The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-07-13

Some of the New York papers nave
had correspondents travelling through
the South since the close of hostilities,
in order to write up the look of things,
and gather together what the people
say, how they feel, the prospects and
progress of reconstruction, the ways Of
the negroes, in fine, all about the new
regime, so far rs anything can be ascer-
tanned, The correspondent ofthe Herald
has progressed as far as Columbus,
Mississippi, and seems much disguised.
He writes thus:-
Since my last letter I have returned
from Macon to this point, weary ana
disguised with my fortnight'S expert
ence with the natives OF this country.
When traveller sets out to study a
people he goes prepared TO live with
them, be part of them, and become
not only acclimated to their country,
but accustomed to their customs. Liv-
ingstone found attractions among the
Africans, Hall and Kane among the
EsquimauX, and Vambery among the
AIahometnns of Persia, and the results
of their existence among those barbn-
rians have been entertaining duodecimO
volumes of much value. The South is
n far more interesting field, and Won
der the embryo Livingstones and YAM
berys have not yet discovered it. The
people here are more barbarous, have
stranger customs, and are by far u
more interesting study than any race i
have ever heard Of. To any one dis
posed still to look upon the Southern
people MS the "chivalrous noble peo-
pie" that romance has characterized
them, / would not recommend a trip
to this region now while the whole
Southern race may be said 10 be en- dis
Hd6IIe. The war has unveiled them,
and they present in character many of
the defOrmities which IL dresSy belle
sometimes displays inadvertently when
caught in the charming employment of
Clisrobing. ] have been living for II
fortnight i'll their midst, sharing their
poverty and studying their habits, and
am now hurrying towards civilization
as fast as it is possible to do so in this
GOd-fOrsaken country. Their food is
coarse, but their habits coarser. Their
garments are by no means fine, but
their ScnsibilitieS are less delicate. The
men are stupidity ignorunt-inconceiv
bly, so--andare lackingin energy, vigOr
and all the characteristics of manhood
to n degree so astonishing to n New
Yorker that / do not fancy shall ever
recover from my amaZcmcnt. Their
whole employment in life appears to he
to grumble at their hard fate and the
"cruel treatment ofthe Yankee govern
mcpt in taking all their slaves" They
vary this existence occasionally by
quarreling with their former slaves and
bringing them before Col. G. NJ, L..
johnson, commanding this post and the
sub-district'of Northeast Mississippi, in
order to complain of them for deSerting
the plantation and refusing to work.
The candid truth is that,
generally speaking, the great majority
ofthe Southern whites are not one whit
the superior i'll education or morals of
the negroes. Both races have to be edu-
Gated, have to be freed from the bond
age of ignorance in which the slave
holder has kept both the negroes and
the poor white trash," before thevwill
be able to judge correctly what is best
for their interest and welfare. If any
one wishes to comprehend how it was
that the rebel leaders so successfully
deluded this people into their accursed
rebellion, and to see how completely
the poorer whites become mere tools in
the hands the richer planters. he has
only to come South and see how totally
ignorant and fearfully depraved these
poor. NVIIitoE, -
DEPRAvITY OF THE WOMEN.
have neither space, time nor incli-
nntin1O IN GuH- 111IVrI, oh ,,,D,,,r,,