The national Republican., 1861-12-02
THE NEGROES,

We publish, on the outside, some interesting
and authentic accounts of the behavior of the
negroes near Port Royal, and Of the measures
being taken by the planters on the coast Of
South Carolina and Georgia to prevent their
property of that description from falling into
our hands.
The letter of General Drayton confirms the
statements made here about week ago, by a
lady just from that vicinity, that the majority
Of the negroes are disposed to remain peace
ably upon their plantations, and to continue
their ordinary labors. Undoubtedly they ex-
pect to be freed, or rath'r. they suppose them
selves to be already free, by the flight of their
old masters and overseers. But instead Of
their proving to be ferocious savages. at loose
as the phrase is, to murder, ravish, and burn
as the case has been pictured to us in fancy
sketches, they prove to be docie and peace
able, just as we know the negro to be in plain
pr ,se and matter of fact. The same alarms
were sounded to the British people, while the
Emancipation Act was under discussion, but
the event proved that the eight hundred thou
sand negroes liberated under II, passed into the
condition of freedom with Jut single act Of
violence, and they have proved themselves
now for more than thirty years, the most loyal
and lsw-abidiug subjects of the British Grown.
The zane thing has been true in the more re-
cent experience of the French colonies, and
would have been true OF St Domingo, II emap-
cipation there had not been complicated with
wars between the whites and the free mulattoes,
and by the attempts Of France to retain its
hold Of the island by force of arms. 1t will
prove to be true in this country, to whatever
extent emancipation may result, either from the
wise policy of those who WELD national power
or from the good fortune of events.
The coast planters in Georgia and South
Carolina, as we'll as the shareholders of the
cities of Charleston and Savannah, are, as will
be seen, hurrying off their slaves into the inte,
rior for safe-keeping. Their masters, instead OF
drawing an income from their labor, must now
feed and clothe them, in the hope of the return
Of the time when they may be worked again
The losses Of the planters, wherever our ar
mics go In regions like that Of the South Csro
lima coast, must be ruinous. The whole crop
of the year are lost, and substantially all thei
negroes, because the few they can save by run
ming them off will hardly pay the cost of keep
ing them in idleness durieg an indefnite period
The entire slave property Of South Carolina
convertible iuto cash before this war began, a.
more than two hundred millions of dollars, snd
yielding heavy per centage upon that valua
ton, is in jeopardy, and the most its owners car
now hope Is to save some little remnant of it
Such an engulang of private fortunes has no
been witnessed by this generation. The capi
tai of the Charleston banks, which consists O
the notes of planters, or Of merchants who's
solvency depends upon the solvency of plant
ers disappears like vapor before the sur
South Carolina will continue to exist on tn
map, but the South Carolina as we have know
it in politics and in Industrial economy, i
now in its death throes. Its millionaires 0
yesterday, are paupers to-day. Their punish
ment equals their crimes, and has been a
speedy as it is signal.
So long as the great shareholders Of tn
Southern coast had nothing to do but'to sent
to their Northern border to fight, the poo
whites " OF whom they were only too glad t.
get rid, and to supply them with arms stolel
from the national arsenals, they were able h
regard the progress of this war with compare
tive complacency. But now that it is brough
home to their own doors, it Is very diferen
affair. 1t is the vulnerable heel OF this rebe
Achilles, which is found at last. The negroe
upon the great plantations, whose labors hav
sustained Southern credit, are now reached
and the whole fabric Is tumbling iuto ruiz
Great and memorable will be the fall thereo