Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-17
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Report Of en- Interview wllb Hon, kr.
hugeF, former Postmaster of
Charleston
Sselal and Political Disorder lH the Pal
mstto stBts-A SAD sHd Ssr-
roWfui r. cord.
Carpet BRpIsH sHd kegrolsm The RoOt Of
sll the Evils, he SJOrst Spring
5f All Her Wees.
"Reminiscences Of toe Better Days Of Car
OllBs-The Public Ken then sad Now
A HsaFt.reEdlHg Contrast.


CHARLESTON, S. G. May 6, 1s7I.-l
little before noon Of each recurrinl
day the lOOker-On In Meeting street
Charleston, will have pointed out Il
him the erect form Of the Hon. AIfres
HUger, a man of eighty-three year
OF age, of herculean build, who's,
locks are white as snow, and who's,
strong and deeply indented eyes
together with his large aqualine nose
give him a very decided resemblance
10 the Duke of Wellington, when that
hero was In his last decade. Thi.
gentleman is one of the few, If not
the last, of the old remaining gentle
men of wealth and family whose in.
fancy was cOeval with the foundation
Of the Constitution and the Republic.
The Hugers are to the manner born,
having and holding the
BEST HUGUENOT BLOOD IN THE STATE,
and previous to the csrpet-bsg era a
Huger or s LOWndes or Pinckney,
would have been listened TO and
needed by the entire white population
of South Carolina; and such men are
still listened to by those whose hands
are not dirtied with public money or
who are not under the ban of official
malfeasauce.
For thirty years, and under nine
successive Presidents Of the United
States. the Hon. Alfred Huger had
held the position of Postmaster of
Charleston, and during that period of
a generation he was universally re-
spected. Every man, woman and
child in Charleston knows the figure
of Mr.. HUger as he takes his daily
walk 10 buy provisions for his family
a duty % winch he attends himself,
as he Is now q ruined man, who once
held 40 slaves, with plantations well
stocked
THE WAR SCATTERED THE NEGROES,
as 10 many other States, and Huger's
OpulenCe, deemed unaSsailable, melted
Ike snow before 8 warm sun. This is
his brief record, similar to fifty other
cases IN South Carolina.
Deemiug it s. judicious thing to as
certain the views OF a man so well
known as Mr.. HUger on the present
demUTaliZed state of affairs, paid q
visit to him al his residence, No. 148
Calhoun street. in this city, having
first armed himself with a proper let
ter of Introduction. Mr.. Hugsr lives
in q large, house, moderately furnished,
which is ali that remains
TO THE OLD CAVALIER,
being but the wreck Of a once fine for
tune. / was received by Mr.. Huger
with all that high-bred courtesy and
stately dignity belonging to the gen
tlemRn OF the old school, and on en-
teTiug the parlOr was asked 10 take a
seat.
1 stated briefly that the object Of my
visit was 70 gain information in regard
to the condition of the State Of South
Carolina. and that / had been inform
ed that Mr.. Huget's long connection
with public affairs was a guarantee
that his information, if given, would
be correct.
"Well, sir, " said Mr.. Huger, 81 will
let YOU know all that is IN my power.
L am an old man, but 1 sat for many
years in our State General Assembly
WITHaIEN LIKE CALHOUN, M'DUFFIE,
PINCKNEY
and others whose names have been
handed down to Us. All those whom
i knew. however, have passed away,
and / am left alOne.'
Itwas a touching picture to see the
Octugenerlau as be uttered this last
remark. The room served as q frame
70 his grand old ace and white hairs,
and the b8lmy ana OdOrOu5 winds
fr0m-the magnolia blossoms came IN
through the open windows and
played with bis hOaTy lock.
"Mr. Huger,n said the Herald com
missioner. 81 desire to ask your hon
est opinion 80 regard to the condition
Of the state Ji affairs in South Carroll
ns At present Many thousand read
era of the Herald believe that there is
a reign OF terrgr here, and that your
financial system and Me framework
of society are
BREAKING Up AND GOING TO SMASH"
Mr.. Hugor-' Sir, / consider the
moral political and financial cOndi-
ton of South Carolina TO be more de-
ulOrable lhsu am even capable Of eX-
pressing. Every intelligent and hon
est observer has long since come TO
the same conclusion. These are the
results Of the
AIALADAuSIsTRATION OF HER STATE
GOVERNMENT"
d" Are the officials not hOnestY" I
asked.
"I consider that there is almost
universal malversaii0n In public Of
Zee. The money which is 50 lavishly
squsndered by some of these men has
BEEN CRUELTY WRUNG
nom the oppressed and desolated peO-
ole of our State. Our property is at
the mercy of prOfiigate and unprinci-
pied strangers and Of Ignorant and IA
paciOus negroes our ruin as a people
and State
Is NECESSARILY INEVITABLE.
1 say this now that am in the ninth
decade Of life aud with fifty years eX- |
parience as a Senator Of South Caro- ]
lima"
"Dld the old Legislatures of the |
State differ very much from the pres |
ent one At Columbian"
GOOD GODl sIk,"
exclaimed the old gentleman; ''can
you ask me such a question: Why,
fhere are seventy-fUur members Of
the Leglslature-Wnlch has taxed the
State this year four million six hun
dred dollars mOnstrOus sum
wHocANNOT Read OR WRITE.
In my time the legislature Of South
Carolina assembled, IS now, On the
fourth Monday iD November. The
Longest session ever served ended On
the 22d OF December. The same BODY
now sits betWee four and nYe
months. Our pay was three dollars
per dey-theirs Is now six. We never
had recess i0r more than lew
hours.
TN ny 60 HOAlE FOB THE CHRIsTMAs
holidays AMI many Of them for a much
longer period and they pay them
selves what they please; there is no
limit TO their extravaganza. The cost /
OF session In Uur time was about |
forty thousand dollars; what they now
call Legislative appropriations"
amounted for the last session to five
hundred and twenty-five thousand !
dollars. OF yOre the tax bill for
the entire State
VAS ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED THOH-
SAND DOLLAEs.
Every man who voted for that bill
paid his proportion Of 1t. The tax
biU- is nov four million SIX hundred
rbofisand dollars, and those voting
such a bin payi2g no taxes. We who
have 10 nav the taxes, however, nave
No repressntation. Here is taxation
without representation ia Its most
hideOus form"
"Then there must be q
GOOD DEABOF BRIBERY
A the Legislature" 1 remarked.
.lYss- Certainly. Add 70 the four
lillian ak hundred thousand dollars
~ T---l,ls.- eurrra Maid fn fnE