Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/72

 Last Chapter of Reconstruction in South Carolina. 71

recover. It will be remembered that the Supreme Court was prayed for a mandamus against Mackey to give up to Wallace the election returns. The court objected; that mandamus could be laid only on officers, and that as Mackey was not Speaker of the House he could not be the subject of a mandamus. Two days later, on a selection made by sundry taxpayers of the State, an injunction was laid on the banks, which were the depositories of the public money, to pay out no money of the State until further orders. Thus was the usurping government denied a legal House of Representatives by the Supreme Court, and its power to do mischief nipped in the bud by cutting off the supplies by which it might continue to prolong its existence.

The Radicals went also through the formality of electing Corbin United States Senator, but as Mackey was not Speaker, the election was a mockery. The House of Representatives was not acknow- ledged by the Senate, and their messages, inviting the Senate to join them in electing a Senator and in counting the votes for Governor, were treated with contempt, but the Democratic Senators attended, and M. C. Butler was elected. On the i5th General Hampton was inaugurated before the Hall in which the representatives assembled, before an immense throng of enthusiastic spectators. Lieutenant- Governor Simpson also took the oath of office administered by Judge Mackey.

FINANCIAL.

The House of Representatives, repudiated by the Senate, was powerless to do anything legally, but it made an appeal to the peo- ple, which was followed by the happiest results. As it was necessary to supply the government with money, the people were invited to pay to such receivers, as the Governor should appoint, ten per cent, of the taxes which had been levied the last year. The success or failure of Hampton's government depended entirely upon the response which should be made to this appeal.

The city of Charleston was the first to reply. On the evening of December 2ist the citizens met in Hibernian Hall, and put Charles Lowndes, Esq., in the chair. About him sat several gentlemen, known to be the largest taxpayers in the city. Several spoke of the grave crisis at which we had arrived, and the importance of standing together. It was resolved, without a dissenting voice, to disregard any call for the payment of taxes made by officers of the mock government, of which Chamberlain was the head; to acknowledge