The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-05-01
From the New York Natl ion, LItcpuhlican..
The StateOf the South,

The State Of the South.
The indolcnt excuse for our fail
ure to understand tho condition
Of the South is that nobody can
very accurately comprehend it
who has not been there to see for
! himself With regard to troubles
Of Il social character, this excuse
is valid but there are some plain
statistical facts recently brought
to light and published which it is
our duty to recognize and confront.
We must acknowledge that the
condition Of tho South from al
most every point Of view is cx-
trcmcly wrctchcd. The property
Of the eleven States in 1860, cX-
elusive Of slaves, was valued at
S2,72S, $500 At the cld Of the
war their increased liabilities and
loss, exclusive ofslavcs, was valued
ut sI,272, 100000, nearly onc-haIf
the assessed value Of their proper
ty at tho beginning Of the war.
This, however, was only the State
loss. Secretary Belknap fixes the
rebel debt, on the 1st Of April,
1868, at S2, ,343, ,207,823. This csti-
mate would make the total loss of
the rcbcllions States by the war
So, ,2G2, ,303,554. This sum, il Will
be seen, is about twice the assessed
value Of all Southern property
in 1860, exclusive Of slaves.
Fivc-cights of South arn property
Is gone, and the taxes upon the
remainder arc four timos that
upon tho original property before
tho war. How much Of the money
wrung from this impoverished
country is expended upon public
improvements, it is difficult to tell; !;
but it is likely that most OF it, and
certain that much Of it, goes to
feed the Vulgar and rapacious ro-
gucs who rob and rule II people
helpless and utterly exhausted.
| With the exception Of Virginia
and Tennessee, the debts Of all
the States have been increased
since the end Of the war. The
near ncighborhood of those COM
mnnitics TO tho Ohio may have
had some influence in driving
rogues further South. The real
reason, however, is the compara-
tive f7wness Of the negroes. The
debt Of Alabama in 1866 was
IS, 900, 900; under the rule Of the
enlightened and disintcrcsted econ
omists who have undertaken to
repair he" finances, that debt has
been increased to S24, 100000.
In North Carolina the new GOV
crnmcnt was established in 1865
In 1860, the State debt was $l4,-
600, 900; in 1865, S20,000,00O; in
1868, S24, 100000; and in 1871,
S3l, 100000. Thus the increase of
debt since tho war has been more
than twice the increase during the
war, which looks as if war were n
cheaper and more prosperous con-
dition than peace. At any ratio,
reconstruction seems to be morally
n more disastrous process than
rebellion. Guile is the strength
Of tho weak, and the carpct-bag-
gers have taught tho Southern pco
pie to meet rogucs with trickcry.
The Ku-KluX Committee, com
mcntingupon their dreadful poverty
at the close Of tho war. says that
manifcstly they must havoat once
succumbcd under their loss Of S..
600, 100000 had it not been for
tho bcncfactions OF the North. IL
states that the l'rccdmcn's Bureau
has spent S13,000,00 upon South
crn sufferers Of both colors. This
does not seem n considerable
sum when We think that tho
increased debt since the war in
North Carolina has been $l4 4,000,-
600. Certainty our charities have
dono less good than our carpet
baggcrs have done damage. The
theory, Of course, IS that some
thing remains from tho enormous
sums raised by taxation, that they
have been expended upon needed
public improvements.
In North Carolina, it was alleged,
the largo subsidies given to rail
roads would encourage immigra-
ton. There has boon no immi.
grafton, however; tho bonds havo
been sold at disadvantages; some
Of tho money has been stolen, and
a fow Of the rogucs have been in
dictod. 1t is impossible to say
how much Of the sums raised re-
main to tho States. Tho carpet
baggcrs have had it pretty much
their own way. If they chose
to rob, there was nothing to pre-
vent them. Give men O. chance to
bo tyrants or scamrs, and thcro
is no fear that somo will not be
found who will avail themselves Of
il. Here in New York, where