University of South Carolina Libraries
:.] \ t BT PU Ri SOE, KEEi.SE & CO. ?.llll|l|,Pl|,"."l.'lll,l,".l,i|Ml,H,l'l1n,/'l,l>ll'l,l..Hl,'!,!.,,'!,,! ^".."H,!.,,.,.i. 'J. . : ? EDGEFIELD, S. C.; MA11CH 7, 1866. VOLUME X?X?.--N0. 10. PUBLISHED EVERY "WEDNESDAY MORNING B T DURISOE, ZEE SE & CC. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. Tho ADVERTISER is published regularly every WEDNESDAY MORMRG, at THREE DOL LARS per annum ; ONE DOLLAR aud FIFTY CENTS, for Six Months; SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS for Three Months,-alway* in advance. S3?" AU papers discontinued at the expiration of the time foa which they have been paid. RATES OF ADVERTISING. PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Advertisements will bo inserted at tho rate of ONE DOLLAR and FIFTY CENTS per Square (10 Minion lines or less,) for the first insertion, and ONE DOLLAR for each subsequent insertion. ^39* A liberal discount will be made to these wishing to advertise by the year. Announcing Candidates $5,00, in advance. The Great Popular Paper! THE IMflliM Wi SUBSCRIPTION PRICE Six Dollars a Tear! -o The Charleston Tri-Weekly flews, THREE DOLLARS A YEAR-TWO DOL LARS FOR SIX MONTHS ! TERMS, CASH IN ADVANCE ! j-o ^?9"No Paper sent uuless tho Cash accompa nies tho order. ?3?*No Paper sent for a longer time than paid for. RIORDAN, DAWSON & CO., PROPRIETORS. Charleston, Dec 23 3t52 18G8 ? THE SOUTHERN FA VOFUTE. BURKE'S WEEKLY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. -3 Beautifully Illustrated, and Ele gantly Printed. Prononneed by thc Southern press to bc the most elegant and talented young people's paper printed in ihis eauntry ! We are now publishing Marooner'? Inland, a Sequel to the Young Marooaers, and Jack Dobell, ora Boy'* Adventure* in Tera*, by ono of Fan nin's men-pronounced * equal to the be-t of Mayne Reid's stories." We shall begin, in the first number of lStiS, a thrilling: story, by a lady of Virginia, entitled "ExttX BroXTEJt : A Tale of the War," which will run for several month.?. Among the re-jul.tr contributor* to BURKE'S WEEKLY are Rev. F. R. GoCLDl.xc, author of "The Young Marooner**;" Mrs. JASE T. H. CROSS ; Mrs. FORD, of Rome, Ga. ; Mis* MART J. Ui'suun, of Norfolk, Va , and many others. TERKs-$2 a year in advance; Three copies for $5 ; Five copies for SS ; Ten copies for $15, and Twenty-cue copies for $30. Clergymen and Teachers furnished at $1 50 per annum. Tho volume begins with thc July number. Back numbers can be supplied from the first, and all yoarly subscribers may receive the num bers for the fi rit six mouths, stitched in an elegant illuminated cover. Address, J. W. BURKE <fc CO., Publisher*, Macon, Ga. Dec 25 tf 52 C^*Subscriptions roceivod at the Advcrtiier Office for BURKE'S WEEKLY. DEMOKEST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE. UNIVERSALLY acknowledged tho MODEL PARLOR MAGAZINE OF AMERICA ; devo ted to Original Stories, Poem?, Sketches, Archi tecture and Model Cottages, Household Matters, Gems of Thought, Personal and Literary Gossip (including special departments on Fashion;,) In structions on Health, Music, Amusements, etc., by the best authors, and profusely illustrated with costly Engravings (full size) useful and reli able Patterns, Embroideries, and a constant suc cession of artistic novelties, with other useful and entertaining literature. No persea of refinement, economical housewife, or lady of tasto eau atTord to do without tho Model Monthly. Single copies, 30 cents ; back numbers, as spe cimens, 10 cents; either mailed free. Yearly, $3, with a valuable premium; two copies, $5,50; three copies, ? 7,50 ; five copies, $12, and splen did premiums for dubs at $3 each, with the first premiums to each Subscriber. 8^"A new Wheel er ? Wilson Sewing Machice for 20 subscriben ut $3 each. Address W. JENNINGS DF.MORE5T, No. -173 Broadway, New York. ^ Demoreit'd Monthly and Youns America to gether $4, with the premiums for each. ?5^* Wc Wl" furi?lb Demon nt'* Monthly and thc Adva ti'cr ono year for $5,25. Apply at this Office Dec 13 - tf 51 DEMOREST'SYOING AMERICA, THE BEST JUVENILE MAGAZINE. Every Boy and Oirl that sees it says so ; all the Press nay so ; and Parents and Teachers confirm it. Do notfuil to secure a copy. A good Microscope, with a Glass Cylinder to confine living objects, or a good two binded, pearl Pocket-KDifo, and a large number of other dc?rable articles, given as premiums to each subscriber. Yoarly, $1.50. The November Number coin menees a new volume. Try it, B..yj and Girls. Specimen copies, fivo cents, mailed free. Fubliehed by W. JENNINGS DEMOREST, 473 Broadway, New York. Dec IS_ll_Jo\_ PLANTERS' HOTEL. AUGUSTA, GA. Newly Furnished and Rentted, Unsurpassed by any Hotel South, Waa Reopened to the Public Oct. ?, 1866. T. S. NICKERSON, Proprietor. J ?rt. 1._tf_1__ "Notice! Notice! ALL Persons indobtcd to tho late Firm of TEAGUE & CARWILE will mike imme diate payment to either of tho parties. All Dill? unpaid by January 31*f, 1S6S, will be placed in an Attoniey's hands with instructions to tao at once. Pity up and save couts. TEAGUE Si CARWILE. Deo 24 3t . 52 INSURANCE AGENCY. JL ABTIES wish?rrg to Insure their DWEL LINGS, GOODS, ic, can do so on thc lowest tarma, and ia tbe-BEST COMPANIES, by call ing on the Undersigned. D. R. DURISOE, Agent for A. O. HALL'S Insurance Agency. Ju 1 Jil 1 An Interesting Letter to Sen. Seott, of the Freedman-'s Bureau. For tho Advertiser. BEECH ISLAND, EDGEFIELD DISTRICT, S. C., Jan. 20, '68. SIR :-I have just finished the perusal of a Circular dated Jan. 1st., 13G8, addressed by you to the Planters and Freedmen of South Carolina. In it I find statements so much at variance with my own experience, aud with that of =auy other plantera with whom I have conversed, and whose operations I bavo witnessed during the past year, together, with the almost universal reports from those in different parts of this State, and throughout the entire South'/that I trust it will not ba considered intrusive on my part, or in vitia?, tion of any law promulgated by " the author ities that be," to address you this, making such comments upon your statements as may seem to me, to be warranted by the circum stances of the case, as my sole object is to af ford, as far as lie3 in my power, any light j that will tend to the elucidation of the truth, and thereby be the means of securing justice to an oppressed