Year: 1868

no security that It will not be stolen or burnt up
BY the negroes.


In regard to the political condition Of the
Southern States, am in deep despair, and have
no nope except in q returning sense Of justice on
the part Of the northern people. The idea Of
placing the government Of these States ID the
haas OF negroes is preposterously absurd.
None OF them have property, and not one in Eve
hundred can read or write. 10 the resent elec-
ton7tor members Of . convention many Of the
negroes had forgotten their names and scarcely
one IN q hundred could tell after the election
for whom he bad voted.


They were controlled blindly by the loyal
leagues. The tickets were printed IN Charleston,
with likeness Of President Lincoln on them
There never has been such q wide field opened
for the demagogues and unpFiucipled aspirants
to Office. The negro is the most credulous being
10 the world, and most easily imposed on by the
wretches who are disposed to pander to his ig.
norance ahd passion. Bmissaries from the North,
white and black, have come here and prejudiced
him against the white race. He has been told
that unless he voted the radical ticket he would
not have laDdS and mules given him, but that be
would il he did vote that ticket In some in
stances the negroes actually brought brides to
take their mules home with them.


By military order in South Carolina negroes
are 10 sit on jures. In some Of The districts of
this State the negro population is so much larger
than the white that they will compose almost
the entire iuries. How It will be possible to ad>
minister justice with such juries, in complicated
cases, is more than | can tell. am equally at q
loss to know how the Offices Of the State are to
be filed. The "Irou clad oath" excludes from
Office all who are competent and worthy. This
difficulty was forseen by General Sickles, and
he requested Of Congress the removal of the oath.
General Meade has recently suggested the same
thing in Georgia. 1t will be impossible for the
negroes and the worthless whites to fill some of
these offices, or give the security required by
law.


Property ofall kinds, and especially real estate,
has deprecated in value one half or two thirds
during the past year. No one is disposed to
purchase anything, and foreign capital has been
driven out or deferred from coming here for in
vestment. Property sold by the Sheriff brings
nothing. The Marshal of this State told me the
other day that be sold plantation, well i'm
proved, containing two thousand acres, in Horny
district at public auction, to the highest bidder,
for Eve dollars. Mules brought only Eve dollars
apiece.


A great many persons are moving from the
lower country, where there are so many negroes,
and that section of the State is destined to be-
come a wilderness. The same thing must occur
10 many portions of Mississippi and other States.
gentleman just returned from Mississippi, tells
me that lands, which rented last year for four
teen dollars per acre, were now offered at two
dollars per acre, and no one would take them.


Unless there is a reaction at the North, and
better Legislation for the Southern States, they
WI be incubus TO the Union, utterly destruc-
tive of the whole republic. The present military
force will have to be kept up to maintain peace
between the two races, and there is no certainty
of their ability to do this long. have some time
thought that when the negro government went
into operation, it would be impossible to pre-.
serve the peace of the country. A war of races
must eusus, and it will be the most terrific
of determination that ever desolated the face of
the earth in any age country.


l am, with great respect and esteem, yours,
truly, &c. B. F. PERRY.