Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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relations'as master and slave, most estab-! lish mutual oonflddnco, and enable yon to pat the control of publio affairs in the hands of the beat man of both races, and cannot but lay the foundation of a pros Sorous future, that will not be surpassed y any section of the United Suites; whilst the maintenance of a separate and distinct organization, based Aipon S color i and opposition to the rormer*'iduve-hold ers, must eventually lead to u complete wreck of whatever prosperity you have attained?for time certainly has deve? loped the fact that you cannot depend upon the influence of Northern politi? cians to sustain you in any confiict that may arise from your "race, color or pre? vious condition of servitude." I have frequently heard your people demand political recognition and representation, in proportion to your numbers, on the same ground that the adopted citizens of this country from Ireland, Germany and other foreign countries claim it. In this you forget that tho second generation of the Irish. and Germans are Americans, and have no peculiar traits which distin? guish them from other American citizens. But your, race have been here for more than 250 years, and still they arc Afri? cans; and, should you remain 1,000 years more you will still be Africans, although you will be American citizens. You must remember that you are a sepa? rate and distinct typ? of man, mid that this country is full of the deepest preju? dice against all races other than the Cau? casian. You should also remember that many of the leading. Republicans of the coun? try, in tho earliest history of the organi? zation of the reconstructed State Govern? ments, passed through, the South, and,. returning to the /North -with.the most i^rnblo statcme'nU of the, opposition of the Southern poopie. to the National Go vornidehl-ond their bitterness towards the colored main, uasum?d - the. imost radical 'groupd'. jje and out of Congress forpolitical purposes. Some of, them even fo'unil their own lives in jeopardy in their attempts to give publio expres-. sion, to their political opinions while in 80 South. ,',?n4 yet, after the lapse of a w . years,. fane i s*mo parties ' have ' re? visited the Boufchj "and nave returned to the Nor\\i presenting another phase of the picture, completely vindicating! the white men'?f, thejSputh ?nd condemning the Colored riuipr This ? revolution in feeling, and ^ud^meut ,oan only be un? derstood 'as an indication of the revolu? tion that Iras, taken, place in the political opinion -ef the North, which- is now ready to hold you, resppn?ble for, their own folly and mistakes,-and to unite with the .white men of the-South in your elimination f&ptt0thk fUdd.of, PPHtwe. And so we mnd that all ihose men, who, a few years ago, were the most violent in fav?r of Iho nogro, are now practically his most, uncompromising opponents. This shows a' want 'of, knowledge.. of human nature They should nave known at ttip ? time that it was- \ not' possible to take a man out of the cotton-field and make him' a statesman, any more than you can make .'a just man out of those who adopt that line of -policy. With the past and,the present as I have Sresented them before you, what is le dnty of the colored people of the 8outh in the future? I- would say, in answer, that whatever is to your interest is unquestionably your duty. The ques? tion, therefore, is: What is your interest? I hold that your true interest is to stand aloof front all political parties. You have little to hope or expect from a union with any'political party, any further than its own interest can be subserved by affiliating with you. With this uncer? tainty as to their support of your interest, and the absolute certainty of the opposi? tion of every politician who believes that he can succeed in his political ambition without your aid, and that he can make more by opposing than by supporting you, my advice to you is to maintain an independent position. If you quietly stand by and see those combinations made by which you are to be sold out, you will make a fatal mistake. If you are to become the subject of barter among Klitical parties, my advice to you is to some a party to the sale yourselves. You can make better terms with your former masters than can the old time Abolitionists; for if they make the sale, you gain nothing by it in the way of po? litical power; but, if you