people. I will premise by saying that I have resided in and near this neighborhood for nearly thirty-five years, and been planting most of that time, and have also been extensively en gaged in the practice of medicine, and, con sequently, have bad, and still have, unusual facilities for observing the operations of others. As it is natural to bo influenced by preju dices resulting from association, and especi ally the associations of early life, I trust that it will not tend to invalidate my statements when I inform you that, both in the earlier part of my life and eubsequently, I have had sufficient intercourse with the people on both sides of Mason & Dixson's lia* to enable me to judge of the questions at witae between them without being so much bieaaa by sec tional prejudice as to prevent me from di?cov ering the truth. What your own erigin is, I ata not able to say. Whether you claim a descent from that bold and daring people who forsook their na tive land on%account of religions intolerance, and sought the distant ?horesof North Amer ica, landing upon that celebrated rock known as Plymouth Rock, and whose names have since bes?me famous throughout thc country and the world, on-accouut of their energy,en durance, industry, and mary other estimable eharacten-tics, but who, lifter hating escapee from oppression in the fatherland, and despite their gooAjualities, forgetting the intolerance ivbich causad them to forsake their own ?untry, like thc famous robber of old, Pro ?rustes, set up beds for their neighbors to lit >n, and haw accepted office yourself, prompted >y fanaticism and prejudice, to carry out the ?tolerant spirit of your ancestors ; whether rou are one of those rent gade Southrons, who lave sold their birthright lor a mess of pot .ttgc ; or whether you are one of those " rara ta's in terris11 whose benrts are filled with generous aud kindly impulses, and have ac cepted a disagreeable aud difficult position vith a view to modify, as far as possible, tile larshness of an unjust and tyrannical rale >ver a subjugated people, seeking every oppor ,unity to discover the truth, to enable you to do ?o, I am not able to say. But, I trust for the credit of human nature, that you beloDg to .he latter class. I, at least, only know you, is.the Assistant Commissioner, &c., ?fcc., and tm satisfied, that so far as my experience and )bservation carry me, backed by that of thou ?ands of others, that your knowledge of af airs. in South Carolina, as expressed in your Circular, is utterly at fault, and calculated, vhen reported to tho beads of your Depart nent, to increase the embarrassments and lifficulties of an already impoverished peo Die, if not to invite still greater misrule, to ;be utter ruin and demoralization of both .aces within your jurisdiction and throughout ,be South. After expressing feelings of regret at "the lisastrous failure of the rice and long staple cotton crops in thc vicinity of the coast," and tttributing the failure to " unforeseen and ?o woidable causes beyond the control of ku nan power," and uot attributable " to want >f care and expense on the part of the plan ter, or lack of labor and attention from the freed people," you say that M the general tes timony from the central and upper portions of the State is, that thc fiecd people have worked faithfully and well, some say 1 never better.' This may be partially accounted for by the fact that the small planters or farmers o? thc interior, arc accustomed to labor themselves, and by giving t;.cir entire perso nal attention to their planting interest*, they have thereby encouraged the freed people to emulate thc example thus set thim." Again you say, "it certainly must be ap parent to every practical man that free col ored labor can never be a success in this State unless liberal arid fair coutracts are en tered into and observed ; the fre&d people cannot much longer be hoodwinked and im posed upon ; they are rnpidly learning 'the worth of money, and all persons who have in any ruminer overreached them may depend upon it that eventually they will fiiid that they cannot procure the labor to lill their plantations; while planters who have by a just and generous course of treatment ob" taincd the confidence of their laborers, have thu3 secured themselves sufficient means to carry out their plans for the coming year.' And further, " It may not be improper for mc, in this connection, to counsel the freed people to avoid contracting, thc coming y par. with those planters who have persistently ! wronged and defrauded them ; taking care j and .seeking proper advice that they may not confound dishonest men with those bjgh minded planters who, owing to tho unfavora ble season, have been unable to meet their engagements, but in who c integrity all eau implicitly rely." And again, " No valid rea son exists to prevent this State from-being entirely self-supporting &c, ?c. Now, Sir, to prove thc incorrectness of your statements, I will simply give an account* in detail, of my own experience with freed-' men the past year, and am confident that such experience is.similar to that of hundreds, of others. I have a valuable place on tb? Savannah Hiver, consisting of part bottom'land and part upland. The bottom' latid isla rich al luvium, easy to cultivate, and will bear plough" ing without injury even during a wet season> so light and friable is it. It is van: fertile and is capable of producing, arid' has pro duced, with proper culture, from fifty to seventy-five bushels of corn per acre. My upland, immediately adjoining, kas tor seve ral years been in a high state of cultivation, producing on an averag?, for several succ?s.