Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-16
The Condition of Affairs in South
Carolina.

lhe correspondent of the New York Times,
writing from Greenville, South Carolina, gives tho
following as the condition of affairs in that State
The appointment of Judge L. c. Northrup to
be District Attorney for South Carolina. puts an
end to the further prosecution Of the Ellenton and
Hamburg murderers.
Hampton would be greatly pleased If he could
persuade or brighten Patterson into a resignation
OF his seat in the Senate. He could then leave
Lieut.-Gov. Simpson to complete the work OF per-
secuton very well commenced, and to take the
responsibility OF all retrograde legislation. 10 the
Senate Hampton feels that he could play the role
OF great and good man" without meeting with
practical applications of his glering generalites
lie could favor the education of the negro while
the legislature of his State cutting oil the sup
plies to the public schools; he could insist on So.
credy preserving the public credit while his state
pursued the course of after Reputation; he could
insist on tolerance of political thought and action
in the South while his friends were making II not
for republicans in his own county. He has hope
fully entered himself as Presidential aspirant,
| but he sees many difficulty before him be
cause of the eagerness of bis people TO
realize to the full the fruits OF the surrender OF
April 10. For instance, it would not help Presi-
dental candidate in some sections of the Republic
If he had signed bill to reestabsh the whipping
| post in South Carolina. Yet the "rulng class"
here is determined not to be longer without that
once cherished institution. Every paper in the
whipping as punishment for petty crimes. The
truth is the average South Carolina democrat can
not believe fully that he is relieved of carpetbag
rule until he can again see "niYger squlrming
under the lash. lie believes and asserts in the
words of the Keowee Courier THAT the only way
to reach the inner consciousness of negro is
through his hide" The up country delegations
will come to the next meeting Of the legislature
determined upon this measure, and it will require
all llampton's tact to stave it off.
\. al tlA
| whipping post, is the organization of the Labor
Reform League" Edgefield and Lsurens started
it two years ago. but practical progress was him
dered as long as republican judges, juries. and
| executive officers were possible. These were
liable to hold that negro has right to work for
whom he pleased. at wages acceptable to both par
ties Such officials were apt to hinder rather than
| aid the league to control" labor. "liome rule"
has removed such bndrances, and the Labor Re-
form League springs into life and active work.
| The league is organization of landowners
whose object is to reform labor-that is. bring it
| under control. What is sought from legislation is
the re. enactment of most of the provisions of the
| Black Code OF 1866. That code sought to subs-
tute a serf for the slave. 1t practically attached
| the lsborer to the land. Gen. Candy put his
armed heel upon that most Infamous enactment,
and republican government has hitherto kept it
down. We are now returned to 1866, with no
dread of Candy or a Sickles. The legislature
will now be asked to that agricultural labor is
"
such contracts by the laborer to be misdemeanor,
punishable by forfeiture OF cropeand by whipping
unemployed negroes to be declared Migrants, pun
| ished by the lash; coming remaining the
land of another without permission to be trespass,
also to be expiated by stripes.
Other remedies for the ills Of free labor will be
| found in the organization. Members are not to
sell or rent land to negroes; wages are to be reg
ulated by the league; no negro is to be employed
without the consent of his previous master; agri-
cultural products are not to be bought of negroes
except when they are raised upon the purchasers
| land. The confident hope of the "intelligent
property holders" of the State is that by the time
another crop is planted labor will be reformed.
| Heretofore the public schools opened on Oct.
and remained open about five months. This year,
if opened at all, it will not be until Jan. |. As the
amount raised for school purposes under Hsmp-
ton by State and local tax is limited to 100000
instead of about 100000 as under republican
rule, the school term will necessarily be very
short Short as it is likely to be, however, the
new ruling class is determined that total change
of school textbooks is an immediate necessity.
The newspapers point out that those now in use
are filed with Yankee lies in regard to the causes
progress, and results of the late war. 1t is very
truly remarked that children thus taught are like
iy to grow up with the belief that secession was
crime as well as blunder, that the men who fought
for the Union were patriots rather than punderers
that the abolition of slavery was blessing instead
of being a robbery that Lincoln, Seward, Sum-
| ner, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, &C., are names
| to be honored not hated, &c. Southern yosths
must not be corrupted, and Southern books for
Southern schools to be had before another
dollar is expended to educate the poor. The pr-
yatc schools here have always used Southern his
tories and readers. and Northern parents have
either been obliged to reteach these studies, or
withdraw their children from the schools"