The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-06-21
Society at the South.

/ bile May 2oth, from one who has lust trdv-
I eled by car and boat through the length
Of Alabama via Montgomery. meeting and
cOnversing with thousands Of Ahlbamians.
and who writes:
/ The people Black and White ar starving
/ The Whites are hardly cOnciscious Of their
/ horrid situation. Taey are ~ mean and
As prord as ever. They dress In ra4s. and
pave no money 20 pay their passage on the
cars OF boats. They subsist mainly br
eating refuse. which in ordinary times.
/ would hardly be given 10 tie dogs.
Some procure raliOns from tie Govern.
ment OF the United States: others 20 hun
f cry. They 1CiU not le0rk. They say thar
they were not made TO work, that only
niSgers' should engage IN toll. Think
inS themselves true 10 this character, the,
allow their lands 10 90 uncultivated Their
gardens, winch by their own industry aside
from That OF the negro, should " blossom
as the rose are grown up in weeds. o.
/ the tram which bore Us II g capital oil
Aldbama We're large number Of women
VINO were going TO the nj itary authorizes
Tor railOns. They were exceedingly bitter
some against the Union and others against
JeI. Davis. They could say what thei
pleased a5aiDs- the former Dut REGARDING
the latter they must keep mum" There
were Confederate soldiers on board. and
when a word was said against JEFF. or the
deiunct COniederacy. some staggering
keOel would cry out, "shut up. aad Will
such emphasis as caused a general silence
on That subject.
One woman, formerly from Pensacola in-
formed me that her husband had been con-
scripted INTO the Rebel service al "a me
when she lay very sick and while he WI
gone lora physician. The conscrpt 0.lce.
would not allow him 10 SO much as 20 home
and say, GOOd-hy." She bad five small
children, aud Tor two days was unable To
procure them any food. Though without
money, She ventured on tie car. and wnen
the conductor came along for tickets, she
said she had TO money and that she could
not pay him. Tie conductor informed beg
that she s"Ould not have gone on b al a
public Conveyance without means 10 pay
her passage. The poor soul began TO err
aloud, thluAing she was 10 be put OIL 4
ldnAec >Oiaier plying her. paid her fare
ana tie conductor was satisfied m4a
Rebel. standing by, told the passen.es-
hat IL served her right, and tnat she oIgl,
10 be pat cil-''any one who W0uid talk ol
President Davis as she dd.
There was I've times more Confederate
than Il ere were Union soldiers Uu tie ,rlil
Indeed, one would suppose that the Reoeii
on was Yet in lis glory from the speeche~
Ol those braggart,. Union men cannot
breathe freely or rest at any ease apart
from the military authorities. This is 4.
soieinn fact. Along the entire line. We
witness enough 10 convince Us that 30 OH
er remedy than bayOnets will suit ihis c8un-
try Tor many months 10 come.
l heard vi starved women and children
persons who had actually starved lo
death. have no doubt lha- slcn is ihc
case. The appearance OF the country fall +,
Justiiies The belief that the greatest distress
prevails among the people, and Vet il i-
strange how terribly bitter the returned
Rebels are. Even on their way 10 ine Gov
ernment Conlm.sarv TO procure ratious they
abuse the Government and the People OF
the United States. Terms as unmercitI
rs any we have heard for months Wee
used oy this mad people.
The coiOred people VIII be murdered and
driven 10 uniimely graves II The Govern
meul does not keep provost guards az tae
county seats and the cities. 81 great is
tie madness Oi the old shareholders over
;ueir defeat aud saojugau0n, that. on
,Ae4r return home, Mey dBluSs MenS IT,,
~ cNtt,ng II he eou's. noses o. Ups Ol
tecu' fOimer SiQCeS This Is not dream
/ IL : u terrible fact, and | am sure that when
I Il Is known 10 our loyal people there VIII
arise such a feeling OF Indignation a Wi
surrey reach The very heavens. Vt Mont
gOmeTy, i've nen came ia one day with
ears cut oil aud in an almost nude state.
OILERS came in with IhrOats cut: while 9th
ers appeared terribly marked over tbeiI
bodies with blows from sticks and stones.
The perpetrators are " chivalrOus' men,
high-niaded, well-bred gentlemen, no
DOUBT. Thank heaven, the dominion ol
such gentry l. n an end. Gen. 4. J. smith
and Col. Geddes are vigilan, in their search
/ Tor the cruel monsters But these cases
are only samples. All officers and soldiers
Uf the army here are filled with The deepest
horror over these awful deeds, aud are Te
solved that they must end.
When the tram stops on the railroad. OF
when a boat stops NJ a landing. the delay
IS usually spent in tOrmenting poor colOrel
persons who may be attempting TO CONS
on board. The only exemptions are known
when a sufficient number OF Union 0ilicer.
and soldiers are on board 10 give protection
10 the poor refugees.
am of opinion, candidlv, that one-,wen-
tieth OF these awful deeds will never d,
known.
On my journy down tie Alabama I me-
and cOnyersed with the celebrated Capt
Semmes. OF the Alabama. He looked mao
and ragged. The captain of the steamboat
finding that the pirate had no means with
which 10 purchase mell-tickels, made hin
Il present of some.
Semmes said. 'the country is ruinel"-
poverty by these cruel invaders-there j:
DO hope left--such as can get away vii
have to seek some corner OF the cart!
where they can live as gentlemen-he haC
no doubt that the negr was happy i'm
state of Siavery-freedom, a understo0,
by the negro, is worse than Slavery in ans
form, and the Yankees will liud il so-Ta,
Yankees meant that Southern Slavcrl
should perish. and they nave succeeded
they are the snlartest and worst people oi
the top of the earth-hstory furnishes %,
record Of people 80 Industrious and IS,
persevefing in what they undertake.
defeat OF the South. with Il Cause 50 jI,
Is deep mystery, that wears the appeaf
ance Of God being against tie South: hu
that could not be a fact, for the reason Tia
the sacrifices and devotion of the South
ern people were so sincere and so religious
GA nearing Mobile. We were a little NOR
free. and cOuyersed with Rebel officers con
siderably. Speaking Of "our Government
one of these stepping up very firmly said
No, sir; not Our Government: il i yOurS
We have 40 Government. We are alien
aud foreigners, and viii never have OIL
souls So degraded As 10 have anything
whatever TO DO with such Government
Release Us from the Obligations OF this pa
role, and we Will leave the d--d peOp.
who have overpOwered US
"Yes, sir: thai's our view, sad . doze
others OF the same stripe.
In this late war we fought i'm the name d