-, sive years, from three-fourths to one four hundred-pounds bag of cotton to the icre. I hired and put upon this piace 'the past year, in all, fifteen hands; eight men, five women, a girl fifteen year* old, and two boys, ono fourteen and the otbur twelve years old; all able bodied ?cd bs*lfty people, their ages Varying froni twelve yeas** io forty-five, with the exception of one maa and one vornan, who were over the latter age, but still healthy and capable of doing good service in the crop. In addition to this, I had1 employed an el derly white DAD. who was a good mechanic and whose business it was, to take charge of the keys aud keep up the repairs on the plantation. I had another white man (a German) to milk the cows and take charge of the dairy. There were twelve horses and mules on the place, nearly all young animals j and capable of doing good work, as they were all in good order when placed in the hands of the freedmen. There vras an abundance of superior agricultural implements, together wilh gear, wagons, ?fcc, &c, also a complete stock of provision, both for mau and beast. The wages of thc bands were paid, some all money ; the hands taking part crop and the balaace rooney, had the money part, paid them in regular monthly install raen ts, and thoEe receiving all money, received a portion cf their wages also monthly. They were comfortably quartered, had their rations, (a peck of meal and three pounds of good bacon weekly,) together with most of the skimmed milk and butter milk from five to ten cows ; they also raised an- abundance of chickens, had plenty of eggs, and some of them had pigs which I gave them. The women were allowed every Saturday afternoon to them selves, all had their medical bills, medicines included, gratis, were allowed six days each, lost time, during the year without charge, and also tho privilege of a garden spot and a piece of land to cultivate for themselves extra, I should state that the amount of wages paid to th? grown hands, varied from S2vcn to ten dollars per month, with those receiv ing nil money, and to those receiving part ci i ip and part money, was paid thirty dollars in money and the entire proceeds of two acres of my best bottom land each, which laud I allotted to them (giving them choice as regard?quality) in the Spring, plaiting and cultivating it in regular order wijlifmy own crop. The operations cn the plantation and (heir results 1 will now give. There were siicty scven seres of bottom land and fifteen ccre on highland planted in com, and fifty five acres in cotton on the uplands, also two acres in sv.ee? potatoes and two acres in turnips, making in all, one hundred and forty one acre?, averaging nine and two-fifths acres to each hand, or counting the two older and the three younger hands as three full bandi, an average of about eleven acres to the hand, or eleven and three-fourth acres to each horse, (tho old average being twenty acres bottom ?and and from twenty-live to forty upland, ac cording to thc lauri, to the horse and plow.) I should state, however, that later in the rea son, twenty-five acres of the co'ton were abandoned, on account of grass, which will reduce the average to thc horse and Land considerably. I will say, in explanation, tho large pro portional amount of horse power used is re quired in thc cultivation of our river bottom lauds. Tho receipts and expenses were as follows : Receipts. Cr. By 61M lbs. Caxton Lint $ 12-Jc(s nott, $763,75 " MIS ba. Corn, Uelft?;oj crop of Rited*** ft $1, 2200,00 " Ii bi. (QMU Pe*?**) Ad Slips, ft Ti cte. 1125 ? 12008 lbs. Fodder, Q 180 00 Sheaf Oats, jO.OO " 10 bu. Cow-Poos, fl? 10.00 " Turnips, 100.00 $3420.00 Expense*. Dr.. To 830 bushels Corn, @ $l.?0, $148t-.00 " 14000 lbs. Fodder, {m $2, 28C.00 " 2rt40 lbs. Bacon, @ 20 cu?. 52s.00 " Fertilizo?, 600.00 " Blacksmith's Bill, wear and tear of implement.?, repairs <.n wagons, ploughs, gear and nrcakago, 200.00 " Money wages ? aid out, 1125.00 ?? " paid for extra help, 40.00 " 500 bushels Cora, (band? crop) 500.00 " 6000 lbs. Fodder, (d> Si.50 (bands crop). 75 00 " 4 bushels teed Oats, @ 81.10. 4.40 " 20 bu. Potato slips for iced ($ 75 cts. 15.00 " Sheaf Oats, 50.00 " Turnip Scud, 2.50 " Medicines, 5.00 " 5 bushels Seed Peas, 5.00 $4817.90 R'ctipts. 3420.00 $1397.90 Deducting thc receipts from the expenses, there is a deficiency of $1397.90, as will be perceived, on this scoret and this docs not in clude thc rent of the plantation, the internst on and depreciation in value of the ftock and Implements; Thc former, I have leased tor this year (1S68,) to men who will work for oae-fourth of the gross products of the place, a;id supposing the wholo product to be no more than the last year, it gives a clear in come of SS 15.31, this, together with thc di-' miuished market value of my mules and hor sci, on account of tho wretchedly poor con dition in which they have been returned to mc, reducing the market value (for I am sel ling them) at least twenty-five,per cent, mak ing an additional loes of $450 ; these two latter sums added to the former Bum of 3117.90, will increase my losses to $2,693^21, without iucludiug the interest on twenty five hundred dollars worth of -mules, horses, wag ons, gear, and agricultural implements, or payment for my own superintendence. You will doubtless perceive that I have charged tire corn consumed in making Ibo crop at the price it was worth at the "time it was consumed, and that made the past year, at what it is worth now, at ,our nearest market, but if I should estimate the latter at the price ?f the former, tty $1:60 per bdahol, deducting1 the 'Freedmen's, crop, it would st leave a deficiency bf !$lcl3!21 ; and puttL the cotton at twenty five cents nett per pout there would still be a.clear loss of nearly o: thousand dollars, nnd-if X should add tl amount of st?alaee, it*would swell the loss at least fivefctihdred dollars more, and tl ste?lage/ has been confessed tb l>y the "bani themselves, although' each one so c?nfessin denies that ho or she had any part in tl matter. . ** Now, as to the causes which brought aboi such ruinous results to mc.'. It was-not the seasons alore,-for there ne er was a better season for corn.' within, tl memory of man, in this region. As for cottoi the season I am willing to admit, was. unpr pitons, being rather top wet, but this did nc cause, tho hands to hoe only one-third of a acre cotton per diem,, neither did it cant them to lounge in their houses until lon after sunrise, and leave the field before sur down, nor make them steal the corn and coi ton from the fields ; neither did the seaso make them neglect and abuse the mules an horses, nor cause my stock-minder with ah ty-one head of, hogs, placed . in his charge o the first of tho year, to return to me at th and of the year, only fifty-eight head of in ferior bogs, the remainder, besides the in :rease having been stolen, or died from neglecl It was not the diminished value of the prc luce made, for I have iu rc) calculation mad lue allowance for that. It was ' not b-ecaua Lhey were insufficiently remunerated for thci abor, for. they received from|one hundred am hirty, to