Year: 1874

+ eCyNH~NHNN"VrT'~~ ~ w" 81
) Correspondence of the New York Times


, SOUTH CAROLINA.


SOCIAL AND OTHER INFLUENCES DISCUSSED
! SOME WHOLESOME ADVICE.


CHARLESTON, Friday July 3, 1874.
/ In South Carolina society is divided into
three distinct and separate classes. Ofcourse,
within each of these there are minor differ
ences of standing and position, but between
the native white, the Northern immigrant, or
"carpet-bagger," and the colored population,
are drawn the great lines of social division.
Of the classes named, perhaps the Northern
white people occupy the most peculiar posi-
ton. Their social condition is, indeed, an
anomalous one, and so much influenced by
political considerations that it is impossible to
treat of them as class in society without, at
the same time, taking note of their position in
politics. Immediately after the war, a large
number of the Northern soldiers, who had
been stationed in Charleston and Columbia,
took up their residences in those places. The
negroes, who looked upon these men as the
immediate cause of their liberation from slave
ry, very naturally took sides with them in the
support of that party which had secured, and
which they knew would perpetuate their free
DOM Many of these men and their families
are still living here. Another large class OF
Northern whites came to South Carolina, some
of them with capital, many of them without,
hoping by honest industry to better their
financial condition. With but very few ex.
ceptions, all these people have been treated
alike by the Southern element of the State.
With little or no discrimination as to charac-
ter or condition, all have been and are sub
iected to most rigid social ostracsm. This
statement is made upon the authority Of al
most every well-informed Northern man in
the State. Many of the Southern people say
that such is not the case. At the same time,
they ask the question, "Would you have US
bring vulgar people, whom we do not know,
to our dinner tables and into our families ?"
They claim that "refned" Northern people
are always welcome to them when properly
introduced. But while making the claim,
they also demand the right to judge as to who
the "refned" people are, and it must be said
th"t for most of the old Huguenots that quail
i6cation is only possessed by those who agree
with them politically. This statement will
doubtless be contradicted, but it will be i'm
possible for any one to prove that it is incor-
rect. Northern visitors to South Carolina are
treated with great kindness, and with that
delicate hospitality for which the natives are
so justly celebrated. Let these visitors be-
come settlers, however, and the doors of most
Southern houses in Charleston will be closed
against them. The Southern people, then,
may be excused to a certain extent for the way
in which they treat Northern families, but
there is no excuse for the length to which this
treatment is carried. Some Of the natives,
who rely on something more than their an
cient names for their position in society, have
sense enough to discriminate between vul-
gar and ambitious politician, who was educa-
ted in some New York pothouse, and gen.
tleman who, for his health or from business
considerations, is obliged to live away from
his home. Such persons, if not on terms Of
intimacy, are at least considerate and polite
to those worthy Of attention. The great
masses of the natives, however, make no dis
tinction, and, as already stated treat all Nor
thern people as if they were thieves and ras-
GALS 1t may be here stated as somewhat re-
markable that the very people who are loud
est in their denunciations of "the vulgar
Yankees" are themselves so ignorant that they
would be put to shame by an ordinary school
boy. Your correspondent has met several
natives of this State with high-sounding names
who claimed to be descendants of long lines
of illustrous French ancestors, and who were
ever ready to abuse "the Yankee scum" but
who were unable to read with Auency. A
true Southern gentleman may be ready at all
times to recognize the merit and ability OF his
political opponent, but it is mistake to sup
pose that true gentlemen are more numerous
here than in other parts of the world.


1.-THE WOMEN AND THE PARSONS"


During and Just after the war it was usual
to say that the South would never have at
tempted to secede were it not for "the women
and the parsons" If this was true during
the war, it is none the less true that to-day
certain ministers of the gospel are to be
blamed for the hard feeling that is still cher
ished by few Of the people OF South Caro-
lima. During conversations had with proml-
nent native aymen all over the State there
seemed to be general desire to forget the
past. Many of the younger men went so tar
as to applaud the action of the North during
the war; and all joined in wishing for an hon
est State government, no matter If 1t were ad-
ministered by Northern or Southern office
holders. Very different, however, were the
views expressed by number of clergymen
with whom the writer had interviews. They
were all most bitter in their denunciation OF
the Republican party, Of the freedmen, of the
Union soldiers, indeed, of everything and ev-
cry one who had ever been opposed to South
ern institutions. One gentleman, the minister
of the leading Southern church in this city,
swore, "wth holy oaths," that the rascally
negro could not long rule in South Carolina,
and that the corrupt "carpet' 'bagger" would,
if necessary, be driven with bloodshed from
the State. His language was so violent that
Southern gentleman who was present, telt
obliged, after the interview, to state that
what the old gentleman said must not be
taken as the sentiments of our people; he had
many losses during the war" This may have
been true, but it seems none the less disgrace
full that minister of the gospel should give
himself up to the task Of tanning into flame
the spark that should long ago have been ex-
tinguished forever.


That the women of the State should mourn
deeply for dead husbands and sons is only
natural. They do speak regretfully Of "the
DAYS that are gone," but it is not true that
they regard the Northern people with hatred,
or that, if possible, they would have slavery
restored. The poverty of the Southern people
of this State is deplorable, and the heroic ef.
forts which the daughters Of once wealthy
houses are now making for the support of
widowed mothers are most commendable.