The Shasta courier., 1865-10-28
Prophecy on the wane.

Now that the incidents Of the war are be-
ing worked up into every conceivable kind of
literature. it would be an original idea to
make book of the prophecies which have
been so freely and confidently advanced. -
The only objection to such work would be
its immense size and the tiresome sameness
in the nonfufillment of each successive pre-
diction. The most horrible calamites to the
nation have been literally pro aised and
proved by the most unimpeachable logic as
certain to oyerwhelm US but time has taken
up each prophecy in its regular order and
rudely overridden logic and left the dismay-
ed prophets to console themselves with some
new theory. 1t was utterly propo,terous
and impossible to conquer eight or ten
millions Of chivalrous people. They are at
pI esent satisfactorily conquered. Two years
of war would ruin the North irretriev.
ably. The North weLt on laughing and
growing fat through four years to the PEI feet
end. The slaves would rise in a servile war,
horrible to friend and foe alike. The slaves
conducted themselves with an instructive
and continued prudence calculated to shake
ones orthodox "nigger" opinions. Nor
would mobs accept of the inspired offers and
rule the country, nor would the country
suffer the required revulson when the troops
were disbanded, and every body aud every
thing appeared to be actuated by an utter
contempt for oracles. The latest and 'the
most unkindest cut of all'' is the unfeeling
way in which the freedman question is going
back on representations. The trouble to
arise from the settlement of this question
was to console US for all former disappoint-
ments. The " niger question was really
to be more dangerous one in politics than
before the war, and indeed to those who
wished to believe it there could easily be
found circumstances to give the belief
color. Radicals on one side could only see
safety in forcing every right of the most
enlightened citizen on the recently enfran-
chized slave; and radicals on the other are
even more persistent in their opinion that
the freedman should have no rights what
ever, which is the most practical way of
getting the slaves out of the frying pan into
the fire. In the meantime, it appears that
the people of the Southern States, who may
easily be supposed to have the deepest inter-
est in the matter, are settling it up with
commeneable good sensa BY recent ad-
vices from the Freedman's Bureau of four
Southern States-Georgia, Tennessee, Mis-
sissippi and Texas-it appeaxs that the per
sons entrusted with the management of the
colored population have no idea that the
negro is, merely by virtue of being negro,
free from the shortcomings of humanity
generally, or that it will not be necessary for
him to work. On the other hand, it appears
that in every place they have made complete
arrangements to preserve to HIM his rights,
and by which he may enforce them when
withheld; and it further appears that the
arrangements are cheerfully complied with
by the people. The people Of Tennessee
have gone not only farther than the other
Southern States, but farther even than many
Northern ones, and have made negro testi-
mony legal. The privilege Of making affida
Wits is not usually considered so precious a
one as that Of casting ballots, but if they do
not swear more cautiously than Caucaslans 1t
will be powerful argument why the greater
privilege should not be extended. In short
the more sensible portion of Southern people
appear to realize more fully than those of
the North that slavery is not; and are
making such practical arrangements to meet
the new order of things as to insure success
and harmony. Meantime, a party which
did not enjoy the blessing of having false
opinions whipped out of it, clings desperate
ly to the straWs left floating where the . Mig
ger'' institution went down, but it is fast
becoming water logged, and will float around
for while in every ones way. until it shall
be at length cast up to dry and return to
dust on some uninhabited shore.-Bee.