New-York tribune., 1872-12-02
AFFAIRS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.


GRADUAL ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE NEGROES
FROM THR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl ]
COLUMBIA, s. c., Nov. 19.-The new State
Government goes into oGee next week. The cid off,
cias who have done their best to ruin the State since
they came into in 1863 viii retire with their gains
They all rich, and OF them will probably go
back 70 their old homes in the North They with
little iothcr property beside their scantiyned
carpetbags. and they will return with diamonds and
fine array, with money, stocks, and bonds with horses
and carriages, and some with large investments in real
estate. They found the State with debt of about five
millions but With property in railroad stock and mort
almost sufficient pay liabilities they leave
behind them as the fruit of their few years Of admins
tratiOn debt Of nearly twenty MILLIONS and they have
stripped tho State of almost everything she possessed
except her public buildings and tho land upon which
they stand. few Of the cunning and rapaclous
OF these punderers intend to remain, and will endeavor
manipulate the Government There is still some
thing to pick UP, they think The credit OF the State is
ruined that not another bond be sold, and all her
property that could be disposed OF has been made way
with. But theIltax-payers stn be bed and few
additional millions can be wrung from them under pre-
tense Of paying the interest the fraudulent debt or
redeeming the countless bogus obligations that are
aaoat in the shape Of Legislature pay certificates rev.
enue scrip" &C.
There is feeble hope in the public mind that the
win be less corrupt than the old. This hope
has little foundation except tho knowledge that nothing
could well be than the outgoing ADMINISTRATION,
and the belief that the State impoverished that
little is left to tempt the cupdity Of the rulers. The
career Of the officials gives them no claim public
confidence. There are not more than two three on
the list whose regulations badly tarushed
by their recent connection with public affairs The new
Governor signazed his exit from the Office OF Speaker
OF the House last Spring by depicting the Treasury Of
over half million OF dollars by putting out fraudulent
pay certificates and the Treasurer aided while Sec
~
bonds which ahoat In New-York. Others OF the in
coming officials are charged with delinquencles some
what less gross perhaps, but serious enough make
people doubt the sincerity OF their professed intention
70 inaugurate reform. --.--.
NEW SCHEMES OF PLUMBER.
Now and then find a of an unusually hopeful
turn OF mind who thinks the state has passed through
her worst trials who finds comfort In the fact that the
new Governor and AttoTney-General are both South
Carolinians, and who, upon the slightest foundation
builds fine theories about their future conduct arguing
that they will haze strong motive to honest action in
their desire regain the confidence OF their former
friends Ibope this reasoning may prove correct but
have little faith In the Of pretty thorOughin
quy into the ofmany Southern States since
reconstruction accomplished, have not found that
plumber the people are any less rapsciouS than their as
sociates There erumb Of comfort however which
viii flnd If di5spponted-it will be so much pieasShfer
70 be robbed BY those OF their own h2gsen0q tn 10y
people in Charleston and Columbia expect nothing good
from the Moses administration 1t cannot sell any more
bonds, 1t is true, but it and will, they think,
5as the Scott government As long as Scott
and his associates could hypOthecate or sell a
million or OF State securities in NeW-1Ork
whenever thew wanted money, they had no need of
INCREASING the rate of taxation That recourse being
hausted and the property OF the state IN railroad stock
and mortgages being all made way wnnothng Is eIt Tor
the officials but 20 put the taxes just as heavily
be borne, II the people arc FESTIVE under their
grievous burdens 70 VIII be easy Tor tho 9nclas TO
raise the old cry Kux and invite the aid Of the ma
tonal government As be learned the nnan-
cal scheme Of the administration will be as follows;
S2OOOO00 will be raised by tdXduOn iOf regular
state purposes and s5OCg0 aaIGnai nprst lDr tne oS
the debt; this will make t2,5O000o. One million
e 9US oyeFnne6 The interest viii not be paid and there
Will thus remain surplus of Sl,5OOO0O, for pront
Moses sndng pay certificates oler fraudulent
claims against the treasury Whch are helq oy 9w .5
of GOV Moses and his friends is uuc6artable, it GER
tanly is not unreasonable. They have gwen the public
no cause 10 expect anything better from thein'
sJPINESEss OF THE WHITE PEOPLE.
lido not hes p say that much o the evil which has
fallen upon South Carolina since 1868 might have been
averted IL the Intelligent whte people had shown cour-
ace and publcsprt They exhibited, instead, degree
of sufIn6ncss aIl the more surprising when remem
bers their old character for impetuous aud chiyaric
braverv Only in few OF the upper counties has there
been any orgaszed protest against robbery and mis-
government and there it took the barbarous form OF
masked maraudng bands that visited vengeance upon
the DOOR defeueess Ignorant blacks, while the rognes
in Office went unharmed II the KuRlix had marched
10 Columbia ana punished, ia ElguaHe9 COnllI.,to
fashion officials WHO known 70 DC theYes pup
lie sentiment would have condemned the action win
much Severity. They were 700 cOWdIuy 70 u9 'l,5 5e%1 %
no wonder; no man could be courageous Whlle hIneu
49, 49, nSi9r lions of the DEVIL KuKlux crimes
n few counties SEND utter detection and islessness
sai ~ M 'l9 have Tesented The KuKluxng thing
OF the past and will never be reylyed Dut the unuaHy
t5ber defeating the Reform party which, while IL mum
bered among IT'S supporters rev 9n m % men pLG
Republicans. The whites had % falr chahce 10 h'No
themselves, and they would not avii ava nessl.Gs VI G
he was South Carollnan rather tIan ior NOItneih
man Of integrity, and thousands stay ca away ron tno
action toward forcing halt IN the ROAD 10 rum aOng
which the state is s hErTu m fdTGed web Should include
few the leadsG eoored men, ana thls cQniiitee @
fhe erafure employing able counsel TO institute pro-
ceedines against all persons gnity OF giving OF lAhs
bribes or OF plundering the public treasury Every cor
rnut scheme aud Job should be denounced by this com
mitiee as discovered Ferhaps hothng co,u De
accomplished at first beyond exposing tle eSi COURSES
of legislators aud officials but III me end puDlc Opoh
would be educated ana ehhBhteheo lhat i"scas
would be driven from power
THE REAL GROUND FOR HOPE.
Unless the white people show more sagacty and
energy than they have heretofore, and make wise ana
determined attempt their State from the evii
ways in which it has fallen, the only hope OF future re-
form lies In the advance Oi the Polucai Vi
the blacks who constitute the great mass OF the voting
popuIaon There are already encouraging signs OF I'M
movement among them. They are beginning to know
something OF the methods by which the affairs OF state
and county are administered aud 10 understand that
they as well as the whites have vital interest IN
securing an honest governments The negro politicians
are IN the main not much less corrupt than their
,yhtte associates, but they begin 10 recognize
,hc fact tbat the great OF the coiored
people, gnorant and poor as they are, esnnot "a hd
mnrh longer he held together IN the support OF phd
men y Ihe mere name of Republicansm They shrewuy
~ -; reform aud those who succeeded In getting re-