The Van Buren press., 1867-09-06
Beverly Nash and the Radical Republican
PARTY.

negro who delivered speech at Column bia.
South Carolina, last spring on the same
stand with Gen. Wade Hampton-a speech
which was most decidedly conservative in
tone and temper, y correspondent of the
New York Times held, the other day, a
long conversation with Nash on political
questions. We copy as follows;
"Well, Beverly, what do you think Of
the political prospect in South Carolina p
Il think, sir, that the Republican party
will carry the State. They certainly will
from here down [; but it is more doubtful in
the up country districts. There are twenty
one districts which l regard as sure aud
nine that are doubtful In Georgetown
District there are $4,000 Blacks and only
220O whites-there can't be any doubt
about that going Radical; but where the
whites are in the majority things will so
against us"
"Doyo indorsc the Radical platform
adopted here the other day %
"Yes l indorse it heartily. There are
some things would not have put in; but
if you take platform, You mnst take it as
whole"
Then, have you not gone back on the
Conservative sentiments you expressed in
your speech of last March, when you spoke
with Wade Hampton ?"
NO. sir | should still like TO see all
disabilities removed from the whites, and
that we should all stand on the same foot
ing but when people say I'm not Rspub-
lcan, that's nonsense
"What do vou think Of the colored peo-
pie holding Office %
81 want to see them in some Offices
not high ones. What our people want in
this matter is more to test the sincerity OF
the Government 2"
"But do you believe that the colored
people will be so much purcr than other
people that, having the power, they wont
want to exercise it -
"Our leading men (colorcd) are against
the blacks holding high Offices Now,
some wanted while ago to run coored
man for Mayor Of Columbi we all hooted
at 1t. But il Mr. Robinson a white citizen
of Columbia and an old resident) should
run for Congress, we would all sustain him
We would rather have white people that
have lived among us than strangers We
are feeling so almost unanimously, This
has come about recently, and it is a great
change. The colored people have grown
suspicious of strangers. They know tha,
good men don't come South--they have
business at home, and from what we have
seen those that come are adventurcrs with
both hands open, like birds Of prey"
In this connection, he said;
If Twas in the Constitutional Conven
ton should certainly move resolution
don't know whether | should carry it
but should certainly vote to remove The
disability from judges ofthe Courts Of Com
mon Pleas 4; for of course our own people
are unfit to exercise this function, and We
have in South Carolina some Of the mos'
just and upright judges that ever lived
When the Judiciary is pure, liberty is pre-
served. "Our people will al
favor heavy taxation. There are a grea,
many who are in favor of confiscaton bu,
! am opposed to it myself, for have nc
idea titles would hold after the present gen
Grafton. My idea is to tax pine
lands, valued at one dollar per acre, TWEEN.
tyfve cents per acre, and so, pro rata, fol
other lands This would force owners Of
large tracts of waste lands to sell aud give
US chance.
y n
There is one thing the colored people will
have to get over, and that is extravaganza
When our folks have money there is nc
more liberal people in the world There
was always more money taken up at th'
collections in our churches than in th'
white churches. This was very well in it
way, but we must now learn economy
And as for industry, there would not be I
more industrious people on earth if thu
planters would only abolish the contrac
system and pay wages.
You don't like the contract system
then ?"
1.-The contract system was good at first
for if the colored hands had then been paiC
wages, they would have gone of. The,
had not learnt steady habits or what free
dom is. Then, il man had money h,
was not going to stand the hot sun, and h,
would go off at a critical time for the crop
SO it was better to keep the hands the Who'll,
year round. But now the pay system ii
better, for the people are willing to work i
they are sure they will get paid. Hal
wages at the end of each month, and tn,
whole balance at tho close Of the year, is th'
best arrangement"
"Have you any fear Of a war Of lace'
here, in this State ~