Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1861-02-09
plcKENs COURT HOUSE, s. G. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY O. 1861

" euJ any JbuInS vi rSOClHi lulCTCOuTSc. DuJ
need not dwell on this subject. The thing is
IMPOSSIBLE aud every one of sound Judgment
and right principles knows that such state of
things cannot be allowed.
Besides, such a state of things would be the
greatest calamity that could bcfal our slaves
The very disrcSpcct that would be shown them
by every body would be a constant annoyance
to their feelings and hiudrance to success in
occupations. White labor and black labor
wonld he constantly brought into competition
and there would be endless jcaousies and
St,ifcs, Such,is precisely the condition of
free negroes at the North, where they are the
most miserable and despised of all men,
Would that abolitiohists would oXpcnd some
of their pllilapthropy(D for the black race up
ON those of that race who live at their, own
doors, many of whom have been deludod into
state of freedom 10y the hypocrisy and deceit
ofthcse 80 called phlunthropsts 1t is "A well
known fact that many of these poor, neglected
and desRscd NEGROES, would gladly return to
the sunny South and exchange their freedom
for a state of slavery! Aye, and some of them
have escaped the clutches of their-new, tyran-
nicnl lords, and come back to their former
masters; and some arc now singing o car
ry me back, 0 carryme back to old Virgin
i"'s Cor old Carona's) shore" &c.
But again were our slaves set free amongst
us they would be ina far worse condition gen
orally, as to tho supply of their temporalwants
than they arc now, and many of them would
be reduced to penury and starvation. As
they arc now, their wants are all supplcd-as
well supplied as any class of laborcrs on the
face OF the earth yea, will SAY they are bet
ter supplied. They are fed and clothed
when they aro sick medicine and nursing are
,Nrn ,1nl al 1 4
their masters are bound to provide for them;
and when parents die, they know that their.
children will be cared for. In all these re-
spccts, sef-interest, if no othcr motive will
insure these benefits to the slave from his mas
ter. Alas how many poor laborcrs at the
North and in England, and all over the world,
suffer more in all these respects than ever our
most neglected slaves Indeed there is no
class of persons, considered as whole, who
have greater reasons for contcntment and hap
piness than the majority of this class; and
they rould be contonted and happy, if Aboi-
tionists would let Men, alone, and cease sing
ing in their ears the "sircn song" Of "glor-
Gus freedoms - which would be- indeed, nglo-
rious poverty and shamcl
lis it not a well known fact that thcnegro race
are naturally indotcnfdnd ,caStcfai, and have
very little Judgment to plan or energy TO exc
cute! Were they set free they would soon
be cat their wits ends" to know how to pro-
vide for themselves and their families: and,
if they have work to do, they would soon grow
weary of it, and would be ever contriving to
see how. they could get along with the least la
bor. Consequently, they would soon findthem.
selves out of employment, if they depended on
the hire of their labor; or they would soon be
" out of corn and meat" were they to depend
upon their own free wW exertions to obtain a
support. Besides their wastcRl and untco-
no'nical habits would soon destroy the profits
tof their labor. These things are SO manifest
so clearly proven by the experience of even
She .ew free negroes who reside amongst us,
that need not dwell further on the subject
And now, in conclusion, it may be asked
"what has all this to do with us and our in
tcreets in this rnountain region? We have
few, If any slaves, and our climate and pro-
ductions donot require the labor of negroes?"
In reply to this enquiry, j have only a few
things TO say: 1st. / hope that there is pa
ta'foti&ta enough in tho mountains to stpndby
The honar ard tic interests of. tie sea-board
and of the whole State~-aye, and Of the whole
South We. are one brotherhood and our
interests are so intcrlinked that what affects
one affects tue whole. And | am proud to
learn that in Pickens, Gas in all the other.
mountain districts) there arc hundreds of pa
trots, who. are ready at a moments warning
to march to the scene of conflict, to battle for
"their country and their couhtry's rights"
whether IN tho mountains or on the scs-shorc
I'd. Although the mountain region may not
dcpond directly upon the production of sugar,
cotton and rice for It's prosperity, and there
fore feel no need of slaves in the country, yet
their own interests are Indirectly at least, in.
gcl.ed IN thss matter For, in proportion to
the diminution ofthe wealth of State-that
which is, derived ffom tho products Oft soil
lin that proportion do all the citizens of eve
ry ehss' and of every section, become the suf,
ferers, both in respect to taxation and thepro-
curing of at least the ",comforts of life" Bnt
D'wiH not elaborate this.point, since it appeals
to the e'sclfshaess of human nature, which ia a.
crime that fcelunwiiiing to charge upof my
portion of the noble, generous and patriotic
South
Let others count the cost oftho Union III
dollars and cents but our estiupte of it's val
he is based upon States Rights, and princ-
pies of honor, truth, justice and religion The
f'nion has bcen dissolvedupon that basis, and
pray that the God Of Justice, who is also the
=" Lord of Hosts" will helpus to maintain our
"Indepcndence now and forever"
r. s,t, IN i-l--.a, .s,.--.-.zi r. M'
- IN!the Illinois Legislature, Mr.. Green,
member from Egypt, said '',' ~. 5,..-.
% al Shouta khia Stafe n IlIinoisI' ho ;nuol "a T.,