Year: 1878

It is not useful for the republicans to cir
cuiate exaggerations about the political oc-
currences in South Carolina and other
Southern States The exact truth is the
best. The exact truth in South Carolina,
as we gather from private letters from dem
ocratic and republican sources. is that
while the canvass there has been the least
disorderly for many years, and while so far
there have been no murders, there has been
interference in different ways with the right
of the republicans and the colored men to
assemble and to carry on their canvass.
So far as we can learn this interference has
consisted in democratic crowds forcibly
taking possession of republican meetings
and insisting on "dividing the time" with
republican speakers (; in the forcible trans
portation of several prominent and doubt
less corrupt republican leaders from the
region where they were organizing their
party, and in the attendance of democratic
crowds in red shirts and with arms at negro
meetings, with threats Of what would hap
pen to the blacks in certain contingencies.


Some of our correspondents seem to think
that much has been achieved in South
Carolina when the canvass passes without
bloodshed. Others set up the plea that
some great and notorious rascals are court
ing the negro vote, and that this ought not
to be tolerated. All this is nonsense, and
the democrats of South Carolina ought to
know that such acts as we have above re-
cited are intolerable and will not be en-
dured. Governor Hampton has made an
inexcusable blunder by confning himself
to mere moral disapproval of violence and
disorder. At the very beginning of these
outrages he ought 10 have given public
notice that he would protect to the utmost
the right Of all citizens freely and peace
ably to assemble, discuss, to nominate
and to elect whomsoever they please /;
and, if necessary, he should have put him
self at the head of his State militia and shot
down summarily every man who ventured
to interfere with the rights of the blacks or
the republicans in any way. That was what
intelligent citizens everywhere expected of
him; and here at the North men begin to
ask how much better Hampton is in this
luatt0I tudA y Co1 pOs-OoS 0OvOAAOAs ~ Woo
said that native of the State could control
the State, but he has not done so.


The preliminary lawlessness loads natu-
rally to interference at the polls, and we
suppose we shall hear complaints after next
Tuesday that in some parts of the State the
blacks were prevented from voting. Very
likely many such reports will be un-
founded, but in view of what Governor
Hampton has weakly tolerated it will
be difficult to persuade people at q distance
that tho election will be free and unob-
structed. If the Governor is wise he will
issue q proclamation before election day
stating bis determination to see fair play
at the polls, and he ought to take the most
decided and vigorous measures to carry ont
such q proclamation. If anywhere the
rights Of republican voters are interfered
with he ought to be the first to denounce it,
to bring the perpetrators Of such outrages
to punishment, and to declare and, SO far
as he can, make the election at such places
void. He has been weak, but he has yet
time to save himself and his State from dis
grace.