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| Edward James Sawyer From History of the American Negro: South Carolina Edition |
Edward James Sawyer (b. October 16, 1854; d. May 9, 1928)
South Carolina. Born enslaved. Black.
Occupation: lawyer, merchant, postmaster, school teacher.
Father's occupation: carpenter.
Edward James Sawyer was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina to Edward J. Sawyer and Charlotte Hall Sawyer. At the time of his birth, both parents were enslaved, and his father worked as a carpenter. Both parents had come to South Carolina from Florida after having been purchased by speculators. Sawyer's mother Charlotte died when he was young. Growing up, Sawyer worked for a merchant and helped build furniture (by bottoming cane-seated chairs).
Sawyer attended common schools in Fayetteville and Wilmington, North Carolina and then entered the University of South Carolina. Sawyer registered at the university at some point between February 1874 and January 1876. He was a college student following the modern studies track. The university closed before he completed his degree.
The year after the university closed (in 1878), Sawyer moved to Bennettsville, South Carolina in Marlboro County. He stayed there for the rest of his life and saw great personal success. Writing about the former U of SC students in 1911, C. C. Scott wrote that Sawyer was, "One of the most substantial and influential men in Bennettsville."
Sawyer moved to the town to work as principal of the graded school. He held this position for roughly 15 years (until 1893).
While working as school principal, Sawyer took on a number of other responsibilities. Among others, he opened a retail grocery store that he ran until 1918. Over time, he purchased a substantial amount of land and worked as a farmer.
In 1879 (the year after he was made principal), Sawyer founded and edited a semi-monthly newspaper The Pee Dee Educator. The newspaper continued to be published for roughly 20 years (until around 1900), making it one of the longest running Black newspapers in South Carolina.
Sawyer resumed his education in the 1880s. He completed Allen University's college program in 1882 and then began taking law classes at Allen. At the time, Allen's law school was run by D. A. Straker, who had been the law partner of Sawyer's former classmate T. McCants Stewart. Sawyer was admitted to the state bar in 1885 and received an LL.D. degree in 1886. Sawyer's former USC classmate J. C. Whittaker passed the state bar at the same time as Sawyer. Their achievement was announced in the New York Times.
Sawyer maintained a law office, although he practiced law infrequently and was quoted as saying that "The profession does not pay." During this time, he was the only African American with legal training in the northeastern part of the state.
Sawyer was active in politics and played a significant role in the state Republican Party. In 1892, he won the Republication nomination for U.S. Representative of the 6th district. The incumbent had died towards the end of his term, so Sawyer simultaneously ran in a special election for the remainder of the incumbent's term and in the regular election. Sawyer ran against John L. McLaurin, a Democrat and, at the time, supporter of Governor Benjamin Tillman. Sawyer lost the election by wide margin (934 votes to 8,572 in the general election).
Sawyer also received federal appointments. He was the Bennettsville postmaster during the Republican presidencies of Chester A. Arthur (1883-85) and Benjamin Harrison (1892-93).
Sawyer was an outspoken opponent of the 1895 state constitutional convention. Tillman and his supporters had openly advocated for holding the convention as a way to disenfranchise African Americans by revising the state constitution. The Manning Times newspaper reported that, at an October 1894 meeting of African American Republicans, Sawyer gave a speech in which he urged his audience to oppose the constitutional convention and condemned Tillman's supporters as the "white trash of the country." African Americans, he argued, should support Conservative Democrats because, while the Conservatives were opposed to political rights for African Americans, they were willing to make concessions in order to defeat Tillman. Moreover, Sawyer said, if Tillman's attempt at disenfranchisement is defeated, then African Americans will eventually gain political power as they will retain access to voting rights and education for their children.
In a June 1895 interview for (white-run) The State newspaper, he again expressed his opposition to Tillman and his support for Conservative Democrats. However, in contrast to his 1894 speech (and perhaps indicating Sawyer's awareness of The State's largely white readership), he reportedly did not advocate for African American political power. Instead, he expressed an acceptance of white political control, saying that "the colored people had no...intention of attempting to control the State government; that they recognized that it would be much better...for intelligent, honest white men to rule."
Beyond his involvement with the Republican Party, Sawyer acted as a public advocate for African Americans. On August 10, 1897, he was part of a delegation that presented Governor Ellerbe a letter asking him to prevent extrajudicial lynching of African Americans. Also part of the delegation was his former U of SC classmate Alonzo G. Townsend.
Sawyer returned to the topic of lynchings on August 25, 1903 when he spoke at a meeting in Columbia, SC. There he gave a speech in which he appealed to white citizens to enforce anti-lynching laws more faithfully. Punishing African American criminals using legal means, he argued, was a more effective way to deter crime. Sawyer's former classmate George W. Murray also spoke at the meeting.
Sawyer was reported to be the wealthiest African American in Marlboro County. In 1911, C. C. Scott wrote that he'd been informed that Sawyer was worth about $75,0000 (roughly 2 million dollars in 2020).
Sawyer also worked to create economic opportunities for other African Americans. In 1913, he was part of a committee that was changed with organizing an African American-run bank in South Carolina. In February of that year, the South Carolina Union Bank was formed at the committee's recommendation. Working with Sawyer on the committee were his former U of SC classmates C. C. Scott and J. H. Johnson. In the 19020s, Sawyer was president of the Workers Enterprise Bank, a bank in Bennettsville.
Sawyer was involved with Claflin University. In 1901, he received an honorary A.M. degree from the university, and he served on the Claflin Board of Trustees for a number of years.
Sawyer died of tuberculosis on May 9, 1929 in Bennettsville. The State published a lengthy and positive, although condescending, obituary which stated that Sawyer "was always courteous to the white people. He never had any trouble. He knew his place." He is buried in Ideal Cemetery in Marlboro County.
Sources
1). 1880; Census Place: Bennettsville, Marlboro, South Carolina; Roll: 1235; Page: 416D
2). 1900; Census Place: Bennettsville, Marlboro, South Carolina; Page: 16
3). 1910; Census Place: Bennettsville Ward 4, Marlboro, South Carolina; Roll: T624_1467; Page: 18B
4). South Carolina Department of Archives and History; Columbia, South Carolina; South Carolina Death Records; Year Range: 1925-1949; Death County or Certificate Range: Marlboro
5). Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-1971. NARA Microfilm Publication, M841, 145 rolls. Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group Number 28. Washington, D.C.: National Archives.
6). Caldwell, A. B. History of the American Negro: South Carolina Edition. A. B. Caldwell Publishing Co., Atlanta, Ga. 1919.
7). "J. E. Sawyer [sic]", May 11, 1929. State (published as The State). Columbia, South Carolina. Page 13.
8). "Former president Negro Fair Dies", May 11, 1929. Columbia Record (published as The Columbia Record), Columbia, South Carolina. Page 3.
9). "The Pee Dee Colored Leader", June 5, 1895. State (published as The State), Columbia, South Carolina. Page 3.
10). "South Carolina Union Bank", February 15, 1913. The Southern indicator. p. 1.
11). "Notice of Opening Books of Subscription of the South Carolina Union Bank", February 15, 1913. The Southern indicator. p. 9.
12). "Negros Meet", September 2, 1903. The Manning Times. p. 1.
13). "Republican Pow-wow", October 31, 1894. The Manning Times. p. 3.
14). Work, Monroe N. Negro Year Book: An Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro, 1921-1922. Negro Year Book Company, Tuskegee Institute, Alabama (1922). p. 351.
16) "Colored Men Admitted to the Bar," May 28, 1885. New York Times. p. 5.
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