Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-29

The traveller pausing in South Carolina
from flight through tie green fields of
Virginia, the sunny slOping grass pIains Of
Tennessee, or front visit TO the iubale.t.
iovial Georeians. is asionisiicd, for lie finds
himself suddenly in confused, chanti,.
state of mind. The first important obser.
walton he makes is that the whites are com
paratively cheerful, whereas he lad ey-
pected to find each brow dark VI it'll heavy
gloom the next is that the negroes ar,.
less cOntented than elsewhere in the South
These two paraGOXical facts, TO be under
stood, must be analysed. To comprehena
the true state Of affairs one must live il
the midst Of the people, and fathom their
mode of life and thought. For monthsthc
writer has, paused in Beaufort county. and
pcrsistently studied these people, white and
black.
THE CONDITION OF THE WHITES
has been one Of great Encouragement
The seven plaques Of Egypt seemed poured
upon them year after year. First the cat
erDllars came and DESTROYED their c,ops
for years after tie war: then. after inccs-
SAINT toll, cotton fell, ard the whole country
was deluged with bankrupts. Add to these
evils, chills and fcyers. and the insolence
of indolent negroes, who gather for poili-
cal meetings, and sCreeck and howl Of their
h0Indless, freedom, and the q Ter VII Le-
hold Carolina as she sis liz her ashes of
woe.
The planters remind one Of bees drop
ped in tar barrel. They continually per
severe in their efforts to rise out of their
miry troubles. Sometimes they are almost
ready to plume their wings for 4 flight into
the freedom Of competence, but just here
some unexpected lump Of Tar in shape Of
double taxation for some unexplained pur-
pose, hulls them back again relentless!y
A. aft
dian, and renew the battle for dear life.
dear homes, and dear bread. y few of the
strongest reach the top, and tlc5c almost
invariably take to themselves wing9 and fly
away. Many literally spend their strength
in the vain struggle, While, after time,
they succumb TO fate, and fall TO the dead
level Of bitter poverty or death. Yet these
people greet the stranger with smiles, wei
! come him to their homes, while they cover
( the bird whose talons are fixed in their
! hearts.
REDUCED 10 POVERTY.
! III the quiet of 4 country home we find
time to examine leisurcly some strange
! pictures. The other evening visitor came
who was once a leading man among his
people. Bland, courteous, refined, lie pre-
sentcd a true type Of tie Carolina gentle
man. His poverty was apparent in his
clothing, yet the old man appeared rcsolv-
| ed to hide that from bis thoughts. His
fine conversation revealed mind well
stored in know ledge. lie depicted the
present and future Of lis country as de-
porablp, yet seemed nerved for the conflict
himself, and discouraged gloom and de-
/ spOndency in others Soon after his de
pa,tuIe an aged ncgress appeared, wLo was
| eviden entity an old tdyorite family servant.
Little presents Of tea and sugar were given
her, and her family troubles listened to
with aitectiOnate Interest. One portion Of
the rehearsal Of her woes struck the writer
as Illustrative Of the times and the people.
"Bncr (her granGchild) bin Goin' TO
school and bin lArnil' fast, but Bincr had
to stop, mann; de school teacher steal al
de school money and run away"
This was the idea she lad gathered from
! the public abuse of those funds WIRING
from a suffering people to educate negroes
ostensibly, but really to tatten some sleek
negro CT carpet Dagger.
A CONTRAST.
The writer Glanced 10 pass cot tage
when the morning meal was dealt out. 1t
was insufficient and was quickly licked mp
by three lalf-famshed little negroes
"Is that their breakfast 20 We asked,
"IIer said an old manner, ''dey miss ole
MOsser's big bituls (yiCtuals)" and she shut
fle | off.
In the next house woman was enjoying
a bOUntiful repast. She had spent the
summer in idleuess, and now was reycling
in plenty. one Of ole MOsser's cotton
patches afforded ler the opportunity OF
pilfering and Il debased white man re,
cciyed her cotton, and gave Her instead
ilimsy calico, poor -four, and rancid bacon.
MUEDEEEEs DEFENDrp.
10 show the power of the present Stato
government We reCitc an Instance OF mni
der twelve miles fromthis place. y young
man named Martin, eHdcavOiEG TO carry
Out the regulations If Lis place, offended 4
negro v oman. They came 10 blows. The
yOuIg man then left the woman, who,
perhaps, exaggerated the ease to other ne
grOCs. While in his house foIty men and
women attacked him with Eoes, axes and
clubs. Seeing he vanity of resistance, he
fled to a nciGhbols, where they pursued
him. Here they begun 10 beat him with
their weapons. lie lived five hours under
these blows, and finally, with the stroke Of
hoe, negro woman ended lis life. linus,
for defending Himself against an iIate yila-
90, his young life was ended. Willie doing
f their british work, tie negroes yelled like
. the fcnds they were
, Kill him! XIII him! the Radicals vii,
defend Us -
SCOTS minions arrested four Of tie forty
and after trial CD two were found wOr-
Thy Of the PenitentiaIy Ia an incredibly
short time these two were here at work
defended, Indeed, 10y tie Radicals, as thes"
mon choose tC style themselves.
In this section the lands are exceedingly
fertile, bnt they lie in waste, save in i-w
/. exceptional cases From these lands lcl
, become millionailes in a few years by the
+ culture of cotton and lice.
TIE ONLY HOPE FOR TIE WHITES.
There is but one hope for the whites,
and that is TO people the country with tn,-
eign labor. They would bring not only
industry but political power, since ii is the
votes Of the negroes that have ruined South
Carolina, and brought to themselves dis
content and pitiful ambition TO soar where
their dusky plumcs can never reach.
The immense political power Ecld by The
negroes has been fatal TO their brightest
prospects. The state is now Overrun with
idle negroes Who are eleciopeerng for
their candidates, OF "stumping' in their
own individual interest for position they
are as fitted TO hold as a kangaroo or i
! o! ng-a-outang. At the present moment
convention is being held at the county town
of Beaufort TO renominate dusky candi-
dates for tho Legislature. Three delegate.
left this little place. 1t is harvest time, ami
they Will be absent four or five days, losing
largely each day in provisions and cotton.
Yet, if called forty times in the year, they
would joyfully 60, though starvation and
but hint Of the evils. These degraded
creatures stepped TO the lips in crime, pro-
. cure laws Which crush the souls of our
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