Year: 1876

Violence I'm south Carolina.


In the eyes of the Executive domestic vio-
lence in South Carolina has reached such a
necessity, and the Secretary of War has
issued his order for the sending Of troops into
the State. 1t is officially charged in the
Presidents proclamation that armed men
ride over the State intimidating and some
times numbering negroes, and instances OF
this kind no doubt could be readily and
truthfully cited. The white rifle clubs,
against which the proclamation is aimed, are
doubtless dangerous organizations, as the
affair at Hamburg proves ; but the colored
militia is equally dangerous, AS is shown by
the later affair near Cainhoy, of which we
have full reports this morning. There was to
be meeting for joint discussion between
the democrats and republicans, to which
both sides were pledged to come unarmed.
According to our dispatches the whites kept
their part of the agreement, but quarrel
arose and it was then seen that the blacks
had brought their arms with them, conceal
ing their guns in the bushes. AS soon as the
fight began the negroes rushed for their
arms, and fired volley into the democrats,
killing and wounding number of men.
An affair like this will create intense
excitement in the State, where the militia
is entirely composed of colored men, and
these are completely armed by the State
government, while Governor Chamberlain
appeals to the federal power to help him
disarm the whites. We hope the demo-
cratic leaders will command the peace, for
it depends upon them. Governor Chamber
lain evidently has no intention to look after
good order in the State, and the federal gov
ernment takes his view of the situation.
The only course to be pursued then is to
afford no prctence for the use of the troops
and to let oil violence come from those who
are loudest in demanding protection. The
boot will thus be completely transferred to
the other leg. 1t is better for the democrats
to suffer now and show selfrestraint by
avoiding retaliation than to meet disorder
and lawlessness with similar conduct.


In the present instance the democrats
seem to have given no cause for offence
further than was contained in their presence
at political meeting for joint discussion.
The entire responsibility for the violence
and bloodshed rests with the colored repub-
licans and their leaders. The democrats
cannot expect to profit by such fme,des as
the Cainhoy affair, while Governor Chamber
lain may hope to gain something from such
scenes Of disorder in this campaign. It is
from his side and from the least scrupulous
Of his supporters that attempts at lawlessness
may be expected. We believe the democratic
leaders know this and are acting upon it
as necessary to their success at the polls
A HERALD correspondent. writing from
Aiken, gives the first detailed account we
have seen of the methods employed by the
democrats in South Carolina in their can
vass, and by which they hope to carry the
State. The basis of it seems to be thor
ough personal canvass, in which each dem
ocratic voter is asked to convert at least one
colored man to his views. Violence, as will
be seen, has no place in the democratic
plan, and, in fact, would only mar and de-
range it. The democrats cannot resort to
violence without finging the negro voters
into Chamberlain's arms. They must pre-
vail by argument, by impressive speeches
and by such inducements as the colored
voter, and not he only, but the ignorant
voter everywhere, is nmenable to. To give
q man days work on election day with
the object of keeping him from the polls is
not an unknown device in Northern States.
It is only when it becomes common that it
attracts general attention. Such devices, it
is true, are not very honorable to the ''inde-
pendent voter" who is influenced by them,
nor are they particularly creditable to those
who employ them; but they afford no ground
for federal interference, and nobody, North
or South, will care much how far these prac-
tices extend if the peace is preserved and if
the privileges of all who have the will to
exercise them are protected.