The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-08-21

JaIueS 6fAnC, Union. ''A '-' .f-'
julius, ,Poppe, Anderson G. 81. ..e.t
Ex-Gov. dickens on thee, Situation of
''''A'. ~VStn "IoAHairs. .@s''2 -. .-.'
The Laurensville Herald publishes
letter from the Hon. F., W. Pick
ens,' in response to, an invitation 10
address q Democratic meeting at that
place. After alluding to the circum-
stances which prevent lis acceptance;
the se2-Goyernor says: 'nos; a-..
3, j am satisfied if the people were to
meet and agree amongst themselves
upon some plan of fair and reason
able settlement of debts amongst
each other, itnWould save much i'll
feeling and really be better for the
creditor as well AS the debtor. It
was d common / war, in which we all
engaged with enthusiasm, and all is
lost; Cahd NE ought cnow:to try and
settle with each other all old debts by
liberal compromise, If we are freed
through the courts by legal process,
at least one-half of all property will
be divided, with the lawyers, clerks
and general costs OF, suit. In nine
cases out of ten, the land is the only
thing left to pay with. The depress-
ed prices for it will not settle more
than one-fourth Of the debt attempt
ed to be collected. Who, then, is
benefited by such process? It
really is no benefit to man to see
his neighbor ruined, and no one to
get any profit except attorneys,
sheriffs, clerks and constables. In
any general compromise that may be
made, there must be particular cases
of hardship, and may be great wrong;
but If all are forced to settlement by
legal process, then there must be uni
versal ruin. Now, too, when the
radicals are about to inaugurate their
courts, with negro iuries and negro
officers; and, what is worse, vile
white skunks, who have betrayed
their race, and are merely trying to
plunder the State. Under these cir
cumstances, 1t is not only the duty
but the direct interest of every one
who feels for his State, to cordially
agree with his neighbor upon some
principle of compromise, or leave
everything to arbitration made by
three or four men. suppose you
have seen the principle agreed upon
by the mass meeting at Edgefeld,
sale day, in April last. I prepared
the report and resolutions which
were unanimously adopted, and the
people are, for the most part, making
settlements upon these principles,
agreed upon by the people of the
District. If suits should be brought,
think the juries would bring in
verdicts upon this basis generally.
The upper Districts will be first to
move, for the desolation of the war
was not go great upon them, because
they were not SO much ravaged, and
because they had more white popula-
tion, and wherever there are more
Whites, there will be more labor and
more productions. We never can be
rich in our day and generation; but
what we need Is abundance of provi-
sions. We are too poor now to feed
any population, and cannot support
any great enterprise, because we have
no provisions to spare. If we had
an abundant provision crop, we
would at least be independent, and
would invite immigration of white
q labor; but, as it is, we have no means
to feed white labor, on any large
scale, for we can hardly feed our
selves. We could not retain foreign
white labor if we had them, unless
We, had more cattle and sheep, for
white labor requires milk and cattle,
and mutton and beef. And mutton
and beef are easier and cheaper to
raise now, with our waste lands, than
hogs are, and far more healthy. The
first thing to be done, then, by the
upper Districts, is to raise more pro-
visions and less land in cotton; then
we can make provision for white i'm
migration amongst us, and be able to
support them. III we could have q
just and pure Government, I think
we could advance. II we will settle