National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-22
THE IMPOVERISHED SOUTH:

The most convincing proof can be OBJ
tanned that within the last six months the
poverty stricken" white citizens of South
Carolina have expended only 100000 in
arming Rifle Clubs. g., White Leagues
with Spencer and Henry rifles. But, as
further proof of their poverty, it can be
shown that they did not expend a single
cent for the purchase of flags or the oOlors
of the United States Their love for the
national emblem, their loyalty to the Gov
eminent which it represents, and their earn
est, patriotic respect for their oaths under
the rehabilitating reconstruction acts, were
strong-oh! so very, very strong-but their
impoverished condition would only admit
of the purchase Of firearms.
We say that these statements are capa-
bic of proof, because the banks of the city
of Columbia alone have paid drafts for the
purchase of these rifles to the amount of
800, O0O and because we know that the
one hundred and ten rifle clubs il the State
could not have been fully armed and
equipped as they are at less expense than
$500, 000 And what may be said of South
Carolina, in this regard, may be said of
every other Southern State. When the war
ended the Southern people had been reduced
by the stringency ofthe blockade to the very
last emergency in the way Of civilized
commodities. They had no manufactures
of their own to supply their needs and
their articles Of product were purely agri-
cultural. While the supply of corn and
bacon was not entirely exhausted, the ma
terial for the manufacture of clothing, and
to meet the demand for the ordinary ne
cessities of life not included among meats
and breadstuffs, had been consumed. Lit
orally speaking, they were almost naked.
Hair brushes, combs, pen-knives, shoe
buckles, shoe-laces, pocket-boOks and the
thousand and one knick-knacks which are
cOmprebended in business parlance under
the cline" Of yankee notions" were not
to be had for love or money. Crockery.
except of the rudest manufacture, was
scarce, while the supply of glassware,
wicker-ware, machinery of every kind, in
Guiding agricultural implements, and, in
short, everything for which they had pre-
viously relied upon the manufacturing
North, from a suspender- button up to a set
of mule harness, had been worn out and
could not be replaced. AT this time there
was real ground for pity on account of
poverty. They did not suffer so much on
account Of the loss of their slaves, or on
account of the loss of stock bonds,
Confederate money and personal prop.
erty as they did on account of
their inability TO replace the articles to
which we have alluded, and virtually to
begin civilized life anew. But they strug-
gled as manfully as it was given them to
struggle, and in time, with the aid of IN
limited credit from Northern merchants,
began to feel again like independent crea-
lures and free citizens Of a free and pro-
Cressive country. In the meantime they
became so accustomed to the cry of poverty
and to complaints regarding their deplora-
BILE condition, that even now, when they
have succeeded in re-establishing them
selves in business, when the shock Of the
war has passed, and when they are well
supplied with the necessities as well as
many of the luxuries of life, they continue
their lamentations. But, in all reason, we
fail to see why they should complain so
bitterly when they are able to arm them
selves in large bodies, as in New Orleans
last week, in Coushatta few weeks ago,
in Tennessee about the same time, in Grant
parish two months ago, and in AUGUSTA a
few days ago, for the simple though char
acteristic and useless luxury of killing five
or six hundred black and white Republi.
cans. VIII some of the fire-eating pOliti-
clans of the section explain this matter?