one hundred and ninety dollar :ach, including their own crops, for their ser rices, exclusive of^all cost' of living, exeep Slothing. It was not because they were in lafficieutly fed, fer they had an abundance X was not because they wero sick, for alie; ionsuming the six days lost time allowee hem, they: ^were careful not to report anj nore sick days, for fear of a deduction. : I ras not because they-had insufficient hors< lower and implements to work with, for mj tatement shows to the contrary ; nejthei ras it because they were .overtasked, for ii 801 eight hands with seven work animah oade and gathered 15,0.92 lbs cotton lint 1000 bushels corn, 50,000 pounds long forage 000 lbs. Pork, 100a lbs. Butter, besides argo quantities of Peas, Oaf, &c, &c, and n 1805 the same hands and horse power made 1500 boshfls- corn, 500* bushels potatoes, to other with long forage, peas, &c., &c, in proportion ; and in 1SGG, 2S00 bushels cOrn, hree times the quantity of long forage, peasi :c, together with the same number bags cot on as last year, (1SG7.) the hands receiving Le same wag?a and treatment as theu. Nor lill was it because the}' were not capable, for learly nil of the-m were well known to me to ie experienced band?. If none, or all of these thing* were tho ause, what was it that brought about anch esulu ? 1 answer it was simply because the iegro,?is in general, lazy, idle, roguish, and ut erly unreliable when left, to himself,and since ie has been made ?Vee, has become daily more inrcliable as a laborer ; he seeks nothing tow but his own advantage, and de-lights in he indulgence pf his appetites, passions and oguiah propensities, caring for nothing so mich as to waste his time in idleness, eating, iud sleeping. Hu is intol ant of tho control if his own race, and continually set-king by !1 the artifices in his power to deceive and :heat thu white man, whether he be Southern .r Northern born ; and thc more generously iud liberally he is treated the moro advantage viii he take, without the slightest compunc i?n o? conscience. In fact, li the negro is tot a whito man painted black,"but is devoid if the higher attiibutes which would entitle lim to a full brotherhood with tbc Anglo Saxon race ; he has no honor, honesty, or ustice himself, and therefore does not appre :'.ate these qualities in others. I shall not top to enq .iro how fur this is the result ni his >revious condition asa slave, or whether il is nnate and therefore thc result of his organi/.i ion, but certain it is'hat habit is second nature, ind if a mau has been once a rascal no in Hu mee on earth can prevent him. .hort of im nediate fear of punishment or physical re itraint, if a favorable opportunity offers for he practice of his propensities, from indulg ng them, and our negroes aro for the most jart habitually thieves, rogues, and liars ; and here is no better hope from the coining gene .ation, for if tho father steals, cheats, and 'obs, the son will do likewise ; no " Bills of lights,'' no " Elective Franchise" can save nm ; naught but an overwhelming public >piiiion backed by a sufficient physical force, :apable of and empowered to punish, can cccp bim within tho bo?r?da'of social propri jty. The African has nfcppwers of invention, jut is a mere imitator, being an inferior crea ton of mankind, for I believe that ' A vast chuin of boing from God began, Nature's Ethoronl, Human, Angol, MOD, Boast, Bird, Tish, Insect, What no eye eau soo, no glass can reach. I2ach moss, ouch shell, eaeh crawling insect [folds a rank in tho plan of Him Who formed this scale of being, Holds a rank, which lost, would break thc chain And leave a void whioh Nature's self would rue." As there are di?erent gr?des-of "beasts, birds, tree's, mosses, so there are different. ?rades of mankind ; and if you cannot make & horse out of an ass, a squirrel of a rabbit, Dr nn oak from a pine tree/ neither can you make a white man out pf a negro., 1 dissent therefore, from the proposition contained in yo?r Circular, to the effect that " while those,.plantera who have by a just and generous icourse of. treatment, obtained tho confidence of their laborers, have thus secured themselves 's?mcieut'means to ?-rry out their plans for t,he cpmjqg year," and maintain that the passage would more cor-' rectly state the truth if it read, " Those plan1 ters who have treated tho freedmen in their employ with justice, generosity and liberality, have deprived themselves - entirely of tho means tb carry on their operations'the com ing year, Jbut tho few. who by their shrewd ness have outwitted the negro in his cunning, and rascality, have made enough to pay ex penses, and perhaps ' td carry" on another crop." .? ...... ^. . , .. j& 7. The question maybe asked .why I did not seek redress for tho impositions of my freed men. I answer "from whence?" For there is is no civil tribunal to which ! could apply for relief. The Freedman's Bureau was ?he onh chance;.but this does not seem to.have beet Created for the benefit of the white man, ant ha is almost certain to bo involved in costs, i not insulted, if he makes an attempt for re lief in1 that quarter. Butin my desperation I did once" make- the attempt and withou success, for I was . kindly advised, that cs 1 ' was so unfortunate as to make my contract! for the ..whole, year, it wonld be useless 'tc bring any charges,, unless I could fully- sub stantiate them by evidenco the most conclu sive;'bot'where was my evidence to c?me from ? ' The 'negro has ?Vw?rn'ih bis League, if 'not', ? his' heart, not LO divulge anything derogatory to his own. .tace in favor of the white man,, and the only. evidence I could have obtained was my colored headman, and he has since told me that he was afraid to inform against any delioquient for fear oil his life. Besides -this, could I have been suc cessful in obtaining evidence, it would hare involved a'delay in my whole operations upon ' the' plantation; for at least three days, if not longer^ tb attend the trial,, together with much expense, and this,..too, perhaps, at a season when such a .cessation of labor - would have been ruinous to the crop; T even went so far as to ask- permission of the Bureau to dis charge^otae of the hands, four or five months before the ' year was out, being willing to pay. the wages contracted for the whole year, but I wasjnformed that if I did so, I would like ly be Subjected, to .a