Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-01-11
" NHEE4lNG.Wt VA. MONDAY MORNING, JANUARY IL 1864 q

| nSSS "hlSu IL worthy OF OotLeF cause
they watch them day by day. When on
ialls sick, he is sold, aud q stout hau'
substituted. Any exhibition of weakness
is sufficient to bring one to the auctioE
block. In this way the hands. are alwayl
able bodied; and there is nosdrag on thu
planter, of bills for the hospital, and othe
little ineOnTenieuces, which are expert
euced on most plantations. The man il
furious when you talk to him of free labor
He speaks in unmeasurOd terms of the sbo.
llhonIsts, and believes that the President.
proclamation has actually ruined the coun-
Try. Still, there is no need of trembling
In the presence of these men there is
more thunder than lightning in them.
Since their souls are 40 absorbed in dol
lars and cents, it only becomes necessary
to 1naugnrate the system OF free labor; and
at the eud of the frst season, when the
| LEDGER which is their only Bible, gives its
verdict in favor of right and humanity,
true to their instincts, these financial
Weather-cocks, will turn to free labor, and
support 1t 30 zealously that you will AL
most be persuaded they are Christians. 1t
ls OF no use to argue with such men, They
are more than adamaut to all your logic.
But show them, at the end of the year, the
nVe dollar bill on the right side of tho &C.
the early spring trout at the fly"
In southern Mississippi there are hordes
of poor whites in the lowest depths of ig-
norance and degradation. A friend of Mr..
HePWorth attempted to speak with some
OF them upon the subject Of religion -
"Aftsr he had talked with a number of
stragglers, he entered one of the low huts,
and began to converse with the ancient
dame. Soon four sons came in, and joined
in the conversation; then the old man, the
patriarch. He WAS the only one who made
any pretensions to know anything of God
or duty. My friend spoke of the Lord,
He told of his sufferings, and at last ex-
claimed,-"And it was he, the dear Son of
Cod you know, who died that we might
liVe.' The family all stared. The patri-
arch alone failed to be startled. Leaning
forward, and putting his right hand behind
his right ear to enabls him to catch every
sound, be cried out,-'Hister did you say
it was the Son of God who died q Yes,
my friend: and he died on the cross You
are sure it was the SonF Yes. WhyP
'Oh, nothin'l only 1 alters thought it was
the old man" This anecdote is sacrile-
giOus; but it bespeaks degree of moral
depr"Vity and of woful ignorance such as
can be found in only two places,-in the
South and in Central Africa
Whom such heathenism among the whites
is possible we need feel no surprise at the
low state. of civilization in which
the blacks are found, yet they have at least
one redeeming trait,-a warm appreciation
of the blessings of freedom. Our author
says:-
''Of one thing l am sure: the slaves
everywhere have an intense longing to
possess their own bodies, and to govern
their own fortunes. No one could have
accompanied our forces through the Teche
without being deeply impressed with this
fact. They crowded TO the highways to
see us pass; and clapped their hands and
sang and prayed, as banner after banner,
beneath whose folds Today they are no
slaves, went by. Their expressions are
quaint, but full of meaning. Tank God
de day is come at lastP said one old man,
as he reVerently raised both hands in ben
ediction over our boys. l could not help
feeling that there wA4 no harm in bowinQ
my head, as the white haired man hoped
God would take good care of de Young
master. Still could not see the use of
freedom to one so aged; and said,-'Uncle,
freedom will do you no good; for you are
just on the edge of the grave Il knows
dat, master; knows dat we'll enough; but
I've got my boys; and bless you all, kase
you give EN- free"
He thinks favorably also Of their fight:
ing qualities:
al said to huge negro the other dav,
Tom, they tell me that you won't fight if
you do enlisti and that you love your mas
ters so much, that the moment you meet
them on the battle field, you will throw
down your own arms, and rush into theirs,
Is that so? He was leaning against
gate post, with his arms folded; but he
straightened up at my question, and his
dull eye flashed as he replied, d,-'Lieuten-
ant, know l dey say desc Iings; bat dey
hes. Our masters may talk now all dey
chooses but one ting's sartain,-dey don't
dare to try us. Jess put de guns in our
hans, and you'll soon SEQ dat we not only
knows how to shoot, but who to shoot.
Ny master wouldn't be wuff much eff was
q soldier Onethiug is certain; it will be
= most unfortunate thing for our 'er-
ring southern brethren when We con-
clude to do what we ought to
have had sense enough to do
year and half ago,-reernit all the able
bodied blacks on the plantations, in eVerV
Southern department. and then send our
own boys homo to keep up tho arts of
peace, and do such a thriving business that
we shall not feel the weight Of the war tax.
That can be done; and, when it is done, we
shall hnVe ono of the most terrible forces
of fighting material the world ever saw. /
do not know that it would be terrible in
Mexico or Europe, OF against any other foe.
But am willing to aver, after a nine
months intimate acquaintance with thou
sands of negroes, that, between them and
the whites of the South there exists most
deadly hostility. 1t is the natural result
of years of slavery. Let the planter talk
as be pleases about cowardice, ignorance,
and love of the master. Put good gun
into his slaves hands. let him know that