Henry William Ravenel, 1814-1887: Private Journal 1865-1866:Page 49

Sept. 1865 Home

with whom they have lived, & who understand their nature & feel more true sympathy than the brazen mouth brawlers of the North, who if they can effect their political objects, cares not a straw what becomes of them afterwards. Unfortunately they are taught to believe otherwise, & the most vindictive feelings against the whites are encouraged. Since the black troops left Aiken, every thing has been quiet, & I have heard of no acts of violence or disorder. I believe if no black troops had been distributed through the country, the transition, sudden as it was from slavery to freedom would have been attended with no ill blood & no disorder. The negro is docile & good natured, & it is only when roused & prompted by others, that he becomes unruly or vindictive. They are highly impulsive, & hence when excited, may became capable of great mischief. As long as they are left to their own devices, they are harmless, - when operated upon by others, they are easily led astray

Sunday 10 Col. Edward Croft came out after Church to see Richard Dwight, & dined with us.

M. 11 I understand that many of the delegates to the Convention are elected as pledge to Repudiation of Debts contracted before the war. This involves the obligation of Contracts which may collide with the Constitution of the U. S. Repudiation is a dangerous subject for legislation to meddle with. Precedents however just & necessary may be tortured to base purposes. As a question in Ethics, I am inclined to think that all bonds given for the purchase of negroes, & on which the lawful interest was annually paid, & which was offered & ready to be paid, but kept by consent of bath parties as a simple investment should be commuted for half. If ever there was a case calling for clemency & magnanimity, it would be in the case of debts contracted for the purchase of negroes, which have now become by legal process, worthless as property. I think it would be only just that the loss should be borne by both parties, or in other words, that the debt