Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-05-19
POLL U O0AL. .
Col, Ashmore.

Fin the course of running debate on slave |
ny, in the U. s. House of Representatives,
bIr Stanton, of Ohio, remarked that there
were no Schools in the South for the educa-
tiou of tho masses when our Representative
took part in tho debate
Mr. AsiMpRE.. ] would like to, make one
remark in reply to tho gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. STANTON. PerlapsI ought, IN JUS
tice to some gentlemen here, to correct a
remark that made. Perhaps. that was too
wide an assertion, The idea that intended
to convey was, that in the higher slavery
civilization; in the heart of it; i'll the cot
ton-growing region, where the country iR
occupied in farms of one or two thousand
acres each, there can be no. such thing us a
oommon-school system---no suclr tlting
having the facilities of edscation cxtspacd
to- the whole people; and that it is inconsst-
ent with the existence of slavery itself to
disseminate cducation among the whole pco-
pie.
Mr.. AsuMonT. Will the gcntloman from
pennsylvania allow me few minutes? L
would like to say two or three words in reply
to the gcntiemap from Ohio.
Mr.. LoNaNEcKEns 1t might provoke re-
ply.
Mr. .AsHMoRE. think nos
Mr.. LoNGNEcKEA. Then ] yield to the
gentleman,
Mr., .AsnMonE. Mr. Chairman, want to
disabuse the mind of the gentleman from
Ohio in regard to che matter OH which no has
just spokcn--that of common schools /
represent in part here one of the principal
plantation States of the South. L resided
for twenty years of my lifc-and L am not
n very old man yct---in the midst of a plan
tation country; and it is true that where
there are very large tracts of land in the
hands of proprietors, with an immense num-
Bor of slaves operating upon and cultivating
these lands, you may not have school houses
for all the children in the ncighborlood,
because families live TOO far apart from each
other.
But will tell the gentleman from Ohio
that he will find, near the residence of al
most every SUCH planter, school-housey where
are educated the children of the planter and
the children of the ovcrsccr Let me say in
addition, that in nine cases out of ten, the
children are educated at the planter expense
and, of course, without any cost to the over.
seer. Those of us who arc smaller planters
and shareholders, and who lived in more
thickly populated neighborhoods, unite and
pay school teachers salaries, or so much pei
scholar The children of the shareholders
aud of the non-slaycholdcrs are educated
together, under the free and common -schoo
systems combined. am proud, Mr.. Chair
man, to acknowledge in this presence that
was the teacher of one of these schools TO
three years. Tho best portion of the educa
ton have was obtained while was engaged
teaching others.
In the more populated districts of Soutl
Carolina schools ares numerous as they ar
in any of the free States; and, sir, so far a
the higher institutions of learning are con
csrned, let mo tell the gentleman that, if h
will examine the next census returns, ne vii
an5 that South Caroi;na has as many collie
ges and classical schools as any other commu
ty in this Union. 81 'N8a
Mr.. Chairman, | will disabuSe the mln
of the gentleman from Ohio [NTr. Staaton
with reference to the manufactures OF nj
State The manufactures there, sir, ar
growing as fact as the necessities of the peo
ple demand them. In my own house-a
he put the question to mel will state
there are articles Of furniture, manufacture
in South Carolina, that will compare favor
ably with any Of those manufactured In tn
best establishments in the North. Indeed
ali my furniture, ~ the manufacture Of m
State, excepting, it may be, piano, an
some articles of rosewood and mahogany
The same may be stated for many of the ger
tlenien OF wealth in the community in whic
/ live; and SO fas from the slave labor, *
tarding or reducing the value Of free labo
ten years ago, could only command 81
0es dicni, now readily gets 81 90. Som
Elpefior mechanics cannot be employed ;
sess wages than fiyq dollars per diem
NGw, ono word 90 the extension of slav
~. why, sir, We we've, With here and thel
solitary exception, PsFfectly eatisfaed in u