The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-03-25
Mortality of the Races.

Mortality of the Races.
Some time ago mention was made of the re-
markable mortality among the colored people
of Charleston, South Carolina, as compared
with the mortality among the whites, the basis
used for the comparison being weekly returns
covering less than month. Still more strk-
ing results are presented by the health officer
of Charleston in the returns for the year. The
death of whites during the year numbered
71S; colored 1890 The estimated white pop
ulation is 1000. That of the colored is 26,-
OOO Thus the ratio of deaths is one for every
% whites, and one for every 81 colored. The
health officer says in his report that, previous
to the war consumption among the blacks was
of rare occurrence, and then only among the
we'll marked scrofulous diathesis of the African
descendant" The increase of the disease is
ascribed to exposure, dissipation, want of
proper nutrition, clothing and bedding, and
the health officer says that the only hope of
saving the race from the fate of the American
Indians is in securing to them moral, religious
and industrial education: That this fear of
their dying out in that locality is not an idle
one is shown not only by the general death
rate of the race, but particularly by the death
rate among children under FIVE years OF age.
The proportion of colored still born to whites
was last year as to l the proportion of deaths
under five years was as 2 to l, and this in a
community almost equally divided by two ra-
ces Carpetbagism and Congressional lcgisla-
ton of the sort fashionable with the dominant
party for the South will never better, but add
to this deplorable condition of the colored peo-
pie.
The above we find in the Savannah Aduer-
hser
It was predicted by all thinking, unpreju-
diced men who we're familiar with the negro
race, that freedom to them sealed the fate of
the negroes in this country. Under the most
favorable circumstances the negro, as a freeman
in this country, would have stood poor
chance of surviving-indeed, it would have
been only question of time at last as to the
existence of the race here. A race inferior in
every respects cannot flourish and increase in
the same country with one superior. This is
a fact long since settled. 1t never has hap
pened and it never will, because it is contrary
to nature. The stronger race must and Will
inevitably SURVIVE the weaker. 1t takes time
to settle the problem as to which will survive
and to show that both cannot, but it is only
question of years. The statistics in Charleston
arc probably far more favorable for the negro
than they would be any where else on the
continent. There is everything there in his
favor. The climate suits him admirably, and
there is no disease to which he is liable On
the contrary, there are many diseases there and
in that locality very unfavorable to the exls-
tence of the white man. Yellow fever, which
is peculiarly fatal to the white race, prevails
occasionally, and the negro is blessed with
popularity of constitution which gives him
almost complete immunity from the disease.
The country fever, which is fatal to the white
man of the city who dares to spend single
night in the rural districts in the vicinity,
rarely or never attacks the negro. So with all
the feyers and malarial diseases to which the
white man is peculiarly liable. Then he has
been not only free in Charleston, but has ruled
the city since the war. All the legislation of
the State has been favorable to the negro and
against the white man. Yet, in despite of all
these and many other favorable circumstances,
the negro does not thrive even in Charleston.
Then there is another point on which the
above article does not touch-that is, the ratio
of births in the two races. The statistics
would prove much more startling it there could
be obtained proper record of the births which
occur in the two races.
In the rural districts we have no doubt that
there is heavier percentage of deaths amongst
the blacks than in Charleston. Although there
are no records kept of deaths or births in this
State, we know positively, and every intelligent
man in this section of the country knows, that
the death rate amongst the negroes is simply
fearful, while the births amongst them are very
few as compared to the whites or as to the
black race when in state of slavery. 1t was
O we'll established fact that the negro race, in
state of slavery in this country, was wonder
fully prolific, and increased in much greater
ratio than the whites.
A visit to the cemeteries of the two races
anywhere in this section will tell a fearful but
true story at glance Make inquiry amongst
the intelligent people through the rural dis
tricts all over this land, and they will all tell
the same tale, and state the same facts as to
the fearful mortality amongst the negroes:
This is peculiarly the case amongst the child
rem. All who are conversant with the facts
will say that few children are born, and a very
large number of those born die in infancy.
This fearful death rate amongst the children is
due to several causes. There is great want
of proper care of the children. and a most
shameful and revolving neglect of them on the
part of the parents, while infanticide is we'll
known to be of the most frequent occurrence.
1t would shock and appall civilized being to
know the actual number of children destroyed
by mothers amongst the negroes of the South.
- Washington (Ga.) Gasette.
AN ECHO FROM THE PAsT.-The following
remarks made by the gifted Sargent S. Prentiss,
when representing Mississippi in Congress, ap-
ply with equal force and strength to the abused
and prostrate States of the South to-day:
'sUpon eli the States I do most solemnly
o,1l far tho ;uot;ca tn another which thev wouId