The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-30
A Ruined State.


A Ruined State.
The following extracts from letter sf
It's authorized correspondent, published in
the New York Irt6une, viii give eur
readers an adequate conception Of the de-
porabls cendi ion into which South Carr
olina has been plunged by the corruption
and ignorance of The negroes and unprin-
cipled white adventures who now rule the
affairs Of that State. 1t is true but
melancholy picture, and elegantly exposes
the sins and iufamies of radical rcconstruc
tion in State in which majority of the
voters are ignorant and degraded negroes,
who are made the instruments and tools
of carpet-bag thieves and plunderers in
carrying out their Uuholy purposes. Is it
to be wondeIed at that ku-kluxism made
It's home in South Carolina Such state
of affairs as this correspondent depicts
would Stir up "a rebellion even in SO radi-
icallJ ridden II State AS Vermont, or in
commonwealth SO exclusively loyal as
Massachusetts.
Without going into details, it is enough
10 say that thu mcu who lead and manage
the legislature and The state government are
thieves aud miscreants. The great body Of
The legislature the iguoraut and Corrupt
instruments with which the leaders work.
and though tho Individuals composing this
mass are bought and sold like cattle in the
market. their venahty in solns cases is re-
lleVed Ul much of rs criuInality by reason
vi tue dsnseness Of their iguorauce. Nuns
Osrs uf the blacks whU occupy seats in the
legislature regard themselves only in tho
hSdt ot empleyts ut the SuVernnIeut.- Their
pay Is 81 day Tor the session aud special
pay toT their separate votes on every measure
In "hlch there Is money. These votes are
bought aud sold without even a pretenss OF
hldug the hagitiuus transaction. The negro
himself Is hardly Conscious ot cIimiuality,
" hlis be makGs his bargain. lie owns his
mule. lie sells it. lie owns his chicken.
tie sells it. lie considers his vote Just as
much part Of his personal property as his
mule aud his chicken. Why should he not
sell 1t also (! lie does sell il , aud ho uaiyely
won-ers that any body should Complain
'Oi cpuTse tho scale Of pay varies. 1t is
just according to each mau's intslliseucs
aud capacity. a few HUNDRED dollars in
special sratultics is enough to satisfy tie
demands Of a plantation negro. Othels Get
more, aud more, and more Que of The
smartest sort WAS accused the other dAy, ON
the floor Of the house, by Colleague, with
theu having $1,000 vi state Louds in hi.
pocket. corrupty obtained. Aud the charge
not denied.
The state Is mired, aud there seems to be
no staIding grouut for an elf.rt at extrica-
ton. Aud yet 1t must be .xtrcated or gov
erumeut Is u failure. There are but l3 reu-
TesentatiYeS out Of l24 members of the leg
lsiature who aie regarded as representatives
VI The tax paySrs Uf the state. OF these,
elght come lfUm two upper Counties adj Jn-
lug GcVrSla. These representatives are llreu
OF " hopeless Struggle against the ilieves
who have plunged the state in bankruptcy,
aud threaten general cOLGscutiuu These
two cJuuties have pettioned to be set off to
Georgia. AS their excision would Just about
e1tlngush the tTItilng minority oi the leyis>
lature aud leave 1t unit III It's corruptiOus.
1t Is supposed the mr. rny will giant the
prayer. So that the last remnant of the
holding srouLd Of the tax Fay eIs seems to be
Oh the point Of disappearing.
1t Is thus that 800 eco white people,
more or less, composing the intelligence aud
property holsters of the state, are put under
The heel OF 400 900 pauper blacks, fresh
from state Of slavery and ignorance the
must dense. Guided by uupriucipled adj,
VentuIers troG other states, who make use
OF these freedmen as their agents for the
most nefarious acts which were ever Commit
ted under the shelter Of republican, forms of
Ssvernment, this blind aud unintoIligent
mass Is precIpltated upon the iutelligrrcs
and wealth oil the state till they are buried
out of sight.
1T is sometimes asked why the white
people Of the stalc do DO euueavor t. iIf1u-
euce tha blacks by kind treatment and per-
suasion to their true interests. The answer
Is, that the jealousy Of the blacks of his old
master Is protouEd, unyieldiug and universal
here the k!udest personal relations prevail
Where the freedmen remain on the old plans
tatlous. and work the land on shares In cou>
lentmeat aud harmony with the proprietors,
the testimony is that. SO for as voting is con-
cefheu, The old master Is utterly without in
uuehce' lie cannot obtain vote or the
promise of vote. Ia this matter the black
VIII hsten only to the unprircipled adven-
turer who rides through the country claims
ing to be one of those who gave freedom to
the slaves. Conscious of their present liberty.
the tteedmaa'S dread of it's possible loss
makes him the most suspicious and appre-
henslye OF mortalr. la poverty and sick>
ness, IN trials and troubles, he resorts to his
old master, aud seeks his aid and counsel
with child-llke confidence. But in voting
he is steeled To bis advice, and will die be-
fore he will take it.
Thus overwhslmed and helpless, what
is the average property holding citizen to
do? lie aims faithfully to get upon his
legs and keep upon his legs, bur the grinding
taxation actually imposed. and still more
that which is threatened. makes him despair
OF escap ping virtua; cou6scation. lie would
get out Of the state il he could. but there is
nobody to buy his property. On visit to
South Carolina a few years age, Senator
Sprague. cf Rhode Island, attracted by the
great hatural advantages Of water power
at the capital of the state. purchased it. and
spent considerable sum OF money prepara-
tory to starting manufactures there. The
development. soon after, of the corruptiops