, 1865-12-27
CARL SCHURZS REPORT
THE.
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
IN THE STATES OF
South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
baua, Mississipp; and
louisiana.

"N~As sAtEE4o'-1PtA 0uA
louisiana.
To h'; iESeelleney Andrew goauson President oi
Sn: When 5ou did 1eettc homer Of s1tect,nr me.
for Mission 10 The S1a;es late1r In rrbe1]Jon ia,
The purpose of iuzuiring INTO he e1Isdnr coudi,
non OF things, Of la5iug hefose ron w.ta,er tuto..
nation Of Importance might gather, md Of sug.
gesting 10 1ou such measures aa mr. observations
would lead me to believe advisable, accepted the
upst watn profound feuse of the responsibility
| connected With the pes.osnai,ce Of tho ta.k The
1 views entertained at the time hst communicated
10 you In frequent letters anu conversations. ]
would not hare accepted The niss4on. haJ not felt
that vhatercr pteeoncstyet npini.,u. might carry
With me 10 The South, shAt:d bs n,auy 10 sbauton
CT modify, Is my 1e1ccpiiss Of fizts and e.rcun,.
s.ances might con,ulend thsl aD.udcnr,. or mod
incatlou. You informed me ttas snuks::.poltcy Of
reconstruction" wat merely e1penrt.1' s, and that
| you would change T. the espet1p.; u not lend
to satisfactory resuli:. .-Te sN ;au. n .fnng yaur
conclusions uron this point understood to be the
object of ny mission, and this understanding Was
IN perfect accosdance with the written Instructions
received through the Secretary Of War. ,
ThGse Instructions confined my MISSION to The
STATES Of Sonth carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mss-
| s'.sippl and the Department Of the Cult 1 in.
| formed yon before leaving the North that could
not well devpta more than three months 10 the lu.
@a,sp. ~ epou "e lnu tna, space Of time proved
mesated except Texas. landed at Hilton Head, $,
G. on July IL visited Beaufort Charleston, Orange
| hnrg and Colnmbfs;. returned to Charleston and
Hilton lead thence I went TO Savannah, trasersed
sasoa sSsS nd dcs1ng cdnggtasg sn AD
Alabama by way Of Upclila, Montgomery. Selma
eno pemoPol,s; and through Mississippi 81 way Of
ie tn Natv nssesna ,,u. n - S
from New 6Fieans visited Mobile, 11a. I api tbs
~ NAH; " asa ~ . NGtsoal on ny way to
Bte sts ns n4 me- G ny
us ySI, ~ ~ rf rvfS1 tts saou!o s!ate M Moa1s
Gpc1s2S. .msS -. " Mh,cn oUsaaaea i4iorma1on an4
ta.e. % na.n 4eIsoas Nao mgnt oe presumed 70
npssse.it ~ tne 1pinioE5 or nave inuqence upon The
cstfes viii HIT aSa 4s aie2ven
Slassss M e, society," from The hghs:t to tho lowest;
s eas a. VII a. On 1ne roaos ~ Ino ,f
h,anp n ss aas III III wtsa M
eoTf9g 3 om dtsnieis MdSh f. va not able to y1zt;
ceiyed With the eIlcYcnce nj tha rnijtary anil ctl
plccrp OF Tie Coyefument stationef in ihat ronn
~ as well a Of o:hef reliable Unlou men, whom
Wh e peop!e M "a s9s IT. be ees
Of local obseyation than my circumstances permit
led nc 10 enjoy. when practicable, procured
I {FfiftnF
AZ vel as comics Of oleIs1. Or n1afe rcnorts ihsy
had received Hom thelr tnBogdfns,cs OF other pef.
