The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-01

unreliable. Men who were capable OF picking
one hundred pounds of cotton between sunrise
and noon would como from tho field at night
with from thirty to sixty pounds as the result
of whole days labor, and frequently they
had as much more hidden in the field, which
they would carry off at night and sell tor
their own benefit, finding plenty of purchasers
for the same, and selling at price Little
better than nothing. The freedmen also
(: have frequently walked many miles to attend
religious and political meetings, sometimes
leaving without any reason or right, spending
two or three days each time, causing planters
much inconvenience and loss, and not lmprov-
ing their own chances fol- respectable crop.
Not moro than five freedmen in q hundred
have made more than their provisions this
year. and many are much in debt to the
planters, and therefore will be unable to sup
port themselves next year. They lnvarlsbly
believe that the planters owe them, no matter
| how much they have drawn during the year;
and therefore when they find they have been
overpaid they are very much chagrined, and
declare they have been swindled. The blacks
are impyovident, and will food planter with
applications for orders on stores, never stop
ping to consider how deeply they are run
ming in debt, and not until the hour OF
settlement do they desire to know how
much they owe. Many seem to be ap-
prehensive of bread riots, and of seri-
ous trouble between the races, and such
fears are not groundless, as laborers defantly
declare that if they get nothing, the planter
shall Lore all. This it is that makes the crime
of arson Of such frequent occurrence. Thiev-
ing seems to be the rule rather than the excep-
ton; cattle, hogs, corn, and cotton, anything
that will satisfy the pangs of hunger or bring
money Is sure to disappear, 80 suddenly and
secretly that no tangible trace of the criminal
can be found. In the Sumter District, seven
eights of the freedpeople are in debt to their
employers for the necessary advances while
making the crop. A class Of white men go
about the country for the purpose of robbing
the people, they get corn and cotton from the
Ereedpeople, giving in exchange therfor whis-
key, and other unnecessary articles It is
earnestly recommended that some steps be
taken to prevent this illicit traffic.
FHTY-SEvENTH REPORT OF THE BIBLE So
c1ETY OF CHAnLEsToN.-The Board of Mana
gers OF the Charleston Bible Society give, in
their report for the year 1868, an interesting
account of the progress Of the great work IN
which they are engaged. During tho year
temporary depository was established at
III t1or 40 ~ ha
old stock Of Bibles were collected together,
amounting to about six hundred and fifty
eight copies Of assorted sizes, Of which two
hundred and seventy were distributed gratu-
itously, leaving balance on hand of three
hundred and Lightweight volumes. The Board
adopted measures to supply the public institu-
tions Of the city with the Scriptures, and to
meet private demands, chiefly through volun-
tary agents, especially the clergy and ladies
interested in the work.
In 1862, the resolutions and acts making the
Bible Society of Charleston auxiliary to the
American Bible Society were annulled, but the
Board mover regarded that Society as sectional
or political in it's character, and in November,
1867, the old relations of the two Societies we're
resumed.
The report concludes in the following words:
Let us not fear; the Bible is not g failure in
society, it can never again become silent FAC
tor; it has dropped into life, into literature,
INTO law, to create new centres OF power, an: ana
zation, and religion. The Bible Society has be-
come part Of the kingdom Of Christ. Only give
tho lively Oracles to our people, only teach
them diligently to thy children, and talk OF
them when thou sittest in thlne house, ana
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
lest down, and when thou risest up," then
shall our nation " arise and shino, for her light
ls come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
her."
These considerations prompt the Board to
make an urgent appeal to the liberality OF the
community. Our books are few, our treasury
depicted, our membership small. The Board
Of Managers propose to push forward with
new energy, to take possession OF the opening
field. and they will put new plans in motion as
soon as possible. They throw the cause with
confidence on the liberality, on the holy
prayers, on the Christian activity OF the COM
murity True, our city is depressed; true,
our fortunes are low; true, the future torDodes
evil. yet it is equally true that the Ark OF tho
Lord remains with us, and that We have faith
| in the living Col; and if sorrows or captivity,
| or raartyrdom will best spread the truth, let
us rejoice and remember that when the
ancient people Of God were under the captivity
| OF Babylon the era was more luminous than
| the reign of Solomon; for amid its darkness all
those splendid prophecies of Messiahs king
dom flash in lines Of glory over the face OF an
afflicted church. Will it cost us sacrifice to
contribute something to spread the Blblef BE
| it 80. Publishing tho Bible ls preaching tho
gospel. Let US not forget that He whose cross
| bore upon it's front that significant poyglot
''in Hebrew, Greek and La.in," has but given
| to us an example that, if need be, we too must
| lift up our Bible on our cross, even amid Col
gotha, and glory 'tbat in great trial OF attilc-
| ton, the abundance Of our JOY aud our deep
poverty abounded unto the riches Of our libe-
rality" in publishing the glad tidings that the
| Crucifed King of|Zion reigns over our land to
the glory Of God the Father.
AByEor PovERTY.-The Baltimore Sun pub
! fishes this curious paragraph
Ex-Governor Aiken, OF South Carolina.
once the wealthiest man in the Palmetto State,
it is said, is now in abject poverty"
Mr.. Aiken, before the war, was worth about
a million and half of dollars. He owned
about one thousand ela7es, and his rice crop
was sold for from 100000 to s12o,OOO. Last
year Mr.. Aiken planted but small portion OF
his tract, but he has lost none OF his landed
property, and his real estate in this city alone
would realize fortune. If Mr. Aiken is roor,