prosecution for house rent and rations for the .remainder ? of the . year ?jthus I was compelled to submit to my fate, feeling vtry much like the traveler may . be "suubosed to feel when stopped by robbers onthSiighWay, and Compelled, with his hands tied',fejhind t?im, to submit to the rifling of his pockets. Aa to the disastrous failure of the rice and long staple cotton crops ba the vicinity of,tho coasting solely attributable to " unforeseen and unavoidable causes, beyond the control of human power," I ara reluctantly com .pellfedTto doubt thc statement, unies* I caa see in detail, endorsed by competent and re liablejplanters, a statement of all the circum stances of the case, including tbe number of acresjiplanjed, the number of hands employed and tie yield of former years compared with tbe past, and in this opinion, I am not singu lar,'tint can have my views endorsed by hun dred* of other reliable men, who aro too hogoable to "hoodwink" a negro, and too acute to be hoodwinked by them. ;Tl|?e imputation cast upon the honesty of the tjouthern planter in your Circular when ypi?tey " The freed people cannot much Ipn ger le hoodwinked and imposed upon. They nre'ittpidly learning tbe worth of money, and all persons who have in any manner over red cd them, may depeud upon it, that even taetV they will find that theycaunot procure .la&i^f-utilLtheir pluntationsj" is simply ab surd, and a gross slander upon tbe character of our planters in general : not that I contend there are no dishonest men among the South ern farmers and planters, as there aro the world over among all classes of men; but my long and thorough knowledge, both of the character of the Southern planter and the negro, satisOes rae, that there are very few men among thc former, who would defraud a laborer, much.less a negro laborer, of his just dues. Wita* confirms me in this beliof is, thai I have had many instances of so called injustice and dishonesty on the part of employees reported to mc by tbe freedmen, and upon a thorough investigation of the case, as stated by themselves, I have found tho truth to be, that the instances of actual and intentional fraud have bec-n exceedingly rare. The truth is, the negroes a very im pr?vido it creature, and one of the most lux uriously inclined beings on earth, and what ia due to his own improvidence and extrava gance he attri' iles to the dishonesty of others. I think I have shown conclusively that tbe reports which you have received from the central districts of the State iu regard to thu amount of tbe crops made and thc working of freedmen generally, have been incorrect, and must have originated with persons who either do not know how wella freedman ought to work, or are prejudiced informers, or have fallen upon such a combination of fortuitous circumstances as few planters can ever hope to attain. The apportionment of thc gross proceeds which you recommend, when freedmen work for a share of thc crops, is, in my opinion, just and fair; to wit: To the land one-third, to the laborer one-third ; the capital, consist ing of work animals and their feed, impli ments and fertilizers, one third." The subject of thc employment of Physi cians to attend the freedmen, to which you allude, is a highly important oue, both to the planter and freedman, and should, in my opinion, command special attention, as it is to the interest of both parties, that the freed men should be sick as seldom, and for as short a time as possible; for in the one case, the crop may be lost or seriously injured tor want of work, on account of sickness, and in the other, the freedman will lose his wages while sick. As suggested by yourself, a clause should bc inserted in all contracts with freedmen who work on plantations,' authori zing the employment of a Physician at a cer tain pro rata, per capitum, and to be deducted from the wages of the laborer. The planter, however, should be made responsible to the Physician for his pay, as it is impossible for the rj?ct?r to bo always present to check tho payments and advances of the planter to tho freedmen, which are constantly being made; leaving,thc medical attendant at pay day very frequently without any remuneration for his laborious and important-services. In cases where there are twenty or more on one plantation, they should have a Sick House br Hospital, together with a competent nurse; tho wages^of the nurse, if any, to be paid pro, rata by the freedmen, and tho ra tions furnished hythe planter without charge. Tn view of the importance of a good sanitary condition of the laborer on a plantation, both to'thc planter and freedmen, it seems to me that these regulations Would be but just, and should have the sanction of a positive order to cause them to be properly and faithfully carried out. Thousands of freed people are yetfrfy dj*?ng simply for want of proper at tention, wbil? sick and during convalescence, even tin plantations "where they are hired, and as unreliable as most of thom are. it is of no advantage to the planter to have his laborers constantly sick, and his plantation converted iDto E. Golgotha. You say " no valid reason exists to prevent this State from being entirely self-supporting." I here join issue with yon again. There is the most valid of all reasons existing in the present condition of affairs in this State and throughqujtfbe South .why; it should not be so.. It is that labor is arrayed and main tained.in hostility to capital. No State can be self-supporting where the laws-are,ad ministered'in the maintenance of an ignorant( idle, thriftless, and vicious class of laborers in positive antagonism to the capitalist. You further say, * that it must be apparent to all practical men that the planters in this State, must. in future, look mainly to the col ored race for the greater part of. their labo rers." -If this be the case, the doom of the State is sealed, unless we he relieved quickly from the interference ofthat wholesale and expensive manufactory of vagrants called the Freedman's "Bureau, for a State j or country where three-fourths of ita laboring class are vagrants, as stated by Gen. GILLEM of the Bureau department in Mississippi, (and it is no better in South Carolina,) must surely and speedily become involved in irretrievable ruin. There is one clause in your Circular which gives a key to the programme of our Radical rulers. After stating " the general testimony