The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-09-01
The Land Commission.

Mr.. Leslie, the irrepresssible Senator
for Barnwell, has seated himself amid the
perouisites of one of the new offices,
and advertises the sherifs to advise him
osall lands purchased by the State at
tax sales, so that he may enter therein.
He is the Land Commissioner, the agent
appointed for the business of disguised
confiscation. The State, manipulated by
spectators, has gone regularly into the
real estate business. 1t does business on
"Change, but the change inevitably
obeys the laws, and finds its way into
the pockets of the chosen few.
Now what is the object of this Land
Commission and of this notice to the
sheriHs? Why does the State, occupied
With Thousand ills, look after others d?
Have matters come to such pass, that
the Radical fortunes can be retrieved by
such An eccentric enterprise, or it is some
scheme Of deep laid villainy, to make
money! We suggest no hypothesis,
but merely examine the facts.
The State has long been owned by
few men in large tracts -; much of which
was unimproved and uncultivated.
There was q natural pride in these broad
paternal acres, that concentrated the
man, and individualized his ambition.
He was rather disposed to add to the
ancestral barony, than sell in small
parcels to strangers. This spirit still ex-
lists in much of its native vigor; but the
times have changed, and however safe
IN the past, such spirit is fatal, to our
present hopes. 1t now concerns the
very life Of the State to invite population,
and divide these large tracts into as
many homesteads as possible. This is
the very drift of this Land Commission,
and we do not so much complain of the
division, as Of those to whom tie d.
vision is made, and the manner and form
in which it is done.
The voting majority of the State is
with the colored man, and if the white
Radical wishes to retain power, he must
provide for him in some way. They
only wish to make decent fortune for
rainy day, and then they will go back
and care very little about the ruins they
plundered: They therefore, make this
arrangement with Cuffee: "Give Us all
the fat offices, and we will give you all
the uncultivated lands at an indefinite
credit. You are pennileSs to buy, but
we are equal to the occasion. The own
-ers wont sell, We will legislate them into
it.
=. A board equalizes the pro-rata taxa-
ton. For instance-the State, or ne
groes rather, want a certain piece of
property, that is worth about $4,000,
and belonging to man who has no mo-
neg to pay taxes. He offers II for sale
at aay price but the market IS dead
and he cannot fine purchaser. The
board "eeualizes" its value atsay, $3000,-
0a, taxes are due in proportion; of
course the owner cannot pay, and the
Sheriff takes the land in. the name of the
State, and turns it over to this Land Com
mission. This is one turn Of the patent
screw. Then some landleSs voters are to
be bought and secured, and the voters are
located upon this tracts on credit of
twenty years. 1t is more than likely,
that they will vote one way for those
twenty years at any rate, as each vote
renews the note without interest.
This is fact, no fancy picture, and Mr..
Leslis's notices the voice ofcon6scation,
,'scs5ing in the wilderness" We hear
the hammer falling every where, and be-
.lieVe that eur sheet aachor is parting.
We advise all those who have more land
than they plant, OF for which they have
no immediate use, to sell at any price to
'white emigrauts, and if they cannot sell,
then we recommend the free gift to set
tiers Il is the only way to secure eni-
gration and meet the future.
- As soon as the colored man Of Flr-
Eipia, Georgia and North Carolina, and
other States understand that they can
get land for the asking in South Caro-,
lima, they will crowd every avenueto the
State. The Board of Equalization, Tax
rBill and Land Commission. are the cogs
in the big wheel that moves the una
chinery Of this irresponsible legislation.
Ifnot met at once, it must crush the last
hope of the State. =.-..
But ..there is life in the old land yet."
There is, hope in tie generous patriotism
Of fhe people. There is hope in the
great soul of the past. The land owners
Of the State have inherited with their
acres the devotion of their ancestors.
They only need to be convinced that the
safety Of the State demands the sacrifice.
and they will stand in the gap of
.Thermopylae. They will meet in con-
gention they will divide up their surp!ns
lands, and say to the white emigrant
scome, and We will give you and your
children a home on the soil forever"
II shall not cost a cent, and it will yield
you more than the fields of the West,
undersa better climate. They will antici-
pate the colored possession, and settle
the social and political questions in the
interests Of peace and civilization.
~.'-,< {Charleston Gazette.