yourselves, enter into a combination, you can reasonably hope to secure some sharo I of political power and influence for yourselves and your posterity. Do not tie yourselves to any party which will be certain to sacrifice you whenever it has accomplished its own purpose; but say to all parties in tho future that you will support men instead of parties? that you will support tho men in whose honor you can trust, and who will gua? rantee the Largest representation for your people, and in whose guarantee you can put the greatest trust for the protection of your rights as American citizens. This course will cause men of all parties to seek your support and influonco. They will meet your people with a fool? ing of liberality, and will concede to you such a representation as will be com? patible with good government. I advise this policy because I believe it i* for your, best interests, and also for tlio host interests of .the-country.. If you pursue a different course?if you uuito your po? litical fortunes with any party, and that party is defeated, you-can bavo no reason to. hope that the party which you oppose will concede anything on tho high moral ground of justice to your race. Recent events make it highly probable that great changes are likely soon to occur, not only in the administration of many of the State Governments, but in tho administration of the National Government itself. Such are my views on the momentous subject in question. I give them to you in frankness as in kindness. Some of your people may think that I am not suf? ficiently hopeful in my views; but I bo? llere that the facts I have recited justify my conclusions. The near future will S1 rote their truth or their falsity. , lam, ear glrTVery^ealjfetluTlyr^.r I _ ROBERT K. SCOTT. |cq?LT^IA|S.C, ; Su^ay Morning, June 3 1875. ! Shorman, a Self-Confessed Slanderer. There have been some terrible exco ! riations of Sherman's Memoirs, notably I by George Wilkes, ox*Pre*ident Davis, j tbo New York Day Hook, Gen. Boynton, ! Montgomery Blair and Gen. Hooker; but nothing {hoy have uttered paints the man in suoh black and damning co? lors as bo has portrayed himself. Take this sample, referring to the burning of Columbia, from his recently-published "Memoirs:" "Many of the people thought that this I fire was deliberately planned and exe I cuted. This is not true. It was acci I dental, and, in . my judgment, began with the cotton which Gen. Hampton's men had set fire to on leaving the city, (whether by his orders* or not is not ma? terial, ) which fire was partially subdued early in the day by our men; but when night camo, tnq high wind fanned it again into full blaze, carried it against tho frame houses, whioh caught like tinder, and soon spread beyond control. * * In my official report of this con? flagration, I distinctly charged it to Gen. I Wade Hampton, and confess I did so pointedly to shake the faith of his people m him, for- he. was, in my opinion, a braggart, arid professed to be the special, champion of South' Carolina." Quoting the above paragraphs, the New Orleans Times i thua punctures the General of | the Armies:' . "He Saya,. in the extract above quoted, and m Clear arid'unmistakable language, that when.' he' o fliciall v charged General Wade Hampton w^h^burning up his na? tive place, jho, General Sherman, knew him to bo'innopont,. ,11 o acknowledges to have said this, solely.to injure a gal? lant soldi et arid-gentleinan with his own Sooble! , T<* &7mX ttu? spldicr who wore le blue, this .state men t of General Sher? man must. he'mortifymg in tho extreme. How can It hs otherwise, when an officer of General Sherman's rank confesses to nave knowingly misrepresented a man Who had dpne no wrong to hi in?" It required no publication from Sher? man, nor even a denial from Hampton, 1 to decide the question of who w'as re I sponsible for the pillage and burning pf I Columbia. The military exploits of these I two commanders will tell the tale. Hampton's march in Maryland and Pennsylvania shows how be regarded the rights and property of enemies. Sherman's march to the sea is in marked contrast thereto. Towns sacked, houses burned, farms despoiled, property stolen, women outraged?a broad black track of desolation and ruin marked the route of Sherman from Chattanoogo to the sea, and from Savannah to Balcigh. But with nil these horrid recollections, we were not prepared for the unblushing and shameless confession of baseness and falsehood, which is contained