The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-06-14
SOUTH CAROLINA'S CAPITAL.
Its Past Glories and Present sccdiness
Correspondence Of the Springfield Republican. 4
COLUMBIA, S. c., May 1S, 1877.

Its Past Gl0ries and present Sccdlness
Correspondence Of the Springfield Republican. i
COLUMBIA, S. c., May 1S, 1877.
South Carolina has sinned deeply ano
suffered terribly. That remark may bt
rather trite, but to any stroller over thi:
unfortunate town it speaks with fearfu,
force. Before the war Columbia was one
of the most tasteful and charming inland
cities in the Union, with broad streets
fine old shade trees, and imposing build.
ings. Its people were cultured, high.
toned and aristocratic, with all the graces
and faults of Southern chivalry. The
State Capital, intended to be the finest
building of the kind on the continent
lacked only fraction of its cost to COM
plete it; the State College was in the
full tide of prosperity, and was the best
educational institution in the South,
while the wealth and pride of the State
centered here for its home. When Sher-
mans army marched northward from
Savannah, the soldiers could not spare
Columbia. I do not blame them it was
part of the punishment of the State for
forcing on the war, and the city was to-
tally destroyed. A few of the public
buildings, notably the capitol and college,
were spared but the business blocks and
nearly all the private dwellings were con-
sumed. 1t is curious fact that among
the few residences saved was the old
family mansion of Wade Hampton, who
is now trying so hard as Governor to re-
deem the State. Hence to-day there is
very little that is attractive about the
town. 1t is a fair-sized village, very
cheaply and plainly built up, with here
and there a modern-looking block of
stone upon its main thoroughfare. A
listless, sleepy, apathetic air pervades
the streets, and there seems to be little
or no business save what is connected
with the Legislature, which is now in
session. .s-..i
went up to the Capitol this forenoon,
and strolled all over it. The architectu-
raj plan is decidedly imposing; butowing
to the war and subsequent misfortunes it
is in a pitiable condition. The main
building was raised, ready for the roof,
and then the work was stopped. A cheap,
unsightly roof of unplaned boards, coy-
cred with tin, has been put on it, and the
legislative chambers have been fitted up,
and are now used. The material is a
light, fne-grained granite, and the
grounds are filled with huge blocks of
stone, hewn and unhewn, columns, cop
ings, ETC.. I counted "a huge monolithic
pillars, nearly all huted and finished, and
ready to be set up. The Secretary of
State, Col. Sims, told me that at the time
of the burning of the city there were
over 81 100000 worth of Tennessee and
statuary marbles all ready to be put in
place upon the building that were en-
tirely destroyed! They were packed to-
gether in wooden structures upon the
grounds, and when the soldiers burnt the
sheds the marbles became so calcined as
to be utterly worthless. AS an example
of the unreasoning, foolish methods of
the negroes when in power, give sin
gle instance. The architect had secured,
of course at great expense, a single block
of unhewn stone that was over 60 feet
long, intending to have it dressed for a
column. His ambition was to have one
monolith in the building that was longer
than the obelisk of Luxor in the Place
dc la Concorde in Paris. 1t lay in the
yard with the others, and some members
of the negro Legislature, desiring pro.
cure cemetery monument for one of
their fellow-members who was dead, Sc
cured the gift of that stone, and when
they had obtained it were obliged to
break it into three pieces to get it away !
Scores of stones of the size they reduced
it to were scattered over the yard, but
no, they must destroy the valuable mon
olith rather than take what was suitable
for their purpose. When Gov. Hampton
took possession at the breaking up of the
negro Legislature, the building was in
such all unwholesome and horrid condi.
ton that he was obliged to employ a
gang of men to clean away the filth.
attended the session of the Legisla-
ture to-day, and wish I could photograph
for YOUR readers all / saw. The South
erners must be like the Greeks in their
admiration for fine physiques, for most of
their officials are splendid-looking men.
The speaker, Gen. Wallace, is a tall,
portly man, with smooth, full, resonant
voice and strong, courageous face, soft
ened by very pleasant smile The left
side of the chamber docking from the
speakers chair is composed of negroes,
some Of them nearly white, but many. as
black as though just from the Congo.
The right side is occupied by the whites,
most Of them serious, earnest-faced men,
with no signs of ugliness or dissipation
anywhere about them. The question
before the body was on appropriating
money to pay the interest upon the large
consolidated debt, and l witnessed the
closing of the debate. I was surprised
at the fine voices and easy oratory and
correct English of the negroes, and
equally surprised at the lack of pith and
logic in what they had to say. They did
most of the talking, Jumping up and
airing their elocution continually, but
the weight of thought was all with the
whites. The resolve, l am glad to say,
passed by large majority. This fnan-
cial question is an exceedingly dlthcult
one here. The debt of the State has
been, within few years, piled up to
something like q dozen millions, with
nothing whatever to show for it; they
have been robbed and skinned by the
carpet-baggers and their minions; but
their credit always ranked SO high before
the war that the old State pride makes
them anxious to pay every honest claim
that is held against them.
At l o'clock the Senate filed in to
unite with the House in electing an AS
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court.
It proved to be season Of fraternization,
for the Democratic candidate, McIyer,
received every vote. In the nominating
speeches I heard Hamilton, the negro,
Who, though radical, came over early
from the Chamberlain Legislature, and
has remained ever since. He is 9 full
blooded black, with square, strong,
heavy,jawed, unintellectual face, and is
evidently very proud of his will and his
independence. He spoke with greater
defects of grammar and more of a plan.