New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-29
SOUTH CAROLINA PHOSPHATE
THE STATE UNDER A NEGRO GOVERNMENT

capital of South Carolina is charmngy situated IN the
heart OF the upland country near the geographical cen
OF the State II has broad, open Streets regularly
laid out and fine shady residences, In and about the
The opportunity for rides and drives can hardly
be surpassed There good animals and good turn
outs seen on the streets all times, and now In
midwinter 1.-THE weather invites 10 such displays. III
there was little real Winter here at Christmas
and New Years. when the whole country suffered such
OF sudden cold. There even skating and
seighing for week. But there is no frost, and
recollection of 1t Ia speled by the genial Spring
weather that prevails.
Yesterday about p. N. the assembled wisdom OF the
State whose aohievemensare illustrated on that thea
ter, issued forth the State-house About three
quarters OF the crowd belonged TO the African race.
They Of every hue from the light octoroon to the
deep black. They such looking body OF men as
might pour out OF a markethouse or courthouse at
random in any Southern State. Every negro type and
physiognomy here be seen, from the genteel
serving TO the rough-hewn customer from the rice
cotton field Their dress varied their
teDances. There the secondhand black frock coat
Of inhrm gentty, glossy and threadbare. There was
the stoveppe hat of many ronngs and departed styles
There also 10 be total disregard OF the propri
cites OF costume in the and dirty garments OF the
field the stub Jackets and SLOUGH hats of soilng labor
In some instances rough wooden comforters embraced
the neck and hid the absence OF linen Heavy brogans
and short, 1t impossible TO hide. The
dusky tide flowed out into the Uttered and barren
grounds, and issuing through the wooden fence
of the inclosure melted away into the street beyond
| These were the Legislators OF South Carolina.
A CULTURED SOCIETY OVERTURNED.
In conspicuous basreef the door OF exit on the
panels OF the stately edce the marble ysages of George
McDuffie and Robert Y Hayne overlooked the scene.
Could they vertically witness II from their dread abodef
What theni II tremble" said Jefferson, in the opening
scenes OF American Independence. :" tremble when
reflect that God just" But did any OF that old band
OF Southern revolutionary patriots who wresed in their
souls with the Of Slavery contemplate such
descent into barbarsm this spectacle implied and
typhedi my God look at this !" was the unbidden
ejaculation OF lowcountry planter, clad In homespun,
as he leaned over the rail inside the House, gazing
ctedy upon the body in session. This the first time
have been here. thought knew what we were doing
when consented to emancipation. knew the negro
and predicted much that has happened but / never
thought it would come TO this. Let me 60"
Here then ia the outcome the ripe perfected fruit OF
the boosted civilization OF the South after TWO hundred
years Of experience. white community, that had
gradually risen from small beginnings, till It grew INTO
wealth, culture, and refinement, and became accom-
pshed in all the arts Of civilizations that successfully
asserted it's resistance to foreign tyranny by deeds OF
conspicuous valor; which achieved liberty and indie
pendence through the fire and tempest Of civil and
illustrated itself in the councils Of the nation by orators
and worthy OF any age nation such COM
munty is then reduced to this II lies PROSTATE in the
dust ruled over by this conRomerate, gathered
from the ranks Of its seryile population. 1t is the
spectacle OF society suddenly turned bottom side up
The wealth. the intelligence the culture, the wisdom of
the State have broken through the crust of that social
volcano which they contentedy reposing and
have sunk out OF sight, consumed by the subterranean
fires they had with such temerity braved and dehed
THE BLACK HOUSE IN SESSION.
In the place OF this old aristocrac society stands the
Ham hat ~ IND
ever saw invested with the functions of 1t
ia the regs of the population habtaed in the robes OF
their intelligent predecessors and asserting over them
the rule of ignorance and corruption through the in
exorable machinery OF majority OF numbers 1t is bar
overwhelming civilization by physical force 1t
the slave riong in the halls Of his master and put
ting that master under his feet And though is done
without malice and without vengeance it is neverthe
less the less completely and absolutely DONE Let
us approach nearer and take closer view. We viii
the House OF Representatives. Here sit l24 MEM
bers OF these % white men, representing the
mains OF the old civilization These goodOoking sub
stanal citizens They of weight and standing in
the communities they represent. They are all
from the hill country. The frosts OF sixty and
seventy Winters whten the heads OF among them.
There they SIT grim and silent They feel themselves
be but loose stones, thrown in to partially obsruct
current they powerless TO resist. They say little
and do little the days go by They simply watch the
rising tide and mark the progressive steps OF the inun
dation. They hold their places reluctantly. They feel
themselves be in sort martyrs bound soicay TO
suffer in behalf of that still great element in the State
whose PROSTATE fortunes becoming the sport OF
Implying fate. Grouped in corner OF the commodious
and wellfurnshed chamber, they solidly survey the
noisy not that In the great black Left and Cen
ter where the and debates OF the House
conducted and where sit the strange and extraordinary
guides OF the fortunes OF once proud and naughty
State In this crucial trial OF his pride, his manhood
his prejudces his spirit IL must be said OF the South
ern Bourbon Of the Legislature that he COMFORTS himself
with dignity, reserve, and decorum that command
admiration He feels that the iron hand OF destiny Is
upon hlm He is gloomy, disconsolae, hopeless. The
gray heads this generation openly profess that they
look for no relief. They see no way Of escape The
recovery Of influence Of position of control in the
State is by them felt TO be impossible. They accept
their position with stoicism that promises no reward
here OF hereafter. They the types OF conquered
race. They saked all and lost ALL Their lives remain.
their property and their children do not War, enamel
patton, and grinding taxation have consumed them.
Their struggle is against complete confiscation.
They endure and wait for the night.
This dense negro crowd they confront the debating
the squabbng, the iaw-making, and create all the
clamor and disorder Of the body These 20 white
are but observers the enforced auditors Of the dull
and clumsy imitation Of a deberative body whose APP
pearauee their present capacity is at once wonder
and O shame modern civilization.
.. ... THE LOOKS OF THE MEMBERS.
Deductng the % members referred to, who com
prise the entire strength Of the opposition, we nd 0l
remaining. or this l0 "a are coored, and seven are
their white allies. Thus the blacks outnumber the whole
body OF whites House than three to On
the mere basis numbers in the State the injustice OF
this disproIorton manifest since the black population
In the State relatively four to three Of the whites
Just rectcation Of the dsproporoD, the basis Of
population merely, would give "a whites to 70 black
members And the line OF race very nearly marks the
line Of hostile politics. As things stand, the body Is
almost literally Black Parliament, and II is the only
one on the OF the earth that the representative OF
white constituency and the protested exponent OF an
will