in tho above extract from Sherman's Memoirs. A self-confessed falsifier, to injure a man who had done him no wrong, will rob his writings of every sting with whioh he has attempted to wound the most humble and the most sensitive of those who may have provoked his wrath. It is to be hoped that this perjurer and slanderer, before he is called to his long home, will con? fess the whole truth?that the burning cotton, (set fire to by Sherman's men about noon, several hours after ^there treat of the Confederate forces,) had no? thing to do with the destruction of the houses; that the cotton firo was extin? guished at an early hour in the after? noon; that the houses were deliberately fired, in different sections of tbo city, by men in blue uniforms; that the frame buildings of which he speaks were in on opposite direction to that from which the wind was blowing; that when he (the champion house-burner) at half-past 3, on Saturday morning, February 18, or? dered a stop to be put to the destruction of property by the incendiary's torch, it was done. Tho following extracts, from the "Sack and Destruction of the City of Columbia, S. C," prepared shortly after tho terrible occurrence, by on i eye-witness, the distinguished poet historian, W. Gilmore Sims,Esq., places the commission of tho crime where it properly belongs: The destruction of Atlanta, the pillag? ing and.burning of other towns of Geor? gia, and tho subsequent devastation along tho march of the Federal army through Georgia, gave sufficient earnest of the treatment to be anticipated by South Carolina, should tho some com? mander be permitted to make a like pro? gress in our State. The Northern press furnished him the cri de guerre to be sounded when he should oross our bor? ders. "V?; victisf"?wo to the con (luored!?in the case of a people who had first raised the banner of secession. "Tho howl of delight," (such was the language of the Northern press,) sent up by Sherman's legions, when they looked across the Savannah to the shores of Carolina, was the sure fore-runner of the terrible fate which threatened our people should the soldiers be once let loose I upon our lands. Our people felt all the, hoaTiger.' TheJ feR *Saf IT requtrfcTtie I first abilities, the most -strenuous exer? tions, the moat prqmptand efficient rein? forcements, to prevent the threatening catastrophe, ' The march of the Federals into our State waS characterized by such scenes of license, plunder and general confla? gration, as very soon showed that the threats of the Northern press, and of their soldiery, were not to he regarded as mero brutum fulmcn. Day by day brought to the people of Columbia tidings of atro? cities committed, and more extended progress. Daily did long trains of fugi? tives line the roads, with wives and children, and horses, and stock, and j cattle, seeking refuge from the pursuers. I Long lines of wagons covered the high- ? ways. Half-naked people cowered from j the winter under bush tents in the thickets, under the eaves of houses, j under the railroad sheds, and in old cars | left them along tho route. All these re-. peated the same story of suffering, vio- j lence, poverty and nakedness. Habita? tion after habitation, village after village ' ?one sending up its signal flumes to the ' other, presaging for it the same fate-- { lighted the winter and midnight sky ; with crimson horrors. No language can ' describe, nor can any catalogue furnish an adequate detail of the wide-spread de? struction of homes and property. Gro- ' naricB were omptied, and where the j grain was not carried off, it was strewn to waste under the feet of the cavalry or consigned to the fire which consumed the dwelling. The negroes were robbed 'equally with the whites of food und clothing. The roads wero Covered with butchered cattle, hogs, mules and the oostliest furniture. Valuable, cabinets, rich pianos, were not only hewn to pieces, but bottles of ink, turpentine, oil, whatever could efface or destroy,was employed to defile and ruin. Horses were ridden . into the houses. People wore forced from their beds; te permit the search after hidden treasures. The end Was rapidly approaching, j The guns were resounding at the gates. . Defence was impossible; At a late hour { on Thursday night, the Governor, with j his suite and a large train of officials, de? parted. I The Confederate army began its evacuation, ? and by day-light few re? mained who were-not resigned to the ne? cessity of seeing the