Year: 1876

/


letter from a gentleman travelling in South


Carolina, to relative in Westminster, Civ
ing, no doubt, the true state of affairs in that
downtrodden prOUiRce. 1t will be read with
interest at this time, as all that relates to the
subject is


COLUMBIA, S. G., Oct. 18th, 1876.


Dear Sir You no doubt are daily
reading in the newspapers reports of law
lessness and riot as taking place in this
State, so | conclude few lines from me
as to the state of affairs here will be of
interest to you. came to this State two
weeks ago with no very favorably impress
sion of the people Of South Carolina, and
| have, therefore, been the more surprised
to find just such a people as you or or
any Of our friends would be glad to spend
our days among | have been in seven
counties in the eastern section of the State
that is the part Of the State which the
Republican papers claim to be in a state
of insurrection Most of the towns in
which stopped in these Counties | have
reached or left during the middle of the
night, and have spent from one to two
days in each place, and assure you that
there is no portion of our own loved Ma
ryland that is more quiet and free from
disturbances than is South Carolina, with
the exception of a number of riots that
have been created entirely by the negroes
and without any provocation, and in these
fights the white people have in every in
stance acted only upon the defensive, and
have allowed the numbering of their fel-
low citizens to go unayenged rather than
give any cause for the charges that have
been falsely made by Chamberlain, and
repeated by President Grant in his recent
proclamation. l tell you sir, that the good
citizens Of Westminster would never stand
the insults and injuries that are heaped
upon the white citizens of this State by
the negroes-and these insults are not the
natural outcropping of impudence in the
negro, foruntampered with, they are kindly
disposed to the white people with whom
they have always lived and to whom they
always apply, and never in vain, for ad-
vice and assistance other than political,
but this wickedness is instigated by the
white Radicals, the leaders of the negroes
and let me say just here that Repub-
llean IN Maryland and Radical in the
South are very different men; the former
is in every particular the equal of his
Democratic neighbor, but a white Radical
down here is Of all beings-well, you have
to see one to get an idea of the creature.
| was at Radical convention in Darling.
ton county last week and | saw a few. |
They are not such men as we would be
glad to have visit us.


The Democratic candidate for Governor
OF this State, Gen. Wade Hampton, is a
gentleman of the highest character, man
among men, an honorable, fearless man
who if elected will see right and Justice
done all classes, and this is so universally
acknowledged that many of the more in
telligent negroes have decided to vote for
him. The Radical candidate is d. II. |
Chamberlain, the present incumbent, who
would see every white man and every ne
gro in South Carolina murdered to accom-
plish his ends. In his recent proclama-
tion he has lied when he knew he was
lleing and knew that every body in the
State would know he was Icing. IfI
Hampton selected, and it now looks GER
tain that such will be the case. South
Carolina has a prosperous future before
her, upon the other hand should Cham
berlain, by fraud and the aid of the ad-
ministration at Washington, succeed in
retaining the Governship the State will
be in most unfortunate condition.


The only thing that will cause distur
bance in this State is the actual attack of
whites by the blacks, and should this oc.
cur the white Radicals will be responsible
for it.


| had no idea of writing SO much, but
a man cannot be in this State without
getting interested in its condition.