The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-06-11

Rev. James Freeman Clarke, of Bos-
ton, devoted most of his sermon on Sun
day morning to an account of his recent
observations while visiting South Carroll
ma. He said that the worst enemy Of
the South, if the South still has any
enemy anywhere, could not wish in his
bitterest moments more cruel punish
ment than she is now suffering. OF
course | don't pretend to have seen a
great deal, or to have learned much, in
the limited trip which | have taken du-
ring month or two of time. l saw some
thing of South Carolina and something
of North Carolina, and that was about
all Buu lust consider the condition
of South Carolina. 1t reminds one now
OF the operation in agriculture which
we call trenchIng. when the soil which IS
uppermost is put underneath and that
which is underneath Is put on the top.
Everything is upside down in South Car
Dina at the present time. The negroes
who were slaves ten years ago are now
the masters, and the whites are now ut
terly subject to them. The whole power
OF the State Is in the hands of the color
ed people. There are now about twenty
white men in the South Carolina Legls-
Iature The remainder are cOlored men,
most Of whom cannot read or write. L
saw one colored man, who is now a can
didate for the next Legislature, who not
only cannot read and write, but maintains
il as a proposition that no one who can
write ought 10 be allowed in the Legisla-
ture. i his man is also Trustee aud Su-
perintendent OF Schools in Il certain dis
trict of the State The colored men who
90 to the Legislature poor as they can be,
often come back driving horses worth
200 pair, and after being in the Legis-
lature a session or two, purchase houses
which cost SO, 900. All the rascalitIes,
al! the rings in New York, the lobbies at
Albany, the thetts at Hanisburg-the e
are openly initiated at Columbia by the
colored people and their allies. don't
mean TO say that all the colored people
are thus. On the contrary there Is q
feeling growing up among them that 1t Is
very wrong. heard conversation be-
tween two colored men. One of them
evidently, was from some Northern city,
and the other was Il citizen of South Car
olna. The first was complaining OF the
delay Of a railroad train or steam boat, and
the other said, "Oh, you Yankees are
smart; we are not smart enough to carry
on our roads as you carry on yours. =
"WelP' said the first, ''you are smart
enough to steal, and it is a disgrace TO
our race that YOU can-sav such 4 thing 1t
Is a great deal worse than being slave 10
be stealing as YOU are row mt Columbia.
81 know it, said the other, but if |
should 60 to Columbia they would shoot
Z, Lii. Il
call them thieves and robbers. 1t Is,
perhaps, a greater disappointment to the
old friends OF the negro that this state OF
things should exist, than TO his former op-
pressor, Bnd greater surprise. Many
who went down TO the South strong an
fi-slavery people, and great friends OF the
colored people, come back Disguised with
the whole colored race. Surely this Is
very unwise. ii we talk in this way Ii
shows that we have been unconsclously as
Stunning that the slaves were all like Tn
Gle Tom. and would pass from slavery III
to freedom an orderly, industrious, hon
est. and economical people. If we ex
pected that what did we mean by saying
that slavery was IN evil? Abolitlonlsts
whose principal charge against slavery
was that it corr upts the soul, should no
be surprised at finding that the souls o
those who have been slaves all their lives
are somewhat corrupted. The wonder i
that they are as good as they are. Numer
Gus and interesting instances We're giver
to show that large numbers of them ar
thrifty, industrious, decorous, and honest
particularly of the island of St, Helena
on which there are about 5000 blacl
men, and among them not single paup
er nor beggar.
Both The white and colored peopl
are advancing as fast as could be exPec'
ed toward harmony and Ieconcil alton
and the speaker thought il probable thu
within five or six years the sensible, goo
people of both races will be working hal
moniously together.