New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-25
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THROUGH THE SOUTH.
SOUTH CAROLINA PLANTERS.

THE NEGROES-THEIR DESTINY-FUTURB
OF THE SOUTH.
IRON OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CHARLESTON, s. c., May 19.-I met yester-
day good specimen Of the cldschoo South Carolina
gentieman--a man OF about sixty tall and welbuilt,
dressed with scrupulous care AMI having dignihed
bearing and courtesy OF speech This gentleman enter
famed me for an hour with conversation upon the con-
dtion of affairs In this State that showed freedom from
prejudice and disposition 10 forget the past and make
e best OF things they exist that is seldom evinced
Dy people Of his class He ten years member Of
congress, and formerly owned what was called model
| plantation upon the Savannah River in Able
vile District. His plantation was one OF that
kind that used TO be shown 10 Northern
travellers as proof OF the benign OF the ias
tuition Of Slavery, where all the slaves we're robust and
healthy wellciad, wefed, comfortably sheltered and
| apparently enjoying high degree Of happiness. He
said that since the surrender he had become poor and
had taken to the practice OF law to living My
acquaintance, whom shall call the Colonel gave
account the poverty of most Of the proud old families
In the middle and upper districts OF the state, mention
ing them all by name, with description OF their forer
afiuence and their present Indulgence. One Of his Illus
tratons OF their changed circumstances was particularly
striking "These gentlemen" he said, "in the old
times would never drink brandy that Less than 30
years old, and they afford nothing better than
the Ineanest whisky" "But how can they he 80
poor when they still large tracts Of lahdI Why
don't they sell a portion Of their estates :" asked.
them They cannot get accustomed TO the new Labor
system, and many OF them, when their cotton sold
at the end OF the year, find themselves poorer
than when they began and only deeper IN debt ater
years hard work. The planters have been ruined Dy
cultivating cotton exclusively and ncgectng all the
food crops my district well acquainted with all
the planters do not know who has made anything
the past year. and can call to mind number VINO nave
each lost several hundred dollars They planted with
the expectation that cotton would sell for Is cents
pound and when they had brought their crops TO mar
ket they could only obtain u or Is cents and cond not
pay their expenses with the proceeds" The Colonel
said that previous to it considered Giscredtabe
for planter not to raise all the corn he needed for use
HE place. but there many who did not plant
an acre. The OF this mistaken policy he thought
was the great need OF money, and the expectations
raised by the high price that cotton brought after the
war; This year he had observed that much larger
OF corn had been planted He did not think that tue
corn was stolen in the fields to great an extent ~ To
deter the planters from culyatng it, others had rep
resented TO me-
Three systems OF labor prevail One is for the planter
to hire his workmcn paying them monthly wages OF
from Sc to S. and giving them allowance of mea'
and bacon a cabin, and garden patch Another Is TO
give tho aborer Onehrd of the crop the planter pfoyid
ing Seed fertilizers TOOLS and animals. The third sys-
TEN Is for the laborer to furnish everything except fer
tzer and receive onehaf the crop. The last two sys
TENS arc preferred by the negroes, and are the
most used in practice but these systems the Colo
mel said do afford sufficient incentive TO the negroes
TO industrious, and consequence the result OFTEN
proves Improbable TO the planter and to the aborer
He declared that the negroes are, q class lazy and
thriftess working only when driven to 1t by necessity.
"You draw false conclusions" he said, "abou the In.
dusry of the negro from the amount OF the cotton crop
| produced in the South last year. / have shown
| you how this done by an almost total
neglect the provision crops, and that the result has
disastrous do not believe that the total value OF
tha fural of
equal average value of the productions during the
ten years preceding the In other words conf
dent that the negro not producing much now as he
did under the Slave system. He is not industrious by
nature He will work hard for one day. and then spend
two in hunting fishing dng, about The nearest town,
planting thus but acre. where with constant IN
dustry he might plant three" told the Colonel that
had observed in Columbia, Anderson, and Greenyie
that number Of colOred had bought lots and enilt
comfortable houses, thus giving evidence of habits OF
industry and economy. These he thought excep-
tona instances They the mechanics OF the towns
trained to steady labor from boyhood The vast majority
of the colored people Of the State barely lived from
hand to mouth, lie said.
The Colonel thought that the African would soon
become extinct IN all the country with the exception,
perhaps OF the hot, marshy seaboard where the white
race would not into competition with it, Accord
ing his observation, the mortality among the negroes
had greatly increased since they emancpated and
this increase resulted from insufficient food and clothing,
poor shelter, and carelessness ana lack OF judgment I'D
tending the young and nursing the, sick. Pulmonary
complaints, formerly almost unknown, had become
prevalent and fatal He discussed Darwins theory or
the struggle for fe and maintained that It's truth would
be strikingly illustrated this continent by the gradual
disappearance of the negroes who now that they are
brought into active competition with the whites, must
inevitably perish according to the law of nature which
preserves only the strong and vigorous races Sin the
days OF Slavery he sad ." for the interest OF she
white men the groes should increase In numbers
There was therefore, struggle between the two races
the stronger ON contrary aided and protected the
weaker. Now. the is changed and with au the
feeling of kindness have for the negroes ana our n
willingness them suffer, the aggressive energy OF
the Anglo-Saxon race will push them out OF existence
The Colonel thought that a. the negro race disappear
ed new and vigorous civilization would ring up Ia the
sontb that would lead the world. He believed that all
the elements of such civilization exist In the Southern
character the remarkable power and energy OF which
were fully proved 10y the war We are not an INDECENT,
| onervated neople as many at the North imagine" he
said and we demonstrated during the the i'm.
mense exertions Of which we are capable When this
energy industry, and intelligence, which we possess,
arc brought into full play In developing industrial
rosources we will make the south the garden of the
,rld Mark my prOphesy" The Cooneps gray eyes
shone with enthusiasm while making this prediction.
Ue gave me interesting but sad account OF the
decay of the old proud families that lofded IL
the sea Islands. spending the Summers at the virginia
Springs and the Northern watering places and hvng
the rest of year upon their estates In prlncey STYLE
eating the finest game drinking the rarest wines, and
dispensing at all times O magnificent hospitality. Many
OF these families have entirely disappeared, and nearly
all are reduced to poverty They lostf both slaves and
lands Their fine mansions have been destroyed or are
ruined and deserted rank weeds Obscure all traces OF
their once beautiful gardens and th$ themselves are
outeasts and wanderers reduced In many ~ the