The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920. Various
elected temporary Secretary and Assistant Secretary, respectively.
General Carlos J. Stalbrand, white, was elected permanent Secretary. Josephus Woodruff, white, compiled the proceedings.
John R. Pinckney and Peter Miller were elected Sergeants-at-Arms.
F. L. Cardozo was Chairman of the Committee on Education.
S. A. Swails, Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Regulations.
Robert C. DeLarge, Chairman of the Committee on Franchise and Elections.
Colored members were on all of the Committees, in most cases being in the majority.
In looking over the proceedings I find that the following named delegates took a very active part in all of the deliberations:
R. B. Elliott, R. C. DeLarge, F. L. Cardozo, J. J. Wright, W. J. Whipper, W. J. McKinlay, S. A. Swails, A. J. Ransier, R. H. Cain, B. F. Randolph, and W. B. Nash.
The Constitution provided for the election of Senators and Representatives on April 14, 15 and 16, 1868, to assemble at Columbia, May 12, 1868.
The Convention adjourned sine die March 14, 1868.
The Constitution adopted in 1868 stood unchanged until 1895 when a Convention was called to meet at Columbia, on September 10, 1895, to revise it.
The fact that the old Constitution stood for nineteen years after the Democratic party came into power (1876) shows that there could not have been anything objectionable in it to the Democrats or they would have changed it immediately after regaining control. It speaks volumes for the wisdom and foresight of the men of the Reconstruction Period.
In the Convention which met at Columbia in 1895, there were only five colored delegates and they were all from Beaufort County, a county which has very few white persons in it. The delegates were W. J. Whipper, Robert Smalls, Thomas E. Miller, James Wigg, and L. R. Reed. Of these, W. J. Whipper and Robert Smalls were delegates to the Constitutional Convention which met at Charleston in 1868.
As General Smalls died only about two or three years ago what a wealth of information he could have furnished pertaining to the Reconstruction Period had your request been sent out before his death.
Inclosure 2 contains the names of State Senators and the counties they represented. In several cases of Senators and also of Members of the House of Representatives I cannot recall their initials.
There were 32 senators, the majority being colored, of whom the following were conspicuous for their activity on all important legislation:
S. A. Swails, J. H. Rainey, R. H. Cain, W. H. Jones, W. B. Nash and H. J. Maxwell.
Inclosure 3 contains names of members of the House of Representatives at various times. Some served more than one term. The more prominent were: R. B. Elliott, S.J. Lee, Dr. B.A. Bosemon, J. H. Rainey, R. C. DeLarge, J. A. Bowley, W. J. Whipper, D. A. Straker, C. M. Wilder, Prince Rivers, F. H. Frost, T. E. Miller, and W. H. Thomas.
The House of Representatives was composed of 124 members and colored members were always in the majority.
Inclosure 4—Names of State Officers.
Inclosure 5—Names of Federal Office holders.
Inclosure 6—Names of Congressmen who represented South Carolina.
I shall never forget the scene in 1876 when Col. A. C. Haskell, Chairman of the Democratic State Committee at the head of the Democratic members of the legislature forced his way into the Hall of the Representatives then occupied by the Republican members. Pandemonium reigned for a time. There were two Houses, each having its own officers trying to transact business at the same time. Finally the U. S. soldiers were called upon and those Democrats who had no certificate of election were ejected.
All of the Democratic members then withdrew and formed an organization in another hall.
Three colored Republicans whose names I do not care to mention went over to the Democrats, but the latter could do nothing without the Senate which was admittedly Republican.
The struggle was kept up until Mr. Hayes was inaugurated President, when he withdrew the U. S. troops, leaving the Republicans without any protection.
Governor Chamberlain and the State Officers elected with him seeing that they were deserted by the National Administration withdrew from the contest, leaving Gen. Hampton who was the Democratic nominee for Governor in possession.
The Democrats then organized the Senate and House of Representatives, and in joint session elected Gen. M. C. Butler, U. S. Senator. D. T. Corbin, who received the Republican votes, contested, but the Senate which was Republican by a small majority seated Butler. Senators Don Cameron from Pennsylvania and John J. Patterson from South Carolina, both Republicans, voted for Butler.
That there was no one killed or injured while the contest was going on is remarkable when the great excitement during and after the "Red Shirt" campaign is considered. It shows what absolute control the gubernational candidates had over their followers. No doubt the Democrats, who were assured that the U. S. soldiers would be withdrawn, did not care to make a slip as Chamberlin was still governor and the troops were practically under his orders.
Thus ended the Reconstruction Period in South Carolina.
At every step the Republican Party in South Carolina was betrayed by Republicans.
Col. T. W. Parmele, white. Superintendent of the Penitentiary, appointed as a Republican by Gov. Chamberlin, recognized an order from Gen. Hampton for the pardon of a convict. Legal complications ensued and the case was carried before Associate Justice Willard, white, of the Supreme Court, a Republican elected by the legislature, and he decided in favor of Hampton.
Three colored members of the legislature deserted to the Democrats, which practically made the House Democratic.
Col. Parmele and Justice Willard were Northern white men.
This paper would not be complete without some reference to the prominent colored men who helped to make history during that eventful period.
Robert Brown Elliott—
Born at Boston, Mass., August 11, 1842.
Entered High Holborn Academy, London, England, 1853.
Entered Eton College, 1855 and graduated in 1859. Studied law.
Member of the State Constitutional Convention.
Member of the House of Representatives of South Carolina, 1868-1870.
Assistant Adjutant General.
Elected to the 42nd Congress.
Resigned his seat in Congress and was elected to the House of Representatives of S.C. for the second time, and was elected Speaker of the House.
He came within a few votes of being elected U. S. Senator in 1874, but the powerful influence of the Pennsylvania R. R. Co., was exerted in behalf of John J. Patterson, white, the successful candidate. There was a colored majority in both branches of the legislature at the time and had the colored members so desired they could have elected Gen. Elliott.
In 1876 Gen. Elliott was the nominee on the Republican ticket for Attorney General and was elected but was forced to withdraw with the rest of the ticket.
He was Chairman of the State Republican Committee during the campaign of 1876.
For scholarly attainments, legal acumen, political sagacity and oratorical power, Robert Brown Elliott stands out as the most brilliant figure of the Reconstruction Period.
Joseph H. Rainey—
Born at Georgetown, S.C., June 21, 1832.
Although debarred by law from attending school he acquired a good education and further improved his mind by observation and travel.
He was a barber by trade and followed that occupation at Charleston, S.C., until 1862, when having been forced to work upon the fortifications of the Confederates he escaped to the West Indies, where he remained until the close of the war, when he returned to his native town.
Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention.
State