The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-03-10
Savannah of To-Day.
INTERESTING; LETTER FROM "CARLETON.' y
SAVANNAH, Feb. 13, 1865.

: INTERESTING LEIlEl rNOM ShhLElON.
SAVANNAH, Feb. 13, 1865.
Society in the South, and especially in
this city, has undergone and is still under.
I going great change. [ have had an op.
portunity to observe it in all its phases
The extremes were wide apart before the
war, they were very widely separated the
night before Sherman marched into the
city, but the next morning there was a
convulsion, disruption, breaking up Of
the crust, an upheaval, and also shaking
down, which has had no parallel during
the war. The tread of that army of the
West as it marched into the city with
drums beating and banners waving, sing
ing OF old John Browns body, produced
an earthquake which sent aristocratie
pride, privilege and power, reeling into
the dust. Old houses. with foundations
LAID deep and strong in the past centuries
fortified by wealth. name and influence,
went down in an instant. At the same
moment there was an upheaval from be-
meath which has produced a common level
to all. A change in the poles of the
poles Of the earth would scarcely produce
a greater CONFUSION in the physical world
than that brought about in the social con-
dltlon OF the people of this city.
On the night before Sherman entered
the place there were hundreds of citizens
who could enumerate their wealth by hun
dreds of thousands of dollars, who at sum
rise the next morning were not worth a
dime. Their property was in cotton, ne
groes, houses, land, confederate bonds and
currency, railroad and bank stocks.
Their cotton was seized by government; ;
their lands have been given to the negroes :;
their negroes are free; their houses are
occupied by the government their con-
Tolerate bonds are waste paper; their rail
roads are torn up; their banks are gone
out of existence
The time may come, undoubtedly will,
when something will be realized. but at
present they are absolutely pennies.
But it is not in wealth alone that they feel
the convulSion. The greatest shock of all
has come IN the loss OF privilege and pow
er, which never can be regained. 1t is
this which cuts deepest and sorest.
$ | never will live i'll a city where
have got to mix with free ni9gers." said
one Of the former wealthy Sons of the
city.
VERY well, you can 90 out of it,
suppose" was all the comfort he received
in reply.
8 1t is hard to have to lay our loved
ones in the grave-to have them fall bv
thousands on the battle tield-to bc strip
ped of everything: but the hardest of all
Is nigger equality, and won't submit to
it, was the remark of a lady who was in
tensely bitter in her feelings toward the
North
L" What will you do?" | asked
leave the country-go to Canada, or
Europe, or Cuba" was the reply, accom-
panied with tears
The people are not yet able to see that
society always has made itself into classes
Free society is not totally democratic, nor
can it be. There always has been. prob
ably always will be aristocracy of intellect,
or wealth, or blood Men can and do Sc
lect their associates. SO long as the ne
gro was compelled to enter their parlor as
a servant it was well, but freedom implie,
the possibility of his living there not as a
servant but as an equal by the laws and
customs of society; that is intolorable
The rich rebels OF Savannah, those who
were rich, are thinking not now how they
shall repair their shattered fortunes here
how adopt the new order of things, but
are looking forward to the time when they
can leave the city, shaking off the dust of
their feet against the Yankees who are
swarming in, and especially against the
negro, and seek a home in other lands.
There are some men of wealth not to be
included in this assertion, men who will
adapt themselves to the new order of
things.
| have visited the houses of the rich
and sat down in the humble homes of the
negroes, and the equally mean houses of
the poor white, and have endcavorcd to
ascertain the feelings of all. The poor
whites here. as everywhere in the South,
are inert and liftleSs. Nothing stirs their
ambition. They hover under the sunny
sides of the buildings, visiting the city
supply stand, to receive the contributions
sent from New York and Boston. The
war has taken out the best blood of that
class. The bone and muscle of this ele-
ment in society is decaying beneath the
soil Of Virginia, and what Is left is the
dregs of society. 1t never has been a
controlling power, but has always been
controlled by the aristocratic class, now
deprived of its ancient power, and think
ing not how to regain it but how to get
out of the way of the colored man.
In former letter gave an account of
meeting held last week which was ad-
dressed by Gen. Saxton, who has charge
OF the colonization of the islands under
the order of Gen. Sherman. That order
was written by the secretary of war, or
ii not written by him was read by him
when ne was here, and before it was issu-
ed. 1t is, therefore, a government meas
ure and not eminating from Gen. Sher
man. a New York paper attacks it edi
torially because it prohibits white men
from dwelling on the islands This pro-
hibition was not designed to perpetuate
caste, but to protect the negroes from the