Year: 1861

SOUTH CAROLINA FREE NEGROES.


This class of people has been leaving South
Carolina lately, in considerable numbers, q
portion Of them taking passage at New York
and Boston for Hayt. This emigration is in
consequence Of recent harsh legislation, and
apprehensions Of still greater severity hereaf
ter. Yet this class Of the population of South
Carolina appears to have furnished a fair pro
portion Of useful citizens.


The Columbia Is. C.) correspondent Of the
Baltimore Sun, writing under date Of Decem.
ber 10, gives the following information in re-
spect to their condition:


Gas an evidence Of the liberal feeling ex.
hibited in South Carolina towards free negroes
will note the fact that q few days since an
over. jealous member of the House, from one
of the rural districts, Introduced a bill to sell
on and after the lst Of January, all free per
sons Of color found within the State. This bill
was referred to the committee on colored pop
ulation, and after due consideration the chair
man of the committee, the Hon. ]. Harlestou
Read, reported on it yesterday, recommending
that the bill do not pass. In his report Mr.
Read treats this entire subject in q most mas
terly manner. He says that there is at present
within the borders Of the State nearly ten thou
sand free colored persons that they are thrifty,
orderly, and we'll disposed that they are the
owners of vast amount Of property, both real
and personal; that in the city of Charleston
alone they pay taxes on $l,56l,s70 worth OF
property that of this amount more than three
hundred thousand dollars are in sldres that
the free negroes of Charleston alone pay taxes
to the amount of $27,2O9lS, and that other
portions of the State show as fair ratio. The
report states that these people have not migra.
ted to the State, but were born and raised in
the midst of her people the ancestors Of many
were manumitted for their fidelity and loyalty
to their masters and to the State, and there are
cases Of some who were purchased and manu-.
mitted by the State Legislature indeed there
lives at this time one remarkable case in the
person of Peter Derveneys, who for his fidelity
and loyalty to the State was not only purchased
and manumitted, but who now enjoys place
on the pension roll Of the State, and is the re
cipient of the largest pension on that roll. The
the free negroes ofthe State are good citizens
and patterns Of industry, sobriety, and ire,
proachable conduct"


The question is asked, "can it enter into the
mind Of any Carolina legislator to conGscate
this property, put it into the treasury, and en-.
slave the industrious class who has accumula.
ted it?' The committee say they forbear to
cor slider anything so full of injustice and wick
edness. The report is long and very able
one, and shall close the subject by giving you
the concluding sentences, viz: "Whilst we are
battling for our rights, liberties and institutions
can we expect the smiles and countenance Of
the Arbiter of all events, when we make war
upon the impotent and unprotected, enslave
them against all justice, and rob them of the
property acquired by their own honest toll and
industry, under your former protection and
sense of justice 2 God forbid that this Legis
lature could tolerate such a sentiment-forbid
it, humanity-condemn it, enlightened legisla.
tion." The report Of this committee ought to
show the people of the North the feeling in
South Carolina in reference to free negroes 1t
is generally conceded that the only slaves over
worked in the State are those owned by free
negroes they work them much harder and
manage to make good deal more out Of them
than do the white owners.