New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-10

bnous sonos: doubtless thew will for they come In
contact with that class that gives the most oscou
aging prospect. Like draws like, and they arc u
course, deeply impressed with ideas Oh lai ~ 4.or
| From Our speca, Correspondent
BK.ppooKs PoISr, ISLAND OF HILTON HEAD
| Before The expedition sails-before events OF moro
vital interest TO the nation have taken place, and
have shortened this war; prolonged 1t to an indei'
mite period, shall have opportunity to roam over
these islands and crafty my curiosity; to visit the
early homes of many of the eminent Rebels who
were born, but no. educated, in this Immediate vi
cinty. am now writing from the birthplace OF
one who has been called great statesman THE
greatest the South has produced profound phiios'
opher, u subtle mstaphysician, an able lawyer;
one who furnished during his life nearly all the
BRAN, and thought, and ideas Of his school, and
whose theories concerning the nature OF our Govern
ment have been embodied in the decisions Of nearly
all the higher Courts Of the Southern States, aud
finally were Endorsed by the highest tribunal known
in our land in the famous bred Scott decisiop.
| While in tie Army OF the Potomac l visited the
early homes OF Washington, Madison, Monroe, and
Richard Henry Lee, against whom there never
rested the least suspicion of dislOyaly and yet, in
one sense, were all Southern men, proud and aris.
tocratc and fond Of their acres and their negroes.
In this old square-brcx mansion, containing but
four and high v was !, born n 'n rsd a! anG
thought and wrote, and spun his theories, doubt
if this Rebellion had ever taken place.
Tnis mansion and plantation are peculiarly South
ern. The mansion, like DIneenths o! those in Vir.
giuia is nearly in RUNS aud yet the plantation is
The most ynu bic ON the island the finest Sea Island
cotton having for many years been raj ed upon 1t
without materially impoveIishing the coil
! The broad piazza, extending entirely around the
house. rests upon rotten els It's roof Is supporter
by crimb ug columns, which tIemble ~ every step.
ii tbs fat of Calhoun selected the site be must
have had fine eye for The teautiu in nature, for
more superb water view Can hardly be found, GER
taiuly not upon this leland. From the front porch The
dark heavy lines of Fort Pulaski can lie seen IN the
distance with the oaks Of Tytee island still further
Off To the right Savannah River, Catalogue Sound,
and the beautiful Island Of Dswfuskie, covered with
live oak and Panettos. On the left the blue ocean
ever rol ing ever murnNring, chanting Natures
grand anthems.
This Island having been occupied by National
troops for than eighteen months, not the Least
yestige Of a fence be found upon this or any
other plantation. NJ. Binyard, who occupied the
Calhoun plantation before the war, il IA Rebel and
ia now within the lines of the Rebel army. His
negroes, 80 in number are still at work on tne
plantation, upon the same terms as all the Others
upon the islands In our possession. The able,boded
men and women now at work IN the fields, prs
pairing the soil for the next cotton crop. With great
heavy hoes, which might have been used at the
North during the Revolution, but which are now
TO be found only in some old curiosity shop, they
back away the hive long day at the dry weeds aud
old cotton stalks, with no taskmaster 70 urge them
on and appropriate the results OF their labor. All
are free now to work or play. The Government not
having paid them for What they did last year, IL Is
not surprising that many of them prefer 10 gather
oy sters and catch fish and sell them TO the soldiers
rather than 10 pl0d in the cotton fields
Superintendents who are ambitious tn make favor. |
able reports with regard to the quantity of cotton or
corn raised upon the plantations under their
charge blame them for leaving the feds, and seek
ing other and more profitable employment. But
who else can
Oysters and fish command money, and many ne
groes mako from 81 to - per day. Work in the
Tcotton-feld commands " promises - pay" at some
indefinite period and articles Of necessity luxury
cannot be purchased with them.
Give the negro liberty, not license, and we need
not lie very solicitous about bis temporal welfare.
He will provide for himself much better than we
can provide for him. To learn to read, Of course,
the negro must have teachers 30 must any one
else, white or black. Ny faith in the ultimate eie-
walton Of the negro to full equality with the white
man, instead Of having been weakened, has been
strengthened by welt TO South Carolina.
But to return 10 the old Calhoun mansion. IL 10
now occupied 10 sgnal station for our army. Com |
municaiiOn from the headquarters OF Gen. Hunter |
10 Fort Pulaski 10 bud by way OF this point Nearly
all that transprts in Ossabaw Sound, the Whining
ton, Ogoechee and Savannah Rivers, aud upon tue
Islands along their banks is immediately transmitted
by the signal corps to Gen. Hunter, at Hilton Head,
and Admiral Dupont on toard OF the Wabash. In
the absence Of the telegraph the signal corps are OF
the greatest value TO the army. Indeed, there s /
hardly all hour in the day or night in which their |
signal flags or flaming torches cannot be Moth
ing but dense fog or cloudy state OF the atmos.
phcfe interrupts communicating. TIA lifting that
the central point for conveying Intelligence concern
ing the operations against Charleston and Savannah
should be from the mansion in which the Great Nui.
LITER first saw the light. Mp.