, 1863-01-19

Aaaps1nAo, VI lubuIsectloA5, nOGLn OF the
cotton States, where cruelty md policy that
makes men brutes, must abide thelr own CON
South OF tho Rappabannock tho negroes
seem to bo making no demonstrations, quietly
waiting till, as they firmly believe, "The Lin
coin army Mill comeand free them" Indeed,
at present It Is simply impossible for any save
the most ekillful and daring to cross the two
picket lines along the river into freedom; and
this sts1ctness Of the pickets, it is unuecessa-
r. to soy, cannot at present bio abated.
But III regions where our army has remained
any length Of time, one Gun hardly credit the
change that mistaken place in the Thole negro
population as class. Instead Of the CON
tented Ignorance and docility which genera
tions OF oppression had made the chief char
aeteristics Of the slave, there is an air Of quiet
but happy manhood and thoughtfu1ncss on
every black face you meet. They assume no
arrogance, and you seldom find a feeling Of
revenge toward their masters Though I can
assure you TINT pity for their adversely is quite
as rare); but the anxious question for the
future seems to absorb all: fsWhere shall we
60, ami. what shall we do?" Among hun
dTeds Of negroes with whom have con-
ve,sea this aesms to be the great tEous1s 4en,np
one Of the darkeys met seemed inclined 70
stop. He took of his Int, with scrape and
a bend Of his body, and stood by the roadside
as npproached=
N4J0Qd GfCulHbt
"Good evening, SIR" A little hesitation,
and then, Please, sir, be's dere MANY cullud
in de Nort, and can dey find work?''
"4es, col0red people are scattered all
through the North, and men who are willing
to work find work to do.''
- since your army come, and de white folks
let me, I find plenty work round har to keep
me n de chillen. But can't tell how long
you al1 stay here, and I dasn't wait for de reb-
But where will you go?"
Dunno, sir. Carclatc to range to leave
next Sunday 1ight'n 60 to Washington. Bet
1.-THE President wants the colored peoplcto
go to Hayti or Africa and make State oftheir
own" A double shake Of the head. aHearn
o dat Hayti. Don't like it. De 'rangements
furious. Say dey makes Elayes Of 'em dare.
Find plenty work here, and when peace comes
massa. "But,' and he looked up with a
doubtful air, "de Norris not conquered yet.
Please, sir, tink I can find work in dc Norf?''
Poor fellow, it has been the reasoning Of them
all. Nothing but the success of our arms Is
needed to give them confidence enough for an
must be silent and by night.
sud this has been their reasoning. But
few, who can get :away, are now left where
their freedom Is in any danger. On NeT
Years Eve the stampede began, and hun
drcds Of negroes are nightly lesscning tue
slave power Of those few counties Of Eastern
Virginia. suppose the same is done through
the South, wherever our army has any infil1-
ence; but in those letters I confine myself to
ncts as I see and know them, and in speaking
thus of the negroes, wish to be understood
as meaning those along our lines in Eastern
Virgins; z 3aa.t twoaf,ns =, t,,a .,,,.,, ,s...,
when our army was here last year, and about
0nc-half Of the remainder were sold to the
far South, Immediately after: leaving about
thrce-tenths Of the 400, 900 slaves 4 quote
from memory alone) Eastern VIrginia was
said once to contain, who will be Immediately
In truth, the passage OF a Union army through
the country, with free communication North,
is the one thing needful to give freedom to
the s]aves, and tho Presidents proclamation
can only legalizc the operation, and perhaps
make it more sweeping.
But what arc the masters doingq
The white population Of virginia make but
little ado, now, at anything. One Of the
planters. on the head waters Of the Kappa
hammock said to me not long since: II wish
the earth would swallow both armies, and me
with them; EyerythiDg else is gone; they
We all staryc the quicker it will be cnded.''
Slave labor in Virginia has been, within the
past year, rapidly decreasing in value Slaves
who once sold for thousand dollars now
have a nominal value about half as great;
while the highest price Mt which they can be
sold, generally nothing. ASH consequence,
shareholders are losing their high estimation
Of the peculiar Institution, and, If LincoIn's
proclamation had been delayed much longer,
they themselves would probably have urged d
gradual abolition Of slavery, not only ms O
war measure, but for the permanent good Of
the G. s. A. well. This, rs I said before, is
only in the border States. The cotton States,
$f11 }1,o o1c
Lot me.giye few examples to illustrate the
condition Of men and things in this region:
One man, Royal Mason, "a relative Of Mason
the Infamous, with five sons and sons-in-lnw
IN the rebel army, and q safeguard from Gen.
Burnside, which makes the penalty for mo-
testing him or biz, in any way, ,death) lost forty
from his ninety s)aTcs, escaped when our army
was here last year: Most Of the remainder lie
sold South soon after, leaving but dozen, old
men and women, who have deserted him With
in the last week.
Major Lewis, Of whom + have spoken in q
former letter, one Of the first F. F. Vs., with
the best part Of his property and family In the
rebel army, has lost between twenty and
thirty slaves escaped. He retained twenty Of
bis best, thinking, las he cares for them better
than any other MASTER they would stay to do
MS @ next years. work. But, strangely enough,
into their heads to seek colder weather, though
some Of them are bound to by relationship as
unnatural rs they are common, in this land of
refinement and family pride. Two Of them,
mother and daughter, were as interesting
race I have met in Y virginia. Il The ey younsest
Ind f;lr hair and blue eyes, md her master is
both her father and grandfather
Another Of these gentry, who is looked IN
to as the first man IN the region for wealth,
education and 1norality, llas FIVE children
whom he las been trying for n month to
I'm Tyy1 $fn, +4.1n I'll u
has bought them, but was unable to take his
whole "droyc' over when he crossed, because
Of our army's near approach. 4 squad Of the
Sth Illinois were sent out, a few evenings
since and relieved this gentleman of them md
all Of the blaeks on the place, nineteen in
But this is heartsickening, and will carry
The effect Of the Emancipation Proclamation
on the rebellion can hardly be calculated. Tho
already weakened forrest fns thew are
called here,} on the various plantations, have
been taskcd to their utmost to put In tic
wheat crop Tor the ensuing year. All these
home consumption would, unless destroyed
before harvest, in some manner, have been
transported to the Southern army. As It Is.
the corn crop Of next year can neither be
planted nor cultivated, and the wheat now
sown can only be harvested by soldiers. Here
WHY tAtC t1 luVl Nl kllE CuuIu ILLS u 1Oln[.
Planscrs who are forced to use their slnyc 10
bor for the government or not at all, keep by
no means the keen hold on their slaves that
they once did, when self-intcrest didn't have
to shnrc go largely with patriotism, and the
felt kcenly enough by JEFF. Davis, indeed, bnt
are backed By little or no feeling on the part
OF the planters, (who are here the people. The
freedom Of the slaves is 10 loss to the pcrtna-
nent agricultural interests Of tho South, and
It is strictly blow at the rebellion, and one
whose full effects will be months in their de-
velopmcnt. q.
THE FRENCH INVASION OF
naEX1CO.
The French In Washington Credit tho
Reported Taking OF ofRucb1a-The Re.
ported removal OF Count We1cuu
unfOUnird.