The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-02-14
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
Letter from Gov. Perry, of South Caro-
lima.

Letter from Gov. Perry, of South Caro-
lima.
The Terrible P0rdlyzdtiOn of the People,
HOlC the South Costs the Country q
Hundred Millions, Instead of ofAddingd
Hundred Millions to its Resources.
The following letter, addressed by ex-
Governor Perry, of South Carolina, to
Capt. O. n. Butler, Of that State, but
now residing in this city, givs graph
ic and deplorable picture of the present
condition and future prospects of the
great southern section of our country:
GREENvILLE, S. c., Jan. 10, 1868.
O. n. Butter Esq.-My Dear Friend:
In your letter to my son you say that
the Northern people are not aware of
the true condition of the Southern
States, and that you wish me to write
something ON this subject for publica-
ton. l am willing, as always have
been, to do anything and everything
in my power too enlighten the North
ern mind as to the frightful and ap-
palling condition of the South. But it
does seem to me that l can say very
little not already known, through the
public press, to the whole reading COM
munity.
1t is well known to the world that
ten of the Southern States have been
stripped fevery vestige of republican
liberty, and placed by the wicked and
unconstitutional legislation of a Radi-
cal Congress, under military despot-
ism, for partisan purposes. 1t is e.
qually well known that negro conven-
tions have been ordered in all those
States, for the purpose of establishing
in them negro supremacy. In order to
accomplish this, a very large portion
of the most intelligent, virtuOus and
patriotic of the white race have been
disfranchised, and are hereafter to be
governed by their former slaves and
unprincipled adventures from the
North! These facts are well known,
and their consequences every intelli-
gent mind may well anticipate.
When slavery was abolished in the
Southern States, if the people had been
let alone in their State legislation and
restored to the Union, all would have
been well. They would soon have
recovered from their exhausted and
crushed condition, and been once more
happy and prosperous people. They
would have added hundreds of mil
lions annually to the wealth of the
republic, instead of costing it, as they
now do, hundred millions every year,
through the freedmen's bureau and
a standing army. But the unjust, un-
constitutional and suicidal Legislation
of Congress has paralyzed them for
ever, fear. The negro is no longer
that industrious, useful and civil labOrer
which he once was, but an idle drone
and pest to society. Inflated with his
new and marvellous political impor-
tance, he has abandoned his former in
dustriouS habits and spends his time
in attending public meetings and 10y
al league gatherings by day and by
night. The whole race seem disposed
to quit their work and resort to the
towns and villages, where they may exc
out an idle and wretched existence in
piIfering and begging.
The consequences are that our fields
and plantations are uncultivated, the
country pauperized, at the point of
starvation, and filled with every grade
of crime. Not day passes over our
| heads that we do not hear of some
theft, house-burning, robbery, rape or
murder. | will mention one or two
instances out of thousands which might
be enumerated: Five negro men, last
week, in Darlington district, went,
armed with guns, to country store,
| robbed the store, killed the clerk, shot
woman in the house, and went to
the dwelling of the owner and killed
| him. A short time sincea parcel ofne-
groes placed distractions on the
South Carolina railroad, which threw
off a train of cars in the night time.
Again, at another point on the same
road, parcel of negroes fired into the
train, and came very near killing sew
eral passengers. Last fall, at Pickens
court, seven or eight negroes were con-
victed of murder, and seventeen or
eighteen others sent 20 the peniten-
tiary. Highway robbery, an offence