The clarion., 1883-03-21

Frank Wilkerson's slanderous At
tack Upon the Jews Of the South.
Summit Times and Intelligeneer. /

Summit Times and lntcllgencer.
The letter of Frank Wilkerson from
GreenYille, Miss, to the New York Sun,
and about which 30 much ado has been
made, is published In full on our first
page this week,
The deed of trust, the blank of which
the writer publishes as a basis for his
structures on the Jews, would not be an
oppressive document when both parties
desired to do right. 1t simply binds,
strongly il is true, the planter to pay for
what he buys, (the presumption is he
would do that without deed Of trust
he ought Il" on the other haAd il binds
the merchant to furnish the planter a
certain amount Of supplies at the credit
prices in the neighborhood. That prices
cannot be established in one year and
that the planter knows, or ought to
know, about what they are, and he con-
tracts with his eyes open, may be ad-
mitted If, after the deed Of trust is
given, the merchant-Jews OF otherwise
charges more than the usual credit
price, the planter may refuse to paw it,
and the courts are open for his protec-
tion--and it cannot be said that our
courts are too speedy to enforce the de-
mands Of creditors. The trust deeds.
similar in form to the one in qustion.
are not unfamiliar, but are in common
use. 1t is therefore fair to presume that
this form of deed did not startle the
Sun correspondent, but that he simply
seized upon 1t as a pretext for saying
what he desired.
1t seems to us the letter was inoppor-
tune and in bad taste, and far beneath
the dignity of great journal. The
writer came South fully imprcgnated
with the belief that the planters were
expressing the negro with high prices for
supplies ON purpose to keep him down,
and, OF course, intended TO write that
home TO his paper. Finding that he was
mistaken in that, he concluded to de-
Molish a few 'hooknosed, unwashed
Jews" around Greenyille.
1t seems to us that the Jewish South
has gone into convulsions over small
matter. The most sensible people that
have yet spoken on this subject are the
New Orleans merchants. Some one
the Jewish South perhaps-got them TO-
gether in the capacity Of an indignation
meeting, and when the subject had been
thoroughly discussed, those men of brain
and position simply say in their digni-
fled way, that this matter being merely
an abusive letter IN Northern news
paper against the Jews Of the south il
not entitled to our consideration or no
tice
We are somewhat surprised TO see so
much excitement among this large and
respectable class Of our community, and
surprised to see SO much excitement
manifested by that able journal the jew
ish South. 1t is not usual for jews to
give way to the excitement of the hour
they are generally an intellectual race
who take council of their Judgment
rather than Of their passions, and this
characteristic was manifested by the
New Orleans merchants They did not
think the mattergf sufficient Importance
to become very iflfgnant over, and dis
missed the subject But this large and
respectable journal seems very earnest
in theopinion that the press should speak
out on the subject We have no hesita-
uon, In doing 50 and in expressing our
views on the subject
The Suns correspondent certainly
draws graphic picture of the South .
after the war, when he says:
When the war ended the South was
impoverished. The white men who
owned the soil were discouraged me
only, result Of four years fighting and
hardship was the loss of their personal.
Their slaves, who really geye
value to the land, were free and disin-
clined to work. The white men after
carefully looking into their condition
gallantly faced the new order of things
and resolved to plant. But they had
nothing Tools, food, animals, and all
that was necessary to produce a cotton
crop was lacking"
lie might have added: Their fences.
houses, and provisions had been burned. |,
and yet the men Of the South did not
quail before the future. The Sun letter
goes on to say:
" What field it was for the Jews,
The glad tidings spread throughout the
tribes OF Israel that the cotton States Of
America lay PROSTATE. The news that
the white population who owred the
richest cotton lands in the world were
financially ruined, was good news for the
Jews; but when they learned that in that
favored land were some 10000 900 ignor-
ant blacks who had the tastes of barba.
rlan slaves and the reckless disregard az I
property characteristic of savages, the
Jews, who thrive on the misfortunes az I
.he poor and ignorant, hocked into the I
South" ]
If the Jews had been the only people l
hat Hooked hither, then the South could '
nave borne all that i'll, and walked up. I
right. While it is true that MANY little G
lew establishments were put up to trade Q
with the negroes--and they were very b
ar from all being kept by Jews-the {
lew merchant risked his all with onr
leople. He invested his money with a
ne planter to aid him in making cron q
moving that he had confidence in his S
honesty and his industry. Then It was q
here came another set Of men to prev p
lPon negroes and whites alike. Not S
'ews; not men who had been "kicked
md cutted;" they, therefore. "should 7
ave sympathized with the negroes ,
lordes OF boasted philanthropists who
had removed from his tender limbs tbe a
'alling chains" men in whom the negro +
would be expected To confide aud al "