The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-13
A JoprneY Through seoessia.

Mfr. Mathews, OF Starko county, Ohio,
was in Alabama at the time the rebellion
broke out. He was ordered TO volunteer
into an infantry regiment-that is the
common fashion Of volunteering in the
South-but made his escape into Missis-
sippi, thence to Texas, aud fiom there
travelled on foot through Louisiana, Ar
kansas, and Missouri, TO the Union lines
HIS notes by the way, published in a
little pamphlet for the information Of his
friends, give curious glimpses Of South
ern life
WHITE MECHANICS sTARvIEG AT THE
SOUTH.
In Columbus, the capital Of Missis-
sippi, he found ga great deal Of suffer
ing among white mechanics. Most Of
the little work that was to be done was
given TO "negro mechanics" - slaves,
that is to say. This was a growing
habit of the slave lords. We have been
told by slave-owners that "white
wOrkmen were a great curse TO them,
They were always troublesome, too in
dependent, and apt to make the negroes
uneasy and all the better class OF
planters were training some Of their
slaves to various trades needed about q
great plantation" We are not surprised,
therefore, to find several notes of this
kind in Mr.. Mathews's journal. Where
ever he journeyed among the great PLAN
tations, and where negroes were numer-
Gus, he found white carpenters, black
smiths, shoemakers, &c, in distress, and
their families wretchedly poor. The
planters prefer to give out their work to
their neighbors' slaves, il they have none
of their own trained. If Wood Cox, and
Valandigham could only force slavery
ON tho North, our mechanics and laborers
would fare no better; they would be
quickly turned out of work by the slaves
of aristocratic planters. al have seen
white mechanics obliged TO stand aside
while their families were suffering for
the necessaries Of life, when negro me-
chanics, owned by rich and influential
men, could get plenty of work and"
he adds, 81 have heard these same white
mechanics breathe the most bitter curses
against the institution of slavery and the
slave aristocracy."
In Carthage, Texas, he was told
an incident which is q sample of the
constant distrust which infests slave So
ciety. A minister of the Gospel, afllict-
ed with dyspepsia, was accustomed to
carry with him paper full of soda, to
take of which relieved his distress. Go
ing into Shelby comfy, away from
home, he unfortunately took with him a
considerable quantity Of the soda pow
der. Being stranger in Shelby, be
was arrested by a vigilance committee -
che was a stranger and they took him
in" this seems to be the usual treatment
of strangers in the hospitable South. The
citizens searched him; found a white
powder instantly suspected him Of an
intention TO poison their wells and Ia
prove his innocence and save his life, he
was forced 10 eat every bit of the soda
OF course. such an overdose made the
poor creature very sick.
Near Shreveport, Mr.. Mathews records
in his journal, 81 find great enthusiasm
for the southern rebel ion among church
membeIs in localities where there are
large plantations and many slaves" II
was near here that tavern keeper
wife assured him that "Mr Lincoln kept
himself shut up in an iron cage, and did
not allow any one but Mrs. Lincoln and
Mr. Seward to see him-bccause he wal
afraid Of being killed"
THE UNION MEN on THE SOUTH.
After an experience Of more than
month travelling on foot through th,
country, BIO writes -" / always avoided, il
possible, stopping at the residences o.
slave-owners, which know by the ne.
gro cabins or quarters they are gener.
ally secessionists; but non Shareholder
| find nearly always TO be Indifferent OF
the subject or possessing Union senli
ments; but they never express them
selves except in their own homes" &c.
Texas, Western Louisiana and Arkan
sas were full of regulators" who wan
dered about and summarily hanged al
persons who could not give a plausibl,
account of themselves. At Arkadel
phia our traveller was arrested and ex
amined One person present declare,
that If be was from Connecticut be mus
be hanged but he got on by showing
/ "notice " Of himself which had bsel
printed in a Texas noWspAper-one In
stance at least, whore a newspaper pul
was Of value. In Arkansas he founl
Union men in considerable numbers bu
alas, they were not men accustomed {
taking part in politics" In the FIRE
States, too, corrupt men have too olte
gained the aacendancy because right
minded citizens "Were not accusiome
% take part Ia politics were unfaith
ful, that 10 10 say, TO their duty TO th
nation.