Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-20
lNOrtester 9ailg SPY.
From the New York Tablet, Jan. I4th.
SC0URGING AN FRESHMAN.

One OF the most atrocious assaults upon and
insults to the liberty and independence of an
American citizen was lately committed in Co.
lumbia, S. c., on the person of young Irish
man, named James Powers. Powers is a ma
tive of the county Wexford, and a stone-cutteI
by occupation. Before he went south he was
at work for respectable stonecutter in Phil
adelphia, but the crisis of '57, unfortunately
for himself, drove him southwark After much
search for employment he succeeded in get
ting work on the State Capitol of Columbia,
now in course of erection. In The course Of
conversation with his fellow laborers lie said
on more than one occasion that the negroes
should be confined to field work, and mechan-
zeal pursuits left to the white men. He was in
politics Democrat, and the last vote he cast
was given to Colonel Tom Florence, of the
new Democratic Review (who lately repre-
scented his Irish constituent by voting for Il
/ Tennessee Know Nothing for Speaker of the
House.) One evening, however, contrary 10
/ his usual custom, Power drank rather freely
with fellow-emplCyee. He does not remem-
Der having said word against slavery, but
nevertheless, his boon companion denounced
<.him an Abotionist. Learning this, he at
tempted to escape, but was arrested at a rail-
road station some ten miles from Columbia
and brought back. After some days passed
in prison, he was brought before the May
Or A fellow named Cheeseborough swore
that Powers, while nnder the influence of Ii
quor, said he was Abotionist before he went
south, and since he had been there was
strenpthened in his onnion. n was shown
that he never onened his Iins to n neoro nm tho
question. However he was sent hack IN iaiI
whore he remained siv DAYS and was +Ion
taken bv two marsbals from his cell and de.
livered over to two negroes the officials
ADDRESSING him in nrofane and hibald lanUuaoe
He was then marcjed through the streets to the
railroad innction three miles distant. and sur
rounded NV crowds of neople. military &c
who vociterated that he should be shot or
hanged. was stunned naked end received thr.
ty4nine lashes. amid the ieers of the brutal
spectators. To intensity. as it were. the indip
nity nut upon his manhood. the scourge was
applied by a negro. who. so much more of a
man was he than his masters had TO be
threatened with a scoureing himself TO make
him scourgc his poor white brother. No voice
was raised in favor of the noor. scourged Irish
man. whose attachment TO liberty drove him
from his own land to come here in search of
it. No bosom seems to have felt a throb of
pity for him EXCEPT his unwilling sconrger
whose heart alone was not the color of his
skin. Tar was then poured over him which
increased his sufferinas and the ioy of his tor
mentors. and he was placed in a car full of NO.
groes. and carried to Charleston. He travel
ed over fifty miles before he cot mouthfuI TO
eat or drink, when a Charleston mechanic gave
him some coffee and biscuit. for which the
kind.hearted southerner narrowly ESCAPED VIC.
lence from mob at the railway station. The
kindness nearly cost poor Powers a second
coat of tar and feathers but cotton being more
readily found was applied to the tar already on
him. When he reached Charleston he was
again put in prison and told to keep quiet or
put upon steamer Tor New York, where he
arrived last week A kind gentleman of this
city gave him five dollars to help him along,
and he set out tor Philadelphia. where, we I'M
derstand he expects to find work.
There are Journals in this CITY calling them
selves Irish which are such mere instruments
of party, which have so little of ANYTHING
manly or independent about them. that they
are small souled enough to iustifv and even to
applaud this ineffable outrsge on the dignify
Of fellow citizen, this immense ipdignity pcT-
petrated on the person of fellow countryman