Year: 1871

depend upon odd Jobs for living The industry OF the
women is noticeable. They wash. sew, WORK IN .he
vegetable gardens the city, keep stalls III 'no
market, and sell fruits candies cakes, and lemonade on
the streets seated usually upon the sidewalk Win the
feet In the gutter and their goods in their laps or spread
out by their sides. Many lazy fellow who hangs about
the City Hall steps day after day, waiting for lob OF
corporation work. is supported by his industrious wife,
Mosof the mechanics negroes, but they appear 10
have monopoly OF any trades employments White
men and often WORK together In the same shop
and in the markets compete for custom with the adon
ing stalls.


The general condition Of the negroes throughout this
State cannot be said TO be encouraging The gread diff
Guilty in the way OF their prosperity is the dstrst and
animosity existing between them and the white men,
occasioned by political hostility An intelligent mulato
member OF the Legislature argued this to few days
ago, with marked good sense. "Nether race can do
wel," he said, until harmony and confidence prevail
between them. Each is dependent upon the other butt
the white have the land and the capital, while
We are poor and have nothing but our labor we suffer
the most in consequence of the existing enmty. You
must not take my opinions representing those OF
many Of my race. On the contrary II they were known
1 should be unpopular. But am convinced there must
be changer the colored people cannot rule the white
and exclude them from taking part in the Govern
ment. II they persist in trying to do there
will be great troubles and the poor negroes will
be the sufferers. We yield something for the sake
OF peace Many Of my friends insist that must have
a race party and make compromise They are crazy
for office, and the have 10000 majority In the
State they insist that they should control the govern
ment and keepthe white out Of office altogether.
satisfied that this ought not 70 be done. If the col
ored people weretntegent and had property this plan
might succeed 1t should be attempted there
would be anarchy and bloodshed. What peopeneed
is to have friendly relations with the white men, In order
to get good wages and steady work. They should not
instead of ALL hope to become politicians and try TO get
office. We prosper without cordial coopera-


ton with the white people, who have the capital with
which toe employ our labor"


Among the negroes Of the upper and middle counties
of South Carolina there widespread apprehension Of
some concerted hostile movement against them on the
part of the white men, which may begin at any day.
The intelligent have definite theory OF the charac-
ter of this supposed plot and believe that the purpose Is
to obtain political control Of the State by means of
general massacre-a sort Of st. Bartholomew aair-to
be undertaken by the Ku-Kux and executed in single
night AL cOored men who have become influential in
politics they believe would be the first victims and they
think that the number killed would be great to
petely errorze the survivors that they would never
again dare to against the interests Of the white men
This desperate expedient they believe will be the last
resort OF the white men free themselves from negro
rule Before the recent Convention was held, the
negroes feared that the murderous crusade was mmi
NJ,
the present. and that the movement is postponed until
after the next election when last effort will be made
by the white men accomplish their purpose by more
peaceable II they fail, 1t is thought that the
reign of terror will at once begin


The idea that a system Of wholesale murder Is to be
deliberately organized and put in practice throughout
large part OF a State must absurd to people who
live In peaceabe and tolerably welgoverned commun
ties and the fact that the fear OF such thing Is enter
tanned by large numbers OF people shows how disor-
panized Is the condition Of society here in south caro-


lima And not only the negroes fear that they may De
the victims relentless massacre but there are Intel
igent white who sobery acknowledge the possbil-


y of such occurrence expressing themselves usually
this way: "We can't endure this Niger government
much longer. No white would stand 1t TO be ruled
by ignorant nggers. Our people are nearly driven to
desperation, and a desperate people don't care
what they do. We had rather die than live under
Niger rule all our lives; and II it can't be
got rid OF in any other way, something des-
perae will be done" When inquiries what this some
thing desperate means, 1t is usually found to be just
what the negroes apprehend. The general conclusions
arrive at respecting the condition Of the in this
State are that the plantation laborers doing well
wherever they are well treated and udicously managed
by the planters that the mechanics in the towns are
industrious and thrifty that few OF any class have
saved any money since they became free, partly from
lack OF Judgment andeconomy, but largely account
OF the unsettled and disturbed condition OF affairs which
keeps the white men, as well the negroes poor, and
finally, that there be prosperity until amicabe
relations shall be established between the and the
present feeling OF hostility shall subside.


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