New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-05
CHINBERL IN REBTKTNG DOUGLASS.

Mr. Daniel H. Chamberlain has just been
rcbuking Frederick Douglass. The rebuke was
prepared for use in THE North American Re
view before the Presidential election. but for
some reason, known doubtless to the Editor
of 1.-THE Review" not published in time 10
make Mr.. Douglass very much ashamed of him
self before voting the Republican ticket. /.
now appears in 1.-The Charleston g. c. News
and Courier II is commended by that jour
nal TO every colored preacher and politician
in the state. with the remark that. like
everything that Ex-Governor Chamberlain says
upon public questions, it goes to the bone and
marrow of the subject Citizens Of South
Carolina who remember how when h. was
running the State he got 10 the bone and mar
row Of everything in sight need n a,,ur-
ance, if he is treating public questions III the
same way, that when he gets through there
will be nothing left 10 discuss. Mr.. Chamber
lain says things with considerable ability and
uncommon smoothne,s. The prudent man,
however, will, after he gets through saying
them. take them up by The four corners and
shake them gently to give them fresh air.
The ancestors Of Mr.. Frederick Douglass came
no, they didn't come, they were brought
from Africa. They were stolen by pcr.onS
who preferred idlcneSs - worn, and they were
compelled, withOu, their consent and against
their will, 10 serve the idle non-producer, who
had stolen and subjugatcd them. TIN, is gen
orally rcckoncd a hardship In the condition
OF this people there was one still worse. The
women of this race belonged 50 absolutely -
the men whose title deeds rested on the most
unnatural theft and seizure IN the catalogue
Of crimes that virtue was impossible and cha,-
tity jest. For more than two hundred years
this people. kept in brutal ignorance by cold
bloodod design and deliberate process OF law,
were permitted ~ form no conception Of female
virtue Is defence against the lust OF the
men who owned and bought and sold them.
The very instinct Of chastity was almost root
ed out from among ;ncm. The brutal pas
sions which in themselves were held in check
by force and fear they saw their masters in
dulge without restraint or pity. In south
Carolina there were about 100000 Of these
people doing work that 100000 might live
in idencss. The 800, 900 liked it; wanted the
system extended, and made war for the ca
tension. They failed, and the system went
down.
souls of men and women found themselves dis
possessed and the men they had owned not
only free, but citizens. and by their votes in
control Of the State They were unfit for it.
II would have been a miracle if they had not
been. Ii must be said for them that they were
not violent and revengcful. They did the best
they knew, and that was bad en- ugh. Con
scious Of their own lack If experience and
capacity, they accepted the leadership of white
men who professcd friendship for them and
volunteered their services. An opportunity 10
instruct these new voters in the duties and
responsibilities Of citizens, to teach them the
obligations of morality and the force of law,
to make them worthy their new endowment,
was offered these leaders. They did not en-
brace it. Instead, they used the brute force
Of the numerical majority at their bidding TO
carry out schemes Of sclf-aggrandizcmcnt and
personal ambition. The new regime became
notorious for corruption. and South Carolina
as "rhe PROSTATE state cXtorted The pity Of
the country. The smootheSt Of the adventures
became Governor. Under his administration
the scandal was great that hi, party would
not insist on his being rcinstallcd in 1876.
though upon a fair count OF the negro vote he
had majority. Indeed, he made n, contest,
but calmly turned his back Oh the black men
who had voted for him and left the State.
His name was Daniel II. Chamberlain.
Many things have happened in South Caro-
lima since then. The negroes are not all model
citizens many of them are dishonest and law
less. I'm several instances during The las, wear
in various parts Of the State negroes have as
santcd white girls. II is a revolving crime
and is punishable by. statute But in no ease
do the white people wait for the process of
law, nor are they in any case content with the
penalty the law provides. What they do is To
organize a mob, and without Judge. jury or
the form Of trial take the accused negro and
kill him, often toIturing him with iendish
malignity in the process. In some cases they
have killed innocent men because they were
i" of the same color and somebody had got
to die" The blind, haphazard way in which