New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-04
THE NEW SOUTH.
Thn CHINESE QUESTION IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.

TIM CHINESE QUESIlON ~ OOOlh
CAROLINA.
A SECTIONAL DIFFERENCE OF OPTNTON-TIE
PROBLEM OF THE SEA ISLANDS OUTSIDE
VIEWS OF NEGRO LABOR-TIIE REAL DIFF
CULTIES-THE PLANTATION SYSTEM.
CHARLESTON, s. c., May All was har-
onious In the Immigrant Convention as long az the
subject white achievements to the labor OF sonth
Carolina was the only topic OF discussion. There was
some difference Of opinion as to matters OF deta ana
method 1t true wanted TO give lands and houses
and household furniture and the mysterious priy
lege OF Equality" to tempt the needed populations some
wanted TO make the pay for their lands aud
II they came as aborers make them work cheaper than
the negroes and understand that their position was In no
respect except politically, level with that OF the
capitalist who employed them. Some speakers extoed
the patient industry and deepdevng agriculture OF the
Germans and others preferred the ready American
habits OF the farmer from NewYork and Pennsylvania
But ON the main questionable need OF importing white
men TO own farms and white men to operate
plantations, and the impossiblty or training 10
any avail the strong arms and tough CONSTITUTIONS
OF the negroes, for whose labor South Carolina was
willing to fight to the bitter end ten years ago-the
Convention was in substantial accord. The resolutions
looking toward the encouragement OF the needed impor
tation by variety OF passed without dis
senting voice. though conservative old planters,
who inherited their notions of the superiority OF
agriculture large scale from generations OF land-
holding ancestors were not slow in expressing in pri-
yate their disgust at much OF the scheme as contem-
plated the introduction Of the manufacture OF cotton
goods into the coton-owng States, and their satisfied
conviction that whatever platform might be adopted,
South Carolina would be actually degraded by the
innovation Of mills and spindles and operatives within
her borders.
But the debates Of the closing day Of the Convention
revealed strong undercurren Of feeling which had no
practical sympathy with the schemes for the introduce
ton Of white labor for the that it still left want
TO be supplied The Convention represented the whole
State as well as parts Of Georgia. but the delegates
from the regions lying along the coast the owners OF the
long-stape cotton plantations the Sea Islands, heard
all the eulogies on the energy and enterprise OF tho
European laboreF and the Northern farmer with ndier
ence. Steamers might come into Charleston every week
crowded with immigrants Of ApgiO-Saxon blood, and
bring DO comfort to them, They knew the difficulties in
their way by experiment. al expended large sum Of
money" said Of the planters from the Beaufort dis
trict, Gin bringing down company Of German and
Irish aborers and stocked my plantation last year But
no sooner did the first hot OF June strike their heads
than every of them fled as for his life and leTt
me TO get in my crop as best could Yet these gentle
men had 10 better words to say Of the negro whose
tropical descent enables him to live and thrive in their
miasmatic lands, than their friends from the hills 81
went among my hands the other day." said speaker
"and said to one, Sc here, want you to strike that
spade in deeper and he turned in his place and said to
me- you do, do youl Well, them you'll have to put it
in yourself" and murmur OF sympathy with the out
ragged feelings OF the narrator ran round the Convention
1t was these gentlemen who while willing TO vote for
the plans direct trade and land giving and Immigrant
bringing, awOke to real enthusiasm only when they had
succeeded in bringing mp the topic of importing contract
labor from China the benefit Of their own home re-
lion Yet this which brought the first apple OF
discord into the Convention and nearly split it asunder
by an acrimonious debate divided by geographical lines
one after another the champions Of the Chnaman bore
testimony to his usefulness and adaptation to the wants
OF the low country with mnuteness Of detail and full
OF knowledge showing that deep and warm interest
in tue subject had led to earnest study One had visited
! the regions OF Louisiana, where the experiment Of
importing Oriental labor has already been tried with
! success. The cottage Of every Chinaman could be
recognized even in the swift passage through the
country in a railway train, by the neatness
Of the house and its surroundings. The visitor
had entered field where 20 Chinese and 40 were
at work together: every black had treated himself
long pause to inspect the stranger but not yellow
man had looked up from his hoe. Not Chinese laborcr
ever questioned order answered an mpudent word
They worked from daylight to dark, with an hour for
dinner entertaining preudices in favor Of II hours
10 as days labor They nothing but rice and beef
steak They worked for so cents day the year round
their pay beginning when they landed and their contract
lasting for five years TLey suffered no ihealth from
the civilizations of the rceed or the rays OF the hottest
|
and raised from lands which they found jungle the
most fabulous crops of sugar. They NEEDLE in
political question and could not be induced to trouble
| their heads about the ballot
Ii here that the opponents OF the Chinese mporta
tion joined ISSUE and the debate which ensued showed
the existence Of two elements in the Convention which
while working together other questions fell radically
| apart this. one set farmers and planters
only anxious improve their lands Ill up their waste
places, to make money from their crops without the aid
OF the negro The other set came white South
Carolnans, eager by indirect since it can
| not be done Directly to overthrow the political
supremacy Of their late slaves, to the negro
majority at the balloboX to take the taxeyying power
ont Of the hands OF the notaX paying and TO get
the control Of their State to extent into their
hands again These latter bitterly deprecated the in
| PRODUCTION Of new :" inferior race" into South
Carolina seemed to take for granted that the Chinese
will plunge at into politics the negroes have done
and will side with the negroes against the employing
whites and in effect declared themselves willing that the
belt Of land along the ocean, untenabe by white men,
should go into jungle and swamp, rather than that it
should be cultivated by the barbarian wearers OF pig
tails. To be sure it was suggested by OF them that
when the hoped-for Germans and Scotchmen had once
filed the upper counties the negroes would be forced
down into the lower districts, and be obliged to work
there the capitalists terms TO sarye But this
theory received with contempt il being the cardinal
point Of belief with n6aTv AZ the members of the Cen.
yenton that the negro is TO be counted out OF all
calculations as absolutely worthless now and In
the future, and that all plans for regeneration must
begin by absolutely ignoring his existence one opponent
Of the Chinaman declared that any encOura cement to
his coming would completely destroy the possibility OF
immigration also Of intelligent Caucasians aud give
strength to the prejudice that the South only wants
white aborers TO In the place OF its lost slaves on
the other hand, it argued that the division between
upper and lower country was complete, and that no