The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-02-20
ServiIe Iusurrection in Soufh Carolina

We III nermitted. saws the Philadelphia Inquirer
of Nov. Both, to copy the following letter, written 70
a lady in this city, from a relative IN Snarles.on,
South Carolina. The statements made therein may
he relied upon as an accurate description OF affairs In
that city ut the present time
CHARLESTON, ) G., Nov. 23d-~ disguise tne
truth as we may, all thinking men here feel their
nosition peculiarly unsafe ; and those who are sur
rounded by female relatives have their anxiety IN
creased q thousand fold. We do not fear Tor the
clash of contending armies, though this Is sunciehtiy
terrible 20 excite much apprehension even anna
the carnage Of war the veriest boor within the armies
would respect women though traitors Try 10 'each
us that the Northern war cry IS " beauty anu
Booty 10 but We dread last at midnight the fearful
sonnds NJ seryile insurrection shall salute our ears.
You know the negroes are far superior In nunoer 10
the whites, and now that SO many are aosehL IN 'ne
| army their majority is greatly increased II tney
rise. we are in their power. Do you know what that
means, Remember the history of all servile insurrec-
tons, aud recall the horrors enacted by the race "hom
onnression has helped to brutalize. VI course the
masters would fight desperately, but how could the
small number Of male whites defend their helpless
wives and daughters against n tenfold force Oh mau,
dened slaves, whose strength and ferocity are wen
known. -
several revolts have been attempted ; two quite re-
Gently, and in these cases whole families were muruer-
ed before the slaves were subdued- linen came
retaliation of the most fearful character AT any
time where servants assail or murder white persons,
speedy and severe punishment Is administered ou'
now they do not wait for the action OF the Ia"
Lynch law prevails. In these reSOlts, which oOSui-
red in the interior Of the State, most OF the servants
who participated were either shot IN the connlct OF
as soon as captured, and two Of them were burned &c
death. To say they were burned TO death seems Q
simple sentence, devoid of any special horror bu'
the scene as descIi' d TO me by n witness was TOO
dreadful for mortal eyes. Imagine the poor wretcnes
red With the blood OF their masters, covering In th'
hands Of those from whom they need not look ioi
pity not even for the time to repent OF deeds Whict
exclude them from hope hereafter. They are doggee
and defiant toward their captors, until their doom i
pronounced-a fate Of which they have a special nor
ror. Dragged to the place Of execution, within sign
of their own houses, surrounded by their FELLOW
servants, who are compelled TO witness the sight
they are bound TO strong trees, with great heaps o
pine knots piled close around their persons "hel
the blaze reaches the bodies, and the sensitive mes
peels and crackles. their cries are too fearful to b
heard by human ears. Nor is the torment soon over
The flames scorch the upper part Of the bodies, pro
ducing exquisite agony, but slowly burn into IN
yitals, until the wretched sufferers go to Judgmen
with all their crimes upon their heads. L undertoo
to say the apprehension Of servile instruction lost II
power when, as time passed, all seemed peaceful : $
we easily fell back into dreams OF security unit
these events aroused us to watcbfulness. This ne"
is suppressed as far as possible, and kept entirel
from the papers. for the negroes hear what Is pu6llst
ed if they do not read il. and such examples migt
produce disastrous consequences