Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-28
GENERAL SEIZURES REPORT.
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
LITTLE LOYALTY DISCOYEREB.

CONDITION OF THE SOUTH.
LITTLE LOYALTY DISGOYEREB.
The Freedmen and their Prospects.
General Carl Schurz's official report of
his recent tour through the States OfSouth
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
and Louisiana, laid before the President a
few days ago, and sent to Congress, has
been published. It is an elaborate and in
teresting document, giving a full account
of the condition of the States lately insFe-l
bellIon, and of the feeling of the people,
white and black. y
In beginning his report to the Presi-
dent, General Schurz recites the instrue-
tions he received as follows: Iag.
"You informed me that your policy OF
reconstruction was merely experimental
and that you would change it If the exT
pertinent did not lead to satisfactory re-
suits. To aid you in forming your con-
illusions upon this point l understood TO
be the object of my mission, and this un-
d~erstanding was in perfect with
the written instructions 1 received through
the Secretary of War"
He then proceeds to describe the methods
he adopted for obtaining trustwOrthyuin in
formation-mainly consisting of inter
views with representative men in different
parts of the South, and subsequent COM
p~arisors Of their views with those of our
military and naval officers, besides per-
sonal observations of the country, talks
with the negroes and perusal of official
papers.
The frst division of the report notes the
condition Of fhe South Immediately after
the war. Union men and those who took
part in the rebellion concur In the state
ment that general CONSERVATION prevailed
after the surrender of Lee and Johnston,
and that prominent rebels were complete
ly panic stricken; but the worst appre-
tensions were gradually relieved as day
after day went by without bringing the
disasters and infections which had been
vaguely anticipated, until A. last the APP
pearance of the South Carolina proclama-
ton substituted new hopesfor them. The
development of this second period Gen.
Schurz was called upon to observe on the
SPOT, and it forms the main subject OF this
report.
WHAT THE SOUTH cARoIIANs SAID.
The report continues:
The first Southern men with whom l
came into contact Immediately after my
arrival in South Carolina expressed their
sentiments almost literally in the follow
ing language: 1--WE acknowledge our
selves beaten, and we are ready to submit
to the results Of the war. The war has
practically decided that no State shall Sc
cede, and hat the slaves are emanelpated
We cannot be expected at once to give up
our principles and convictions OF right,
but we accept facts as they are and desire
to be reinstated as soon as possible IN the
/ endowment and exercise of our political
rights" This declarations was repeated to
me hundreds of times in every State !
visited, with some variation of language
according to the different ways Of
thinking, or the frankness or re.
serve Of the different speakers. Some
said nothing of adhering to tn If old prin'
ciples and convictions Of right; Others
still argued against the constitutionality o.
coercion and of the emancipation proclaim
alton; others expressed their determine
ton to become good citizens, in strong
language, and urged with equal emphasis
the necessity of their home institution:
being at once left to theft WI control
Others would GO so far as to say they wen
glad that the wal was ended, andthev had
never had any confidence in the Confed.
eracy; others protested that they hac
been opposed to secession until theil
States went out, and then yielded to the
current Of events; some would give me tt
understand that they had always beer
good Union men at heart, and ~rejOiceC
that the war had terminated in flavor oftht
national cause, but in most cases such /
sentiment was expressed only in a whisper
others again would grumblingly insist OF
the restoration of their "rights," as if they
had done no wrong, and indicate plainly
that they would submit only to what they
could not resist, and as long as they could
not resist it. Such were the definitions o
" returning loyalty" I received from tn
mouths of a large number of individual
intelligent enough TO appreciate the mean
8 great many whose nj of speaking
showed that they did not understand tn
circumstances under which they lived, anC
had no settled opinions at all, except OF
matters Immediately touching their neares
Interests.
General Schurz then proceeds to grouI
the Southern people in four diferen
classes. This classification was Furnished
our readers in the telegraPhic extract o
the report published Monday morning
and we will not repeat it.
The report treats very lightly of tn
question Of the political oath, which ap
pears to be without marked effect in tn
South. The feeling of the people toward
the soldiers and the people Of the North i
described as generally hostilei "the sol
der of the Union is stil lookedupoh'as
stranger, as an intruder, the Yankee,
the enemy"
The following are given as illustration
of this
UNFRIEEDLY SPIRIT.
1 have read in Southern papers bite
/ oomD1aints about the uDfriendlV shirt ex