Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-02-13


now thr south Costs the Country
W Hundred Millions. instead of Adding
Nundrcd Mlilous 90 its Resources.
The following loster. addressed by
L. Governor Perry, Of South Carolina
u Capt O. n. Butler, Of that State,
fuf now residing iU Baltimore, gives a
traphic aud deplorablc picture of the
brescnt condition and future prospects
cf the great southern section Of our
+ toantry;
GREENsvILLE. S. C, Jan 10, 1868.
o. A. Butler, Esq My Dear Friend
H. 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 mo to write
Something on this subject for publica-
/tIon. | am willing, as ! always have
Nbeen, TO do anything and everything
in my power to enlighten the North
ern mind as TO the frightful and ap-
palling condition Of the South. But it
does seem to me that | can say very
little not already known through the
3 public press, to the whole reading
community
a LII is well known to the world that
ten Of the Southern States have been
stripped Of every vestige of republican
Nliberty, and placed, by the wicked and
nnconstitutionai legislation of a Radi-
cal Congress, under a military despot-
lsm, for partisan purposes. 1t is
Npqually well known that negro con-
mentions have been ordered in all those
States, for the purpose Of establishing
@n them negro supremacy. In order
~ accomplish this, very large por-
tion Of the most intelligent, vlrtuous
and patriotic of the white raco have
3been disfranchised, and are hereafter
to be governed by their former slaves
|and unprincipled adventurers 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, il 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
trushed condition, and been once more
n happy and prosperous people. They
iNoald have added hundreds of millions
annually to the wealth Of the republic
instead of costing it, as they do,
n hundred million every year, through
the freedmen's bureau and standing
army. But the unjust, unconstitu-
'tional and suicidal legislation of Con
'gress has paralyzod them forever,
4ear. The negro is no longer that
Industrious, useful and civil laborer
which be once was, but an idle drone
and pest to society. Inflated with his
new and marvellous political import |
ance, be has abandoned his former
Industrious habits aud spends his time
3n attending public meetings and loyal 1
league gatherings by day and by night |
|lhe whole race seem disposed to quit
their work and resort to the towns
|nnd villages, where they may exc out
nn idle and wretched existence in pill /
Icrlng ana begging.
n The consequences are that our fields /
|and plantations are ancultivated, the
country pauperized, at the poiat of
Etarvation, and filed with every grade 1
OF crime Not a day passes over our
heads that we do not hear of some
theit, houso-burning, robbery, rape or
murder / will mention one or two
Instances out Ofthousands which might
b enumerated: Five negro men, last
week, in Darlington district, went,
armed with guns, to country store.
robbed the store, killed the clerk, shot
d woman in the house, and went to the
dwelling OF the owner and killed him.
- short time since parcel Of negroes
placed distractions on the South Car
pima railroad, which threw off train
of cars IN the night time Again, at
Another point on the same road,
parcel of negroes fired into the train,
pnd came very near killing several
Passengers Last fall, at Pickens
court, seven or eight negroes were
convicted Of murder, and seventeen or
eighteen others sent to the penitentia-
~ Highway robbery, an offence
which was scarcely ever heard of in
South Carolina for years past, has he.
come very common crime in the
of towns and villages.
Iheit and burglary are Of constant
occurrence. In the country it is almost
Impossibleto raise hogs, sheep and cat
Ile. A gentleman told me the other
bay that he had lost the last one of his .
'beep, forty in humbor all stolen BY
Ihe enegroes. Anothergentleman, who I
bad been governor of the State, inform ,
ID me that be had eighty five hogs to
bill last fall, and that they were all !
! ioien by the negroes except seven.
The support Of so many prisoners !
snd conviets in our jails and peniten- I
iary is becoming alarming. We shall ,
bot long be able TO feed them; nor +,
giH tho prisons contain them. Tho Z
'ountry is so much impoverished that ,
Z IS difficult for the negroes TO get i
Employment, if they really wish to do /
p. The failure of the cotton crop I
throughout the United States, with !
be government tax and low price of 4
PC staple, has rendered il impossible :
or the planters to continue their bust. :
'css the present year The difficulty,
%, IN getting the negroes to work !
'tring the past year has discouraged 4
Pc disgusted great many A large r
otton crop was planted last spring, n
NJ great effort was made by the h
'hniers to retrieve their fortunes and =
''re employment TO the negroes, but =
niversal failure and bankruptcy have Y