Year: 1876

From the n. Y. Herald


Notwithstanding the Presidents dis
chalmers OF any purpose to interfere with
the Legislature of South Carolina, and his
dcnials that he has done so, his conduct
remains open to ccnsurc. ii is no secret
that there was a difference of opinion in
the Cabinet, and that tho point in dis
putc related to the action of the troops at
Columbia last Tuesday and the three fol-
lowing days. If President Grants inten-
ton in the beginning coincided with the


Cabinet decision of Friday it is difficult
to conceive what the dissension in the
Cabinet was about, or what occasion there
could have been for a protest by some OF
the members. After the Cabinet deci-
sion had been reached the President tried
to explain away his previous conduct and


to reconcile it with the view finally adop-
ted But that was too evidently an after
thought. Had his first purpose been what
he now claims there would have beeh no
room for dispute among his official
advisers. After all his explanations
and excuses, the fact remains that the
State House at Columbia was taken pos
session by federal troops twelve hours in
advance of the time appointed for the meet
ing of the Legislature; that members were
refused admission and the passage block
ed against them by federal soldiers and
that their credentials were scrutinized
and passed upon by persons having no
other authority than the federal bayOnets
which protected them. These facts must
have been known in Washington within
half an hour after they occurred: but no
cOuntermanding order was sent to Gen
eral Ruger. The whole country was
kept in excitement and alarm for three
days before any attempt was made to
quiet and reassure it, when, after a long
Cabinet consultation, q lame attempt was
made to explain away the facts. A pur-
pose to interfere with the organization of
the Legislature was only then disavowed.
The public naturally believes that
"change of base" was forced on the Presi-
dent by the indignant rebukes of the press
| and the protest of dissenting members OF
| the Cabinet.


\ At first the President listened to bad
| advisers. 1t is true that mo blood mas
been shed by General Ruger's troops; but
can it be said that they have practiced no
| coercion? They were standing menace
| to the Legislature, and seemed to court
preteX for converting menace into fact.
They have acted like tall bully unwill-
ing to strike the first blow lest he should
! be prosecuted for assault and battery, but
eager for provocatiOn so pitch in. What
| took place yesterday looked like a deli
berate plan to get up scene of violence
in order that the federal troops might


have an excuse for intervening. Governor
| Chamberlain's special constables had


assembled in the State House in large


force ready topounce on democratic mem


bers and drag them out, and his minions
pretended the federal troops were in readi-


ness to support them if resistance should


be made. 1t was expected that the special


constables would succeed in provoking


scutfle, pretend that they were Overpow-


cred and call on the troops for help. The
| democrats were too wary to be caught; in
this cunning trap. Their Speaker gave


them notice of the stratagem, and they
adjourned to another place. This attempt


to provoke breach ofthe peace for the


mere purpose of creating an occasion for


military interference deserves to be de-
nounced, and if any officer abetted if he


should share the denunciation. The
] democratic members wisely avoided fur
nishing the preteXt. for, the ice once
| broken, the soldiers would not stop. As
soon as they had an excuse for interpos-


ing to 'rcstore order" they would be


masters of the situation and would not


loosen their grip.N p.NChamberlain's satel-


lites were seeking breach through which


the soldiers might enter.