Part 4 (1/2)

”Surely, no one, who is worthy of the name of man, can hesitate, under such conditions, to take a hand on Sat.u.r.day.”

The following, to the rifle clubs, is given as the programme for the Democrats, on Sat.u.r.day, Oct. 19, the day the Republican meetings are called for nominations:--

”Presidents of clubs are requested to report to county chairman, who can be found at the rooms of the executive committee, in the rear of the town hall, up stairs. The clubs will be earnestly enjoined, by those in authority, to remain in line and under command of their respective presidents until they are turned over to some higher officer, from whom they will receive orders during the day.”

Ex-Senator Swails, of Williamsburg County, and also deputy United States marshal, has committed the unpardonable sin against the Wade-Hampton, Hamburg-Butler, shot-gun Democracy, by speaking at Republican meetings, for which offence he has been twice shot at, and finally driven from the county, having been visited by the Democratic Executive Committee, accompanied by a band of Red s.h.i.+rts or Rifle Clubs, and presented with these good Democratic resolutions:--

_Resolved_, That S. A. Swails be required to leave Williamsburg in ten days.

_Resolved_, That he is a high-handed robber.

_Resolved_, That he and his rioters be held responsible for all incendiarism which may happen.

_Resolved_, That unless the above be complied with, he must forfeit his life.

These facts were yesterday brought to the attention of the President by Congressman Rainey and Mr. Swails, and it is reported that he thinks something ought to be done about it, and says just what the man whom he made Governor of South Carolina said: ”Tell the people they shall have all the protection the law can give.” Wade Hampton has the power to fulfil his promise, and it is apparent he never intended to give the Republicans the protection they asked, and we fear that President Hayes is putting them off with a promise of the protection he is well aware he cannot give.

These South Carolinians come to Was.h.i.+ngton and claim government protection to their persons and property while in the exercise of their const.i.tutional political rights. The President ”thinks something ought to be done about it”! Wonderful! So does an old hen when the hawks are after her chickens. But the difference between the two is this: the hen bl.u.s.ters about and immediately calls her subjects under her wings, thus giving them all the protection in her power. But the President _thinks something ought to be done_, but does nothing worthy of the occasion.

Wade Hampton promises ”all the protection the law can give,” and that was none at all while in his hands to administer, for the reason that the theory of the shot-gun Democracy is, that the negro has no _rights_ that the white man is bound to protect.

While the South is ent.i.tled to the palm of victory for shot-gun Democracy, the North is a fair compet.i.tor for doughface flunkyism.

Ex-Senator Swails, by the testimony of his personal friends in Boston, bears a character the direct opposite of that given him in the following paragraph from the Philadelphia ”Times.” While despotism is the rule in the South, owing to the natural soil in which it is nurtured, we are happy to believe that flunkyism _in the superlative degree_ at the North is the exception.

”If State Senator Swails of South Carolina, had lived in any Northern State and prost.i.tuted his senatorial office as openly and recklessly as is clearly proven he did in that State, he would be in the penitentiary; but having resigned his seat to escape dismissal and fled to escape punishment, he has settled down in Was.h.i.+ngton, where a few carpet-bag thieves yet linger, and is telegraphing over the country how the Hampton rifle clubs have driven him from the State. As the South Carolina penitentiary evidently haunts his dreams, he should hie himself to the Ma.s.sachusetts Botany Bay of public thieves, and put himself under the protecting wing of Governor Rice. He will find Kimpton there, and a fellow feeling will make Kimpton wondrous kind to Swails.”--_Philadelphia Times_.

[Special Despatch to the Boston Traveller.]

Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., Oct. 21.--The statement made to the President, last week, by State Senator Swails, that he was forced to leave South Carolina in consequence of receiving a notice that his life would pay the penalty if he remained, is fully confirmed by the Charleston ”News and Courier” received here to-day.

That paper admits that such a notice was served on Swails, and says it was done because he was a dangerous man, and disturbing the peace of the country where he resided. Instead of lynching him the Democrats gave him the opportunity of leaving the State.

The ”News and Courier” contains an account of the capture of a Republican meeting at Lawtonville on Friday last, showing that the Democrats are determined to carry out their policy regardless of the instructions sent out by Attorney-General Devens to the U. S. officials.

The meeting was called by the Republicans in the interest of Smalls, the Republican candidate for re-election to Congress. The despatch to the ”News and Courier,” from Lawtonville, says:

”This morning the negroes began pouring in, attired in the recently-adopted radical uniform of blue s.h.i.+rts, several mounted clubs and other clubs on foot, embracing large numbers, being included. Fully 2,000 men, women and children gathered, when some eight red s.h.i.+rts galloped in and captured the meeting and proceeded to run it on a division of time schedule. Rousing Democratic speeches were made. Mr.

Smalls failed to appear. Some of Hampton's men rode forty miles to hear Smalls. The effect of the day's work was exceedingly good.”

SCOTT.

As goes South Carolina so go the other rebel States, as in the _first_ rebellion. Georgia next falls into line after this fas.h.i.+on:

The ”Augusta (Georgia) Const.i.tutionalist” insists that the Democrats of South Carolina shall defy the lawful direction of the Attorney-General of the United States in regard to conspiracies against the political rights of the citizens, and shall continue to disturb, and, if need be, break up Republican meetings. The advice is equally plain and peremptory. Republicans are not to be allowed to hold meetings without the presence and partic.i.p.ation of Democrats. What that partic.i.p.ation is, is well understood. It is the attendance of armed men who will not allow a word said which does not meet with their approbation; it is the warning of citizens not to join in the meetings; it is the threatening of life if they do; it is the savage a.s.saulting of those who are conspicuous in proclaiming their intention to vote the Republican ticket; it is armed and violent defiance of the law, and, in the last resort, a.s.sa.s.sination. The issue is clearly defined. It is, pure and simple, whether the government of the United States can and will protect its citizens in their const.i.tutional rights, when those are rights which it is authorized and required to conserve and defend. Evidently the rebellion was not ended at Appomattox.--_Providence Journal_.

We have contemplated deferring the publication of this pamphlet until we could ascertain from the Secretary of the Interior the number of acres of unpre-empted land in each State, together with their location &c., &c., but we are informed by the commissioner of the land office in Was.h.i.+ngton that there are no data or statistics in his office that will give us that information.

As we may have to wait for Congress to a.s.semble before we can obtain the necessary statistics, we shall send out our pamphlet at once, and set the ball in motion.