CONDITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE CITY IN WHICH RE- Page THE LEADERS OF THE CONVENTION AND THE REPEAL OF VII. 28 38 47 ACTION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE SLAVERY QUESTION. 56 1 IX. THE GREAT CONTEST BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA X. MINOR WORK OF THE STATE CONVENTION XI. SUMMARY OF FOUR WEEKS' OBSERVATIONS. XII. THE GREAT MILITARY PRISON OF NORTH CAROLINA. XIII. AFFAIRS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA XIV. THE NORTH CAROLINA FREEDMEN'S CONVENTION XV. THE ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL OF THE NORTH CARO- XVI. DEBATE AND ACTION IN RESPECT TO THE ORDINANCE OF XVII. ACTION IN REGARD TO SLAVERY AND THE FREEDMEN. XVIII. THE WAR-DEBT QUESTION AND THE MINOR WORK OF THE LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOW-COUNTRY XXIII. LIFE AND LABOR IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA UP-COUNTRY XXIV. SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOUTH-CAROLINIANS XXV. FIRST GLIMPSES OF GEORGIA. XXVI. ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL OF THE GEORGIA STATE CONVENTION 237 XXVII. THE SOUTH SINCE THE WAR. I. CONDITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE CITY IN WHICH REBELLION BEGAN. CHARLESTON, September 4, 1865. A that is Charles CITY of ruins, of desolation, of vacant houses, of widowed women, of rotting wharves, of deserted warehouses, of weed-wild gardens, of miles of grass-grown streets, of acres of pitiful and voiceful barrenness, ton, wherein Rebellion loftily reared its head five years ago, on whose beautiful promenade the fairest of cultured women gathered with passionate hearts to applaud the assault of ten thousand upon the little garrison of Fort Sumter! "The mills of the gods grind slow, but they grind exceeding small." Be sure Charleston knows what these words mean. Be sure the pride of the eyes of these men and women has been laid low. Be sure they have eaten wormwood, and their souls have worn sackcloth. "God's ways seem dark, but soon or late they touch the shining hills of day." Henceforth let us rest content in this faith; for here is enough of woe and want and ruin and ravage to satisfy the most insatiate heart, enough of sore humiliation and bitter overthrow to appease the desire of the most vengeful spirit. Who kindled the greedy fire of December, 1861, whereby a third of the city was destroyed? No one yet knows. "It was de good Jesus hisself," said an old negro to me when I asked him the question,-"it was de Almighty Hand workin' |