Year: 1877

!


Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.


TO sec large parties Of we'll dress
ed ladies and gentlemen going up to
the Capitol, visiting tho Senate and
House, calling on tho Governor,
chatting with the heads of dcpnrt>
ments, and making merry all about
the dismal building, is a sight so
new and novel as to invite attention.
In all my experience in the South
Carolina Capitol, which has been
considerable i'll the past eight years,
/ have never seen lady within the
walls of that building until this
week! This shows with what alb
horrcnco the whole thing was rc-
gardcd by the whito people. They
had as much aversion to their
Capitol us to q small pox hospital.
How changed! Yesterday and to-
day I have seen two or three hum
drcd ladies visiting the Capitol.
Seats have been provided for them
rs much as possible on the floor of
the two Houses, and the sight of so
much style and beauty among them
makes the old time cOlored legisla,
tor open his dull eyes in astonish~
mcnt.


The House Of Representatives is q
different looking concern from what
it was when last saw it. Form crly
tho Democrats had only from
twenty five to thirty members, II
little body Of whites shclved off in
the southeast corner and surround
ed in front by eighty or ninety
ycritablc looking black Republicans.
They wcrc powerless to do anything
but argue with the black mass
around them, for their votes made
but il small showing upon the white
side Of tho book. Wallace, the
present Speaker, was then mcm-
Der, fine looking man from the up
country, but utterly unable in former
days to see q way out He used to
tell me that he could not conceive
from what direction tho salvation of
South Carolina WAS to come, but
only knew that the then state of
affairs could not IN the nature Of
things forever continue. Now the
entire right side Of the Chamber is
occupied by as fine looking body of
white men as you will sec in any
Legislative assembly. What a
change from the motley crowd of q
few years ago change for the
better in appearance and conduct.
The old black Legislature W s u
noisy and turbulent body, smoking,
drinking, dancing, laughing, and
cutting up all sorts of unmannerly
capcrs i'll the truly joyful African
style. The Speaker had about as
much control over them as herd of
Kentucky mules. Elliott was the
only black Speaker who could hold
them within the bounds Of anything
like dcccncy; the others, like Lee,
who is IL small man with not much
physical or intellectual force, could
do nothing but rap and yell, drown
ing other noises with the volume of
that Of their own making.


But now the body is SO well be
haved as to strike tho observer the
fist moment he enters. Upon the
right, as L have stated, every seat
(savc two OF throo) is occupied by
white men. Upon tho left half tho
seats arc vacant, and the others are
occupied by about thirty coal black
negroes. What contrast it
makes! Step to the front, and look
first to. the Democratic and thon to
the Republican side. The contrast is
overpowcring, and you instantly ask
yourself, Can this continue Shall
we ever see again oven as many
black legislators horo as wc see
now? This question is answered by
n close investigation Of tho feelings
OF the whites, Behind all their pro
fcssions in favor of equal rights,
they are bitterly hostile to the negro
as a legislator, and they will take
him down from that position.


Yesterday I passed by Chamber
lain's house. His household goods
arc packed, and his household gods
have gono before. The hallway was
filled with trunks and boxes. The
people pass by and say, "The chief
of tho carpct-baggcrs is going let