The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-07-10
Hgr. Rnsscli in New Orleans.
TENTH LETTER no TIE zoxDog TIMES

Rgr. Rnsseli ia New Orleans.
TENTH LETTER no TIE LONDON TIMES.
% .ut.s aF
New ORLEANS, May 25
There are doubts arising in my mind re-
specting the number Of armed men actually
in the field in the South, and the amount Of
arms in possession of the Federal forces
The constant advertisements and appeals for
"a few more men, to complete" such and
such companies, furnish some sort of evil
dence that men are still wanting. But a
painful and startling insight into the manner
in which "volunteers' have been sometimes
obtained, have been afforded to me at New
Orleans. In no country in the world have
outrages on British subjects been so frequent
and so wanton as in the States of America
They have been frequent, perhaps, because
they have generally been attended with inn
punity. 81
Englishmen, however, viii be still little
surprised to hear that within few days Brit
ish subjects living in New Orleans have been
seized, knocked down, carried off from their
labor at the wharf and the workshop, and
forced by violence to serve in the "Volun-
teer' ranks! These cases are not isolated
They are not in twos or threes, but in tens
and twenties; they have not occurred stealth
lily or in by-ways; they have taken place in
the open day and in The streets of New Or.
leans. These men have been dragged along
like felons, protesting in vain that they were
British subjects. Fortunately, their friends
bcthought them that there was still British
Consul in the city, who would protect his
countrymen-English, Irish, or Scotch. Mr..
Mure, when he heard Of the reports and of
the evidence, made energetic representations
to the authorities, who, after some evasion,
gave orders that the impressed "Volunteers"
should be discharged, and the "Tiger Rifles"
and other companies were deprived Of the
services of thirty five British subjects whom
they had taken from their usual avocations.
The Mayor promises il shall not occur again.
IT is high time that such acts should be put
a stop to, and that the mob of New Orleans
should be taught to pay some regard to the
usages of civilized nations. There arc some
strange laws here and elsewhere in reference
to compulsory service on the part of for
egners which it would be well to inquire
into, and Lord John Russell may be able to
deal with them at favorable opportunity
As to any liberty of opinion or real freedom
here, the boldest Southerncr would not dare
to say shadow of either exists. Itmay be
MS bad in the North for all know, but it
must be remembered that in all my commu-
nications speak of things as they appear
to me to be in the place where am at the
time The most cruel and atrocious acts are
perpetrated by the rabhle who style them
selves citizens The national failing of Gu
riosity and prying into other peoples affairs
is now rampant, and assumes the name and
airs of patriotic vigilance. Every stranger
is watched, and every word is noted, espoin-
age commands every key-hole and every
Ietter-box; love Of country takes to caves.
dropping and freedom shayes mems heads,
and packs men up in boxes for the utterance
of abolition sentiments" In this city
there is terrible substratum Of crime and
vice, violence, misery. and murder, over
which the wheels of the Cotton Kings char.
lot rumble gratingly, and on which rest in
dangerous security the feet Of his throne.
There are numbers of negroes who are sent
out on the streets every day, with orders moi
to return with less than Is ccnts-anything
more they can keep. But if they do not
gain that--about 3s Cd day-they are liza
BILE to punishment; they may be put into
goal on charges Of laziness, and may be fog
ged al li5itun, and are sure to be half starv-
ed. Can anything, then, be more sugges-
tive than this paragraph, which appeared in
last nights paper-"Only three coroners'
inquests were held yesterday on persons
found drowned in the river, names unknown?
The italics are mine. Over and over again
has the boast been repeated to me that on
the plantations lock and key are unknown
VI uuusSu III Liz piallcIS uOuScS. Dut IL
the cities they arc much used, though scarce
ly trusted. 1t appears, indeed, that unless
a slave has made up his or her mind to in,
cur the dreadful penalties of flight ther,
would be no inducemcnt to commit theft, fo
money or jewels would bo useless search
would be easy, detection nearly certain
That all the slaves are not Indifferent to tn,
issues before them is certain. At the hous,
ofa planter, the other day, one Of them ask
ed my friend, "Will we be made to work
massa, when ole English come ?" An OLE
domestic in the house Of a gentleman in th
city, saii, There are few whites in this plac
who ought not to be killed for their cruelt,
to u.s." Another said, "0h, just wait til
they attack Pickens !" These little hint
arc significant enough, coupled with the no
tices Of runaways and the Judgments in tn
police jails, to show that all is not quiet be
low the surface The holders, however, ar
firm, and there have been many paragraphs
stating that the slaves have contributed +
the various funds for State defense and the,
generally show the very best spirit.
By the proclamation Of Governor Masoifir
\ copy Of which ] enclose you, you will Sc