The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-28

and he describes these poor whites very much
| as French philosopher would describe the
bIouSes OF the Faubourg st. Antoine to polite
ears IN the Faubourg ST. German. The collec-
ton into towns of the poor and unemployed
white population of South Carolina had evil
IDENTIFY given rise TO some visions Of social out
break and anarchy, which Mr.. Taylor feels
| called upon TO dispel. These poor people, who
were willing to be industrious if they had the
| opportunity to be so, but to whom no labor was
offered except in degrading connection with
| plantation negroes, had been content TO strug-
| pie on, enduring life in It's most dscouraging
| forms, contending with absolute want, and
often faring worse than the negro, but yet sol
aced by the satisfaction that they were above
the negro in some respects. But at length light
was beginning 10 penetrate even into South Car
DINA, and these unhappy beings were catching
a glimpse of the truth, that even they, In their
| depths of poverty and humiliation, had some
| rights, and were entitled to some of the sympa-
| thy which falls upon the suffering. They were
fast learning that there existed in happier COM
munIties, modes of industry, which, if opened
| TO them, would elevate them and their families
| from wretchedness and ignorance 10 compe-
| tence and intelligence. This knowledge might
| occasion an upheaving OF the masses, seriously
| threatening the social and domestic institutions
Of South Carolina, unless properly directed. If,
| on the contrary, these poor whites could be
furnished with remunerating labor, they would
place themselves in position of comfort, and
even become Shareholders themselves; thus in
creasing the demand for that sort of property
and enhancing its security.
| From an address upon the subject Oi manufac-
| lures IN South Carolina, delivered in 1851 q, be-
fore the South Carolina Institute, by William
Gregg, Esq, make the following extracts
| IN al other countries and particularly manu-
| featuring States labor and capital are assuming
antayonstical position. Here il cannot be tae case
capital viii be able to control labor, in manu-
features with whites, for blacks always be re-
sorted to 10 case Of need From the best
estimates that have been able to make, put down
the white people who ought to work and who do not,
or who are employed rs to be wholly unproduc.ve
to tao State at one hundred and twenty five thou
sand. By this it appears that but one-Gfth
OF the present poor whites of our State would 10
essssry to operate 600, 900 spindles. The
appropriation annually made by Legislature for
our School Fund, every one must be aware 30 far as
the c5uory is concerned has beon little better than
that the Northern ard Eastern States End no Diff
Guilty in educating their poor ready TO despair
of success in ths matter for peaa, laws against
the neglect of edu would fail to bring many of
county people to send their children to school.
/ nave long bosn unaer tho impression,
and every days experience has strengthened my
convictions, that the evils exist in tho wholly nsg
ectod condition of this class Of persons. Any man
who an observer of things uld hardly through
GU: country without being with tho fac. that
all the capital, enterprise, and intelligence, is
ploy cd in directing slave labor and the
is, tia: large portion Of our poor white people
wholly neglected, and are suffered to whiio away
ex stence in s:Ste but step in advance of thc
Indian of the forest 1t evil Of vast magnitude
and nothing but change in public sentiment will
effect It's These people must be brought into
daily contact with the rich and intelligcnt-taey
must be stimulated to mental ZION, and taught to
appreciate eiucs and the comforts of civilized
ls sn5 this, believe. may be effected ocly by
the introduction OF manufactures. 4 NV
experience az GrGniteville bes satisfied me- that
less cur poor people be brought together in vii!
isSos, ard some means of employment afforded them.
1t Will DO an utterly hopeless effort to undertake to
educate them. + We have collected at that
place about cght hundred poope and az likely look
ing set of country girls as may be found-ndust.i
Gus and orderly people, but deplorably ignorant,
theecurth of tie adults not bong able to read or
TO write thoir With the aid of
ministers If the Gospel the spot to preach to them
and lecture them the subject, have obtained
tut about sixty children for school, of about a
hundred which are in the place. We satisfied
tina. nothing but time and patience will enable us to
bring them all out. 4 II is very clear to
me- that the only Of educ sting and Christian
izng poor whites will be to bring them into such
villages, where they will not only become Intelligent
hut thrifty and useful class in our community. r
Notwiths anding our rule, that no one can be permit
ted to occupy our houses who does not send all his
end twelve, il With difficulty, a. first tn st
We could make up oven = small school"
Ii is noticeable that Mr.. Gregg. like Mr. Tay-
lor, begins by an attempt 10 ailay patrician
jealousies, excited by the idea of collecting the
poor whites into masses. Mr.. Gregg points
out that the existence Of Slavery enables capital
TO control white labor as well as black, by the
power which it retains TO substitute the latter,
when the former becomes unruIy
The whole white population of South Car
DINA, by the census of 1850, being only
pa SOB. nearly one half, according to Mr.
Gregg's estimate, are substantially idle and
unproductive, and would seem to have sunk
into condition but little removed from bar
barHm. All the capital, enterprise, and intelli-
gence, of the State, being employed in directing
slave labor, these poor whites, wholly neg
lected, willing away an existence but one step
in advance of the Indian OF the forest, never
taught to appreciate education and the com
forts of civilized life, deplorably ignorant, and
induced with great difficulty, and only by slow
degrees, TO send their children TO schools, do
truly constitute Sc an erit Of cast magnitude"
and call loudly for some means Of - educating
and Outstanding them.
Gov. Hammond, in an address before the
South Carolina Institute, in 1850, describes
these poor whites as follows:
"They obtain proc srious subsistence by OCCASION
al jobs by hunting, by fishing by plundering folds
or folds, and too often by what is in its effects far
w0ise-tading with slaves, and seducing them
plumber for their benefit"
Elsewhere Mr.. Gregg speaks as follows:
cit is only necessary to build manufacturing
village OF shanties, in healthy location, in any part
of the State 20 have crowds of those people around
you, seeking employment at half the compensation
gwen to operatives at the North 1t is indeed pain
full to be brought in contact with such ignorance and
degradation
| Is it really true that South Carolina means
| to dissolve this Union, if she cannot be per
mtted TO extend further, institutions under
which one fifth Of her people are savages,
| while another three ftihs are saves2
In paper published in 1852, upon the " In
dtst,ial Regeneration Of The South" advocating
manufactures, the Hon. ]. II. Lumpkin, of
Georgia, says:
at is objected that these manufacturing establish
| ments will become the hot beds of crime. 4 4
But am by no means ready to concede that our
poor, degraded, half-fed ha,fclothcd. and ignorant
populstion-without Sabbath Schools or any other
Kind OF instruction, mental or moral without any
just appreciation of character-w be injured by
! giving them employment, which will bring them un-
der the oversight of employers who will inspire them
with sefrespect by taking interest in their well
fare"
Georgia, it seems, like South Carolina, and
under the influence Of the same great cause,
has her poor whites, degraded, halEfe half
clothed, without mental or moral instruction,
and destitute OF seli-respect and of any Just APP
preciaton OF character. Is 1t really true that
Georgia means to dissolve this Union if she
cannot be permitted to blast this fair continent
with such population as this?
A paper upon Cotton and Cotton .Manufdc-
lures at the South, by Mr.. Charles T. James,
Omitted States Senator of Rhode Island, which