from'the central and upper Districts of the State i: that very fair crops havo been made and harvested, and that the freed people have worked faithfully and well and some say " never better," you say, " this may be par tially accounted for by the fact that the small planters or farmers of tho interior are accus tomed to labor themselves, and by giving their entire personal attention to their plant ing interesta they have thereby encouraged the freed people to emulate the example thus set them." That it is true such men have done better than others who have not worked in the Seid with the negroes,, is unquestionable ; but in what a position does this place the present generation at least of the white popu lation of the South ? It amounts simply to this, that every white man who is not phy sically able, or who is otherwise indisposed to take the plow along side of his former slaves, will be compelled to witness his broad acres, and all^lse he possesses, pass into the hands of an inferior race, or into the possession of foreign speculators. Well indeed may our Rulers refrain from carrying out their schemes of confiscation in name, for a more thorough system of robbing arid impoverishment could not be concocted. ' But I have nearly done, and perhaps should not have been tempted to say all that I h?ve, but no man with a spark of humanity, jus tice, or manliness in bis bosom, could refrain from entering bis protest, however useless it may be, against such a monstrous system of tyranny, oppression, and defamation. Was it not enough that our conquerors should slay our fathers, sons, and brothers, free our slave', and us subject to unheard of misrule and anarchy 1 Must they still de scend from " the lowest deep to a deeper still" and traduce our fair names for honesty before the world. All that I have said can be substantiated by hundreds, if not thousands of men, whose honesty, truthfulness, and honor, none can deny, and who if asked What is honor? would define; it to be " the highest sense of justice which the human mind can frame." Trusting that' I have done injustice to DO one, and apologizing to my brother planters for thus putting my self forward in defense of right and justice, I am, Respectfully, H. R. COOK. To Ii. IC. SCOTT, Brevet Major-General, As sistant Commissioner, Bureau Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, District of South Carolina, Charleston, S. C. The New York correspondent of. the Phila delphia Ledger says : "The newest political rumor afloat here is that arrangements aro on foot for a third party, to be composed of thc Conservative Republicans who were turn ed out of the Republican State Convention and such nf tho Conservati ve Democracy as may choose toc?me in. Hon. Henry J. Ray mond. Thurlow Weed, and other veterans of thc same school, are said to bc engineering the movement. A manifcuto, setting forth their plans and principles, will make its ap pearance in the course of ii few days. It is said, furthermore, that this new movement is intended not to operate against Goneral Grant, but rather to reuder his election a^l tho more sure by securing for him the State of New York, which gave at tha last election between forty and fifty thousand majority against the Radicals." Tho New York Herald, ia reference to the appeal that is making there for. tho relief of the famishing inhabitants o? Morocco and Al giers (Africa), takes occasion to says : " No doubt the American heart will generously respond to appeals in behalf of the starving, both in the icy regions of northern Europe and beneath the burning sun of Africa.'But, at the dame time, it should not be forgotten that charity begins at homo ; that hunger is ono of the woes bitterly experienced by the poor in New York during this rigorous sea son, and that in the South ve have an Africa of our own which demands the hearty sym pathy and effectual aid of ..dur people. Let Congress and the Executive and the people hasten to unite upon some rational plan of reconstruction that shall put a speedy end to tho alarming distress within our Southern and Southwestern States, and we can then, .with a clear conscience, undertake to'pre vent famine in foreign countries. ABJECT POVERTY.-The Baltimore Sun pub fishes this curious paragraph:. "Ex-Governor Aiken, ol South Carolina, once the wealthiest man inibe. Palmetto State, it is said, is now in abject poverty.". . . 1 *< Mr. Aiken, before the war, was wprthj about a million arid a half of dollars. He owned about one thousand slaves, iind his rice crop was sold for from $100,000 to $120,009. Last year Mr. Aiken planted but a small por tion of his tract, but .ho has lost none of his landed property, aud his rea 1 estate in this city alone would realize a fortune. If Mr. Aikonispoor; A. T. Steward is not rich. Charleston News. . '. JfH Desperandum. " 'Tis not fer ris to rail at Fate, Or quarrel with our present state ;' But patiently to work, arid wait . With heart and hands in readiness j . With what we have to strivo,.content That Ho, whose watching eyes are beni Upon us hero, all troubles .sent i To test our strength and steadiness. 'Tis not for ni, if Fortune's wheel' ; ; . Ont to our eager hand should deal Blank after blank, downcast to feel . No, struggle on still pluckily ; ; For Fortune, if she can't stthduo . ' ~. The courage and the'faith in you, A vanquished vanquisher will sue,. And you will draw more luckily./. The Bankrupt Law;,. . : We extract from the "Norfolk Journal,' the following brief and necessary rules in Bankruptcy. This, will be of interest to our readers as it is the surest .and safest method of relief from debts : THE POLICY OF-T.HE LAW. -- Every country is subject to financial crises. These are the earthquakes of'the civil and political world, and recognize the fact into the canse which it is needless, for oar press?t purposes, to enquire. - These crises, of course,1 affect everybody, and, ot themselves,. oiteD destroy, soddenly, accumulated fortunes. Again the " best laid schemes of mice and men gang aglee," and that, too, without any fault in the schemer, mice or men.. A- coun try flourishes by the energies of individuals. Debts and misfortune destroy these energies. Therefore all States have had Bankrupt Laws. They are designed to relieve, the unfortunate mau of a load of crushing debt, and to send' him into the world again, with new hopee, new energies, and new