The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-07-26
has SO grociously and benevolontly
attempted to place upon my brow.
Yours Very Respectfully.
II. l.. BENBOW.
Northern Impressions Onl
a Southern Mechanic.
- >SNs~psS -
For the Banner.

Northern Impressions ON
a Southern Mechanic.
McsSrS. Editors A few weeks since
we visited Baltimore, Philadelphia. Wash
ington, and New York on business agen-
cy. 1t was the first time we ever had the
pleasure Of travelling through any OF tie
Northern States, and the agreeable i'm
prcssons made upon our hitherto highly
prcjudIccd minds cannot, by us at least,
be easily described. Prejudices we regret
to say inrulcatcd by our wealthy and i,n-
bec'le Planters, and barkcd forth among
the people, by their satellites, and under
strapers, a hcartlcss set of dclnagogues
who under prclencc Of forwarding the in
tcrcst Of the =" Dear People" make /, their
only sludy>to ferlnent discord and strife be-
tween the North and South.
When we left our quiet little town,
our feelings were heavy and unpIeasant
we thought VIC would soon be in cities
where that class Of the community Of
whom it's our highest ambition TO be called
an humble member 1--WE mean the Mechan.
ics) were hard-w urkcd, i'll requitcd and
much abused people.
We were prepared to have our state
pride offended, and ourselves insultcd by
abuse of Southern institutions, to be thown
among a set Of sharrcrs and wooden nut.
meg manufacturers, whose only study was
how they could transfer the money from
the pockets of their brcthern into their
own.
Judge then Alcssrs. Editors Of our
agreeable surprise when the very reverse
oil these erroneous Impressions proved TO
he the real truth.
1t has never been my happiness since
the earliest recollection, of our native and
much loved city Of Charleston in her
pa'miest days, (when such men as the
Benncts, Gordons, and IIorlbccks, Lucases'
Siroh"ckers, Rohs', Lass, Goldsmiths,
Nevcllcs, Muggridgcs, and host of others
gave life and animation to her trades and
commercial! prosperity to come in social
contact with more honorable upright and
intelligent set Of men than the Mechanics
and business men Of the above mentioned
cities. Oh! how my heart blcd for our
young Southern men, as their hapless
condition !:S-cd itself ON our shame
stricken alEqt certified feelings, as the
humiliaing $tS, ,srasi between themselves
and their n>I fortunate brethren of the
North, pTesJn,cd itself clearly to our
hitherto dnr 9,slse5&on.
What 81 and melancholy truth it is
my dear sir. that we too often see MANY OF
our young men, as im ell'gent, sensible and
honorable ,s any iii iio world, iInmolaiing
'hemsen "a o all inlsnts and purposes on
''e l''.-s~e' Gol'cy. and prejudice, supern
= iyEt iags-s1,54- C. asa. rs,tici,
ia! policy Of Legislation, "h;ch ccs.ae.: /:
them TO cnsc' tho already over charged
ranks OF Medicine and Law, prepared only
to entangle and harrass those who ma. be
so unfortunate as to be the clients of tho
one party, that they Submit with Patient
resignation to the prescriptions of the 9th.
or member OF The learned Professions,
who soon annuls their lease upon life and
consiSns them 10 our mother earth. Nor
does the sacred desk or Pulpit escape the
dire influences ot such an ever vailng
system of state policy, for numbers of
our young men for want Of encouragement
III more appropriate usefulness has adopted
part OF an admirable system of Postage
and rush into the church Prc.calLcd at
least, If not Pre- Paid. Now Mcssrs.
EdI,nrs 1T Us # puSs bic Danish dcma.
S"gne s'n 'r''n our Legislative HILLS and
take the rc!rs OF Government out of The
hands OF yurse proud, feeble and aristo
cratic portion "i the community, and en-
trlst them to the yconanry the bone and
snrw Of the cOunir,, the Farmers Mer.
chants, and Mechanics, and compel them
to"pen up the sources of veal h and honor
able industry To the young men OF the
Soutn whose tastes and inclnalons would
lead them to pursue the many useful urts
which from the neXtiAustibe resources of
South Carolina could, render her people
the most prosperous, and herself the first
among the Mates Of this great confederacy.
In vain may our people hold commercial
conventions and pass resolutions TO make
Charleston and other Southern Ports, pla.
ces OF direct importation.
All these gassy resolutions will avail
nothing, we want customers, and when we
have them, commerce will as naturally ac-
comodale herself 10 our requirements as
ship when at anchor will change position
with the ebb and flow oftide. And to have
customers we must have free Manufac.
;urers and Mechanics. IVo must confine
our valuable slave population to their legti.
mate sphere Of operations. the cultivation
of the soil,