The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-04

| But il is not m at only that is stolen-every-
| thing movable, be it OF ever 80 little value,
tempts the thief or the robber. It is much less
trouble to pick cotton by moonlight, and sell
it to the shopkeeper before day, than TO plough
and hoe, and pick the year through, 10 cold
Weather and in hot. Honesty may be the best
poliev, but there are some who think stealing
| paws better At all events, it yields quick re-
turns. and at small outlay of time and labor.
The consequence of all this is, tnat every bale
of cotton, every sack CT wheat, oats or corn,
has to be carefully guarded, aud piazzas, halls,
gaIrets, in fact every part OF the dwelling
| bouso, is filed with produce. Farmers do not
consider their property safe now, unless it is
constantly under their eye. This, OF course,
\ cannot last II re are to have permanent
peace, we must have protection OF property as
well as oflife and of liberty From what quarter
this relief Is to come, whether from the Legls-
lature tho courts, 1 cannot surmise. but ],
suppose, like other evils sit wall correct itself,
| whatever that may mean.
In regard to the great questions of labor and
of successful agriculture, under the new sys-
tenn, I think l can observe On improvement.
There is less dependency IN regard TO the fu-
ture, oven among the older planters, and both
white and black are gradually adapting them
selves to the circumstances Of the times. Ne
croes have worked the past few years, perhaps
not as much or as steadily as under the old
system; still cotton can be successfully grown
with free labor. The present high price of the
staple has mush to do, I doubt not, with this i'm
provemont in public sentiment. When people
get twenty-five and twenty eight cents tor their
cotton, even though they, only made half
crop" they can manage to live, and even to pay
cid debts, OF 10y up some money, and naturally
are in better humor, than when cotton brought
len or twelve cents, and the internal revenue
took two-and-a-balt to three cents OF that.
The Christmas holidays passed of quietly,
notwithstanding TIE usual quantum Of rumors
about medtated difficulties OF one kind and
another. As in every other village in the State,
80 here Christmas was o sort OF freedmen's
saturnalia. Thousands and thousands Of them
we're gathered here, standing in knots about
the streets, arrayed in their cheap fnery, look
ing at each other, and at the magnlhcence dis
played in the windows and on the shelves OF
the shops. This festive season Was further on
livened by colored tournament-"a splendid
affair."" as one Of tho participants proudly IN
formed me. Sail informant, o tender colored
youth OF sixteen or thcreabout, painted, with
glowing imagination, the glories Of that tour
namont. Thursday, December "a, was the
time, the outskirts OF Darlington the place,
aud sixteen colored gentlemen the principals
engaged in this knightly sport. Major +. f.
Marley had kindly consented to act US judge,
and acquitted himself with much credit to him
self and TO the credit OF the sable knights.
The sixteen colored gentlemen. all on horse
or mule back, made four runs a piece.
s.But how did you know" I asked the sable
tournamenter, chow to do oil this q "Oh,
we seed Low de white people did, and den we
jes did de same" The contestants were as
follows: The Knight OF the Forest, the knight
otJcringo, the Knight Of Chieora, the Knight OF
Buffers Silver Spoon, the Knight Of the Black
Horse, the Knight OF tho Pig Squeel, the
Knight of the Lone Star, the Kniehtof Darling
ton and the Knight OF Florence. Lawrence
Hunter is the name OF the victor. ho having
caught six rings; and he forthwith proclaimed
as his Dulcinea the fair Anna Bacot, to bc
bouceforth known in the County OF Darling, g,
Love aud Colored Beauty. "We all enjoyed
ourselves srlondid," continued the narrator,
land iu the evening we had q fine supper. to
which all the (coloredl ladies was invited; 1t
cost fifty cents ahead" did you dance ?"
20, no, sir; kase many o. EN- belongs to de
church; We jos sot and talked, but We had
mighty good time" Aud I have no doubt
they had and am glad of it. Healthy en-
joyment is good for man and beast.
Darlington rcjoices IN o coored sheriff. anu
in sundry colored magistrates. II all, or even
q part Of what heard ls true, should think
the negroes fire badly under the judicial and
ministerial officers of their own color, and of
their own selection. The only idea the l ,gro
magistrate or sheriff has OF the administra-
tion of justice, Is what he saw among tno pro-
yost marshals, md other military officers !;
excellent for the discipline of an army, but
perhaps not altogether compatible with the
modern notions of civil rights. heard many
cases iu point. One must suffice here. A ne
gro was brought up before colored magis-
trate charged with cotton stealing. The guilt
was proved, the offence admitted, and the ac-
cused ordered to make restitution. As the cot
ton, however, was sold, the magistrate ordered
the thief to bo fined twenty dollars in lieu. This
he was quite willing to do, but only
had ten dollars. However, he said, another
uegro in the same village owed him ten dollars.
which, if the magistrate could collect, would
make the twenty dollars. Tue magistrate at
once ordered the arrest OF tho said negro who
owed, or was alleged to owc, the first named
ton dollars, and obliged him then and thore to
produce ten dollars, or 20 to jail. The money
was paid and tho matter adjusted, This is
primitive and summary Justice remi lding
one Of the way they do things in China and
Japan.
The tax executions arc another feature Of
the "new order of things." very unpalatable 10
Mr.. Freedman. I have hoard of cases where
the poll tax. originally only one dollar, came
with costs to amount to four dollars and
eighty cents; and these colored and Republi-
can sherltfs make short work with the freed
men in their executions. However,, l suppose
it will be all right one Of these DAYS: M des-
perdada'n. DIhD o-E1c.