credit. Nearly all the States have insolvent laws. They are as different as the States. They only afford relief from indebtedness in the particular State. A New York insolvent law does not discharge a New York citizen from a debt due to a Virginia creditor, and vice versa. The framers of the Constitution knew this, and hence they provided for a Bankrupt Law, which should be general to all the States. There is henceforth to be no conflict of laws upon this subject. The country needed the law. It has it. It is a law, general, perma nent, wise, politic, humane, and in " the.very nick of time,", and the maa who .can and ought to take advantage ?of it, and does not will live- to regret it, and be -hereafter con vinced that he had much more morbid sensi bility than high moral courage and practical good sense. THE PROVISIONS OF TOE LAW. These are too numerous to be enumerated, and they are not of public interest. Suffice it to say that they direct that airy person wfio owes (?300) three hundred dollars aiay -peti tion the court to be declared a bankrupt The petition must be accompanied with a full, complete and exact schedule of all his debts, bis creditors, and their residence, and an' in ventory of all his property, real or personal, io possession or in action. The petition, schedule and inventory must be sworn to.. The rules of the Supreme Court of the Unite'd States declare that this petition, inventory and schedule ?'hall bc plainly written, without abbreviation or interfine'ailon and this rule ought, to be most literally observed, fot fie lions have been denied because of the usb o? ? ?_ Dp;, Ditto, and ? " "' ? ": The most miaute and* exact car,e ljas*tq be. j observed in the preparation of the necessary papers, uud unprofesiiohal men cannot prop erly prepare thom, and those prepared by.at torneys have to be amended. When thc petition is correct, thc applicant has nothing further to do except TO APPLY FOR IMS DISCHARGE, Which he can do in two months, if no assess, como to tbc hands of the assignee, or ii rio debts aro proved against him. If assets do come ;othe hands of theas&ig. nee, and if debts arc proved against thc. es tate, he cannot apply until ' the lapse of six months. OPPOSITION TO THE DISCHARGE.' ; Any creditor who. has proved his debt can oppose the discharge either when it is regu larly applied for or before. The acts which prevent a discharge a:e eniimrated in the law, and may be summed up in one word-any fraud upon his creditors, either direct or in direct, and some of thc acts will not only de : feat the discharge, but will subject the peti tioner to punishment for a misdemeanor, and if guilty he ohall.be puaished by imprison ment, with or without bard labor, for a term not exceeding (3) three years." ADJUDICATION' OK BANKRUPTCY. Takes effect as soon as the petition is prop erly-filled. From all debts then existing;the bankrupt is discharged; except those due as a fiduciary or public officer. AFTER ACQUIRED PROPERTY. All after acquired property-that is, all property of whatsoever degrco or character ac quired by any means-is the bankrupt's. This is a very wise feature, and is the very.re verse of the English law. TUE COSTS. The law upon this p jint is conflicting and unintelligible. Tbc practice ot the court is to requiro tho pre-payment of all the fees, which involves an ontlay of ($50) fifty dollars. VOLUNTARY. INVOLUNTARY. Deposit... .?50.00 Deposit-$50.00 Register.1.50 Register..... 3.00 Clerk.5.00 Clerk.....'. ...:5.00 Marshal.5.00 Marshal.I0.OO Thus tho immediate cost is ?G0 or $70, but the unexpended portion of the ($50). fifty dollar deposit is refunded, which will make the fund cost, on an average, about thirty dollars. , THE CREDITORS, Choose the assignee and have the right to examine tho bankrupt, his wife, or any person suspected knowing anything of the trade, dealings, condition and affairs of the petitioner, and if they can detect' any species pf fraud, they defeat the petition. THE ASSIGNEE. Stands in a position of trustee for thi? ben efit of both creditors and'bankrupt. He re ceives the debts and the entire assets, and SETS APART THE EXEMPTED PROPERTY. Which is-1. That allowed by the State ; 2. The arms and accoutrements ef a U.S. soldier or officer ; 3. The entire wearing ap parel of bankrupt and family; and 4. The .necessary household and kitchen furniture, and such other articles and necessaries as, haying reference to tho condition and circum stances, the assignee shall see fit to designate and allow. If less is allowed than the bank rupt thinks himself entitled to. ho can raise the question and have it decided, upon full argument, by the court."' ' A SPECIAL PROVISION In, that if a petition be presented after " one year from the time that this act shall go into operation, no discharge shall be granted unless" the %assets pay fifty per centum of I the claims against the estate.'' These aro the provisions which, disencum bered of phraseology <mdrOf the body of the act, moat immediately concern .the public;' and.if they .will desotean hour' to their cou-' 8?deratioD, they will not.bo without that prac- j tical knowledge wit!" which, they ought to be familiar. Thia knowledge and an .intelligent comprehension of necessity for^nd the spirit, object, intent and scope of .the Bankrupt Law ] will enable them to act understandingly-jnd -?-y r ;~ ! to better their fortunes, oe ,.?1? bear-the ills : they have-wkh.pbilosopjiie foijtitade. ,?>^ '? There aro in ter?sting fea tares . oil tb e law, and-many questions,'which hs ve been-rai sed anil decided ; butas these are either not neces sary tobe-generally know?, cr are of impor tance chiefly to the solicitors in bankruptcy, -these will not be noticed unless yon, Messrs. Editors, steir specialty-requeBt it-- ' ,:? General Lee and the O ld Soldier. One of Gen, Lee's family. '^lIs 'oT almost touching incident that occurred between the General and an o\d soldier, soonjaTter^the sur render. - It is asTollows: " An old man,:fall, rougb'and ragged, but a! true, hearted Virginian, faoth the mountains, called at the residence of the GcncxaT, and speaking-low, -emphatically and mysteriously low, said : j Gineral'T have come' down; here to? take you-and your wife and darte* up to our plaee in tuemountaius^r-the Yankees has CQtchod President Davis, and they'll'be!arter yoa sure-they hatesyon, . GmraA, kase you liked em so. I haint got no 'negger* to wait on you, but me and the old woman will do it; and, lowering his voice to a whisper,'-'he' con tinued, 1 Ginral, there's places up thar where you can hide, and -nary Yapkee can find ye.' 