Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-02-28

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A SERIOUS EVIL.
One result of the unsettled condition Of this
State, during and Immediately after the war, was
to develope and encourage good deal Of previous
ly latent rascalty This was first manifested, soon
after LEES surrender, in the introduction Of a Sc
ries of Charges" as they were delicately termed
upon Confederate stores of all descriptions The
soldiers who had fought the battles Of the South
thought and with reason, that they had the best
claim to inherit this property, on the death Of the
Confederacy. Many ofthese vindicated their claim
by force of arms, and secured a fair share of the
public plunder; large portion being obtained by
that class of warriors known as "hospital rats, y
many of whom made their first charge at that time.
And they performed their task so well as to elicit
the very general opinion, that if these veterans
could have been led to the sterner charges OF the
battle field the war might have resulted different
ly. Had this temporary disregard Of the distinc,
ton between nae1n, and taan stopped with the at
tacks on government property, no great harm would
have followed as much of this plunder was after,
ward disgorged, under the skiful pressure of Yam,
kee agents, in search of pubGcand con6scated prop
erty. But the ease with which the spoils Of the
Commissay, Quartermaster and Surgeon were
captured" induced some enterprising warriors
and some non-combatants also, to try their hand on
private property. As a consequence, many things,
horses and cotton in particular began to disappear
50 frequently that owners found it necessary to stand
guard over their property, in order to save it.
After the authority of the United States began
to be firmly established, and few offenders had
been either caught and punished, orrun out OF the
country, property became little more secure
though, to thisday many persons keep their cotton
snugly slowed away under or inside Of their houses.
A still further improvement in the state Of affairs,
has been brought about by the opening Of the
courts, and the regular working Of their machine
ry for the detection and punishment Of crime. But
the seeds of decentralization, sown in lawless period
of war and disorder are still bearing their legiti-
mate fruit. While high-handed robberies and
wholesale plundering have almost ceased, petty
thefts are still in vogue if not actually increasing
in frequency.
The statement mig ghtshock Mr. SUMNER, but it's
nevertheless true, that the most of the depredations
now committed can be traced to free American citl-
zensof African descent White men, having found
out the danger of the business, have, as general
rule, quit stealing and negroes have taken it up as
profession. 1t is sad truth that few freedmen
can be trusted even to feed horses for fear Of thel
stealing the corn given them for that purpose.
Possessing by nature dull moral sense, and
stimulated by the example of white men as above
described they are still further encouraged to steal
by the absence of fear of punishment AS they
confne their thefts to articles Of small value, the
expense and trouble of prosecuting them is more
than the damage in each case is worth; though
their petty larcenies amount in the aggregate to
heavy loss.
Our people should take some pains by concerted
action in this matter, to stop these little rascatles
which are fast growing to be an intoerable nuis'
ance. At present, everything eatable must be kept
under lock and key. Hogs and sheep are never
safe two hundred yards from the bedroom Of theil
owner, and some Of our farmers prefer keeping
their hogs in halfstarved condition, as being less
likely to fall victims to midnight providers. AS tol
fowls the sanctity of the hen-roost has been so fire.
quently broken into, that many good ladies, who
once took pride in the feathered pets, have conclu
ded not to make any effort to raise chickens this
year. We know of several fororn fiocks OF gam
ders who have become involuntary communities
of widowers by the ravages of freedmen, who pre-.
fer the female of this species for cooking purposes
These are but few examples of little rascalities,
which could be almost indefinitely multiplied, but
they are sufficient to show how the country must
suffer- if this evil is not checked. Unless this pro,
pensity to steal is quenched in some way, no man
can call his field, garden, orchard, potato-patch,
corn-crib or smoke-house, or his eatable livestock
of any description, strictly his own
The surest remedy is for every one, who loses
anything of the kind to exert himself with energy
to discover the thief, and when discovered, to pun
ish him to the extent Of the law, although it cost
something to do this. Many persons do not even
take the trouble to look for their lost property
thinking it will do no good. But as long as freed
men are allowed to steal with impunity, it is offer
ing them premium to live without work, and O
course they will prefer it. By the time few O
them have been consigned to the Jail or the peni
tentiary for their dexterity, the rest Of them vii
see the propriety of subsisting by more homes
means.
! Our people sometimes encourage stealing, with
out being aware of it, by buying poultry, eggs ant
other little articles of country produce from freed
men, 1t would be safe estimate to say that ON
half of the articles thus bought are stolen. A
many of our farmers refuse, in their contracts, t.
allow the raising of fowls to freedmen, those wh'
wish to put an end to this particular class of thets
can easily do so to the extent of refusing to buy
things from freedmen, without the consent of thei
employers.
A good crop year may perhaps relieve our peo
ple to some extent, by supplying the freedmen will
plenty to eat of their own, and thus removing tn,
temptation to steal food from others. But as nom
of them, that we know of, are suffering from wan
of food, a mere abundance willnot probably relnov
the desire to steal, which is in many instances,
hereditary and constitutional part Of their nature.