The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1866-01-10
The South-Its Duty and Dcs-
; '.. tiny.

the views of the most hopeful class OF
Southern people. What be says of the
West lulia experiment, will receive fur
lher e'uci idat;on iu the ne&t number OF
the Review, when we hope to give full
examination 10 the recent work Of Mr..
'Sswell, who visited the islands aud fur
FISHES an elaborate 9 and favorable exposi
'iion Of their presen. condition. EDrron
DEBow's REVIEW.
: On the fourth Of July, 1865, tie ci,i,
zens Of Columbia, s. G, were the spec
ta:ors OF scene most impressive and in.
Eructive. A large body Of freedmen
gathered from the surrounding districts.
united with their coun,rymen in tie city
~ celebrate the day Of national festivity
There were not less than twenty thousand
present on the occasion yet no act o.
violence nor even Of iucvlli,y was perpe
Hsted. No disturbance occurred. All
were sober, ssdxts and courteous. The
cap Of freedom had not made them de
EHous. These sanguinary barbarians,
who, according TO the theory OF fanati.
cam. had been KEEP. in .ulj-ction by the
Whip aud the chain, adjusted themselves
90 their rev relations With q calm digni
" which, however subversive Of the afore.
said theory. reflects the greatest credi,
upos their former masters. The ins,i,u
tion Of slavery had tran ,forne,l the Afri.
san savage into the nucleus " the Ameri
can ciiixsu. Il. * ,;
The South is thus vinI:cs,ed from un.
mxited cslumny. 1.-The past at least is
sscure;" and the Southern master. thus
unexpectedly cited Defvte the woh1's
tribunal. hSs proved ihs, lie has di.charg
ID bis high Wu.,. Gy the employment Of
Nh institution devolvsi upoa him by the
cupidI,y of the North, ~ the moral i'm.
rrosem~nt of the class thus committed TO
his charge. That institution no longer
exists. The stern nrb;lrament Of the
a~o'd has decree,l It's esrih c,ion, and the
South. acluiessing i" the inevitable r.
sul', hxs su,reuder.d lis trust. A new
eta has da~ned upon il. The Relations
Of labor to capital assumes n different
position. By arevolu,ion unexampIed
inibe history Of mankind, philsrthropic
projectors have converted slaves into
ftesn-n. ~hhout waning or preparation,
without that apprenticeship which has
been hitherto deemed the appropriate
and even necessary transition from bon
daes to ibersy. 1t remains to he seen
bo~ the South will u.eet this new condi-
,ion Of affairs. Ia i, adequate to tie
crisis 7 To deny this. would be an un
generous reflection upon its established
character for sagsci'y aid ea.rgy. A
people that converted an inconsidera
foreign plant into the sutocrat Of the
commerce OF The civilized world, and
made cotton king. defying and di.tancing
oil composition in it's cultiv alton; that
held sLtsy for four years the most pow
eiful Government on The face Of the earth,
and succumbsd NJ lsst only to ovsrwhelrn.
lag numbers, wsginga War Of d,vns,a
ton. p'under and rspine, has se:,ied the
question q ,bsir energy aud eudursnes.
Sdsh msn even an enemy might he proud
10 claim as brethren. They have ssser'
tel their high lineage, aud proved them
selves adequate TO any task WHICH Provi
dence may devolve upon them.
The vital question Tor the South a,
the present time, is: Can the colored
man be prof,abIy employed IS a free
Iaborerf VIII he work or is be an exI
cep,ion TO the general rule, which de.
terminss that when the Isborer is reman
ded TO his own interests he will prove
most effeesivsi The results Of the ex.
pertinent in the British West Indies
would throw great light upon this inqui'
~. But unfortunately the requisite
documents are not at hand. Gen. Sber
mss,. .in ,his, devastating occupations and
rHyschss, has 20 effsc,oaIIy done Lis
eAessa work, that the private libraries, 10
which We might repair ies information,
liS - ashes. We can Avail oursslvs,
.o0ly of such Information - b within our