The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-24


their places with the young. As is the sire, so
is the son.
And these Sand-hilers are as peculiar in
dress and look as they are in character. You
know them whenever you see them. They are
marked in any crowd. Dressed always in the
plainest homespun, home made and widely cut,
often without shoes, but when using them wear
ing the coarsest kind, with slouched hats of
cheapest texture, having no blood in their
cheeks, their eyes black, and their hair lank,
they are as distinct a race as the Indian. In
some respects they are not unlike them. They
love to roam the woods, and be free there; to
get together for frolic or fua; to fish and hunt;
to chase wild cattle; but hero the similarity
ends: for they are wanting in personal daring.
and in that energy of character which makes
IA man. We do not know one of them who
ever gained station in society, or became dis
tinguished by his deeds. And it is this class to
whom the Georgetown Intelligencer sludes, we
conclude, when it speaks of the ''Poor laborers"
on Black River, and neighborhood.
How came they in their present condition.
Their history is quickly told. 1t is sad one,
and we never think of it without sorrow.
In the early settlements of the Carolinas,
every body pressed upon the water courses
Poor, as well as rich, made Judgement upon, or
near their banks. There were, at first, very
few negroes; consequently the latter needed the
labor Of the former TO house their crops, and
clear their lanes. All got along we'll, then
But the slave traffic, with its accused ills, be-
gan soon after, and, by and by, planters had
their places stocked with slaves. As these
slaves increased, the poor began 10 feel their
degradation. A bitter hatred grew up between
these classes. II led often TO violence. The
larger planters. in consequence, began to buy
up the poor mems land, and the poor men, in
turn became axious to sell And they did so.
But whero were they to CO. South of Car
olina was wilderness; the good lands on the
water courses, in the State, were in possession
OF rich planters They had no alternative left,
as they thought. but to herd together on the
sand-hills, and there they and theirs still live.
Their choice of place is significant enough of
their feeling, and Of the cause of their removal
They made their location in neighborhoods
where neither large nor small planters could
modest them. They go, where they could live
without being disturbed, or worried, bv the
continued sight Of slaves. Now and then Won
will find few Of the more debased sort gather
Ell close by towns; but generally they are some
ten, or fifteen, or twenty miles back What
the land would yield which they call their own
for often they squat" as the phrase is, on
the States or others prOperty-t is difficult to
say but the best of it, on the average, would
not return ten bushels Of corn to the acre: the
most Of it, not five. They grow sweet potatoes.
melons, little cotton for home use and now
anu then bag, or half a bag for market But
things are where they are, and as they are, be-
cause slavery, with its biting social ills. bea,
them away, from the richer soil. and keeps
them hopelessly down and debased on the bar.
rem hills.
what are their peculiarities Of mind
The fact, that they left the neighborhood of
large plantations. and sought sort of Wild
wood liberty, shows that they have some no.
'ions Of personal freedom. They have But
ucethey are very CT 1t was their condition
which induced us to think first on the subiec,
OF slavery, and We endeavored, in conjunction
with the lamented GRIMKE, to hit upon some
plan by which we could improve this. We
sought them out in their hovel-homes. We
endeavored TO win their regard, and secure their
confidence We succeeded in this, but we fail
ed, wholly, in every effort to induce them TO
change their mode of life. The ruling idea up
permost in their minds seemed to be, hatred Of
labor, under the conviction, that it degraded
them, because it put them on an equality with
the slaves An anecdote will illustrate this
feeling.
Ono Of their number had a fine, intelligent
boy. He was one that would have attracted no
tice in any boyhood gathering We proposed
to the father that he should be educated. LET
him 90 with us TO town." said We, sand We will
send him to school, and see what can be done
with him. Sand what then" asked he, eyeing
us, as If suspicious that something wrong as to
follow. ''Why," we continued "when he mas
been educated. We can send him to the Carriage
makers, Mr.. c., and let him learn trade.''
"Never," he quickly, almost fiercely, rejoined,
with harsh oath. "My son shall never work
by the side Of your negroes, and Mr.. -'s
negroes, calling certain planters names whose
slaves were being taught the trade,) and be or
dered about by Mr.. c. as he ordered them
about" He was fixed. No argument, entrea-
ty, appeal to interest, could move him. The
idea uppermost in his mind was the idea Of his
class-that labor was degrading; and he would
rather his son should be free in the forest, il
ignorant, than debased in the city, though -,iu-
Gated. by mental task.
What hope is there for them
We see none. Nothing. certainly, but the re-
moval Of slavery can induce them to change
their present condition. They will not labor in
the field while they think it degrading; nor be.
| come artiIans mechanics while slaves are
such. And as for educating them, scattered as
they arc, the effort seems almost hopeless! Up
and down the river where these "poor laborers,' IS
that the South Carolina paper talks of, live, and
all around Georgetown. there are large rice and
cotton estates. Many of the owners of them
are very wealthy; majority rich. Yet there
is no sort Of connection, or sympathy, between
these planters and the sand-hillerr! They are a.
far apart as two races well can be. We speak
now Of social separation: for We are sure the
moment they heard the "poor laborers" were