, 1860-01-03
In .IRISuMAN'S SGFFERISGS IN SOUTH
CAROLINA

lFfnM The y. !. Independently
The Northern newspapers have recently re-
Gently repullisbed brief paragraph from The
CAarttst4u -Htrcury, announcing, in very nom
clnlant style, that u workman engaged on the
State House, in Columbia, 5. G., was recently
seized u mob on account, rs WIS alleged, Of
holding anti slavery opinions, and that be re-
ceiyed twentJ-ninc lashes, and was tarEed and
feathered, md escorted out Of the State!
It took yery few ]iues to tell this story, &C.
cording to the style Of tue Southern press; for
it is trait Of Southern chivalry, first to prac
.tIca cruelty, and then to suppress the facts.
We have seen this unfortunate man, and heard
his story, 1nl looked at his wounds. His name
is James Power. lie is an intelligent young
man, about twenty three years Of aye, native
Of Wexford, ireland, and n stone~cuttcr by
trade. event from Philadelphia to the South
and obtained employment in Columbia, where
be Lad worked for nine months. ;
The only opinion he cver expressed against
slavery was that it caused white laborer in the
Soutl.to be looked upon al au inferior and de-
graded man. But this WAS en9ughi Tie re-
rnarkwa reported to the Vigilance Committee,
tcomposed Of twelve members,1 who immedi-
atciy ordered the police to arrest him. lie was
seized tmo miles away from town, in attempting
to escape, lie was brought back, and put in
cell. where he remained tor three duys, during
whiei, time La was denied the use Of pen and
ink, and all communication with his friends out
side.
At length Ac was taken before tie Mayor
Four persons appeared and bore testimony 10
the remark which lie made. The evidence was
conclusive. He Was returned to prison, and
was kept locked up for six days. During this
time, le was allowed only two scanry- meals 4
day, anT the food was carried to him by IT,
gro. He wus then taken ont OF jail in the Gus
tody of two marsha!s, who said 10 him,
You are so fond Of niggers, we arc going to
Eiyc you Niger escort
- ~ -.
great crowd, hootinE and yelling, the usarsha!s
compelling two negroes 10 drug him through
the puadles and muddy places OF tic street, aud
of the State House yard! AS he WAS taken past
th6 State House, three members of the le:;isla.
tire, including The Speaker, stood looking en-
and laughing! Tie crowd gradually increased
until it numbered several thousand persons,
headed by . troop Of horse.
After march Of three miles out Of the city, to
ptate calledzf the june s"n," tito procession
was stepped, asf1 preparations were ulndc Tor
punishment The populscc cried 4" Bran't hiul:'
Burn uim !" "Spiie him to death!"' aud made
threats against his Life by pointing pistols ut his
head, and gourisbins sticks in bis face.
the @igiia3ce Conl1li tee ordered him to strip
himself naked, aud forced a negro to assist in
tukin. off the clothes. \ cowliide was then put
into the negro hands, who was ordered to lay
Oh thirty ntHe ln.lics. (not twenty nine, re-
ported, aud to draw blond viii, every stroke
tion as exceeding iu severity anything which he
ever suffered before. Ills back aud lower
limbs are still covered with tho scars Of the
| woundsl
4 bu kct Of tar was then brought, and t,ro
| negroes We're ordered to rub it upon Ills bleed
| ing skin, and to cover him from head to waist.
! His hair and eyebrows were clotfeu with the
tur. After this part ofthc ceremony rms conc;u-
| led, fe WAS covered with feathers His panta-
looms were then drawn up to his waist, but he
was not allowed to put on his shirt OF coat. lie
was conducted in this exposed condition, a',:id
the stouls OF the populact, to the RAILROAD tmin.
aud was put on board the negroes Car, The
engineer blew contin.:.ssus blast on lis whistle
i 10 eigna!ize the perlormouce.
4 citizen Of Charleston oil the train, who saw
the poor fellows unhappy condition, stepped
into a neighboring hotel, before the starting oil
the cars, and broughta cup Of coffee and somc
biscuits TO re!iese the sufferers faintness. 1t
was timely git. and gratefully received Eut
the Southern. cllisalry gathered around ths
Southern gentleman. and threntened him with
| summary vengeance ifhe repeated his gcuerns-
itr. The exasperatcd crowd detained tile train,
and called for more tar aud feathers, for fur.
ther intiction upon their bleeding yictim. More
| tur Was brought, but Morc feathers cuu1d not
be found; and utter fresh tar WAS applied, COT
ton WAS stuck upon it instead!
When the traiu started for Charleston, tue
mob bade him good-by, aid told lin that when
he reached this city be would receive 130 lashes.
At every station between Columbia nud
Charleston, the engineer blew prolonged
whistle, and gathered q mob to add fresh in
suits 10 tie wounded naa. At length, on nr.
riging, he was met by the police, conveyed to
prison, and detained in his cell for an entire
week. Hire he received for the first time SOAP
and water to wash Of the tar, and oil 10 soften
his sores. 4 mob several times threatened to
break into The prison TO carry him out into the
street, and make q public spectacle OF him q
\ second time. But he was kept closely confined
4 physician called to see him, TO examine his
wounds, who told him that lis case was mild
one, comparing IT. with that Of u,cu who was
then lying ia tie City Hospital from the etFects
Of tire hundred l4shes which had almost put m
end to his life!
Tn Saturday morning last, ut seren O'Clock,
the poor workman was taken from prison, and
| conducted quietly on board the steamer for
New York. lie arrived in this city on Monday
last, where lc ~ still staring, recovering frou,
the effects Of his ill-ttea,ment, and looking for
work, which We hope he may find.
We hare only one comment to make on this
| case. This nun informed us ttlst, in conmou
| with the great mas. Of irishmen in this country,
he Aad alrays rottI Nth t4t Democratic p1rty.
lie had long known in Philadelphia that tie
Democratic party upheld slavery. but he neEcr
learned, until he went 10 South Carolina, that
slavery crushed the white laboreE, and that the
Democratic party, in upholdin. slavery, is
I therefore tbs eueguy Of 1rishmen, who are a
nation Of laborers. In the Southern States,
work is looked upon as dishonorable, sud work
men degraded. This is what an Irish stone
cutter learned while cutting stone IN South
| Carolina. We hupe the lesson of his expc1i-
| encc NAV reach the ears OF his couutf vmcui