The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-25

If any of our readers we're in the vicinity o
the old postofice yesterday morning. aiee
nine o'clock, they may have noticed motle.
crowd of neg, oes, some two or three hundred
in number, aligned against the sides OF th'
houses, Lands in pockets, idle, belligerent ant
mad. They may likewise have heard threat
of vengeance Dire" curses loud and deep
and seen something of freedman life in one O
its new, suggestive and interesting phases
Policemen were there IN all the glory of batoI
and brass; the Mayor vibrated industriousl!
among the malcontents, and spectators looked
on in wonder.
The cause is briefly stated strike
"Higher wages" is one of those popular cries
which months ago swept through the North
sitting enterprise, breaking heads, and filing
guardhouses; but thus far, in the South, We
have felt only the ripple OF the wave. Gu,
mechanics, artisans and working men gener.
ally, recognizing the misfortrnss of the coun.
try, have been content to participate in the
general struggle for subsistence, without in
sisting on imaginary rights; and in sympathy
with the effort that has been so energeticaly
made to replace the old State upon her ancient
commercial footing, have lent soul and body to
the development of her almost boundless re-
sources, without demanding the last cent from
the few who have the means to pay for labor.
There is another class, however, who have
made trouble on two former occasions and now
once more obtrude themselves upon the public
and the police as disturbers OF the peace-we
refer to the freedmen employed on the wharyes
by the stevedores.
White men in such times as these would be
content with one dollar and half day for
the ten hours labor performed in loading and
unloading the vessels in our port. Not so with
negroes. The eleven dollars day paid to
their brethren in the convention appears to
have demoralized the whole race, and colored
muscle now completes with colored brainl
The difficulty yesterday was evidently no
sudden thing The combination was perfect.
At given hour the hands on all the wharves
ceased work, demanded increased pay, and,
tecause it could not be had, incontinently left.
A large number of vessels are loading with
cotton for Liverpool and coastwise ports, and
the cargo is on the wharves ready for ship
ment, yet not laborer dared to raise his hand.
Owners and consienees made efforts to carry
forward their business by hiring others, but
three or four knock-downs, and any quantity Of
bosterous threats from the strikers, quickly
deferred freedmen from accepting the proffer
OF reasonable wages, and the day passed sway
in idleness to the employers and employees.
Two arrests of the ringleaders were made,
and the prompt action of the authorities no
doubt prevented more serious demonstrations
General Burns repaired to the spot at an ear
ly hour in the day, and, seeing the condition Of
affairs, ordered file ofsoldiers and commits
stoned officer to report to Captain Sigwald,
Chief of Police, for the purpose Of quelling any
disturbance that might arise. This appeared
t.. satisfy the negroes that they had to deal
with man who believed in bullets and bayo-
nets more than in soft words. They according
ly behaved themselves.
In making one of the arrests above referred
to, the police were threatened with demolition
by twenty or thirty obstreperous fellows, who
made rush as if for rescue. General Eurns
happened to be standing by, and, edging his
way into the crowd, quietly reminded the
freedmen that he was the new Mayor, and that
they would find it to their interest to keep the
peace, go to work. and if they could get even
one dollar day to get it and be satisfied. The
half dozen pyrotechnic sentences uttered by
the General answered every purpose, and the
negroes dispersed, feeling perfectly assured
that it would not be safe to trifle with that par
ticular man at any rate.
The crowd continued its grumbling all day,
and loafed lazily in the sunshine. The result
by night fall was that goodly number Of dis
gusted negroes might have been seen vending
their way homeward and to bed, supperless
and unhappy.
There is no doubt that the whole trouble is
the work of designing men, who have in view
sinister ends. The hands were paid on Satur-
day as usual, and not word of complaint
uttered; and probably they would have con-
tinued their labors as heretofore, but from the
Impression derived from the Union League and
elsewhere, that they we're entitled to two or
three dollars per day and should demand it..
Indeed, one of the negroes declared that it
was the recon mendation of the League; and
they we're dett mined to have their right or no
work should lie done.
It may not Je wise for the freedmen to press
this matter. Young white men, natives of
Charleston, would be but too glad to take their
places. They can be found to-day laboring on
our railroads, wharves and in machine-shops
and foundries for 81, s1.25 and s1.5O per day,
and thankful for their daily bread.
Nsgro labor, however, has always been given
the preference in the loading Of ships, and
this ante bel,una custom prevails now-perhaps
for the reason that, as class, the negroes OF
Charleston have conducted themselves with
great propriety during the past three years.
On this account their old privilege has been
readily accorded them; but a frequent repeti-
tion of yesterdays doings may change the
situation. That there is o large white popula-
ton in Charleston, ready to work and waiting
for opportunity, there can be no doubt. If it
were not so, the fifty thousand unemployed
mon of New York city alone can be drawn on
at three days sight.
HOTEL LARnIvALs.-Chdrlesto HoteL-Capt.
Frisbie, brig Cyclone; h. Dufus, city; John M.
Robinson, Baltimore; Thos. Dodemead, Rich
mond; VIM. McRae, Wilmington, N. c.; MIR.
and Mrs. n. Ransom, Princeton, ILL.,; 81. G.
Leiseinring, Philadelphia; Thomas B. Darrah,