Year: 1877

upon every legal and moral ground, is
to-day as clear and perfect. BY the
recent decision and action of the Pres
idtnt OF the United States find myself
unable longer to maintain my official
rights with a prospect Of final success,
ana hereby announce to you that I
AM unwilling to prolong struggle
ws.cl can only bring further suffering
upon those who engage in 1t.


Announcing this conclusion, it is my
duty to say for you that the republi-
cans of South Carolina entered upon
their recent political struggle for the
maintenance of their political and
civil rights, constituting beyond ques.
tion large majority Of the lawful
votes of the State. You allied your
selves with the political party whose
central and inspiring principle has
hitherto been the civil and political
freedom of all men under the consti.
tuition and laws of our country. BY
heoic efforts and sacrifices, which the
just verdict of history will rescue
from the cOWardly scorn row cast
upon them by political place men and
traders, you secured the Electoral
vote of South Carolina for Hayes and
Wheeler.


In accomplishing this result you be.
came the victims of every form of per.
secu5ion and injury. From authentic
evidence it is shown that no less than
one hundred Of your number were mur.
dered because they were faithful to
their principles, and exercised tho
rights solemnly guaranteed to them by
the nation. You were denied employ
ment, driven from your homes, robbed
Of the earnings Of years of honest in
dustry, hunted for your life like wild
beasts, your families outraged and
scattered-for no offense except your
peaceful and firm determination to ex.
ercise your political rights.


You trusted, as you had a right to
trust, that if by such efforts you es-
tablished the lawfsl supremacy Of
your political party in the nation, the
government of the United States,
in the discharge of its constitu.
tional duty, would protect the law
full government of the State from
overthrow at the hands of your politi-
cal enemies.


From causes potent to all men and
questioned by none who regard the
truth, you have been unable to over.
come the unlawful combinations and
obstacles which have opposed the
practical supremacy of the govern
ment which your votes have estab-
lished. For many weary months you
have waited for Your deliverance.
While the long struggle for the Presi.
dency was in progress you were ex-
horted by every representative and
organ of the national Republican party
to keep your allegiance true to that
party, in order that your deliverance
from the hands of your oppressors
might be certain and complete. Not
the faintest whisper of a possibility of
disappointment in these hopes and
promises ever reached you while the
struggle was pending.


To-day, April 10th, 1877, by order of
the President whom yolr votes alone
rescued from overwhelming defeat, the
government of the United States
aband0ns you, deliberately withdraws
from you its support, with full knowl'
edge that the lawful government OF
the State will be speedily overthrown.
By q new Interpretation OF the con
stitution of the United States, at var.
lance alike with the previous prac
tices of the government and with the
decisions of the supreme court, the
Executive of the United States evades
the duty of ascertaining which of the
two rival State governments is the
lawful one and by withdrawal of the
troops now protecting tho State from
domestic violence, abandOns the law
full State government to struggle with
an insurrectionary force too power
full to be resisted.


The grounds of the policy upon which
such action is defended are startling
It is said that the North is weary OF
the long Southern troubles. 1t wa:
was weary, too, of the long trouble.
which sprung from the stupendou.
crime of chattel slavery, and longei
for repose. It sought to cover then
from sight by wicked compromise!
with the wrong which disturbed it.
peace. but God held it to its duty un
til, through conflict which rocked
and agonized the nation, the grea
crime was put away and freedom wal
ordained for all.


It is said that if a majority of th'
people of the State are unable by phys
ical force to maintain their rights
they must be left to political servi
tude. Is this doctrine ever befor,
heard of in our history2 If it shal
prevail, its consequences will no
long be confined to South Carolina O
Louisiana.


1t is said q democratic House o
Representatives will refuse an appro
priation for tho army of the Unite'
States if the lawful government O
South Carolina is maintained by mill
tary force. The submission to sucl
coercion makes the degeneracy of th
political party or people which endure
it. A COVE :nment worthy the name
political party fit to WELD powe,


never before blanched at such


threat.


But the edict has gone forth. N


argument or considerations whic
| your friends could pl esent have sui


feed to avert the disaster. No effea


tive means of resistance to the cor


summation of the wrong are left. Th


struggle cannot be prolonged.


| My strict legal rights are of cours


wholly unaffected by the action of tn


President. No court of the State hs


jurisdiction to pass upon the title


my Office. No lawful legislature ca


be convened except upon my call.


use Of these powers promised ultimat


success to our cause l should nc


shrink from any sacrifices whic


might confront me. 1t is a cause i


which, by right Of reason and col


science, q man might we'll lay dow


his life. But to my mind my preser


responsibility involves the consider


alton of the effect of my action upo


those whose representative l am. :,


/ have hitherto been willing to as


you republicans Of South Carolina


risk all dangers and endure all hare


ships until relief should come from th


government Of the United States. RI
llief will never come. I cannot as