The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-05-26
Tho South as Seen Through Northern
Eyes.


dio.o benefits which have resulted
from the late Tax-Paycrs' Convention,
an important incidental advantage
arises from the fact, that 1t attracted
here the correspondents OF the lead
inc Northern journals, who have
taken pains to obtain and publish to
: tho world correct views of the act"-
al condition Of affairs in the State.
The He,oN, Tribune, Cincinnati CON-
mercial. and Horl', all had correspoA-
dents in Columbia during the Con-
rcntion. and in the main their letters
give 4 very correct view of existing
evils. Thisis all thst we could wish.
A true exposition of actual abuses
will form the best plea in our behalf.
and will 60 farto eStenuate' II not
tojustiry, al the late disturbances
TO one cardinal fact, these cores
pondcnts all give due prominence
that thorc is no hostility here to the
United States Government, but tnat
all of our trouble has arisen from To-
cal causcs-thc exclusion of our best
citizens from office, and the sway OF
IGNORANCE and corruption. There Is
nothing here, they admit, of the OLD
,eaven Of Secession, but only an earn
est and natural desire to be rid Of al
set of hungry cormorants, who arc
prcying upon our ursubstancc, and tlaunt-
ing their ll-gottcn gains in the sight
of an inccnsed people. In fact there
is nothin 6 even Of hostility to kepuo'
lica nism, except as associated with
norancc' and corruption. Well
might Horace Greeley exclaim in view
of the facts ciiciicd by his correspon-
dents. that "thc South Carolina Legis-
lature had made Rcpublicanism to be
stencil in the nostrils Of all good men
Of the country" TO tho same efTe"t
is tho following extract from a leading
editorial Of the Tribune:
"Our correspondents have now been
so long in the disturbed districts OF
the South that VIC can form from
their letters distinct idea of the
state of society in that unfortunate
mart of the Union ltis melancholy
picturc that they draw for Us. The
most intelligent, tie influential, the
educated, the really useful men OF
the South, deprived Of all political
mower have come to look upon them
selves as the outraged subjects of a
despotic conqueror. Taxed and swim
died by q horde of rascally foreign
advcnturcrs, and Of the ignorant class,
which only yesterday hood the fields
and served in the kitchen, they care
nothing for politics except to throw
off the oppressive yoke; they have
no interest in national affairs; they
wo,ld call themselves Of either party,
nrovided their rulers were only ot
the other. The refuse of Northern
cities, who went Southwark after
the war, ont at elbows and destitute
of character and education, now roll
in SPLENDID carriages, driusl rare wines,
n,it:cr with diamonds as rare rs
Eisl<s. and steal taxes as fast as 4
N.w York Street Commission. 1t Is
no wonder that the impoverished
planter, growing poorer every day.
the ex-Confaderate officer, who fought
20 bravcly for a cause in which he
honestly believed, the professional
men. accustomed all their lives to
hold Office and lead the public scnti-
ment of their communities, look on
such things with rancorous hate. They
might submit to be ruled by soldiers
who had beaten them in battle; but
here they are plundcred by suffers
and camp-folcwcrs.
"This is miserable state Of things
indeed for republican government
q burlesque upon the suffrage, whcn
tho only restriction upon voting Is
that the votes shall not be cast for
the most intelligent and virtuous citl'
zens. We have often warned onl
party in Congress of the inevitable
result Of the vindictive method o.
reconstruction. We have told them
and we tell them again, that there
is only one way to restore the Union
universal amnesty and impartial
suffrage. We shall continue to urge
this policy; but in some places South
err people are doing their best to
defeat it,"
The correspondent Of the Cincin-
matt Commercial ridiculcs the idea OF
such man as Wright being appoint,
cd to the Supreme Bench of Ohio, and
goes on to say:
"Now, the lawyers and property
holders of South Carolina arc just as
anxious to have Supreme Conrt as
they are in Ohio. Why should they
not have it? Is negro put: ovc'
them to make them feel the'r degra
dution and cause them to lose then
selfrcspect Do they not feel it te!
times moro keen than Ohio would
and would it not touch Ohio TO th'
rnick? Is it, as punishment for lhi
crime Of rebellion? If so, what sort
of punishment is that which degrade:
both yictors and vanquished, and sows
the seeds of perpetual. ,discord ant