The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-08

RELlEF FOH TIE DESTITUTE 5OUTHEhNEhSs
In order to afford prompt relief to those indi
vidusls in the Southern States who are suffer
ing from poverty, Major General Howard sub
mitted, few days since, to General Grant fol
his approval, plan to supply provisions from
| the fund in his possession for the use of the
| Freedmen's Bureau. The plan submitted
briefly stated, is to instruct assistant commits
sioners Of the Bureau to select proper agent
in each district to issue sufficient food to those
persons who are actually suffering from want
each agent to be allowed to issue to about one
hundred persons, taking as security for the
| issue lien on the crops, and to be held re-
| sponsible for the reimbursement OF the Bureau
| for the advance made. The money to supply
| such provisions is to be taken from the funds
! the commissioner may find it expedient to de.
vote to that purpose. General Grant approved
Of tle proposition, and it is expected that in.
structions to carry the plan into execution will
| be given to the assistant commissioners of the
Bureau within the coming week.
| GLOOMY VIEW OF THE SITUATION OF AFFAIRS IN
THE soUTH-DEsTRUoTIoN OF THE AMERICAN
COTTON TRADE.
The Washington correspondent OF the CHI.
cago Times writes under date Of January q:
I have seen and conversed with leading citi-
zens from the South, of both parties, and the
-,
spread the entire land. 1t is computed that
over 100000 of persons are, at the present
moment, without visible means Of support. A
gentleman writing from Little Rock, Arkansas,
to leading Democratic member OF Congress,
says that over 20 600 negroes will be out of en-
ployment in that region; that they had been
working cotton on half shares, and that the
Weld has not paid the expenses. The conse-
quence is, they get nothing, while they igno-
rantIy accuse the planters Of defrauding them.
A gentleman from Georgia writes to friend
here that the rich rice lands of that State can
be bought for 81 40 per acre, and other lands
at so cents. Another gentleman from that
State writes that there is no money In it, no
enterprise, and that starvation must be the lot
of thousands, both white and black. From
Mississippi the news is worse. There, armed
bands OF negroes roam through the country,
plundering every one. The farmers smoke
house and corn-crib are regularly sacked. The
South is, in fact, ruined and desolated coun-
try, and is still further threatened with fate
little, if any, better than Mexico. This is the
social condition, and it is borne out to the let
ter by the report Of Gen. A. @. Gillem, of the
Freedmen's Bureau, at Vicksburg, Miss, who
also fully confirms the statement that the ne.
proes have been impressed with the idea that
thew are to be given land Of their own, and
they will not accordingly leave tho promises
which they at present occupy, In fine, the
condition Of things presents but one aspect IN
the future, and that ia social war OF races, IN
which the weaker must succumb in the end,
but which must result in untold horrors to
both whites and blacks. This is the subject
which must engage the immediate attention
of Congress. In fact, that body should have
grappled with it ere now. 1t is also part and
parcel Of the great financial problem which is
upon us. For, the South being virtually DESC
lated, her Industries of all kinds are destroyed,
and she must, for years to come, prove bill
of expense to the nation, instead OF benefit,
as it WAS supposed she Immediately would.
Thus, Senator sprague, q few days since, made
q very significant speech in the Senate. say
significant, not because it came from Senator
Sprague, who is really political automaton,
his near relative, Amasa Sprague, OF Rhode
Island, man Of ability and great business
capacity, and partner Of the youthful Sena-
tor. The firm, learn, has lost over million
of dollars on cotton within few months, and
Amasa speaks what he knows when be makes
his relative in the Senate pronounce the doom
of the Southern cotton trade. He says that sea
island cotton will soon be rarity, seldom
seen except in gentlemen's gardens. He
states that India has wrested the monopoly OF
the growth of cotton from tho United States.
He also says, speaking of the cotton tax: ''You
will endeavor to go back upon your past legls-
lation, to amend, to repair, to heal, to cure 1t,
if you can. My JUDI gment is, that 1t wiIl De
the hardest task that was ever in the hands or
minds of politicians or statesmen" There is
no doubt Of the truth of this, and one need
only look to the Liverpool market reports to
demonstrate it. The cable kilograms OF to-
day, from the great cotton mart Of Europe,
reads: ''Total stock Of cotton in port, 473,.
600 bales, of which 93, 900 bales are American.
This tells the whole story, and that is the de,
thronement, perhaps forever, OF the rule OF
American cotton in the markets Of the world.
India, Egypt, and Turkey now take the place
Of the United States, as cotton-producing
countries. while staple valued at between
s1OO, ,0OO, GOO and s150, 600, 900 per annum, and
thus balancing our exchanges to that amount,
ia threatened with entire destruction IN this
country. Indeed, from all can gather from
the South, the prospect Of another cotton crop
of any very appreciable amount or quantity is
dubious indeed. All those engaged in the bu-
siness this year complain that they have lost
money by it, which will doubtless deter thsm
or others from engaging in it again. The
negroes are also deserting tho rice and sugar
growing as we'll as the rich, low land, cotton
hill regions, where they are squatting, and llv-
ing BY shooting gamo, or plundering the farm
ers, who are miserably off themselves.
TO add, then, to the financial embarrass-
ments of the North, We have q total prostra-
tion Of the special industry Of the South. New
ertheless, Congress dawdles along, and acts as
il it considered hesitation and delay. as re-
CARDS financial matter, the safest and surest
way out Of our present and most hopeless en-
tsnglement The Senate has not acted on the
question of stopping contraction, nor on that
Of repeating the cotton tax. And why? Be-.
cause that body is controlled by the bondhold-
ers and moneyed and aristocratic interests, IN
Guiding that Of the New England manufactur-
ers. and hopes To ride over all present difficult
ties, political as well as financial, at least un-
til relief comes in the shape Of President
elected in their interest, under the over
shadowing prestige Of military glory. Ihey
think that by sundry and divers comparative
" unimportant measures-Such as the status
OF American citizens abroad, purchase OF for.
eign territory, and even reconstruction-
the election for President takes place, they can
pass over the consideration of measures vital
to the prosperity, and even perpetuity, Of the
government. But learn that Republican
members of Congress are already flooded with
letters from their constituents, to the effect
that the negro, and even reconstruction, are
PLAYED out; that, even at the North, the wolf,
in the shape of threatening bankruptcy and
ruin, is at their doors; and that II Congress
does not at once come TO the relief Of the
country, the Radical party ls doomed to q
crushing defeat, no matter VINO the leader is.
HOW THE PEOPLE ARE PLUNDERED.
And while the Southern people and their in
dustries are being rapidly destroyed, the cor
morants are actually picking the very bones Of
the Southern social carcass, or what remains
of it. Thus, Congress passed an act that
every bale Of cotton should be weighed
marked and sampled at an expense Of not over
thirty-hve cents for each operation. Now,
the port of New Orleans, it was expected,
hi kolo