Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-10-10

entiouslv but under the guidance of willy leaders
the thing can be managed, and common-looklng
country negro cannot be remembered in crowd OF
similar negroes, by one who does not know hlm IN
timately. -...- .-.-,s----,--s-..
Look at Louisiana. Banks reported three or
four years ago that one-foirth of the negroes IN
that State had then died out Since then the de-
crease has been frequently commented on by the
public press but yet when registration comes they
outnumber their census returns by the heaviest In
creases!
Is anybody fooled? I. .gf.,a
The result win be- we have said so before - the
destruction of the Negro. He is digging pit
or his Yankee'so-called friends are digging it tor
him and he is to fall into it Both are to fall
into it; for "God at last sets all things even"
Reputation.
We have seen somethingof the Piedmont Dis
tricts lately, and have gathered carefully the opin-
ions expressed and felt upon the matter Of some
relief to the resident debtor. Our impression is
that about half the people in the upper portion Of
the State are in favor of wping out all old scores
and starting anew-call it Reputation. The other
half are in favor of the most liberal hopestead
laws. It viii be observed that all are in favor Of
clearly-defned legislative Tor conventional relief
to the debtor in some form; and if the issue were
made to-day between no relief and utter repudia
ton, the latter would win by heavy maiorities.
And the sentiment is increasing and in six months
more the per Sc repudiationists will have q heavy
controlling majority. This sentiment rests upon
necessity necessity as unwelcome but as newt
able as was the surrender of Lees army in 1865.
We clip the following from an up-country paper
as fairly representing a large and growing power
in the State
Some parties, desiring to force the payment of
old debts, have become suddenly afflicted with
moral mania, and cry out, Save your honor, l. e.,
pay all your debts, although it may make paupers
of every man, woman and child in the State. Let
the lawyers have q chance to fatten. Although
FIVE millions of dollars are added to the debt"
After being robbed by the Bank of the State, and
by all the private Banks legalized by the Legisla-
ture the poor debtor must be honest! After be-
ing swindled ont of all his hard earnings during
the war, by Confederate Bonds and shin-plasterss,
slaves have been liberated BY force on the faith
of which all these debts were contracted, and the
two great armies in the contest swept through the
heart Of the country, burning wasting, and des-
troyng every thing in their path, leaving the peo-
pie nothing but q little worn out land for subsis.
tence, the poor debtor must be honest Now, all
this talk is twadde, bosh, fustian It won't do to
tell men tosgive up all 10 clamorous Shylocks who
are seeking their pound of flesh, not caring if the
heart strings are broken in tearing it out for their
satisfaction Neither will it be right to open up
the dead law of the past "Old things are done
away, and all things have become, new" Open
up the food gates of law, and you drive two-thirds
of our population, impoverished, from the State,
or leave them to be supported as paupers.
Talk about honor, when the whole people and
Government are corrupt and demoralized! A
highwayman might as well talk about honor who
has robbed and stripped his victim, leaving him
naked in the road, saying, "you be virtuous and
honest hereafter, and do not resist an honest high
wayman, when he wants a little means to take
breeze" s.a al -
If ever people were justified in repudiating
their debts, the citizens of the Southern States
are. All honest men will pay according to ability;
but let no force Of law be used."
Such is the sentiment rapidly growing SEN
timent- of our people, It may be resisted. It
will prevail To call it unconstitutional is to ig-
more the ISSUE To call it dishonest is to call the
war dishonest and every man that voted for Sc
cesson in 1860 voted repudiation in 1867; because
the war has made Reputation necessity "a neces-
sity as irresistible as the surrender at Appomattox
Court Hourse.
This is what the people Of the upper Districts
say; and this is what they are prepared to. do
1t is the part Of wisdom and craftsmanship to
look the question calmly and squarely in the face.