The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-20
AND SEMI -CHIHAL-
ROUS SOUTHRONS."

occupation OF thiS Mr. j. w. DeForreBt, who
writes sketches 30 interesting. We have heard
his name in connection with novel writing,
and he informs us here that "for fifteen months
he performed the duties OF Bureau Major ut
Greonvillo, 8. o., It seems to hayo become
fashionable among Northern Bcrbblers, OF
whatever connection, now returning from the
South, to write "sketches." One OF these same
gentlemen was appropriately ond pleasantly
answered some t,ne since by the charleston
Mercury" AS usual, he was scribbler, q
correspondent Of come Northern paper, and
must write "sketches." He made repeated at
tempts to force himself into Ohnrl.ston soai-
ETY., all Of whicl failed utterly. 1t was appa-
rantly necessary. however, that sketches OF
Charleston society should be written, and they
were-tho author having never seen what he
sketched.
The article before US reminds us very much
OF this gentleman. The author commences
by enumerating the characteristics Of the
"chivalrous and semi chiva rous Southrons," !"
and among others, romarks that ''they have
fewer of the virtues Of modern society,"" We
are soniewliat at LOGS 10 6nd ont the preoise
meaning Of this phrase 'virtues of modern
society,"" as indeed We arc at the word semi
and semi-chivalrous he does .'not mean
crackers, sand-hiilers aud other low-downers, y
and AGAIN he says, "i speak Of the gentry, the
educated the socially influential, the clnss
which, before the war, governed the South,
the class, which may soon govern it again. +"
or the said class We feel ourselves pecfectIy
safe in saying that Mr.. Def. knows nothing at
oil, except, perhaps, either what he may have
learnt from his semi. chiyalrous low downers,
Or as locker on, in Official capacity. Social
intercourse with them he could never have en-
joyed while "Bureau Major;"- nor, indeed, in
any other capacity since the wafs, Tho people
OF the South have become too suspicious Of
the Northern virtues OF society,"" to mingle
at all with its representatives.
But TO return TO these .'viriues of modern
society," II by this phrase he points out the
happy attribute OF the Yankee to be pleased at
an insult, and highly delighted at the mere
prospect Of blow, since he hopes always
through its means to fll his pockets; il he
means by virtues the still moro. Christian char
acterisic Of accepting pay from the seducer
ofione's wife, and claiming ones rights only
when the said pay is no longer forthcoming;
ii, in short, the gentleman refers to the moor
rigibie propensity of the Yankee to ignore ut
teriy oil honesty or veracity when placed in the
scales against the almighty dollar" We agree
with him that the South is much moro free
from these virtues, and We hope utterly de.
void of them. II this be virtue, wo pray to
Almighty God to be preserved from it's influ-
ence. t.tt -l
Tho gentleman has devoted great deal of
paper TO description of what he calls the
s'pugnacities" of the ''chivaIrous southron.' -
He says 'the weakest man by nature the
man who. at the North, would no more fight
than he would jump out Of second-story
window, will, at the South, resent an insult by
blow, or. perhaps, q stab or pistol, ehot.n -
Here he brings IN as instances several street
rows. barroom rencontrcs, &C., which, at the
South. are confined to the low-downers Of
whom he speaks. S
The Southron he sketches would not be
found here. BE has mixed up STRANGELY, too,
this pugnacity with selfrespect, and, appa-
rently, without understanding the difference.
We do not propose to explain it, nor to discuss
the merits Of dueiing. We can only here
again regret the necessity which compels North
erners to sketch society OF which they have
seen nothing. "Ihe superior civilization and
higher culture at the North" have done away
with duelling and taking to smashing each
others noses and pulling out elch others
eyes in genteel and artistic manner. Where
such innocent little amusements are enjoyed
1t is absurd to spsak OF the outraReously bar
barous custom OF putting weaker antagonist
on an equal footing with oneself. 10 reference
to duelling, however, 1t has evidently been the
Intention and desire OF the author to d. ,w some
horrible picture-something terrific TO at.
tract the ttention OF readers, and be himself
the hero who can escape through the mighty
dangers. he says: "The pugnacious customs
oi Southern society explain in part the extra.
ordinary courage which The Conlederates dis
played during the rebellion. A man might as
we'll be shot doing soldierly sc vice at Bull
Run or the Wilderness as go back to Abbeville
and be shot there in the duel or street en-
counter which awaited him. The bullet hols
was mere question Of time, and why pot open
ones arms to it on the field Of glory" One
might suppose from this that all men at the
South died by the bullet or bowie knife. How
terrible it must have been to this gentleman
himself to bein such constant expectation OF q
bullet among hi, ribs; and then In the end to
be disappointed. To the shame Of Greenyille
be it spoken. "Oh ye brave who fight fer glory"
or the Freedmen's Bureau, fear veracity is'
not one OF the ''virtues" Of your "sooiety."
To prove all bis bloody assertions, however,
he mentions. as an instance. "a digniHed old
planter who won IN his youth. by dint of fre-
quent fights and duels, the srname Of Tiger
Bill In one famous encounter. this antique
worthy, disarmed, PROSTATE and neld down,
doubled his legs over his adyersary's back,
aud rowelled, from loins to knees. with Span-
ish spurs." We should like to witness the
wrath OF the, said diguifed planter upon hear
ing iis little "affAres dhonneurr described in
th:9n words. We can almost imagine him be-
'orr Us expressing his desire that the author
h.A diod at the South, where all men dio by
the same means.
It is needless to say that this is utterly
false. Thero is An old saying that no falsifi-
cation Is 80 injurious as that which bears. the
appearance Of truth. The "Carohnians OF the
] III 4. = n.