Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-10-08
Stlisfellanennsa &fadinq.
From the Columbia Phonir.
LETTER FROM Ex-G0V. PERRY

| 'r'.' From the Columbia Pkonir. B. 81.
LETTER FROM Ex-G0V. FERRY. -
MI. Editor :, It is high time that the press of s.
Carolina, and the public speakers Of the State had
turned their attention from the qprpations, tyrra
ny and corruptions of the radical Congress, to the
wild, extravagant, and attrocious legislation of that
':unlawful assembly," composed ofcarpetbaggers,
negroes and scalawags, recently sitting in Colunl
bia, and styling themselves "the General Assem-
bly, Of South Carolina. a,'i ...,. 50. "
This heterogeneous and motley group of would,
be legislators, really seem dispossd to bankrupt the
State, and drive the people to acts Of violence OF
goad them on to revolution. Never before, in the
history of civilized Legislation, vas there specta-
fcle so revolving and disgusting as we now have iu
South Carolina A greedy swarm Of unprincipled
adventures from the North, without fortune and
without character many Of them escaped convicts
from jails and penitentiaies have come here, an
der the protection Of Federal bayonets, and by pan.
dering to the ignorance, prejudice and bad passions
of our former slaves had themselves elected to the
Legislature, so-caAed, and are filling all the high
Offices Of the State. -
It is vain to say that some Of them may be hon
est and worthy. No gentleman or honest man
with the instincts Of gentleman, could be induced
by any earthly consideration to come here as they
have, and occupy the places they do, against the
wishes ofal honest and respectable citizens. Their
sole purpose is to get money and to get Office and
to protect themselves against the possible and des
cried vengeance of an outraged and oppressed peo.
ple.' Whilst stealing and pfundering the public
treasury, and being bfbed for all their pretended
bogus legislation, they are trying like towards, to
guard against personal danger, by tyranny oppres,
sion and despotisnn. -s''..' - rl.a.'.. -. ...;
Impoverished and ruined as the people Of South
Carolina are, this bogus Legislature have not only
increased the salaries of all the State officers one
third but have created multitude of Offices before
unknown and wholly unnecessary, with e1travagant
salaries and perquisites for the express purpose Of
providing for their hungry and worthless persons
here and at the North. For former years the most
iustrious men of the State, learned and profound
lawyers, were willing TO accept seat on the bench,
with salary Of $4,000 Now, o parcel Of ignor.
ant, low and groveling men, carpet-baggers and
scalswags, have been elected to the. bench, with
salaries of four and five thousand dollars. So it is
With all the other Offices of the State. .....
A batch of County officers have been created,
whose sdlaries will amount to two or three hundred
thousand dollars, whose duties we're formerly per.
formed by gentlemen of intelligence and public
spirit. without. compensation These offices are
now filed in many instances, by the most ignorant
and unprincipled men in the community, who have
declared themselves traitors to their race and their
country. The salaries Of the public officers of the
State and countless will amount TO- six or seven hun
I dred thousand dollars This is two or three hun.
dred thousand dollars more than the whole expep.
ses Of the State amounted to IN former years. The
expenses Of the Legislature Pententiary and Jails,
worthy associations, will cost the State five or SIX
hundred thousand more. The free school system,
for the education of the negroes, will require over
one million of dollars annually, to put it in opera.
ton and keep it up! The police of the State, and
the maintenance of a negro force in each County,
provided for by law, will require over million Of
dollars The pay of jurors, the support of pau,
pers, and other incidental appropriations will
probably cost the State FIVE or six hundred thous
aud dollars mere-making an aggregate of four mil,
lions of dollars This enormous sum cannot be
paid, and should not be paid by the impoverished
people of South Carolina It is ten times the tax.
alton which We were required to pay in our days Of
wealth and prosperity!
| But not satisfied with these enormously extray.
agant and prodigal expenditures and appropriations
for poyerty-stricken people, this mongrel, stupid
and unprincipled bogus Legislature, have issued
bonds and endorsed bonds for that body, amounting
to several millions of dollars. They have likewise
been bribed by the bil-holders Of the Bank Of the
State, to issue bonds for those bills, at their par
value, when they were purchased by the holders
for ten cents in the dollar!
The most alarming feature, however, Of this
wicked and stupid legislation, so-caled, is the bill
recently introduced to suspend the writ of habea.
corpus, seize the railroads and telegraph ines and
call out standing army Of negroes, to protect the
cowardly tyrants and usurpers in their despotism,
oppression and plunder. This bill authorizes the
Governor, so-called, and his minions al over the
State, to arrest and imprison any one, without
charge or accusation, and con6ne them in dungeons
as long as it may suit their pleasure-no trial to be
| had In the meantime, these black troops are to
insult and outrage our families, and plunder and
destroy our. homes and property. A more infa-
nous, cruel, atrocious and degrading despotism,
was never established by the Grand Bashaw OF
Turkey, or the Imperial Gar of all the Russias
IF there is nature or manhood left in the white
race, it will not cannot be borne. Their vengeance
will fall on the carpetbaggers and scalawags, and
not on the poor deluded negro. Retributive jus
tice, sooner or later, ever has and ever will over
take tyranny and crime.
1t is high time, have said, for the people Of s.
Carolina to turn their attention from national poll
tics to these terrible State wrongs and grievances
They must not be overlooked in our present politi
cal excitement for the time will come, and that
speedily, when they will crush us to the earth. We
ought to prepare to meet them. Not by violence
and revolution, but by exposing their atrocity to
the colored people, whose interest is ours, and who
have been made the dupes and tools of these vile
men from the North. They have come here for
money, and will quit the country when they see
there is no more to be had, or there is personal
danger in their path Our line Of policy is clear,
patent, manifest Wemust commit no aggression,
no act of violence, but be prepared to act on the
defensive, with spirit and vigor, when action is i'm
perative. Patience and lforbearance, in suffering
and oppression, are high and patriotic virtues.
Let us consider and reflect on our condition. A
man from Ohio processes to be our Governor |
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