New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-10

coarse cloth and two paper-ms along these streams,
but they use but fraction Of the abundant water
power The line railroad now building from omar
lotts N c. to Atlanta, Ca passes through Greenvie,
md brings Il IL hours nearer both the North and the
West and upon what will be the great through route
from New-York TO the Southwest The people expect TO
reap much benefit from tho completion OF this road In
rise the value of property and an increase OF popu
ton and business.
A Defence OF NEGRO LEGISLATION In
SOUTH CAROLINA.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Your correspondent in the South ap-
pears from his letter published In THE TRIBUNE on tho
LIST of May to be too much with the whites and not to
converse enough with the negroes. After saying many
false and cruel things against the negroes and their
friends, he writes:
an would he hard 10 imagine society en'irei7 us6te
S sts PaS no IL pubic aF aud iulae5ce the govern
meHt Obliged submit the ue Of class jnst released rom
Slavery and incompetent without grdanc exercise we sp ua
te, Of CITIZENSHIP n col = 4 e ,bs 10 cannot %
lived some 10 months at Aikcn,a small village IN
Barnwel distinct in the southwestern part of South
Carolina on the borders Of Georgia. returned last
June TO my homo in the North. The people OF Aiken
used me with great kindness andconsideraton although
they knew that 1 what some OF them called, an
awful Radical" ] loved their genial and healthy Gu
mate; loved the people, both white men and negroes
built house which was wonder and prlde, 100 10
the people all around but sold all out and came back
was too old to be Tansplaned, and pned to be among
my own people and the familiar scenery of my more
youthful days I was so busy buildngl my house
and working my twoacro garden, that had little time
to read any more than my WEEKLY TRIBUNE, or st'hy
politics except the rainy days. But think that
know enough OF the state OF things In South Carolina 10
prove to you that this negro Government has passed INC
best laws during their short term Of any Legislature IN
no Xvpr
Governor OF South Carolina or even one OF his advisers
History viii vet do Justice to this and his friends
Tho Legislature OF South Carolina during President
Johnston's administration, passed laws so parl anu
unfair toward the negroes that Gen. Sckes In many
cases. would not allow their provisions to be executed
These laws made slaves Of the people as far as they
could. The negro Legislature, under Grant and his
friends, changed all that inqmty. The laws
passed by them give the laborng man the power
10 collect his wages by s o summary c rpr
renter or mason for instance. to hold the property
improved created by his LABOR against all ana every
DeDicTs and masons are almost always negroes THO
uceroe9 too almost wholly raised ana gatHeIeu Tue coz
ton crop of nearly four millions OF bales last year,
although your correspondent charges thch Win ce'
II a man falls bcEindhdnd from sickness or any case,
his creditors must leave him sOo worth OF property 10
NAV be able If he poor and old. unable to work the
Superintendent Of his district en- appcatloh must sup
mort him and take care of him. II any poor mans
daughter has been abused by some hcartiess ras-
able provision for his child and its mother IL
any man has been wronged in his person or properly,
he can sue for redress and bring ecra white man or
negro into court bear witness for him. III Legr0 mas
the necessary property he can si asO' as Jnrymn OH
n trial. II be is sufficiently well educated, ana Is an
honest man, he can be made judge. II man is poor
and wishes to piece OF land To raise loOu LOT MN
the Government agents at cost price, on long ana easy
credit If enterprsing man. or company OF men,
modify the laws in south Carolina allow the business 10
be conducted without the payment Of taxes to the S5e
tl. al irVn cd
established by such encouragement great many poor
people would find profitable WORK and would get Bood
In tho last Constitutional Convention at Charleston,
majority Of the members were negroes III was justly
decred ON the floor of Congress that the Constitution
formed by these the best of all the Gates Ill the
Union Tho children oi the poor man need not now row
n Every voter must every year one
Whnro the Roir ave too numerous 10 be taught in one
school, the whites have school of their These
lawmakers not only Just ana huuiana DhV te! iro
also udnlgent toward their present enemies and their
former oppressors. One day poor white woman came
to me. asking for little money with which 70 Gy Soe
land 1--WE have no mule she replied " no GOV" nor
anything to raise crop with The land WIN not row
plow my sister holds It and makes me draw ~ "a
provided for II any andholder il in such eondi
prorer agent for help, and the, Government
agent the security OF his land and OF d
seed implements, and fertilizers necessary To raise
crop TINS law mainly benefits the white men The ne
OF North Carolina established state militia Tor the pro-
lection of lie and property they DID not select the ne
groes alone for military duty. The poor whites VIII
work in the fields with negroes but soldier " gen,
teman." anu the poorest white in South Carolina wouil
not be gentleman by the side OF negro. III the SOnth
Carolina militia is composed Of negroes only, the white
men NAV blame themselves for It, The negroes made
their model Constitution and passed excellent laws, I'M
der the guidance OF Northern men ana tnelr White
friends Ii the white Republicans OF the south are bad
men, how could they make the negroes do much Goodt
Tho negroes had the majority. ana chose 10 40 WeH'
Their wisdom and moderation deserves praise For my
self when think OF these laws, 10 appears 10 me that
God who works I'm the minds Of all men, gave these
poor despsod, and dOwntrodden negroes superior IN
sight thing order to put To confusion the wisdom
of the learned and the great men OF this world
POughkeepSie, May 8, 1871. W. NG'
without choosing here to dispute one word
of this euogy what the Late Rebels choose TO term
Carpet Bag legislation. only add our regret that
mon wise enough to pass such laws should not also
have proved honest enough to abstain from the
wholesale corruption that has made the present
State Government "a stencil in the nostrils of the
tay-n1Vprs-Id1