
State, whose shareholders were thc
most exclusive socially in the South
and who, if they were narrow. minded
were honest ir their opinions, in thei,
personal affairs, and in their polit;cs,
was sadly impoverished BY the ltcpub.
}icans during their rule, extending
rom the cloac Of the war to. 1876.
The State WAS virtually ruined. White
scamps from the North and black ras-
Gals from the cotton and rice fields
ruled the State. They openly stole the
revenue. They squaIdcrcd il in
drunken debauchcry.' The streets ot
t;"lnmbia wore paved with cham,ayue
bottles, over which rolled carriages
drawn by bloodcd horses, and file,
VITA white ud&aiitIrefs and black. har.
'rts' The"~ thia"ieh aud rr~n~, whit =
men set the fashion for the ig.iorsnl
blacks, and they, 4sthc ficlti-ha..L MIG
gers" Haunted their stolen wealth 4,
the faces Of their pove,'ty-strickcn
masters. Every bill introduced Into
tho Legislature i'll concealed a.ata.l. q.
the public money. Th5' insolcncc OF
the blacks was beyond endurancc.
White men and women were pushed
from the sidewalks in the cities and
towns. They were. openly insultcd il
rho ignorant, drunken brutcs thought
they were bemoGrnts or the wives OF
Democrats. The presence of the Uni.
TED States troops alone kept the native
white men Of this State from. killing
OFT enough Of the'Hegrocs to- cudnljzC
the;liuihbcrs Of Republicans and Duui.
Ocrats.
In 1876 things, political. had gottc,
TO such pnss that IL was resolved by
the white men Of tho up-countics tina,
they would control the next eltution OF
create war. The famous Rcd-shir,
clubs-knklux klan men, to Il great
extcnt-were formed. They were
armed and drilled. The Red-shirt
warriors firmly resolved to attack the
troops Of the United States, if naces.
s"ry, to carry their ends. Negroes
"cre''ntimidatcd, killed, and savagoly
beaten in all the up-countics. They
were driven from the polls, or met OH
tie highways on their way to the polls
ana threatened with death if they did
not instantly return to their cabins and
stay there uMtir'the election was over
lf'iics and pistols were freely dis
charged around the polls. The woods
resoundcd with the reports Of firearms
and the old charging: yell Of the Con.
tcdcrate infantry terrified the blncL
people. II souN,s u,6lcnsantly, but
the truth is that in any Nolthcril State
similarly afflicted, the white men would
q ~ I,.o o{s 4
have broken tho nccks of all tho We.
goes they could have laid their ha Is
on. Life, white life, wns not worth
living in South Cardlira:.. The STATE
had to bc rescued ont'ot the hands OF
The Republicans, or,it would have "a
be abandoned 6y the White Southern.
ers. Amy measures, even to the ami
hi'ntion Of the blacks, woulA, in nv
opiniun, have been justitiablc.
Tie story Of the election of 1876 is
well known. But tl0"not think II IL
9rncralfy known in the North and
West that the leader of'the Rcd-shirt
men sat on his. horse in the streets OF
Columbia with the ,cX-Cnitft,cA'atc sol
diera maased behind him; eayerly witt
ing for the order to attack the State
house, held by the Unfhh' States
troops. With blaziAg eyes and 'lomaed
rifles in their hands the Red-st,frt men,
who had charged the lines OF bidG in
many bloody battle, sat or their
horses or stood in Ii &c eagerly waiting
for the command, "Chargch' Wits.
Key was briskly circulated : among
them. They were becoming impa.
tient. They began 10 hover together
preparatory to taking The responsible.
ty OF shedding blood. Then, and j,s,
III the nick Of time, General Hampton
strobe out Of the Statc-housc. and, in
solcfnn, eurnnst tones, advised them to
60 home. lie told them that tlue rlcc-
tion-.-thc State elcction--hnd becn won
by the Democrats, and that the Fed
eral Government would see that Justice
was done. To General HAMPTON be-
longs the credit Of averting this JIM
pending charge. The ex-Conit dcratcs
would have annihilatcd the" United
States troops, and then Cod alone
could have saved South Carolina. I
fully appreciate the magnitude of the
service General Hampton rop,icrcd TO
his State on that occasiou. .Notnin,
aan1d bare justified, IL ths ntinets"of