Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-22
BY w. A. LEE AND HTTGu wIIcoN


hope for IN increasing influx Of labor
ing, industrious white men amongs
US; hence 1 say the excess of tn,
negro population must annually dc
l crease. All foreigners, and especial,
those who speak our vcrnacula
tongue, cherished deep seated prciu
. dice against the South because Of th,
institution Of slavery. For instance
L once heard an Englishman remark
while looking at Lord Nelson's monr,
ment in Liverpool, (Which you proba
bly, have sccn,) that the bronze figure:
handcuffcd and chained at the base O.
the statute represented the manner il,
which slaves were treated every night
in America. Such ignorance was and
IS the parent Of that prejudice whicl,
still exists toward the negro, though
slavery has been removed. With the
lower class Of laborcrs there may be
just ground for this prejudice, for to
my mind it is clear, that by the pres,
cnt generation the negro will be en-
ployed in preference to the Dago (?)
of Ireland or that class Of foreign
labor, in all scrvilc o. menial duties.
With the Intelligent immigrant such
prejudice should not exist, for very
short time would impress him with
the fact, that the best "hclp" to do
scrvile work is tho negro, and hence
no fear of commingling from COM
petition of labor. Since Noah cursed
Ham, the negro Gf his gcncalogy can
be traced back that farD has bccn the
hcwcr of wood and drawer of water
for those amongst whom he lived, and
this must ever be the case from Divine
decree Notwithstanding his claim to
seats in high places in consequence of
his numerical majority here,
Filthy, Society. Our people arc
proud, but commendably so. Money
seldom buys respect, and I do not think
merit ever goes unrewardcd. The
humble but honest laborcr always
secures, because he deserves, the
respect Of his more fortunate neighbor.
The lucky nahQb without brains or
heart, though sometimes sycophanti-
oaliy admired, seldom has consistent
friends. The successful laborer is
always applauded for his industry.
Familiar association is confined to the
choice Of individuals.
Sixthly, Climate. Our olimati en-
trcmcs are from twenty degrees
(Fahrcnhcit) below, to sixty-fve de-
grees above freezing point, and sell
dom, if ever, arc these extremes
touched for more than few days at n
time. During the months Of Dcccm-
Der, Januaryan and February a rain with
the thermometer at forty degrees is
often succeeded by sudden shifting
Of the wind to the West, Northwest
or Northeast, which causes tho mer-
curry to fall twenty four degrees in as
many hours, and probably in as many
more it ascends quito as rapidly. The
revorse aften happens in June, July or
August. For few days the thcr-
mometcr may indicate almost blood
heat in the shade; hut this excessive
heat Is, too, Of short duration.
The irregularity of our seasons ia
more remarkable than their regulari
ty. Spring often begins and continues
through February, when in March tho
past winter seems to have returned
upon US. April has latterly been more
windy than March; and for several
years July has been dryer, June hot
ter, August more sultry, September
more sickly, January wettcr and
colder, and October plcasauter than
any other month in the year. At all
seasons of the year, winds prevailing
from the West and Northwest, pro-
duce seasonabic and pleasant weather;
Southwest winds produce warm
showers; Southeast winds rain. and
East and Northeast, cold wet weather.
Seventhly, Health. On this subject T
am reluctant to venture an opinion.
Ofvirulent endemics and conta aeious
diseases, we are entirely ignorant, be-
cause heretofore completely exempt.
Chills and feyeys become locally epi-
demic, and this appears to arise from
morbifc causes, as they are short
lived, Fevers, of typhoid nature, and
meningotic attacks, sometimes become
prevalent, but never epidemic that I |
am aware Of Since 1857, I have had
under my immediate supervision, an.
nually, more than one hundred per
sons, and have never, until the Fall Of
1865, lost ono from local disease. NV
Judgment is, that the general health of
our country compares favorahly with
any other in christendom. We have
amongst us as many old mon and old
women, and probably report as few
deaths, in proportion to the ,ponula.
ton, as any country IN tho ,.,.,I