tragedy played out. After all the depletion, the city con? tained, according to our estimate, at least 20,000 inhabitants, the larger pro? portion being females and negroes. Hampton's cavalry, as we have already mentioned, lingered till near 10 o'clock the next day, and scattered groups of Wheeler's command hovered about the Federal army at their entrance into the town. Mayor Goodwyn reports that on sur? rendering the city to Colonel Stone, the latter assured him of the safety of the citizens and of the protection of their property, while under his command. He could not answer for General Sherman, who was in the rear, but he expressed the conviction that ho would fully con? firm the assurances which he (Colonel Stone) had given. Subsequently, Gene? ral Sherman did confirm them, and that night, seeing that the Mayor was ex? hausted by his labors of the day, he counseled him to retire to rest, saying, "Not a finger's breadth, Mr. Mayor, of your city shall be harmed. You may lie down to sleep, satisfied that your town shall be as safe in my hands as if wholly in your own." Such was very nearly the language in which he spoke; such was tho substance of iL He added: "It will become my duty to destroy some of the public or Government buildings; but I will reserve thiB performance for another day. It shall be done to-morrow, pro? vided the day be calm." And the Mayor retired with this solemnly usserted and repeated assurance. At about 12 o'clock, tho jail was disco? vered to be on fire from within. This building was immediately in rear of the marke^ or City Hall, and in a densely built portion of the oitv. Tho supposi? tion is that it was fired by some of the prisoners?all of whom were releasod and subsequently followed the army. The Are of the jail had been preceded by that of some cotton piled in the streets. Both fires were soon subdued by the firemen. At about' half-past 1 P. M., that of tho jail was rekindled, and was again extinguished. Some of the pri? soners, who had been confined at the asylum, had made their escape, in some instances, n few days before, and were secreted and protected by citizens. And hero it may bo well to mention, as suggestive of many clues, an incident which presented a sad commentary on that confidence in the security of the convent, which was entertained by the great portion of tho people. Tho Lady Superior herself entertained the fullest confidence in the immunities of the establishment. But her confidence was clouded, after she had enjoyod a confer? ence with n certain major of tho army, who described himself as an editor, from Detroit. Ho visited her at on early hour in the day, and announced his friendly sympathies with tho Lady Superior and tho sisterhood; professed his anxiety for their safety; declared that ho would in? stantly go to Sherman and secure a chosen guard. He disappeared, and soon after re-appeared, bringing with him no less than eight or ton men?none of them, as ho admitted, being Catho? lics. He had somo specious argument to show that, perhaps, her guard had better bo one of Protestants. This sug? gestion staggered the lady a little, but he seemed- to convey a more potent reason, when he added, in a whisper: "For / must tell you, my sister, that C olumbia is a doomed city!" Terriblo doom! This officer, leaving his men behind him, dis? appeared, to show himself no more. Tho guards so left behind were finally among the most busy as plunderers. The mo? ment that the inmates, driven out by the fire, wero forced to abandon their house, they began to revel in its contents. pai.tht ttlmgi..iimn did wAfti?y begin all night. In some instances, where parties complained of the misrule and rubbery, their guards Said to.them, with a chuckle: "This is nothing.': Wait till ffo-night, iand '? you'll see h?1L" Among the first fires at evening was one about dark, which broke out in a filthy purlieu of low houses, of wood, on Ger? vais street, occupied mostly ns brothels. Almost at the same time, a body of the soldiers scattered over the Eastern out- i skirts of the city and fired a number of dwellings. There were then soiuo twenty fires in full blast, in as many different quarters, and while the alarm sounded from these quarters, a similar alarm was sent up almost simultaneously from Cot? ton Town, the Northernmost limit of the j city, and from Main street in its very j centre, and some others, in the heart of the uiost densely settled portion of the town. The men engaged in this were well