The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-03-21
South Carolina, Georgia and
Florida.

States.
@ From tue opinion you tids derived,
state what appears TO be the feeling Of the
people of South Carolina towards tile
Government of the United States; is it
friendly, or is it unfrcndly A. / think
that the feeling Of majority of the peo-
pie of South Carolina is not kindly and
can hardly be called friendly toward the
Government Of the United States dill
meet with old gentlemen who seemed TO
express an undoubted disposition 20 he
faithful in their duties as citizens Of tue
United States hereafter, but ! met with a
great many who exhibited i'll feeling and
a disposition 10 get around, in any way
they could, the requirements of the Gov
ernmcnt; disposition to oppose, if they
could, the purposes of the Government,
especially in reference to the negro; this
| found to very large extent their feel
ings as exhibited toward men who had
been Union men and loyal from the be-
ginning, was unmistakdble.
Q Was it bitter A. Yes, Sir; it
was bitter; found that that class of
men felt it deeply, and complained of it,
and complained also that the Gov
had, as they thought. allowed their enc
mics, as they called them, and the enc
mics of the United States, hearing,
and had not given them an opportunity
OF expressing their views and feelings,
and tn y complained that the result was
that they were actually ostracised in the
matter of all Government off .es, and
agencies, and influence, and that the same
feeling found very marked in reference
to Northern immigrants, those who had
come there with a disposition to settle
| found also, in conversation with these
Northern residents, that they agreed TO
the same; that there was no disposition
to foster immigration, and they expressed
to me the opinion that unless the United
States agencies and authorities were con-
tinued there, it would be impossible for
them TO remain there. In some countie,
they thought they would be forced away;
still, there was some difference in that
respect some communities were not 50
bad as others.
Q. What is the military force in S nth
Carolina ! A. The force has been con.
stanty reduced during these three months;
there are comparatively few troops there
now, although there are some in nearly
every county-a small garrison
Q. suppose the Union military force
should be withdrawn now from South
Carolina, what would he the effect of
their withdrawal A. | think it would
be source of great injury to the freed
men throughout the State; | think they
would suffer from it in their persons and
property, and in all their business rela-
lions AMI affairs; in fact, they would be
prevented, in the present state Of public
sentiment, from carrying on any lesiti-
mate business IN the State by those who
are felt to be naturally opposed 10 them,
former slaychol lers as a whole another
i'll effect that would doubtless follow the
withdrawal of the troops would be the
complete oSrIcsm Of the o'd Union men,
and Il thiId ill-ciltct would be the injury
to Northern residents, and the pre-, cntion
of Northern imm grafton; consider
these things inevitable.
Q Woul it be safe for the old Union
men of South Carolina an! the Northern
immigrant to remain in the State after
the withdrawal of the forces A. In
some portions of the State am convinced
that no Northern resident could remain
unless tLey curried favor in some way
with the exrebcls; The Union men who
live there II have live there are very
few in South Ca! ma, much fewer tn IN
in Georgia or i o ida; those who have
been iere might main there undisturb-
ell, but they would never have any polit-
ical privileges whatever; | can sat a
great deal more with reference to tie i'll
results that would come TO the negroes
from a withdrawal of the United States
forces.
The following is with regard to the
capacity of negro children and the pre-
judiccs of the whites.
q. Do you mean to be understood as
saying that you have observed no Inferior
ity in point Of capacity of colored to white
children a, As far as my obser, a N
went in those schools | must acknow ledge
that, considering the time they had been
at school. ! could not see that there was
any superiority, to what | would have
expected in white children, and | have
had experience in teaching myself in fr-
mer years would not be able TO expire )
the opinion that here was any inierioriy
considering the circumstances.
q. How extensive in South Carolina
is that prejudice Of which you spoke
against the education of the blacks; is it
confined to any particular class of whites
a. 1t is pretty universal; | would not
say that il is confined to any particular
class.
Q. Is that feeling as intense among the
higher classes Of whites in South Carolina
as it is among the lower classes A. Az
a class ] think it is; that is to say among
the wealthy planters; it exits as much
among those WHO are merchants and me-
chanics; that is the way they divide the
elias es there.
z. What is the sentiment among the
lower strata Of fsociety-amCng the poorer
white people OF Sculh Carolina A As
"a Al 81 Il