The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-07-04
Society at the South.

bduuS Ol <tliDdinisiiiS anu WHO WTltcSs
"The people, black and white are
starving. The whites are hardly con-
scious Of their horrid situation. They
are as mean and proud as ever. They
dress in rags, and have no money to
pay their passage on the cars or boats.
They subsist mainly by eating refuse,
which in ordinary times, would hardly
be given to the dogs.
Some procure rations from the Gov
ernment of the United States; others
go hungry. They will not work. They
say that they were not made to work,
that only" niggers" should engage in
toll. Thinking themselves true to this
character, they allow their lands to go
uncultivated. Their gardens, which
by their own industry, aside from that
OF the negro, should "blossom as the
rose," are grown up in weeds. On the
train which bore us to the capital of
Alabama were a large number of wo-
men who were going to the military au-
thorities for rations. They were OK
ceedingly bitter, some against the I'm
ion and others against jeff Davis. -
They could say what they pleased
against the former, but regarding the
latter, they must keep "mum." There
were Confederate soldiers on board, and
when word was said against jeff. or
the defunct Confederacy, some swag-
gering rebel would cry out, "shet up"
and with such emphasis as caused
general silence on that subject.
One woman, formerly from Pensaco-
la informed me that her husband had
been conscripted into the rebel service
at time when she lay very sick, and
while he was gone for physician
The conscript officer would not allow
him TO so much as 60 home and say,
"Good-by." She had five small chill
dren, and for two days was unable to
procure them food. Though without
money she ventured on the car, and,
when the conductor came along for
tickets, she had no money and that she
could not pay him. The conductor in
formed her that she should not have
gone on board a public conveyance
without means to pay her passage. The
poor soul began to cry aloud, thinking
that she was to be put off. A Yankee
soldier, plying her, paid her fare, and
the conductor was satisfied. A mad
rebel, standing by, told the passengers
that it served her right, and that she
ought to be put off-"any one who
would talk of President Davis as she
did,"
There was five times more Confede-
rates than there were Union soldiers on
the train. Indeed, one would suppose
that the Rebellion was yet in its glory
from the speeches Of those braggarts.
Union men cannot breathe freely or rest
at any ease apart from the military au-
thoritics. This is solemn fact
Along the entire line, we witness
enough to convince us that no other
remedy than bayonets will suit this
country for many months to come.
| heard of starved women and chill
dren--persons who had actually starv-
ed to death. / have no doubt that such
is the case. The appearance Of the
country fully justiiies the belief that tho
greatest distress prevails among the
people, and yet it is strange how terri
bly, bitter the returned Rebles are,-
Even on their way to the Government
Commissary to procure rations they
abuse the Government and the people
Of the United States. Terms rs un-
meroifpl as any we have heard for
months were used by this mad people.
The colored people will be murdered
and driven to untimely graves if the
Government does not keep provost
guards at the county seats and the cities.
SO great is the madness of the old slave
holders over their defeat and subjuga-
ton, that, on their return home, they
amuse themselves by cutting off the
ears, noses orlips oftheir former slaves.
This is not dream. 1t is q terrible
fact, and / am sure that when l. is
known to our loyal people there will
arise such a feeling of Indignation as
will surely reach the very heavens
AT Montgomery five men come in one
day with ears cut off and in an almost
nude state. Others came in with throats
cut: while others appeared terribly
marked over their bodies with blows
from sticks and stones. The pcrpetra.
tors are ''chivalrous' men, high-minded
well-bred gentlemen, no doubt. Thank
heaven, the dominion of such gentry is
at an end. Gen. Al. Smith and Col.
Geddes are vigalent in their search for
the cruel monsters. But these cases
are only samples. All officers and sol
hn oil
the deepest horror over these awful
deeds, and are resolved that they must
end.
When the train stops on the railroad,
or when boat stops at landing, the
delay is usually spent in tormenting
poor colored persons who may be at
tempting to come on board. The only
exemptions are known when a sufficient
number of Union officers and soldiers
are on board to give protection to the
poor refugees.
/ am of opinion, candidly, that one
twentieth of these awful deeds will
never be known.
On my journey down the Alabama,I
met and conversed with the celebrated
Capt. Semmes, Of the Alabama. He
looked mad and ragged. The captain
of the steamboat, fndin4t that the pi-
rate had no means with which to pur-
chase meal-tickets, made him a present
Of some.
Semms said, the country Is ruined"
Southern gentlemen are utterly re-
duced to poverty by these cruel invad-