The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-06-16


procured the passage of these laws.
AS to the alleged extortion BY the
landlords and country merchants of
the South who furnished supplies to
laborers and tenants, the committee
admitted that they found that fre.
quently bad and dishonest meu would
take advantage Of the Ignorance or
necessity of negroes and exact ex-
orbitant prices, but in justice to the
planters of the South they feel bound
to assert that this abuse is not at all
general or frequent.
On the subject of the mistreatment
of the blacks in Southern courts of
justice, the committee say they have
; ascertsined that in many districts the
courts were under entire Republican
control, and that generally there were
as many complaints from such districts
as from those under the control of
: Democratic officials. Taken altogether,
the complaints might be said to be such
as are generally nade by the igno-
rant who fail to receive in the courts
what they think is justice.
The educational advantages in the
South, the committee say, are INSULT
cient and far inferior to those of most
Northern States, but such as they are
the same facilities are afforded to
blacks as to whites.
With regard to political optrages,
which the committee say 'have formed
the staple of complaint sor many
years against the people of the South, ,
they find nothing new. Many old
stories are revived by jealous wit
nesses. few of.Ehom ye1tgred to say
that any considerable violence or out
rage had been exhibited toward the
colored people in the South within the
past four years, and still feReE OF
shcqa who testified on this subject
testified to anything happening with
in their own knowledge. Their evi.
dence with rare exception was hear
say.
In CONCLUSION the committee ex-
presses the positive opinion that the
condition Of the co|ored people Of the
South is not only aas sood as could
! have been reasonably expected, but it
is better than if large communities
had been transferred to colder and
more inhospitable climate, thus thrust
ing them into eamresitlon with a
different system Of labor; and while
gradual migration might benefit the
Individual black man and his family
as it does those of whites, the COM
mittee regard this wholesale attempt
to transfer people without intelli-
gence from the homes Of their nativity
as injurious to the people and labor
system of the States where they 60,
and more than all Injurious to the
last degree to the black people them
selves. That there is much in their
condition in the South, the committee
say, to be deplored, no one will deny.
That that condition is gradually im'
proving in every respect is really true.
sClashings, the committee say, be-
tween the two races are neither to be
denied nor to BE wondered al, but
when We come to consider the method
in which these people were freed, as
the result of bitter and desolating
civil war, and that for purposes Of
party politics, these incompetent, ig.
noraDt, landless, homeless people, with
out any qualifications of citizenship,
without any of the ties Of property or
the obligations of education, were sud-
denly shroNn into political power, aud
the effort was made net only to ab.
solutely place them upon equality
with their late masters, but to ab-
solutely place them in front and hold
them there BY legislation, by mill
tary violence and BY every other meana
that could possibly be reaorted to.
When We consider these things no
philosophical mind can behold their
present condition and the present com.
parative state Of peace and amity be-
tween the TWO races without wonder
that their condition is as good as it is.
The report is signed by Senators
Vance, VOORHEES, and Pendlettn.
If any one does not know by
personal experience how much of