Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-06-20
Reorganization.


extracts from private letter lately re.
ceived from gentleman of character and
intelligence, who is now established on a
plantation on one of the Sea Islands in
South Carolina:
The future looks bright in prospect, and
suppose the country will take new start
in all the enttrpriGGs of civilization. Yet
revolving States ore to be ebrought back TO
their normal position in our system. Take,
for example, this State of South Carolina,
where the great treason originated, and
where there is less loyal feeling, l suppose,
among the white population, than in any
other State. name this State, too, be.
cause am particularly interested In it,
having bought, in February last, plauta.
tion Of two hundred nud seventy acres on
st. Helena Island. AS you may we'll imag.
inc, l feel no uncomfortable anxiety as to
how the problem of reconstruction for this
State is to be solved. There would be no
difficulty whatever IL there were as large
proportion of Northern men throughout
the State as there is in this district of the
Sea Islands. But on the larger povtion of
The territory of this State there are very
few white people, except those who either
heresies of Calhoun, or as subservient in
struments of these politicians have done
the bidding of the Aristocratic leaders. 1t
Is possible that the astounding results of
the rebellion may have opened the eyes of
some among this subservient class, and
| have made them less likely than heretofore
TO listen to reasonable counsels. l have
little faith, however, in their intelligence.
and l therefore fear that they would still be
apt to follow the lead of the cunning and
dishonest politicians. My plan for re.
generating this State-sud all others as
corrupt as this is-would be to hold it I'M.
der military rule until by immigration of
white settlers from the North, which 1
would tako every means to encourage,
there should be a sufficient udmixture of in
telligeuce aud loyal sentiment 10 make it
safe to inirust the control of the State to
its own Legislature.
Some persons profess to see a ready Tay
of removing all obstacles to the rCgenera.
tion of the revolving States by giving the
right of suffrage to the negroes. But the
Constitution leaves the matter of detCrmin
ing the qualifications Of voters with the
| States themselvee, and 1 do not see how
negro suffrage, If it we're ever SO desirable,
can be made use of in taking the first steps
10 reorgsnize State, OF be made con-
dition of the re-admission of such State,
unless it should be conterded that Con .
gress is bound by the Constitution to
guarantee ia republican form OF govern.
meur' 10 State, and that there can be no
republican government without universal
suffrage. This, it seems TO me, is straining
a point and will hardly be admitted as
valid reasoning. AS to the propriety of
giving the elective franchise to the negroes
La 81,
apply the same rule to them that would
apply to white men; that is, l would make
their right to vote depend on their pcsses-
sion of certain standard of intelligence,
say their ability to read and write. To
give to the negroes this right without ap-
plying any such test would be, it seems to
me, the greatest absurdity, 1t would be
only putting most dangerous power into
the hands of arltul rcgues for their own
aggrandizeuent.
When last wrote to you told iyou, 1
thiakr that many negroes on these Islands
had planted cotton on their own account,
that some of them would acquire consider
able sums of money from the sale of their
crop. Many Of them have thus, in fact,
got suddenly rich in their own eyes. 1
have myself paid out to 2s4 negroes the
sum of 2s,364T0, intrusted to me for the
purpose of making advances on consign-
ments of their cotton shipped to New York
to be sold for their account At the time
the shipments were made 1t was supposed
there would be balance Of several thous-
ands more to be distributed to these ne
groes, but the price of cotton has fallen SO
much that the proceeds of the sale will fall
considerably below the advances and the
necessary expenses. The largest advance
made to any one person was $3.50 so, and
this was made to o woman, who, with the
/ help of members of her family. had raised
cotton enough to produce this sum at 81
per pound. Many of the negroes, as you
may well suppose, show great want of
good sense in the expenditure they make
of their newly acquired wealth. Their
great passion at present is for horses; and
TO own horse with which "to ride to
church" as they say, has gotto be with
them test of responsibility. When Sher.
mans army passed through Beaufort, the
ohcers aud soldiers had good many
horses and mules, which they had cap.
tured in Georgia. to; dispose Of, and they
found ready purchasers at exhorbitant
them have since had reason to repent of
their purchases, as the animals have died
OF everwork and disease, and their owners
now mud themselves short of the means to
purchase food and clothing for their fami-
lies. Within afew days have had appli-
Gallons for assistance by loans from two
negroes to whom had advanced consid-
cradle sums ofmouey for the cotton they
bad ratsedi nnd who invested most of it in
noe horses that died soon afterwards. But
negroes, ike white people, must get their
pest teaching In the school of experience,
however bear it may be.
A great many of The colored peope here