Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-26
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IMPROVEMENT.

IMPROVEMENT.
The past ten years have been period of
sore trial and Yexation to most South Carroll
ma farmers. For period of more than one
hundred and fifty years previous to 1865, the
labor of the State had been performed by
slaves A few white men, and, at one time, a
still fewer number of white women, labored
on the farm but for the last century it was
not regarded as reputable for white man to
plow, and it was regarded as bordering on in.
fanny, to see white woman with hoe in her
hand. Even the slaves of the State, looked
down, with contempt, upon those whites who
labored. One hundred and fifty years ago, in
171O, there were 4,1OO negro. slaves in South
Carolina, and LOO Indian slaves, together
with 12O white servants. The free white pop
ulation was only $3.50. Thus, we see that
the slave population, at that early day, want
ed but little of being twice as large as the
free white inhabitants. From that day on
the number of slaves increased steadily. 1t
was regarded, for long time, as barely hon.
orable for the owner of farm to superintend
it; but to hold the plow was quite different
thing. This fact, of itself, accounts for the
present condition Of things. The young
white men of South Carolina, as soon as the
war was over and it became evident that the
negro was, to all intents and purposes, free,
began with zeal worthy of better cause, to
look out for some position in which they could
make bread and not be forced to scratch their
hands or soil their clothes.
The first year or two after freedom came to
the negro, the negro women all turned cooks,
and the negro men turned mechanics. 1t was
strange to see huge negro woman who had
been accustomed, all her life, to cook nothing
but bacon and corn bread, offering herself as
a pastry cook. 1t was just as ridiculous to
see an awkward field hand attempting to play
the part of a house-carpenter. Distressing as
the times were, even the soberest could not
suppress smile when such creature was
seen at their doors with saw and hammer
slung over his shoulder, and lead pencil
neatly adjusted behind hisea
Ridiculous, absurd and laughable as it was
for the poor ignorant negroes thus to act when
turned free; it was no more so than the way
in which large number of the whites acted.
The country was soon flooded, not only with
cooks and mechanics, but with school-teachers,
clerks and shop-keepers. 1t has often been
said that times always produce men to meet
present emergencies. Certain it is, that the
few years after freedom came to the negro,
produced more school.teachers, clerks, and
ofice-seekers amongst white boys, than had
been produced in South Carolina from the
time that William Sayle landed on Ashley
river, up to that moment. Striplings who
had spent their school days in following
hounds, or in more infamous pursuits, got up
an agreement in which it was proposed to
teach the children of the country 'redin, ritin
and rithmatic." One good, sober-sided igno-
ramus prosecuted, with success, his claims to
one of the most important and honorable off,
ces in the State, whilst he persisted, during
his official career, in pre6xing the following
to many instruments which proceeded from
his Office: "Aperd befoar mea an was dooly
sourn."
This is only sample. Boys as if by mag
ic became adopts in all the arts and sciences.
They knew how to do everything, but work
and were ready to do anything but make
bread by the sweat of their face. They were
ready to teach school, sell dry goods or whs-
ky, practice law or physic, superintend a sun
day-school or preach, or do anything but hold
the plow or drive the plane. Such was the
spasmodic results of freeing the negro. 1t
drove both negro and white man to the bor-
ders of desperation; or if not to desperation,
to the most ridiculous follies.
These days of absurdities are fast passing
away. They will soon be gone, and will serve
no other purpose than for future generations
to laugh at Selfconstituted cooks and jack
leg carpenters, among the negroes, have either
fallen, or are fast falling back into the class
of humble field hands and the literary asses
and offce-seeking jackanapes, among the
whites, are leaving the groves of the learned,
and the counting rooms of the merchant, for
the beauties of the corn-feld. The tables are
turning. It is no longer disgrace to work;
but to be idle is becoming to be Infamous.
This is grand Improvement. A brighter
day is coming. We will have good times yet.
The fields of our country will be enriched,
and land for ten years cursed with drones,
idlers and impostors, will soon be made by
art what God made ia good land-a land
which is famed by as pure air as any on the
GLOBE and from whose hills sparkling foun-
tains burst to quench the thirst of man and
beast.
South Carolina has been cursed with mon
grel politicians and a class of would-be aris'
tocracy, but their days are numbered. Their
race is run, and their latter end will be
shame and the time is not far distant, when
the rewards of honest toll will be distributed
to the men of industry and economy.
Eas- Common wheat -four, made into paste,
with cold water applied dry, will take out
grease spots utinjuring the most delicate
fabric