The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-07-02
A WoRD m BkHAIF OF THE SOUTH
The The Nex York Asse1 IT, Y aRsa p s5sia|e on

i'the mysterio4a Ku Klgf, "Sayas
"No doubt tfp sohth Is ii 4 HoFe:dis.:
IlorganiFed stateishapi Before, tho var It
I:would!be strange if It we're hnot 30. In
deed, looking attheshttek- disruption Of
The social and domestic life Of the South
Eerners, at the dreadful ordeal they have
passed through, at the. crushing disa-
bilities they suffer, and at tho elevation
| of their own slaves-brutal and ignorant
}negroes-as we1r as a.!host of corrupt
carp pet.baggers,- "a. .betheir political mas
ters, can,-we wonder, that some disorder
exists? 4 The wondet is that SO few exist.
and this is the best evidence that the
mass Of the Southern people are law
abiding. When q brave and high. spirit
ed people submit sov we'll to. and make
the best OF, their humihating situation,
We have the best guarantee of their
futurc good conduct and Of pence. Let
us be just. and magnanimous. Let Us.
have some consideration for the.people
OF our own race and blood, and not
crush them beneath the ignorant and
semi negroes and tho carpet
bag SCUM Of the North. We have the
testimony of General Sherman and Of
many other superior men who have been
over the South. that the pretended Ku
Klux outrages are greatly exaggerated,
and that the Southerners want to live in
peace and maintain order. Then look
at the surprising industry OF the South
at the valuable cotton crop aud other
productions since the war raised under
the most trying disadvantages. This
alone shows the practical, industrious
and high character OF the people, If
the Government would cease it's efforts
to make tho South political arena for
party purposes, would proclaim universal
amnesty and endeavor to give tho con-
troll of affairs to tho intelligent whites,
who have the largest interest in their
country, we should soon hear no more of
the Ku Klux. The Southerners would
| forget the enmities OF the war, and the
harmony and. union of the republic
would be restored in fadt as we'll as in
name. IF General Grant would use his
power to this end he might make q
greater name and. become more popular
than by any annexation schemes, tren-
tieR with foreign nations or national
financial experiments, The people
! everywhere-North, South, East aud
West-wculd regard the complete resto-
ration and harmony OF the Union as the
President to bring that about. Will he
do it? or will he drift along as the mere
tool of the bitter faction which keeps
the country disorganized and gives life
to whatever there is of the Ku klux in
the South2"
Mr.. Copeland, the correspondent of
the New York Journal of Commerce,
writing from Columbia, undor dnte of
the 18th ult., says:
i 81 have examined into the system Of
taxation, and discovered the reason why
there has been 80 much grumbling about
the rate. The fact is, there has been a
surprisingly large amount of corruption,
both in the levy and collection of the
taxes. 1 was shown by one Of your sub
| scribers, who has been in business here
cad in Charleston for many years. tex
receipt in which the tax was Iegitimately
in accordance with the levy, 1928. SO.
The extras added swelIed the amount to
$41. Ee protested, and the tax collector
struck off the extras. This was on a
small piece OF property. He says he has
seen bills calling for forty cents and fifty
cents, upon which the extras amounted
to 80, S2.25 and $3.50. These little col
lections are generally made from the
negroes and poor whites, who do not
know any better than to pay them, but
the tA1-gatherers are learning better than
to affix perquisites to bills rendered to
Intelligent men, because their game is
beginning to be understood. As said
above, the citizens Of South Carolina
have always been aristocsatic. Their
aristocracy was of the landed order, and
to encourage the ownership OF lands in
large bodies the State did not tax them.
The taxes on negroes, buildings, and on
merchants and professions, paid the
debts Of the State. When tho war was
ended the negroes were free, the build
ings burnt down, aud nothing was left to
tax but the lands. and even they we're
| worth much less than they were before
the war, for the reason that they we're
overgrown with shrnbbery, cane, &C.,
during years when their cultivation had
been neglected. The accounted average
assessment value of all lands in South
! Carolina before the war was fifty-eight
cents per acre. Now they are assessed
and taxes are collected at an average
value OF about IS per acre. Many per
Sons who had no money when the war
ended had their domains sold for taxes.
when the fact is considered that only
from one-tenth to one.fourth of each
ianc.owner's possessions is cultivated,
Il ~ Ia