The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-17
"Ne Sutor Ultra CrepIdam."

ssNe Sutor Ultra Crepidam."
Whenever an individual, occupying higt
public position, undertakes to give informa
ton upon any subject, aud to enlighten the
ignorance Of others, it is reasonable pre-
sumption that he has thoroughly informed
himself.upou the topics which he discusses,
and the more especially is this the case when
his statements are offered gratuitously and
without solicitation. E
Mr.. Fred. A. Sawyer, the Radical Senator
from South Carolina, has thought proper to
issue to the world, through the columns o
the Ne,o York Ledger, all elaborate and
carefully prepared epistle, in which he at
tempts to establish the fact that the South
ern States afford fine field for enterprising
emigrants, and, in order to prove what no
man OF ordinary information ever doubted,
has touched on variety Of subjects, which,
In his judgment, were germane to his pur-
pose. He begins BY announcing that the
territory OF the Southern States is more ac-
cessibe 10 the emigrant than the path in
which his course now tends; that there is q
long line Of sea-coast, and many excellent
harbors, inviting foreign commerce. He in
gable streams running between mountains,
and these natural water courses, with the
aid of long miles OF railroad, afford large
facilities for trade. He discourses about
water power to turn spindles and move
looms, which he declares are enough to
make an engineer sigh to see it run to waste.
The soil, too comes in for share OF his
commendation, and he admits, with that
amable condescension which the great
sometimes, but yet rarely, exhibit. that it is
even capable of producing almost every
variety of crop that can be raised in the
Northern and Middle States He tells US,
too, that there is no good reason why we
should not rival the North and West in the
productions of the dairy, and as for wool,
there is no better field for it in the world.
Warming with his theme, his chief ecstacies
are la7ished on the fruits and it is enough
to make ones mouth to water, to hear him
on the, subject OF the luscious peach, the
s1succulent melon, the juicy pear, the crisp
''aprle,' the orange, the fig, and the apricot,
''and, above all, the grapein its many deli
''cious varieties" We recollect nothing so
eloquent ON this subject, except lesson in
the speling-book, or primer, of his illus
trious fellow-couutryman, Noah Webster, of
Photographed notoriety, to. which interest
ing and entertaining work We ask leave to
refer the curious
Now all this is very well, and, we suppose,
that Mr.. Sawyer might be accepted as au-
thoritY on these matters, as he has doubtless
studied, as we'll as taught, geography, and
in the matter Of fruits, we are not disposed
to question his good taste. But, unfortu-
nately for his crediUility as a witness, or his
truthfulness as narrator he is not content
to stop here, but hurried on by excess Of
zeal in behalf Of the section which he has
honored by adoption, and which, with the
spirit of the true philanthropist, he desires
to rescue from the barbaric ignorance OF the
present possessors Of the SOIL who, as he as
serts; know nothing OF agriculture, and oan
scarcely distinguish q plough from hand
saw he proceeds in his labor Of love, and
caps the very climax Of bloated insolence,
by giving utterance to the following state
meht:
"For generations the culture of these lands
have been in the hands OF slaves. The over
seers. who directed and scourged the slaves,
were but too often little superior in agrlcutu-
raj knowledge to the field hands,, and the
field hand had only intellect enough to use
the rude5t implements in the clumsiest posi-
BILE way. The top Of the ground was scratch
ed, not ploughed-what the planter called q
plough was not whit better than that de-
scribed by Virgil twenty centuries SINCE"
We viii pause but single moment to call
attention to the temper and spirit manifest
ed by this South Carolina Senator, when he
talks OF the slaves who were directed and
':scourged." The motive which could move
one to interpolate this indirect attack-so
unnecessary to his avowed purpose, and so
useless to the arguments too transparent
to require comment It is the appeal to
prejudice anu not to truth.
But, to return. We must, in all candor,
admit that we fell below Northern farmera
ip many Of the departments OF agriculture,
but it is, we think, an undeniable fact, that
while we conceded, and the world aeknowl-
edged, that they were pre-eminently sue
cessful in the raising OF small cereals, to say
nothing Of pumpkins, onions, &C., &c, &C.,
it was quite Us universally admitted that the
beaighted South was contributing fully as
much to the commerce aud general benefit