The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-03-20

government Of tho State. Behold the
stuPendous sum In 1865 the bond.
ed debt According to the report of
the Congress Committee who, have
lately returned from thoir investiga-
tions, was, in round numbers, S..
o58,o00. Iu l8G8it WAS $6,454, 900.
Oa the Goth Of December, 1871, it hud
rison to the enormous aggregate of
els, ,7GS,000. 1t was not even certain
shat this sum covered tho whole liu-
bilities OF the State. So much fraud
and completely in corrupt practices by
the State officials had been devei-
oped, SO much chicanery bad
been unearthed so much will.
fol oonoealnent and apparent
ignorance Of tho amount Of
the robberies and issues of the State
bonds was manifested, that there was
no certainty that even She frightful
aggregate which was established
would not be augmented when all the
plundering had come to light.
But whether it be moro or not, we
have here IN addition to tho State
debt since the war Of near $ll,O0O,-
600. And this sum has been, million
by million, dollar by dollar, delibe-
ratoly stolen by the Williams who have
had possession of tho State since that
period, with the exception Of such
moderate sums rs wero necessitatod
by tho measures Of reconstruction.
The methods Of ROBBERY have boen
too various and universal to be Gnu
meratcd in an exposition so general as
this. Suffice it to say that they have
involved everybody Of any account
who belongs to tho majority. 1t is q
trembling morass of corruption that
shakes under the trend of the investi.
Cation. Thore is nu chance to stop
OF punish tho fragrant crimes that
have been committed because every.
body, outside of mere handful of
representative Of the tax payers, is
Implicated Whatever villainy is ex.
posed. or whatever investigation is
threatened, silence is at onoo restor-
ed by threatening the threntcners
with an exaWination aud exposure OF
their owo criminality. It is simply a
band of ,obbers threatening to tell on
Que another. Was there ever such a
burlc>que on free govornmont I
Tho State is mircd, and thore seems
to DO no standing ground for ali ef~rt
at extrication. Aud yet it must
be extrioatej, or government is fail
uIc. AS has been already said, there
are but Is Representative out of l24
members Of the Legislature who are
regarded as representatives of the
tax payers of the State. Of these,
eight como from two upper counties
adjoining Georgia. These Represeo-
tives arc tirod of hopeless struggle
against the thieves who have plunged
tho State in bankruptcy, ond threaten
general oonGScation. These two ooun
tics have petitioned to be set of to
Georgia. AS thoir oxoision would
just about extinguish the trifi"g
minority Of the Legislature, and leav 0
it unit in its corruptions, it is sup
posed tho majority will grant the
the prayer. So that the last remnant t
Of the holding ground Of tho tax pay
ors seems to DO on tho point Of disu D.
peariDg.
1t is thus that 100000 white poo.
pie, moro or less, composing tho in
tolligence aud property holders of
tho States are put under the heel Of
100000 paupor blacks, fresh from a
state Of slavery and ignorance the
most. dense. Guided by unprincipled
adventures from other States, who
making use of those froedm as their
agents for the most nefarious acts
which were ever committed under
the shelter of Republican forms of
Government, this blind and uniutel.
ligent muss is precipitated upon tho
Intelligence and wealth of the State
till they arc buried out Of sight.
1t is sometimes asked why tho white
people Of the State do not endeavor
to intluenoo tho blacks by kind trent.
ment and pursuasion as to their true
interests. The answer is, that the
jsalously of the black of his old mas
ter is profound, unyieIding, and uni
9crsal. Where the kindest personal
relations prevail, where the fire eedmen
remain on the old plantations, and
work tho land on shares iu content
mont and harmony with the proprie
tors, the testimony is that, 50 far
as voting is concerned, tho old master
is uttotly without influence. He can g.
not obtain vote or tho promise of II
voto. In this matter the blaok will
listen ouly to tho unprinoiplod adven-
turer who rides through the country
claiming to DO one Of those who gave
freedom to the slaves. Conscious of
their present liberty, tho frcedmen's
dread Of its possible loss makes him tho
m"st suspioious and apprehepsive of
mortals. In poverty and sickness, in
trials aud troubles he resorts to his
old master and seeks his aid and
counsel with ohildliko confidence.
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