'But,' said ee General, 'yoasurely^would not.haye.me, your General, hideaway from the Yankees?T 'But, Ginral,''taint'no fair fight now. They'll sneak up unbeknownst, and if they cotch you they'll hang you sure.' ; .'. The General satisfied tho "old iellbw> that there was np. danger of hin hanging,'and said, looking pitifully at the .stockingless feet and tattered clothes1 ' Wait, my kind friend, while I go up stairs.' He went up. and re turned with a package which he gavo to the old man, saying,' ''Some kind Baltimore la dies have sent me some nice clothing-more than I need. I have put up here a part of it for you ; will you accept it and wear .it for the sake of your old commander and friend?' The old man held the package at arm's length for a moment or two, then pressing it to his bosom and folding his arms over it, beheld it there. Big tears rolled down his farrowed cheeks. Soon as he could speak, he said : ' Me wear these clothes, Ginral ! No-not while: I live, but TU keep them till I die, ? nd they'll . put them on the old man when his work ia done and they, lay him in his coffin. TU sleep sweet in them, Ginral, sure ? Ho went out sobbing, and holding ttfe"bundle to his breast as he would have done an infant. I believe my father was crying too-I know that I was." ."A MONSTER S?ITT- The Chicago Poat.oi the 30th, says:" " . Among the cases to be tried before the United States Circuit Court, is one. against Albert Cook, Isaac Lott, Charles C. Thurman and Elisha Taylor, the. United States'-being plaintiff. Mr. Cook was Postmaster of his village, in Kendall County, fox a time, but becoming tired of it, resigned Iiis position. His resignation being accepted,,orders were sent for him to send his postage stamps and accounts by express to headquarters. : He did so, but shortly after' received notice that fie account was eight cents shoit, tD which he paid no attention. Seeing a n Dtice. that. 1 im self and bondsmen were implicated in a'.'u t, b.e at once hurried to Chicago, .ind, employing counsel, went to tho Court room and found that thc Postmaster-General had sued, him for eight cents! He furtb'er'discpvered that the Clerk's costs had reached'?10, and the State Attorney's $5, and that the Marshal was pre paringto visir/him atKehd?fl County, which would add $26 mere to'the cesta. ' Mr. Cook confessed judgment,' paid' costs' and. feff Chi- ? cago, with* the impression '\kat" the Govern ment is a" big thing." A REMARKABLE DEATU.-Afow^aj^since a couple of youths were "out .in .t he nergh'bor ho'o'd of the city, practicing with a bow ; and arrow. One of the boys discovered a snake, ?nd killed it by shooting th? refti?e through and through with his arrow. Soon afterward, one of the boys placed himself behir|f| a'tree, and, exposing one of hts "handaf^??^ged the-other to .* shoot at the target." The ban ter1 was accepted, and, with the sam? ar row which had just pierced the.snake, fired at the exposed hand and struck it nearly in the1 centre, inflicting a slight wou'?d.'. In a few hours the hand and arin pf the lad be gan to swell, showing that poison from" the snake had been communicated by means of the arrow.' The youth suffered intense agony, and, after lingering in this hffrible condition for three days, expired yesterday. The boy who lost his life in this playful and remarkable manner waa,pamedl Balley, and his innocent companion was named .Car roll. Let this Sad affair serve as a. warning to youths.-Montgomery MaiL * .' ' --? ?. ? . ? -: . B@? John Taylor, of Champagne, Illinois, was instantly.kiljed on Thursday pf last-week, by his wife Julia piercing his heart with a pair of scissors: - ' He had-ordered her to put crape upon the "door; ks there would be a .corpse in the house b?l?re'he got through with her. He then attacked her with a chair, and was him self reduced to a corpse as stated. Julia was arres'ed, but acquitted on the grouud of self defenee. Bishop Simpson, in a recent lecture, predicted that in avery few.-year*, herein Boston, we would bavo Chineso servants in our houses.. Pater familias referred to this at/the breakfast ,tablo this morning, when lit tlo Minnie, after a while, came to bis chair and whispered, Ch, pa,, won't it be nice ? We shall haye a Chinese servant, and ehe will eat all the.rats, so wo won't have to keep a cat!" jgyTen deaths to one birth is the ratio among the happy H free" negroes of Plprida. . JG23T. The papers announce the gratifying intelligence that' brandy , forty years old is made in New York from Jamaicarum. JCS" The Hartford Times says: "It is notorious in Washington that Gen. Grant was found, on 4th street, in the capital, of the nation, on Sunday, Jan. 5, intoxicated. And that he waa- conducted to more private quar ters by friends ; and that only a few days be fore, during the Christmas 'holidays, he was ip a similar-condition." B6T A verdict has been rendered in the Circuit Court at Nashville, Tenn., for ?5,000 damages against the Nashville Railroad Com pany, and ia favor ot* Margaret Burke, whoso husband, while lying on the track in a slate of intoxication, was run over and killed. S3T When an acquaintance says,*' How ere you ?" and pushes by you without waiting for a reply, I wouldn't if IwaVin youirplace, follow him more than a mile-'tortell him I was well. J?"!; ; M8F ? Houston (Texas), newspaper gives some rather sensible advice t?, young men about to visit that place in seareh. of- business situations. It says | " Stay away ; there are no vacancies here. Stay whene-jou are ; pull blf ypur eoaV .take hold of a plough. Stay ??way from "the. cities. ...Times iure hard, 'tis true : diey Viii never be flush nnless we all learn to d?pend pu o?r:own resources, and work ont our own salvation. . KuT At Tunis one hundred persons are dy ing daily of htingar. -The foreign'.'residents do all that they can; bat, 'after prnvfoSng for -the European pour,' -little -is left for the wretched natives; . 16. : -??? .'-"' '; .'?^$li?..^ot?nto jmiiitia' Vcfe terribly frightened the bother day byfiudi,ag.eiieceof iron stuck through the door of the' o?d fort, and immediately the guard was doubled, un der apprehension ?bat the Fenians, were com ing fey telegraphy Srr ~- -- . ?