The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-06-03
idaho WORLD.
SKETCHES OF THE SOUTH.

respondent travelling in the South, VINO writes
unusually interesting letters. From one o.
them we copy the following Wrlting ITO"
Charleston, South Carolina, he says:
While political reconstruction may be said
TO have reached its highest development IN this
state of fire.eaters h1lifers, and secessionlsts,
material reconstruction has made no progress
whatever. The railroads are little, II ut all,
better eouipped and managed than during the
last wear of the war; everybody and everything
has nm out-at.the-elbows look, and this city,
ence so famed for its trim, neat appearance; Its
beautiful detached residences; its smooth level
sidewalks and clean well paved streets; its ell.
epant eouipages, and the best grOOmed horses
in the United States has now worr1-eaten,
decayed, patched up look, with execrable side,
walks, worse roads, no carriages or horses but
those of burden and the citizens looking
eare-worn, nervous, and poor. The Mills House
which of yore was the most delightful of hos
teleries, still exists, but it had been better for
its reputation had it died before hard times
and premature decay had palsied its cuisine
and destroyed the temper OF its wine cellar.
All the men and things that / have seen here
seem to limp painfully-not as if from accident,
but from decrepitude and disease. The burned
district is almost Us it was when it was burned
in 1923 The bOmbarded district still bears
unmistakable evidences of the frequent atten-
tons of the "swamp-angel."
Fort Sumter, the teterrimd cdusd betli, is no.
thing but pile of stone and mortar, mashed
and smashed to level with the water Fort
Moultrie, the removal of the troops from which
to Fort Sumter caused the first act of hostili-
ties-the firing on the Star OF the VESTS n
shameless mass.
The trenches lines. earthwOrks and defenses,
which scanned and furrowed the faces of the
country for miles round the city-proofs of the
engineering skill of Beauregard, Gilmer and
Ripley-are still visible, but time and wind and
tide are fast efacing them
On the wharves and on the business streets
there is some activity. Trade is said to be lively.
The dry goods stores seem full of all sorts of
goods, and am told that they have been doing
brisk business but everywhere else | failed
to see anything to remind me of the ante bellum
Charleston, whose elegant atfluence and refined
hospitality made it one Of the most agreeable
places to visit have ever seen, provided one
did not go there during Democratic Conyen-
ton, when the inhabitants bolted their doors
and barred their windows until the Goths had
departed.
In none of the Estates lately in rebellion ;"
has the war produced such wide spread ruin
as in South Carolina, except it be Virginia.
The fre-eaters of DID, the leading rebels of
1865, are all impoverished, and have disap-
peared from public view.
l inquired about the Ravenels, MddletOns,
Pickneys, Cheveses, Lowndes, Elliots, and 9TH
ers who used to figure as the first families"
of Carolina" Gall South Carolinians think and
talk of their State as the only Carolina), but in
every instance get the same answer, Ruin
ed, utterly ruined"
While in Georgia there are everywhere signs
of reviving prosperity, energy, industry, enter
prise, and hOpefulness; there are none of these
signs here. Even agriculture is neglected
Lands are vaueess. The owners, who can,
are emigrating to other States; and those who
remain either cannot or will not, like Mrs.
Dombey, "make an effort"
The immense negro majority in this State
under the new regime has gi7en the blacks con-
troll of the State government. They occupy
some of the first offices, both legislative and
executive.
The Governor (Scott) who came here as AS
sistant Commissioner of the Freedmen's Blu.
reau, seems to be getting on very smoothly,
and discharging the very arduous and thank
less duties of his office with wonderfully little
abuse and opposition. He is said to be fair
minded man, DESTROYS to do right, and justly
ambitious of the distinction of making all clas-
ses in the State prosperous and contented. Of
course the Rbetts denOunce the carpet bag
Governor" and the T. F.'s give him the cold
shoulder, but the less chivalrOus and fastidious
cooperate and consult with him, and find that
by so doing they advance tho interetts of them
selves and their fellow citizens. The ultra ne
groes dislike him exceedingly which is another
proof Of his impartiality and even balance Of
the scales of justice.
To be perfectly candid, as fortunately have
the power of choice, from what | have seen
and heard here of the workings of government
under the rule of cOlOred citizens, for the pres
ent at least, should prefer to reside where
the Caucasian race have the controlling power.
OF course / could stand it, were / compelled
to live here, but like the man with the crow
pie for dinner, 81 could eat it, but have no
hankerng for it,"
The Governor quite recently got into great
scrape by his failure to invite negroes and their
families to his private parties. He gave one
or two entertainments, one of which was
ball, and the guests were all white. Mr.. Mo.
ses, Speaker of the House of Representatives,
once an ardent secessiOnist and the son of an
old fre-eater, both of them Hebrews, straight
way raised the cry of "caste" against the Gov
ernOr. and the cOOred folks were indignant.
Governor Scott qualed before the outcry, and
decided to open his hOuge once a week to all
persons, without distinction of race, color, or
previous condition Of servtude, which has
Gained the troubled waters, but has deprived
the Governor of the society of his white friends
on the evenings of every Thursday.