Smyrna times., 1865-11-29
MIS- SCELLAN ECU ).
Affairs in Georgia.

A correspondent of the New York Times
gives the following account Of matters and
things in Georgia
4 TIE FEELING AND CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE
TONE OF THE NEWSPAPERS.
Notwithstanding the unsatisfactory perform
ance OF the late Constitutional Convention. as
a.whole, and notwithstanding the awkward ter.
g!yersatlOnS Of many OF its members. the peo-
PIE OF Georgia, as far as | have had an oprOr-
tunlty OF making myself acquainted with them.
are acting in good faith, and seem to be ril of
that excessive soreness which characterized thr
y abamlaliS. Throughout the whole of West
efn and Central Georgia there is an improve
me4t IN the feeling and condition Of the people
8 ol al grades, which is perfectly electritving to
the friends OF the II mon. [ did not expect To
See 50 much bona fde loyalty The officers
and soldiers of the late Confederate army. cdi
t)rS OF newspapers, and prominent professional
gentlemen and planters, are all assisting in the
&9dt work OF restoration and reconstruction.
ne editors OF newspapers, ex-ofiicers. and the
Il people generally not only Civ. praise and snn-
port to the President, but they Join in STRENGTH
e ing growing feeling for the Union and the
II nag OF the UnlOn. This IS a fact although I
could hardly make myself believe it at first.
with the exception Of the Savannah Journals.
all OF the newspapers in the State are edited bv
Soltherners many OF whom seem to under
stand the true condition of things, and realize
the TACT that 1t behOOves them to blaze the way
1 Tor those who are less progressive. and less in
chncd to look at things in a spirit of rnc,nr-
agelnent The Atlanta Nc,o Era. edited H..
an eX-C0Onel Of the Southern army tho Mi
ledgeville FeieruI Uni0n; the CnnnII. ~
Qptrer, and the Sna; the Macon TIieGc1n6
AMI some other papers, are doing the rirht
thing. | have conyerscd with the editors Of
4 ha l,.y-r i
agree that it is the height of folly to affect in
dorsement for the President and his policy, and
at the same time to remain silent regarding the
Government which he represents. | talked
with Col. Pr1ther, Of the Atlanta Netc Era.
Mr.. Dumble, Of the Macon Ielegroph, and
some other gentlemen of the press, and they
all agree that there is but one thing to do-to
devote themselves to the Government, and, as
far as practicable, to do it openly and patrioti-
cally.
IL do not believe that there is a sensible man
IN Georgia who would be in favor Of any mea
sure which would be in direct opposition to tn,
laws and authority Of the United StAtes--not d
man. There are some people who are painfully
ticent, and there are some real sore heads; but
they do all their growing and grumbling at
home. | met gentleman a few days ago WhC
remarked to me that he was not a Union mai
at heart, yet he wanted to see the country re
united &c. This may seem to many a queei
feeling, but there are hundreds OF the SAINT
mind.
1t is almost unnecessary for me to remark
what l have said several times in my letters
that the most loyal OF all the Southern people
are those who have been in the army. from re-
neral officers down to the private soldiers; and
that those who are the most inclined to be mo
rose and nlggardly are those who are unac-
qualnted with the privatiOns and inconvenien-
css OF a soldiers life. | have vet to meet the
soldier who is not heartily in favor of the gov
ernment, and Of bowling to its authority.
meet few who say: Next " a Southern
Coniederacy, am for the old Union" And
those Sey y VINO make this remark generally add
pull, but you were too many for ms W. want
in for Southern COnfederacy almost 70 mo-,
We fought hard for it, but you whirnaj ~
The thing is up, and now we want a Chance 80
fight for the United States" The South 90 ~
a lighting people, truly, They have show
this during the late war; and, although they
cannot admit that they have disgraced them.
selves, and many contend that 1t was not bad
cause they were fighting in, the people seem tC
De really anxious for a chance to fight for /
better and a stronger cause.
j.. Northerners are lending their money pretty
heeiy TO public institutions; while corporations
raliroad companies, commercial enterprises
ana private parties, experience but very LITTLE
trouble In obtaining all sorts Of commodities
partly on time
Go where you will, in city or country, yor
hnd the Jews have anticipated you And il
mas been good thing for the people, for they
can actually get from them better bargain
than tney Gan from the army suffers The lat
Ter want to make all their money at once. whilf
the FORMER are contented with small profits