The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-23
The Poor White OF the South,
BY MR. E. n. sEABRooK.
From the Galaxy October.

From the Galaxy October.
Tho following is an extract from MIR. Seabrooka
article:
No statement of causes, however potent nor GnI
mere general description could prepare 'lie iiu
Of one unaccustomed to the South lor tne iIat'1
of the condition of this people as ~ Was
in its fullest development. With exception - H. mr
few who were possessed OF small tracts ,nn ui 'ts
own right, they were to Oe found "squattiIS
that vulgar phrase in ordinary usc-upO POI 9,
of the estates of the wealthy, generally III tnc
depths OF the forests known as pine DarIene upIn |
lands so sterile as not to attract the vi U
owner or to repay the expense OF recilllhS l III;
Their scanty subsistence was earneu py .9 ti
vaton Of small patches of corn potstoes anu s
vegetables and by the produce OF noros Oh c..,o
hch grazed upon the uninclosed aacts 90 ssuai
Mt the South TEoir habitations were unconloI Va,
BILE structures built principally OF IoS ~ a., ~
SUI erior in many cases, to the Wretcheu nE,Sio VI
the poorer class of tho peasantiy OF Helanu'
Mo- os these tenements were 80 small as to con-
tain no more than two and someGlmes oe' ISL OH,
gle apartment within the narrow nults vi mnEso 5;
crazy walls whole families, men ana ~oeli' Hl irs
criminatey, were to be found cloMaea ,;fI ther
The appearance of these people ACCORDED WIN ele
miserable condition. Ignorance anu sico
their features with brutal and forbddlng aspect
the poverty and insufciency OF tnelr 99u, atu "
uncomfortable mode OF their lie, a9ueu " IIo
effects OF an unUcaltuy CiL1uneS,
with hardly ON exception, lean In person ailG pai
lid in complexion; while proverplai t,s
and the raggedness of their attire compie1eu 'no
reyolting traits of the unhappy picture. J.. a. =
Nothing could possibly be more cneeru, ,S VI tho
ave than one of fheso little settlements amid the
dreary landscape Of tho pine barrens, tne sicky
vegetation upon the sterile plot and the nalI-ruh-
ed shanty, with logs and shingles unronesou S W
the tonch OF the whltewash, and ann raliu usln
with the stains of weather. The contrast could
b,,@ cfrikinp IN a stranger, VIII, per-
haps, but "a mile before, had passed tnrouSn tne
happier regions OF fertile iowand along some sWe,
ling river through fields teemlng wlth rlch IaIIrai
productions, and along by stately mansions, sns
il hard to realize that the refined patrlcians OF
whose splended hospitality perhaps he had Just
partaken, were members OF one race, ci.lAons 1 VI
the same country, with the semi-barbarous den-
sea5 starn@ u, att at him from the sides ofthe highway
The moral degradation OF this people, VINO COM
nosed tbe rank and file of the rebel ermy during
the War, was truly appalling. .,o,,,, aorr
It is but natural to expect that woe shouiu noui
sh and abundantly produce its deaaiy n ~ tno
circumstances The whole tenor OF TINS dlscourso
forbids the idea OF anything invidious IN lts am
but the full truth with regard to ths particuiar
feature OF the subject ID 30 appalling lhat some
preface s necessary as well to allay ncreduhty as
to remove that odium which the fidelity OF such
description must inevitably excite. 1t IN only ne
cessary to notice the darker traits OF the picture
The utter absence OF the sentiment OF honesty
among them was shown IN the un!ersa p' uoSposif Sc
ton to petty theft and in the continued series OF
robberies and depredations, by which they uneon-
sconsly made reprisal upon their richer neighbors
for the benefits which the latter enjoyed at 80 ati
q cost to them. The records OF the courts showed
an astonishing frequency of those hsgrant crimes
which are moro apt to fall under tho contemplation
and the penalty OF the law, such as murder IL all
its degrees even including forms to which the in-
stincts of the human heart are opposed, az OF pa
rents by children, or children Dy tnet paIeantss' as
That higher spirit which seems natDetofhe Inhab-
itants OF the warmer cliTes. and WHICH was dis,
nlayed in the case OF the planters in traditional
yalor and chivalorous constituencies 10 INJURY UT
insut, declined with this class into prevailing
fareeity which too often was evncea IN tiie raoss
signal instances Of violence and outrage. Their
nersonal encounters, prowass in which was almost
the sole object OF their pride and amDltl9l, Mle
their traces in the hideous Disagreement OF many
a ruffianly comtenance, and cases OF murder nave
been known, 30 marked by wantonness, tnat Julies %
hesit.ted TO convict almost willing to believe that
the utter absence OF any motive must OF itself nave
proved the insanity of wretches who seemed mere
" to have obeyed the wicked caprlce Oh saVaeS
disposition. "A promiscuons deDauchery proved
their insensibility to the obligations OF virtue or 10
feeling of modesty; and the history OF many local,
Ties Was disgraced by instances OF the grossest
and nost reyolting incest. To complete the mel
ancholy pc crtraiture that must Pe added whlch Gu
hanced all their vicious propensltles, the Almost u
yersal pre- lence ofintemporence to degree which
knew no limits or restraint except from the nsui-
cheney OF their means. Strict JUSTICE demands the
remainder that these statements were nos tt9o VI
certainly not to the same extent, OF al lhal'luu-s
OF this class, fuany OF whom, although pour anu anu
ignorant. were vet quiet and orderly, SOBER ana
yirtuous: but the picture is unhappiiy too iaithl1i
'to the class at large who were undoubtedly SUNK
into depth Of depraVity which would nave Struck
q stranger with horror, and would also, perhaps,
have excited deep regret and more e haI
not been for that alienation Of feelings winch dI-
ference of rank always creates, and that lndlner-
ence which habituai contemplation invariably en-
genders, 49,,
Ofthe effects Of the political revolution OH this
perhaps moro SO, than would seem to be JUSTIFIED
by the circumstances of the case.
The abolition Of slavery will present to the "poT
whites" opportunities Of obtaining those employ
ments for which they are fitted by present capacity
The opportunity will breed the habit OF industry
and the desire of progress; industry will create
thrift, and thrift will result gradually III mental
and moral improvement. These influences will all
in turn react upon each other, and the impulse
thus impaired will lift them undoubtedly above
their past abasement The developments of the
last two years have been fully corroboratlve OF TINS
view Already their services arc, for the flrst time,
in general demand, and ndsimultaneously all over tho
country many Of them have been taken INTO en-
poyment. They arc recovering the place IRON
which too long they have been driven, ana TINS
point once reached, they will stretch upward from
t to higher aims and better attainment5; In the
meantime the steady decadence of the higher class
will bring the two nearer together, and eventually
society will be welded into more compacG anu
homogeneous mass, offering to all individuals
equal @ privileges and the same rewards. This view
offers an alienation to the decline OF the planters.
The The depth to which they would have fallen before,
il they fell at all, will nc longer exist, and their
4 hn Sfayan narhaDS uDOQ some
middle plane. where they will commingle with tho
rising masses of the other people in the establish
ment Of the substantial yeomanry which are at
once, once the pride and chief support of all modern
nations The phrase, ''sinking among !he squat
the declining fortunes of falling family, will
lose S % its dismal significance and the ''squattcr'
himself will disappear as a type from the face of