prepared with all tho appliances essential to their work. They carried j with them, from house to house, pots and vessels containing combustible! liquids, and with balls of cotton satu? rated in this liquid, with which they also overspread fioers and walls, they con? veyed the flames with wonderful ra? pidity from dwelling to dwelling. Each had his ready box, of Lucifer matches, and, with a scrape upon the walls, the j flames began to rage. The work, begun thus vigorously, went on without impediment and with hourly increase, throughout the night. Engines and hose were brought out by the firemen, but these were soon driven from their labors?which' were indeed idle against such n storm of fire?by the ? pertinacious hostility of the soldiers;' the hose was hewn to pieces and the fire-. men left the field in despair. Mean? while, the flames spread from side to' side, from front to rear, from street to street, and where their natural and inevi- i table progress was too slow for those who had kindled them, they helped thorn on by the application of fresh combusti? bles and more rapid agencies of confla? gration. Just before the conflagration began, j about the dusk of evening, while the Mayor.was conversing with, one of the Western inen from Iowa', three rockets were shot ? up by tho' enemy from the { capitol square. As the soldier beheld | these rockets, he cried out: "Alas! alas!( for your poor city! It is doomed. Those rockets are the signal. The town is to | be fired." In less than twenty minutes after, the flames broke ont in twenty dis? tinct quarters. Similar statements were made by other soldiers in different quar? ters of the city. In more than one in? stance, we are told: "We are going to burn this d?d town. We've begun, and we'll go through. Thin thing began here, and we'll sack the houses and burn the town." A lady in one of our upper districts, expressing surprise at the treatment of Columbia in the nineteenth, or boosted century of civilization, was answered: "South Carolina has been long since the Sromised boon of Sherman's army." Iasonic brethren told others in the city that an order had been issued to the troops before they crossed the river, giving them lioense to sack, plunder and destroy for the space of thirty-six hours, and that Columbia was destined to de? struction. A sick Federal soldier, who had been fed, nursed and kindly treated by a city lady, told her, on Friday morn? ing, that the place would be destroyed that night. Ex-Cov. Scott and the Colored People. Wo publish in another column an in? teresting letter from ex-Gov. Scott to Lieutenant-Governor Gleaves, "on the subject of the future of the colored man in the South." There is, perhaps, no one amongst us who is more truly the friend of the colored man, or who is bet? ter qualified to speak on the subject of his future than the ex-Governor; and we heartily commend his views to the con? sideration of the colored people whom he immediately advises, and also to the consideration of the people of our own race. Their future is closely allied with ours. IsimTEn ron Muroer.?On Wednes? day last, the Grand Jury of Georgetown County returned a true bill against C. C. Bowen, Sheriff of Charleston County, and Eli G. Grimes, for the murder of Col. Wm. Parker White, at Georgetown, in 1801. The State inovud to continue the case until tho next regular term of the court, or until a special term to be called for tho purpose of trying it, but the motion was resisted by * the council for the accused, and after hearing argu? ment Judge Shaw decided to fix Tues? day, the ?Jd inst, for the trial, j United States District Court, Charleston. June 11.--Judge Bryan presiding. The petition of Peter Mellett, ofSumter, for voluntary bankruptcy, was referred to Registrar Scabrook. W. M. Mnckenfuss, Esq., was appointed assignee of William M. Thomas, bank? rupt, in place of James Birnie, deceased. In the oaso of R. L. David, bankrupt, the action of the creditors in accepting a settlement at tho rate of thirty per cent, was confirmed. The Grand Jury of Charleston has presented M. McLaughlin, F. ('. Miller and R. N. Gregory, formerly County Commissioners; Trial Justices Mishaw and Grant, for official misconduct; and Wm. G, Pinckney for using threats of intimidation agaist the Grand Jury. Nows by way of St. Thomas reports a torriblo earthquake in New Grenada; tho destruction was the greatest in the valley of Cncutn. It is stated that 16,000 lives were lost. Tho main building