The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-16


this exception. have no doubt for my in
formant knew his State that proudor blood flowed in
the veins OF some OF these negro members than flows
in that Of many OF the delegations from the North at
least from Carolina point Of view, for remember am
looking at things from that aspect now II was
binary, indifferent body Of men, out have seen
Congress that was not IL was largely corrupt body
Of men, like the Legislature that passed the Tweed
charter and the Congress that passed the Credit Mober
fraud OF two hundred millions Its members sometimes
broke into violent temper and denounced one another
very much as Kentucky member once denounced
fellow member and as Mr.. Cox, when he called Mr..
Blaine hyena did not learn that for words spoken
in debate of the members bad budgeoned another,
woundng him TO the death, 30 that IN one respect II
did not resemble national Congress. But the ruling
fact Is that the members largely Of African descent
and was presented to one famous member
Senator from Columbis-the Hon. W. B. Nash, or
"Bsv Nash" as he was called by the gentle
man who did the honor OF presentation.
Bev had been a slave, l told, and had
BACKED boots in hotel for years, among other
boots those Of my informant was taken up stairs
into committee room to this Senator who
in his person helped to degrade South Carolina.
''Yes," said my friend in whisper, we walked up
the winding stairs she used 10 black my boots and
call him Bev. now, OF old and by God, sir-think OF
it, sir The is Senator and his old master, General
- you can SEQ any day on the Main street, sir, old
and gray, and his fortune swept away" Bev. Is
rather tall well dressed sedate black man, his beard
and hair tipped with gray, with keen, intelligent face,
who had like General Grant, little to say, and was cor
dial but not abject TO the owner OF the boots
he used to polish Well, as away. asked
my companion IL Bev in his other days did good
work with his boots eyes" was the answer 'Bev.
daIxv ltafac
and we all knew him and liked him in the old days"
"And suppose always took the quarter when you
gave ii to himP" eyes and did you see
niger that did not' But think of what must be tho
feeling of every Carolinian-wbat would be the feeling
of any New Yorker-to think OF niger like
Bev Nash sitting in tho Senate !" l was
about to express myself on this point as
became New Yorker-one jealous of my
State and proud OF my race-but happeaed to
think that had known Senator's who had never done
80 honest thing black gontlemens boots for live
lhood, Senators who had blossomed from pugism
into gambling, and my mind ran so rapidly into
discussion to which State worse served
proud Carolina, with its negro Senatorial bootblack
proud New York, with its white Senatorial gam
bler-that am afraid was not In condition TO
answer becomingly the angry questions of my good
friend.
THE BURNING QUESTION
For above all things as have strven thus to con-
vey TO you the burning question Is that of race II Is
not sentiment intelligence or corruption, but race
If this Legislature composed OF men valiant as
the black ohello eloquent As Frederick Douglass
devout the Moorish saint Boniface If l remem
ber who held up tho other day to the veneration
of tho negro by the Catholic Bishop of Florida as
OF their who had been found worthy
OF high place in heaven would be all the same in the
M.
the master The degraded race is dominant Nor do
such feeling, reproach my Saxon brothers
who indulge it, feel anything but sad the pros
pect But how can il vol be otherwise with only
200 900 white the State and 416 900 black men
all with few EXCEPTIONS slaves until few years
ago9
Here then the practical fact that you must accept
in South Carolina-the negro In the majority and,
under the constitution the political equal of his
master with life and vote that the laws protect.
He has certainly given this State deplorabe gov
eminent say the negro through ignorance, and
certain white adventurous who have used him. con-
fess have only feeling Of pity for the negro,
as saw him in the Carolina council halls--a pup
pet In the hands of base bad men. did not blame
him. for l felt that he had been slave and that we
had made him so; that no was degraded and we were
the authors of his degradation; that he blind
cause we had denied him light that he ignorant
because for generations had made education a
crime; that he was dishonest because had made him
so through slavery the of all dishonesty that he
was almost brute beast that lacked reason because
we would not allow him 10 be man. When saw him,
therefore, tho master of South Carolina, this dark
minded, ignorant groveling shave, who only yesterday
was covering in the rice swamps under the lash OF
the master now in very truth the ruler
Of this State, and sitting In the seats Of
Calhoun and McDurle and Hayne, I could not but
trembe and ask IL this is really Of the centennial
fruits of American bcrtyf South Carolina TO be-
OF the century plants whose blooming in this gra-
cious ana happy time to excite the envy and the
admiration OF the world I could nos and Il In my
heart TO say, with the prophet:-'T viii take from
them the Of mrth The voice Of gladness the
sound Of the milstones and the light OF the CANDLE
and this whole land shall be establishment and .
dssoIation although such might we'll DO the reelection
Of stcrner moraiss thinking Of the misery and crime
Of slavery and Of this appalling retribution-
CARPET BAGGERs
II IL hard 10 make clear the condition OF Affairs in
South Carolina Tho STATE had passed from the hands
Of Scott clumst, graspng advepturer, and carpet
bagger-nto the hands Of young named Moses
Scotts chief fame Ia that under his administration
and Il is said by his aid way the other, the
land swinde was consummatcd and gang OF spec
ulAtors allowed to plumber the State. You We
had built the Pacific Railway, and the States bruised
and bleeding from the anxious to have in
ternal improvements The result that democrats
and republicans alike-here, in Georgia and North
carolina--rushed into the bond business The bonds
were issued, stamped with tho seal OF the State sold
to creduous purchasers in New York prices rang
ing from nfty to sixty, and the money divided up.
Then came repudiatonl When orr left the
In four years IL arose to more than SIS oOo, 600
This was Scous achievement, and, as an evil
dence that he does think the the State
exhausted, he is oanng around Columbia a candi-
date for removed honors. But the frauds which
Scott did not succeed in preventing were tame CON-
pared with those OF Moses l know Of no history OF
modern republics disgraceful than the four years
Of Scott aud the two years OF Moses Tweeds active
mcnts IN Now York may have cost moro In money.