Another scene from the Performance in Charleston.
The
Charleston correspondent of the New York
Tribune is conferring a public benefit on the
Confederacy by a thorough exposition of the
Yankee rule in that city.
The letters are written
con amore, and leave no room for those hopeful people who, no matter how dark the picture may be drawn in a Southern paper, urge the possibility of its being too highly colored.
The letter is dated the 5th instant, and we copy those portions most interesting to our people:
Everybody to take the oath--United States flags to be Displayed.
The re-establishment of the
National authority in
Charleston is going on without haste and without rest.
The policy adopted here differs from the method that has been pursued by our officers elsewhere; in that it seeks to combine the advantages of both, without the objectionable features of either.
We have seen in New Orleans the mailed hand of
Butler and the velvet hand of
Banks.--
In Charleston it is the mailed hand in the velvet glove.
As district commander,
General Hatch has just issued an order inviting all loyal citizens residing in
Charleston or its vicinity to call on the post provost-marshal and register their names, take the oath of allegiance to the
Government, and receive certificates of having done so; directing that post commanders shall grant no passes or other favors to persons owing allegiance to the
United States who have not, by taking the oath, shown their loyalty to the
Government; and ordering that no guards shall be placed over the houses of citizens for the protection of private property.
It ends thus:
"Any persons fearing molestation will best secure their property by placing in some conspicuous position on the premises the flag of the
United States.--Persons detected in depredating on houses so protected will be punished with additional severity."
Interview with the school teachers — negroes to go to the White schools.
The first
general order issued by the commander of the post related to the re-opening of the public schools.
Hitherto, no schools for colored people, bond or free, have been permitted in
Charleston, excepting as special favors to the wealthier class, and then only under the most onerous, surveillance and conditions.--Other such schools have been held — as the first Christian congregations met — by stealth and in secret places.
As the military force here is small in comparison with the amount of work to be done, two Northern citizens interested in universal education, who are here on a visit —
James Redpath, of
Boston, and
Kane O'Donnell, of
Philadelphia,--were invited to re-open the public schools and re- organize the system of education on the most liberal basis.
The school buildings were immediately taken possession of and a Bureau of Instruction opened.
Tuesday and Wednesday were named as the times when applications for the privilege of teaching either at public or private schools would be considered.
Certain of the old teachers applied to be reinstated in their former positions.
There were some interesting scenes at these interviews.
The applicants were received with distinguished consideration, and evidently believed that they would be at once installed after a favorable opinion had been expressed as to their fitness. --They were asked if they were willing to take the oath of allegiance.
The first two applicants were astonished that "females" should be required to take the oath, but (possibly because they looked on Divine truth as too precious a thing to be wasted on Yankees, for they were violent rebels,) they said they had never been politicians, and of course would do whatever the authorities thought right.
They were then asked:
"Are you aware, ladies, that there is no distinction to be made hereafter in the public schools between any class of children — that if white children apply, they shall be admitted, and if colored children apply, they shall be admitted?"
"In the same school, sir?"
"In the same school,
Madam."
One of these ladies, not figuratively but literally and vigorously, turned up her nose, and the other made extraordinary contortions with her mouth.
After a sufficient time had been given to the two ladies to restore nose and mouth to the pristine condition, they were courteously informed that a new order of things had come; that the old
South, with all its prejudices and aristocracies, was done away with forever; that a large majority of the first families, so-called, of
South Carolina, had already been reduced to beggary, and that before the war ended there would be very few of them who would not be paupers; that a higher social order would be established here, and an entirely different class of people rule; that the
Government could only recognize, in its dealings with citizens, one test — loyalty, and (as they know) inasmuch as the colored people, as a class, had been loyal, and the whites, as a class, disloyal, there would certainly be nothing done by it, officially, that should discriminate against those who had been true to it, and who welcomed the restoration of its authority.
As there were no slaves anywhere now in the
United States, and he fact that one who was a slave was none the less a colored person than when free, the ladies who had formerly taught their servants to read must bear the onus, if there were any, of educating negro children.
They started it. The ladies here could do entirely as they pleased about accepting positions in the public schools; we would be glad to have natives of the city teach here, and would show no prejudice against them, nor seek to recall the fact that they had incited rebellion, if they would be loyal now; but if they wished to do so they must accept the new order of things.
On the other hand, they might turn up their noses so often and so far that they would never come down again — they would soon find that they had only sacrificed their own interests for the prejudices of a class whose rule had departed forever, and of a philosophy which was as dead as astrology.--There were teachers enough in the
North who would come when called for.
They had never seen the subject presented in that light; they had never thought of it before; the ladies said they saw no objection to taking a place if this was to be the rule.
She hoped to have her former associates take the same view of the case and would call with them tomorrow.
But the outside current was too strong!
When she returned next day she said she had changed her mind, and would prefer to keep a private school.
Meanwhile, a committee of citizens had waited on
Colonel Woodford to demand that the
Superintendent should be immediately relieved because he had "presumed to ask the ladies of
Charleston to teach colored children." They admitted, however, that these ladies had no complaint to make of their reception, but the contrary, and were reminded that it was they who had asked to be allowed to teach, no one having been asked to do so, and the interview on the part of the committee was fruitless of result.
Eight colored teachers and one or two white teachers were appointed on Wednesday.
Applicants for the privilege of opening private schools were required to take the oath of allegiance and to pledge themselves that they would use no book recognizing the existence of the rebel Government, or sing, teach or permit any expression of disloyalty to the
United States.
Several applicants agreed to these conditions.
All rebel school books have been ordered to be delivered up. Receipts are given to their owners for "--copies of incendiary publications confiscated."
Sunday was a day of jubilee at all the colored churches.
General Littlefield and
Mr. Redpath (of
Boston) addressed all the congregations on their positions and duties to their race and country.--The colored people say that there have been no such scenes witnessed in these churches during living memory.
The speakers made very radical anti slavery addresses, and were listened to with the utmost eagerness.
Bursts of joy, shouts of thanks to God, laughter, tears — every human emotion seemed to be moved to their depths.
One of the speakers, after shaking hands with nearly all the congregation before he got half-way down the alley, was astonished by being suddenly hugged by one old colored lady.
Orders for the Government of the city.
Colonel Stewart L. Woodford,
chief of staff of
Major-General Gillmore, assumed command of the post of
Charleston to-day (27th).
Order No. 1 prohibits pillaging and the like; hands over all abandoned property, both real and personal, to the
special agent of the Treasury Department; declares that trade will be permitted to an extent sufficient to support the actual wants of the post; invites the people to open their schools and curches; requires them to behave in an orderly manner; states that no disloyal act or utterance will be tolerated; that the
National flag must be honored and the
National laws obeyed.
Of the previous orders of
Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett, one ordered all persons to discontinue wearing the uniform of the rebel army, and required all firearms and ammunition to be immediately given up.
No Difference between whites and negroes.
D. Williams, one of the committee of citizens charged with the distribution of the rice, called and asked that an order should be issued requiring the colored people to meet at specified places on one day, and the whites on the day succeeding.
Colonel Woodford declined to issue it on the ground that he did not intend to use the words
white,
black or
colored in any official order.
