The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-11-18
Richmond News Leader.

| Richmond News Leader.
Yesterday was Nov. Z, the thirty
third anniversary OF the final over
throw OF the reconstruction govern
ment in the South In the year 1876,
Nov. I, in the States OF Louisiana,
South Carolina, and Florida espe
cially, was looked to with dread and
hope. 1t was the day OF the general
election. These States, as officially
described at the time, were armed
camps. The negroes, carpet-baggers
and scallawags and their camp fol-
lowers and dependents had normal
maiorities ranging from 10000 to
10000. The native white people
were generally enlisted as Dem ocrats.
As a matter OF fact, they were giving
no thought to party principles. They
represented home rule and white rule
locally The fights were the most
spectacular in the political history OF
civilization. In South Carolina and
Louisiana, on the face OF the returns
as they came from the polling pre-
cincts, the Democrats had MAORI
ties The legal authorities, the re-
turning boards, composed OF State
officials calling themselves Republi-
cans, but really the most intelligent
elements OF the scum intent on plum
der, threw out enough Democra tic ma
jorities, on the grounds OF fraud and
intimidation, to give the States to
the Republicans. PROFESSIONALLY the
fraud and intimidation existed. In
scuffle like that nobody thought
much of the fine points of law. The
negroes and their carpet bag leaders
defrauded and intimidated where
they had the power and opportunity.
The white men rode their neighbour
hoods whooping and shouting dur
ing the night, fired cannon at day
light, repeated from precinct to pre-
cinct as long as their horses would
hold out and without hesitation shot
up and burned hostile ballot boxes,
beat hostile election officials and OBJ
noXiOus negroes over the head with
the barrels OF long navy revolvers
and when it became necessary for the
exigences of the occasion turned loose
bullets into the persons OF unduly
stubborn opponents. Nobody knows
! or ever will know who really would
have been elected on a straight vote
and by an honest count governor OF
any OF the three States or whether
Tilden or Hays for president really
was the choice OF the maj ority of the
people choosing the members OF the
electoral college.
| 1t was a time of deadly danger to
the republic, OF confusion and fear
and fierce contention. Colonel Wat
terson, OF the Louisville Courier j our
nal, threw firebrand into the situa-
ton with telegram proposing to
| have 100000 unarmed kentuckians
in Washington to see Tilden inaugu-
rated. Through South and North
were mutterings and threats and
suggestions of revolution and resort
to weapons by one side or the other
These conditions of doubt dragged
along through November and Deem
Der, January and part of February.
1t was a fearful and clouded Christ
mas that year but one OF the widest
and iolliest the country has ever
known. The reckless spirit of the
American people asserted itself and
because nobody knew what would
happen or what fury and disaster
would break forth before the next
Christmas everybody proceeded to
celebrate it and enjoy it regardless OF
consequences. 1t was a tremendous
reaction OF laughter and drunkenness
and iOllification against the gloom
and dread which overhung the coun-
try. Later American common sense
and conservatism asserted them
selves and peace and growth were
gathered from danger and wrath.
In South Carolina the conditions
were especially dramatic. In the
early part of December Of 1876, two
houses of representatives were occu-
plying the same hall in the same State
house with two speakers sitting side
by side, Z. W. NJ Mackey, of Charles.
ton, presiding over the Republican
house and William H. Wallace, Of
Union, presiding over the Democratic
house. Sitting so close together that
either could touch the other with his
hand, each declined to recognize the
existence OF the other or the house
presided over by the other. The
white men and their few negro allies
had walked into the chamber stiff
legged with Winchester rifles inside
their trousers and stores OF six-shoot
ers and ammunition in their over
coats.
On a Sunday night General Wade
Hampton, supposed to have beer
elected governor by the Democrats
while Daniel H. Chamberlain was of
ficially declared by the Republican
returning board t. be governor, re
ceived an anonymous letter inform
ing him that during the night severa
hundred desperate negroes brought
up from Charleston and Officiall,
commissioned as deputy sergeants
alarms of the house, wauld breal
in and run out the Democrats OF
slaughter them and that they would
be backed by the United statel
troops. regiment being stationed
at Columbia and under the drec
orders of President Grant. Cali
were sent out by telegraph wire ant
courier. Special trains were callet
into service. At daylight Monda,
morning the red shirts were piling il
; by trains and pelting in headlong OF
the backs of horses driven at full
speed, every man armed, many @
them veterans of the Confederat
army trained TO desperate fightin:
and eager for opportunity to kno,
again the stir and exhilaration q
battle and the smell OF powder smok,
BY noon Hampton had concentra
ted in Columbia probably 500,
,, armed and fighting men ready t,
sweep away the Republican govern
ment and to go against the Unite'
States regulars. The rank and fill
OF the United SHADES army. consort