Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-11-05
SOUTH CAROLINA.


George Alfred Townsend, correspondent
of the New York Herald, writes as follows to
that paper from Columbia, under date of the
18th ultimo:
A Northern man is agreeably disappointed
in this old Palmetto State, whatever his re-
pulsions may be. 1t is not ruined nor yet
chaotic State. 1t is not retrograding
State. 1t makes more cotton and wheat to
the acre, has more busy hands, more ships in
its docks, more acres under cultivation and
more varieties of products, than ever before.
It is, to a citizen of the world, country
ahead of its development under slavery. No
thanks to the bad politicians of the State for
this. The schoolmaster was necessity. There
never was any community, except France at
the revolution of 1889, which underwent so
radical and rapid change. South Carolina
was the proselytizing high priest OF slavery.
The greatest sugar plantations OF Louisiana,
the greatest rice plantations of Carolina, the
most delicate and exactng quality of cotton
in the world, were owned by these hereditary
planters, who are now the republican subjects
of q vast negro majority of their former slaves.
The colony was modelled for slavery; its con-
stitution, BY John Locke. provided for peon-
age; its colonists first began the deliberate
business of selling captive Indians to slavery;
they fought for the products Of slavery as such,
in the provisional organization for British
non.intercourse when we acquired Louisiana
the Hamptons and others we're the foremost
AngloSaxons to proceed to that new territory
and herd their slaves upon the sugar lands
there Slaves were brought to South Caroli-
ma but little while before the rebellion, and
the present independent republican candidate
for governor told me that his relative owned,
and he had talked with, native Africans, for
chilly imported upon the soil ofthe State.
JUMP FORWARD.
And yet am of the deliberate opinion that
the political conditions of this State are bet
ter settled, better ordered, more durable and
nearer large and long prosperity than else
where in the union. can give native testl-
mony from the wisest and best habtuated
white men to this state of things, and shall
do it. In my judgment the observations of
Mr.. James S. Pike, author of a new publica.
tion called "The Prostrate State" were spas.
modic and derived from less than cosmopoli.
tan study. The most radical slave-propagand-
ing State in the South is coming out ahead of
all the rest in the experiment Of free labor
and free suffrage. This it will owe to the
hopelessness of political ambition among the
whites, whereby they are neglecting politics
and attending to industry to the more perfect
climate and soil they possess over any OF the
slave States !; to the discovery of vast deposits
of natural mineral manures since the war,
whereby one acre is equal to fve and the dis
organized labor equally available in the ratio
of its replacement by chemistry; to the or
thodox and homogeneity of the blacks, who
are without the Creole restlessness to the
chastened intentions of the whites, who, hav-
ing the most inevitably inevitable black gov
ernment, are treating their labor with most
Justice to reflex wave of immigration, re-
pelled from Texas, and even from Georgia, by
the barren realization of exaggerated hopes
there; and to the increased versatility of pro-
ducts and enterprise compelled by the stua-
ton.
NOT A BARREN sCEPTRE.
Look at the facts. The debt of South Car
olina is not S35 5,OO0,O00 as has been alleged
loosely. 1t is not $4,000, 900, as Mr.. Pike
was WAS led to believe. It is almost s1s, 900, 900.
By the decision of the legislature and courts,
themselves partisan republicans, it is only
Sl2,0O0,O0O, thus divided, according to Sena-
tor Dunn. who is not politically interested to
make it less than he can. Legally authorized
funded debt less than $4,000, 900; floating
debt, $500, 900; total, Sl2,000,000. Add il.
legally negotiated conversion bonds, S6,OOO,-
900 total, in the worst emergency, Sl8,OOO,.
600.
The debt of Charleston city is in round
numbers $4,000, 900, all ante be4um, except
some funded interest The debt of Columbia
city. which has built new court house and
new city hall, Is S7S5, 900, funded and float.
ing. Improper and dishonest things have
been done in Columbia and in the State 6nan-
cial board, but no good purpose is subserved
by exaggerating what is bad enough and bor-
rowing that old querulous and ignorant as.
sertion that nobody can find out what the
debt is" He who cannot find out what the
debt is has no business to be conspicuous in
guessing at it.
TESTIMONY.
General kershaw said to me: 81 do not
think we need be laying up misery for our
selves in suppostious expectation OF debt
l think the State can stand its debt. regard
the discovery of our native phosphates and
their cheap and copious employment as an
abundant recompense for the loss Of our slaves.
I am disposed to look out hopefully upon the
future of South Carolina"
Mr. Miles, a very accomplished lawyer of
Charleston, and brother ofex Congressman w.
Porcher Miles, said to me as we'll "There is
one thing must confess and am agreeably
surprised in-an old and long nightmare Of
social equality has proved to have nothing in
it. There is no tendency toward amalgama-
tion Weare ridden by an unscrupulous ring
of adventures, but the blacks, left to them
selves, would prove to be well disposed and
moderately progressive race
Colonel Harrington, who commanded 9eaas-.
pany of mounted rangers, and is now plant
er, said My hands work very we'll. 1 find
South Carolina the only place where I can
make living. | tried Missouri and failed
there, and came back here to recover my for
tune. Formerly owned 300 slaves. think
l am no worse of, except for read dy money,
than before the war"
Mr.. T. H. Clarke, of Camden, Confeder-
ate officer, said: "When l came home from
the war found several hundred bales of cot
ton which had escaped the vigilance of Sher-
mans soldiery. 1t brought forty cents a
pound; but the money did me no good. I
spent it in immature speculation and came
down to hard pan. Now, I look hopefully
upon the future, attend to my own business,
look after my free negro labor, advance sup
plies to the laborers and small planters, and
/ guess lam as we'll off as young man ought