The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-13
Ex.Cov. Scott and the Colored People.
COLUMBIA, s. c., June 12, 1875.

Ex.cov. Scott and the coIored People.
COLUMBIA, s. c., June 12, 1876.
To the Hon. Richard II. Gleares, Lieu
tenant Governor Of South Carolina--DEAR
Sm: In reply to your request that will
express my views on the subject of the
future of the colored man in the South,
accompanied by your suggestion that
my intimate connection with the recon
struction of this State has given me-
many advantages in forming O correct
judgment on the subject, 1 have the
honor to say that 1 take great pleasure in
complying, and trust you will not be
disappointed if present picture that
does not altogether meet your hopes. In
doing 80, however, am compelled to
take up the subject, to some extent,
from the beginning of the war, and will
just In any conclusions I draw.
I am obliged to say, at the outset, that
the colored man in the South, and, per-
haps, all over the country, has been too
| confident in the belief that there is o
party or considerable class of men who
are ready to sustain him purely on the
ground 0i color, or in consequence Of
his people having been so long enslaved
In this country. You will remember
that when the war began, there was no
organized party in favor of the uncon-
ditional abolition of slavery. There
were few of the old abolitionists who
favored an emancipation policy, without
regard to its results to the country. But
there was not o State convention, nor
a County or town meeting at the North,
within my knowledge, that did not adopt
resolutions declaring to the South that,
in their desire to coerce the seeding
States into submission to the National
Government, they had no desire to in
terfere with the institution of slavery.
Many leading abolitionists were ready to
permit the perpetuation of slavery by
consenting to dissolution of the Union,
leaving the South entire power over
slavery. and only demanding that they
themselves should not be held RESPONSE
BILE for its continued existence. AS the
war progressed it was found that the
slave property of the South was the
most valuable Of any in supplying the
Confederate army with the necessary
means for carrying on the war. The
proclamation of emancipation, and the
consequent encumbrance of immense
numbers Of emnncipated slaves, caused
their organization into an armed force.
That ls to say, the immense numbers of
emancipated slaves fleeing into the
Union lines could not we'll be provided
for as private citizens; and, Us it was
necessary to furnish them with some
means of subsistence, they were en-
rolled as soldiers.
l look upon the passage of the Re-
construction Acts at that early day as
serious mistake. I believe that the
true policy of the Government would
have been to organize governments in
the H0nfharn Gtofo
appointed by the President, and that
that form of government should have
perhaps, up to the present
day. If the National Government really
felt deep interest in the welfare of the
southern States, it was its duty to give
the people of those States the cheapest
form Of government that was practicable,
and to organize and maintain amongst
them system of schools, providing the
means of education for all classes of
people who had been deprived of the
means Of obtaining it, and especially for
the oolored man, ii he was to become a
citizen, that he might be better fitted for
the dut;as of citizenship and better pre-
pared for the responsibility OF organizing
governments aud main tanning and sup
porting them. But, instead of pursuing
this ibenl policy, and doing whatever
else they might to develop the resources
and encourage the industry OF the recon-
structed States, and relieving the people
OF those States, as far as possible, from
the burdens of taxation, the National Go
vernment unjustly and unequally taxed
the main industry of the South to an ex-
tent that was unfair to all classes, but
especially unfair to the colored element,
because they were the producers of the
only staple on which the land-holder
could hope to rebuild his fallen for
tunes. The National Government taxed
the production Of cotton three cents
pound, which took from this State alone
more money in one year than has been
collected in any one year to meet the en-
tire expenses Of the State Government.
If it was just to tax cotton, the great
staple OF the South, why were not wheat
and corn, the main staples of the North
and West, taxed also? Why was this
unjust and unequal discrimination made
against the South?