The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-21

ment in youth, and which af1ectlol
is still maintained, 1 would like tc
add a word to that which was so wei
said by Hon. F. B. Gary, the invited
orator on Memorial Day, 1910.
THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL.
This is the semi-centennial year o.
the Inauguration of the mighties,
struggle that ever shook a continent,
or buried its soldiers in a thousand
church yards, in every part of the
country. At Richmond are uncOunt'
ed graves. At Arlington acres of the
great estate of Lee are filled with the
graves of the Confederate dead; al
Atlanta may be seer the graves o.
many valiant soldiers who fell in the
city's defence; at Chattanooga the
bodies of thousands of Confederate sol
diers sleep in the cemetery which the
Congress of the United States dedi.
Gated to American valor, which act
of Congress was, perhaps, the most
magnanimous that can be placed tc
the credit ofany country.
THE PAST-THREE CLASSES.
In 1860 the total population of this
State was 7O3, 1000. OF this number
pol 900 were white, 100000 were
slaves, and 10000 were free negroes.
Of the white population a small
per cent were the owners of the
slaves. Others of the white popula.
ton were non-slaveowners simply
because of inability to buy slaves
There were then three distinct
classes of white people in this State,
namely:
First - The educated and rul.
ing class, composed Of slave-owners,
Second-The smaller and uneducat.
ed and unthinking slave-owning
class who were subservient and loyal
to their more intelligent and more
able neighbors. They had no thought
that was not inspired by their &C.
knoWledged superiors, and except as
ciphers in the numeral notation, they
were without force.
Third-The poor unfortunate class
of uncultured and uneducated "white
trash" for whose civilization and for
whose culture and for whose ed
ucation the a%utocratic slave-owner
manifested little OF no interest.
Events would indicate that the rich
and autocratic class of slave-owners
was almost as much interested in the
Ignorance of ''poor white trash" as
they were in shutting off the light
from the slave. It was then, as now,
evident that the system of slavery
could not exist in the presence OF
an intelligent and educated yeoman-
ry. Ignorance ofboth the poor white
people and the African slave formed
the cornerstone or bedrock of a sys.
tenn that was repulsive to all the bet,
ter sentiment of the Christian civil.
zation.
For a long time previous to 1860
the people had been at amrity among
themselves and in peace with all the
world.
Manufacturing interests were al,
most totally neglected. Our vast
water powers were running to waste,
Electric power generated by water
power was then unknown or I'm.
developed.
Every energy was directed to the
growing of cotton and to the increase
of the number of slaves. The white
owners of small farms were being
crowded out that greater areas
might be acquired by the slave
owner. This was especially true
of the lands on the Savannah side
of this County.
On the election of Lincoln, the
Republican candidate for President
the cry of alarm for the safety o
"Our peculiar institution" was made
and it spread like wild fire.
SIX PERIODS.
1860
passed the ordinance of Secession
from the Federal Union. Othel
States soon followed the example o
South Carolina, and within a few
weeks the Southern Confederacy wa:
organized. An army was put in thu
field. One of the first companies ir
this State to report for military SER
vice went from the city Of Abbeville
A little later a call for other com
panies was made. Companies
were organized at Due West
in which companies were volunteers
from the surrounding country. II
was in this way that the little town
of Due West received credit for hav.
ing sent many men to the war,
And it was from the valor of these
men that Due West became as
distinguished in war as it was re-
nowned in peace.
1865
In 1865 the war was ended in defeat
to the South. Lee surrendered al
AppomattoX, and Johnston's army
surrendered at Bentonville. Davis
was captured lei Macon, Ga.
Disheartened at the result of the
war, our people were dazed.
Slaves were set free. With rumors
of probable unfriendly acts by
tho Wochinrtop Eoyarnmopt r.