sons. |, was not expected Il mo Inst should ske
would 1--we rsqnifed T mora tsn,e % thaa ixas she 10
~ fseiiltles for obtaining information sero not
As They naturally deperded somewhat upon the
time the military had bad 10 occupy and csplore
The country, q well Us upon The progressive dsrei-
Cay 10 day as Nenf On, md wczc best In the Stes
visited last It IL OWING to thi. circumstance ihaf
ns. + dsd sonS a. sna e a
an nbte 10 G1re with regard TO Louislaua anu Misc
iasippj. ''''''''1@ '~'''' '''''7'
ney in chronological order Tbfch y;onid Isa,f to
endless 1ereton ard coafnaed mixing Of lbs .ii:
ierent sut1ecta cnder consideration, propose m to
ills me moi III ihat car be .aid of the neop1e or
sss III aRPz z NJ il 81. ass =
saw ,ttinet"n. rtnn IN ,Sa rouraa ~ ~ th rs9as,
they become ofsny muortanee nc tn r. nS,er
sSe sothe1n peo. aol ~ 1u.sn ~ on 10 Gs .es
eos,'I,os e ,us n,a,es y, nave qnras als'Ho
! ~ .s.,. 80. W IN 1hh WAa,
N tse de'elopmeat q thc popular spirit In the
Seqa .inse ID hs fpss Of re w txo
with the Sudden collapse OF the Coulederacy and
the desperation Of it's a5m!es, and tho second with
ton policy" Of the Government. Of Tue list Pc
| Iiod, eat state the Characteristic features only
isam .as acGonu1s received paFtl from unlon,sts
pcrsons That had participated in iha rebellion,
When the News Of Lees and john
I ston's surrndcFs burat upon the Southern
| county,. the general consteruatfon vas az
teme: People held their breath. indnlsIug II
, s n"uess aPp.eHeasions ns 70 What now WIS TO
Cn-ta5. ~ nau oe.up!ea poeit!ond under he
nsnujss1 In fba nesa,I;on VI , WE oaefMie eon;
Scrnns 81 as thsy sdyuneea and spFead on. 10 occupy
nc Gonnis, ION ,slags 70 y,i1aEe from plantation
70 3g9SGaps Or MOI; Others remained at thgfF home<
fnion!ss tn7d snn Il np 70 ,ne ~, e, fomnen.
preached them With kEaiiinx faces and both hunds
ex.enoea; en o. ssanains in the poliliea1 world
5ieps san 1s to wr ,s ths Esbe
h,fosin1oee: Ihc public mind "as 80 despondent
Mhassyet condition. had been Promised. i would
ravs nen icoaGa npon as ;of Ihs most
en1 rees pEpTd to1 IeanS ~ hs
c1pmsetsney m
LUIS aFpLes ehPGctafJ 10 thosc parts OF the coun.
,y Maoa E.a Mssc M.n nG Immediate reaeh Of our
ws1e n5sah People we:e st drst hardly aware ol the
IN ihsIr old WIS of living. s's''''1a'
~. hs W. aSeihtu.nE ~ t9c accounts received,
cosa ~ ;rcre o. 1t srst penoa Ihc wont appse
,eot y WtnSoi pling1Ig ue alsasers aud tnuc.
: 1o1s ~, Mnsa naa ocen vaguely anlefpatsd, until At
mson sr6siuea new M IA! hoes oitn 1 ise, r. ~
- nh.a ~ y. t .h!F seeona PeHoa waa caned upon
lei I'll XII. az sp"'' a"a 'o3"s 'nf main SUD-
'->' - '1'' 'se11 s.nrrrn.,ra ,,x.,rn
Its vel known fact that IN thc States South OF
Tennessee md North Carolins, he nuInbe. Of While
Mhe o. hs af dsa s
iaehmeni to the cause Of the Union, very small.
In Eo1e OF those 5atcs were they strong enough 70
The people, not even IN Louisans unless Vigorously
enppott.d " the porer Of The General uoysrn-
;, msnt ~. r. Wills people At large heing under
nsres d VIZ no thel; Ia hsnRas Rts5 ,5s
enscesa o. 5ae experiment depends upon the spirit
@ sha att.t1as u ol those who eiihet attaehed them
oI originally oppoeife views, at 1east
iono"ea ns 'ostnnee rom thc time that their sases
~ IT. s sanehsp 9nes 9 1 t{a s un9n
cane INTO contact immediately amer my arrival IN
nou!I tnfoitna, expressed heir sentiments almost
iedss ourselves s ses.ten, anA Ne d. ready 10 sno
decided that no State thsl! secede md HAT tns
gbi 6at we accept acte . shey nc, and de.iro to
be tc1nstaed as xoou y pd.athte In tbs enjoyment
and exercise Of o1r polstlea1 rights" This decl,rs-
non was rePested 70 ne hundreds OF times In evcyy
siale stsitcu; With soma variation Of language,
aecofdins 10 the different ways Of thinking. tue
fankness or resctIe BY tho different speskers Some
taia hosh1nq q adhcnE to their old principles and
cont.etlons nE6f; other, fdn argued against the
ons4tudorAtity al coeFtoH. and Of the Enaancara
tica ffoc!alanttoa; Others expressed their determ
ha!lon nal TO become good citizens in strong Language.
anu nrecd with eq1al emHhasls the necessity Of |
tleir home Institutions being at left to thcir
o7n control others would 20 70 far as 10 say they
were glad that the ssar was ended and thev had |
never had su;. confidence In tic Coniederacy; |
others protected that they had been opposed to se.
cession until iheE States went out and then yield
I'd to the current Of events; some would give me
to understand that they had alwats heen good |
Union men At heart. and re}oIced that the war had
terminated In favor OF The national cause, hut tn