The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-18
ARP CORRECTS M'GEE
NAYS STATEMENTS ABOUT Slave
TRADE IN THE >OUCH ARE NOT
TRUE

That tho Law was OBJ y. d-GOod Peopl.
HAD Nothing to do with tho Importa-
''on OF Negr" s.Fr"m Africa-Oth-r
| Corrections.
MIR. Folsom gavo an interesting
sketch of Mr.. McGee, the old slave
IA Ter Of the Wanderer, who, he
says, celebrated his SEVENTEEN birth
Jay recently in Columbus, Ga,
whore ho Ives. AS one of tho in
vlted guests, he could hardly do loss
than to write pleasant things about
tho old man, and as graphic
writer of light literature, he felt
constrained to make the old man Il
hero if possible. The pressure of
tho press for something new and
startling is very great, and some
times these bohemian galley slaves
have to ignore facts and dcal in
fancies.
Mr. Folsom says that this old vet
eran has been an important factor in
Feorgia's progress; that among
other notable acts and deeds he took
an active part in our war with the
Greek Indians and in removing them
TO the 1udinn territory, and that be
was prom in the building Of
the old Monroe railroad now the
Macon and Westerly. Well, now,
this old man must have been Il very
lively yonth and unusually preco-
cious, for those Indians fought their
last fight in 1885 and surrendered
and were at once sent to the terri
tory. Mr.. McGee was then just
nine years old. The Monroe rail
road from Macon to Fosyth was
built in lSA3, when this young man
was fifteen years old. Probably he
carried water for tho boys or perhaps
he forgot, and it was his father who
did these big things. But all this
amounts to nothing. The important
reryersion Of State history is his dec
laration that large and influential
portion of tho good citzons of
Georgia gave countenance to and
encouraged the venture Of the "Wan.
derer' in bringing slaves hero from
Africa. He can't prove tins by any
respectable citizen now living. That
slave trade was under the ban of all
good people. Georgia was the first
State that prohibited it. This was
dune in 1893, which WAS ten years
before Congress abolished it, and
from then until the late war no re-
spectacle citizen over thought Of
trying to evado the law. Georgia
was and still is proud Of her record
on this subject, and would be prouder
still if tho "Wandercr" had never
landed cargo on our coast. Mr..
McGee seems quite boastful of his
success in reaping harvest Of blood
money out Of this horrible business
Seven hundred human creatures
thrust in the hold Of the vessel,
packed in like hogs and dying by
scores Of heat, suffocation, filth and
bomesickness on tho long voyage
and their carcasses thrown overheard
to the fishes. All this Mr.. McGee
tells-and that they made second
voyage with similar horrors and sim
liar results, aud how he pocketed
/ $4,000 from each cargo. Con.
science does not seem concerned as
yet. John Newton, the composer of
tho sweetest hymn ever sang, was
once a slave trader, but repented
under John Wesley's preaching and
never ceased to repent, and expressed
his gratitude when he wrote:
"Amazing gracc-H How sweet the sound--
That saved q wretch like mc!''
And when old and infrm, his
friends begged him to quit preaching
and rest He SAID, "No, no! Shall
the old slave trader stop preaching
as long as he can walk or talk2 Mop
Even in Savannah, where Charley
Lamar lived, who was the leader
and part owner Of tho Wanderer,
General Henry r Jackson, as Uni
ted States Attorney, pursued the
captain and crew and owners with
nnrolenting diligence for two years
but the free use Of this blood money
in some way defeated his purposes
Ask him if this slave trade was ever
favored or winked at by the gooc
people Of Georaia. So far from it