of the agricultural works at Lebanon, N. II., was burned on tho 11th, with valuable machinery and 1 stock; loss $33,000. The planters complain of scarcity of rain" * yV W if f M \ A rain ami hail storm, yesterday after? noon, helped msltersmatet^dly. The pleasant chirp of this swallow is heard once more in the land. We never saw such bargains in striped lawns, organdies, piques, Ac, as are of? fered by C. F. Jackson. If they bite you, coll on Jones, Davis A Bouknights, and buy one of those handsome nets, all ready for use. Jones, Davis A Bouknights advertise fashionable straw hats for ladies and children at fifty cents each. A few coses more of those fine stylos prints at G\ cents will be on exhibition Monday morning, at Jones, Davis & Bouknights*. ;. The "bargain counters" at Messrs. W D. Love A Co. 'a will be a feature during tho coming week. The stock is very full, and a reduction is necessary. - Mr. John White has exhibited to us a, curiosity in the shape of a twig of an apple tree, with six well-formed apples upon it. The entire cost of tho new Post Office and Court House will bo $415,000; this includes the additional pieoe of ground recently purchased. <s, The roof the building occupied by Mr. Koenig, on Assembly street, fell in, yes? terday morning. There was considera? ble noise, but fortunately nobody hurt. Mr. Bateman furnishes ice every Sun? day morning, for several hours. Mr. Seegers' ice house, just North of the Photnix office, will be opened this morn? ing, from 7 until 9 o'clock. President C. J. Iredell requests us to say that there will be a meeting of the Columbia Choral Union, in tb.e Hall of the Bichland Bitte Olub, to|MW|SMS%p .ing, at aVcloolu . . .v '. ? ? V Temperance organizations are. declin? ing in Charlotte, but we arc pleased to report that they arc on the increase in Columbia. New members are taken in at every meeting of the various organi? zations in this city. There is great complaint in this city at present of the stringency of money matters, and the assiduity with which collectors are dunning, is only equaled by tho assiduity with which debtors don't pay up. We have been requested by the Com? mittee'to state that the Schuetzenplatz will bo open every afternoon, (Sunday included.) Aotive and passive members arc cordially invited to attend. The bowling alley is in operation. Refresh? ments furnished by Janitor Bnchar. The public are getting the benefit of the great break in prices in New York at Jones, Davis A Rouknights'. The prices astonish every one that visit the house. The attention of the ladies is called to a case of cambric longcloth, cheaper than ever known before in the history of the dry goods trade, at Jones, Davis & Bouknights'. Death or a Coneeoeiiate Soldier.? A private despatch, received yesterday, announces the death, in Washington City, after a long illness, of Mr. Samuel B. Bunch, a former resident of Colum? bia, and a faithful soldier in the Confe? derate army. He was severely wounded and reported killed at Gettysburg, and a funeral service was performed to his memory in the Baptist Church in this city. Poor Sam. was about to be mar? ried to a young lady in Columbia, and the blow will fall with great severity { upon her. ? ? ? j Religious Sebvicxs To-Dat. ?-Presby? terian Church?Bev. J. H. Bryson, 11 A. ! M. and 8 P. M. Sunday School, 5 P. M. Trinity?Bev. P. J. Shand, Rector; Rev. J. H. Stringfellow, Assistant?11 11 A. M. and 6 P. M. St. Peter's?Rev. Father Quilter?first Mass, ? A. M.; second, 10.1 A. M. Baptist?Bev. A. B. Woodfin, Pastor? 11 A. M. and 8 P. M. Sunday School, 9 A. M. Marion Street Methodist?Rev. W. D. Kirklnnd, 101 A. M.; Rev. A. W. Walker, SP. U. Bunday School, 9J A. M. Mission (Odd Fellows' Hall)?Rov. A. W. Walker, 41 P. M. Sunday Sohool, 4 P. M. Washington Street-Rev. A. W. Walker, 11 A. M. Sunday Sohool, 91 A. M. Preackipg 4so Irwin*? Half, by Rev.- D. B. Clayton, atf:4J F. M. Subject-Job's Ouory?Job xiv, 14. ??? List ok New Aovebtisements. W. D. Love A Co.?Cheap Goods. Jones, Davis A Bouknights?Netting. Mechanics' A Farmers'B. & L. Asso n. Dissolution of Copartnership. ???? Hotel Arrivals, May 12.-rAlansio? House?O. J. Barrls, oity; J. W. Ward, Charleston; Miss M. A. Quirk, Ohio; J. B. Ferguson, Piokens; C. H. Bush, N. O.; B. L Boone, city. in j> ? s? Gen. Duff Green, who recently died in Georgia, was a great politician and lob? byist in Washington during the adminis? trations of Jackson and Van Boren; he was also editor of a political newspaper.