The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-19
AFTER THE WAR.
Fear among the People Of the Ne
groes after the Withdrawal Of
the National Forces,
North Carolina Correspondence of the Herald


North Carolina Correspondence of the Herald
DANvILSE, May1.
The first idea which strikes the traveller
through this region is the entire absence of
law and of the protection it affords. 81
place my only remaining horse in the kitch-
en- with my servants at night" said a
wealthy planter, " for fear it will be sto-
len;" and if it had been, no constable or
sheriff with posse consitatus or volunteer
force of neighbors would have set out in
pursuit when morning came. The owner
could only submit to his loss far greater
than the simple value of the animal, since
it entailed the loss of his crop as we'll, hav.
ing nothing left with which to cultivate bis
land. .:... ... f.. ...,l.l.-
All civil Offices are practically abolished,
and the officers who filed them are absent
or inert, powerless to exercise their func-
lions, and everywhere might controls. A
band Of half dozen negroes, or a few
stragglers from one of the armies, will en-
ter house and remeve from it everything
valuable, including all the eatables, and the
terrified residents are dumb, not daring to
offer single remOnstrance, and breathing
q sigh Of relief when the ruffians are gone,
though they bear with them everything
upon which the family had depended to
support life for year to come. A con-
slant dread is apparent among all classes,
and the anxious, conciliatory smile which
invariably greeted me upon riding up to a
house spoke volumes as to the state of
mind of the people.
In conversation with them, I do not re-
collect that heard one single unkind word
concerning our government. Their bitter
ness is all reserved for JEFF Davis and his
satellites, by whom they feel they have
been deprived of everything valuable be-
meath the sun. 1t is curious fact that, as
unprotected as they are, liable to pillage
and robbery at any moment, the universal
testimony is that things are preferable now
to what they were prior to the advance of
our armies. Then every man was under
surveillance from which there was no
escape, and invariably exercised in the
most disagreeable manner. At every turn
he was obliged to produce his pass, show
ing why he was absent from the army. In
the market place, at church, on the rail-
way, riding in his carriage, seated in bis
house everywhere he was greeted by the
officials, who could only retain their places
by extraordinary zeal and efficiency in the
exercise of their disagreeable duties-and
required to show good cause why he should
not be placed in the trenches and fight the
hated North men.
Noturo11v in coppt-y u,haro On or,
tOcracy ruled, those who were exempt from
duty in the ranks, either by detail or 9th.
erwise. were those who could be best
spared from their families, the merciless
dragging from their homes the
poorer ones, who-e wives and children
were dependent upon their labor for sup
port. No provision was made for them,
and the amount of suffering thus caused
the seeding States for the past
three years is incalculable Upon return
ing home and listening to the recital of
these sufferings, the poor rebel soldier,
mindful OF the promises made him when
urged to fight vigorously against the hated
invader-that his family should be pro-
vided for-breathes threat of vengeance
against the authors of his own and his
family's inisiortuDes, and the blow which
follows is sure to fall upon his wealthy
neighbor, whose influence las been suifi.
Gent to exempt him from service, and q no
has all along suffered but COMPARE lively
little from the effects of the war. Much
anxiety Is expressed by The Weather class
upon this account, and numbers who have
been particularly viglant in enforcing the
conscription law openly confess that they
dare not remain in the country after the
departure OF our army, and are preparing
to leave with it ..g. - -
The difficulty of obtaining dress goods
has been such that in every house the spin
ming wheel and loom have been, brought
out, and the busy hum of the one aid clat-
tering noise of the Other have been heard
throughout the land At the numerous
stations along the Danville road are small
buildings formerly occupied as stores, and
the female portion of the community are
anxiously awaiting the good time when
these will be thrown open and prints and
muslins be once again exposed for sale. to
be substituted for the home-spun dresses,
of which, In spite of their patriotism, the
fair daughters of the South profess them
selves "heartily SICK" think / ventured
to guess upon the price of calico some
twenty times during my journey, which,
whether correct or not, had the effect Of
causing US many EXPLANATIONS of surprise.
and an apparently heartfelt wish by the
fair questionsrs that they would soon be
able to purchase. a @ J, 'f5@'g