The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-08-08
Glimpses of South Carolina Unionism

versation which took place at Washing
ton between himself and a prominent
South Carolinan, friend of Governor
Perry, and now an officer of the Pro-
visional Government, on the speech Of
Governor Perry, at Greenville, and the
political questions of the day. We quote
the greater part of his letter:
Not unnaturally began the converse
ton with Governor Perry's friend, the
delegate, by asking if this speech was
really genuine.
"Oh, yes! I was on the platform, be-
side the Governor, when he made it.
But, you see, the latitude in which a
speech is made makes good deal of diff
ference. Down there everybody thought
4 myself among them-that it was an
extreme radical Union Speech!"
"yVhat! where" he said, for example,
"that no man in the State could feel
more bitter humiliation and degradation
than himself in being forced back into
the Union? Is that what you call in
South Carolina radical Unionism
My impetuosity surprised my sallow-
faced friend. Turning his eyes in wild
establishment upon me, he said philoso-
phically:
"To understand Perry's speech, you
must place yourself in the standpoint
from which he spoke, and remem Der
the object he had in view. Because they
fail to do this, have observed that some
Northern newspapers fail to see the
force of the speech. He was endeavor-
ing to win these people back, and to
coax them into sending Representatives
to Congress again. To do this, of course
he had to conciliate the prejudices of all.
There is no better Unionist in South
Carolina or in the whole South than
Perry ~
rebel ?N
"No, not exactly. To be frank with
you, we were all rebels. The North has
never understood, and I doubt if it ever
will understand, the absolute unanimi-
ty with which, after the war was begun,
we all supported it; while there was
any use in it, we resisted secession; but
after the State seeded, our district,
which was always strongly Union, sent
more and better volunteers to the war
than any other"
"You mean, then, that after secession
was accomplished, the former Unionists
became more violent rebels than the
rest; and that, practically, not soul in
the State remained true to the Union,
except the negroes?"
"Well, l suspect you are little mis-
taken about the negroes. They're very
ignorant, and most of them were and
are governed by their masters notions"
Recurring to his statement that Gov.
Perry had been trying to coax the South
to come out to the elections
and vote for congressman, l asked him
if there was likely to be any difficulty
onthat score.
"Well, I guess there'll be a very small
vote; but" he added, with the skill of q
thorough bred politician, "those who
vote will very fairly represent the wish
es of all the rest. We are very proud
and sensitive people, and good many
have q natural disposition to shrink from
the oath Of allegiance to Government
they cast off forever nearly five years
ago. In year or two they'll come in
all right, and meantime they'll be very
glad of the results which the votes of
their neighbors will secure. South Car
DINA is and will be one of the very best
Uuion States we have.o
y "But what security have we in restor-
ing political power to community dis
posed towards us as yours was, and still
feeling as you now representa-
ooh, our people are impulsive, and
they are always decided one way or the
other"
Suppose the Representatives you
elect should be admitted to Congress,
and South Carolina should thus be cloth
ed with all her old power. You, who
before secession were the Union men,
will be the only voters now, as you Estate
1t; but in two or three years, of course,
everybody will vote again. Will not
you original Union men be again out
numbered by the original secessionists?"
I" l don't believe we ever were out.
don't believe there ever
was q majority for secession in South
Carolina"
THE poll books tell different sto-
ry."
Yes, but remember we had been
fighting secession for thirty years, and
had got tired of it. Men said these rest
less spirits will never be quiet until they
have tried secession. If we don't let
them try it now they'll keep us in con-
slant turmoil until we do. 1t is bound
to come some time, and we may as we'll
spare ourselves further trouble and let it
come now"
I'm other words, then, men said let
the Union be destroyed, with whatever
attendant horrors, rather than one
should be bothered to keep up this per-
petual struggle"
Well, not exactly that. You must
there was tremendous pres
sure. l myself had my house surround
ed by a hundred and fifty armed men,
one night before the election, because
they thought Twas Union man. There
was no making head against the cur
rent"
The South Carolinian was O gentle
man, at once by birth, culture, and bear
ing (Which is more than can be said of
much of the drift-wood now thrown
in Southern society in the
process of reorganization, and so l did
not add aloud the mental comment
which no man can help making on these
explanations-that if the Union men
were, as he said, in a majority, they
acted then like towards; and if they
were not, they are acting now like hypo-
critics. But could not help saying:
"By your showing, then, the rebel
element was resistless before the passage
IF the secession ordinance, and univer-
,aI after it. AS you frankly say, you
we're all rebels. We have incurred an
enormous debt in subduing you, and
We know that there is small party at
he North openly, and larger one
DESTROYS of repudiating that
lebt, in order to shake off the heavy