The Placer herald., 1866-02-17
DEMONSTRATION, s0.CALLED.

''RECONSTRUCTI0N," S0.CALLED.
We have rarely il ever encountered q
more capital or cutting burIesque than the
following document" gotten up by the
Washington correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Commercial, supposed to be the report Of
Tbsd. Stevens "Rsconstruction Committee"
after their return from their proposed visit
to investigate the loyalty OF The southern
people:
WAsHINo oroN, Jan. 1865.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Rep.
resentatives:
Your committee, appointed to visit the
States lately 10 rebellion, and investigate and
repor. upon their condition as to loyalty
and fitness for rsadmission into the Union,
have performed the duty assigned 10 them.
aud beg leave to make the following report:
Naturally, tha first place visited by your
committee was Richmond, Virginia, the cap.
i,al Of the late Confederscy. Our coming
had been heralded in the newspapers there,
and the demonstration at the railroad depot
on our arrival may be taken as, in some de.
gree, indicative Of the popular sentiment Of
that city. We found . large concourse Of
citizens of African descent awaiting US, and
as ws di.embarksd from the cars, they hailed
US With shouts Of welcome, mingled with
This way to the Spottswood House, Here's
your buss for the CONTINENTAL Here's your
cab for any part of the city, Baggage TO
The hotel. gents etc. 1t was grateful to the
hearts Of loyal men to be thus welcomed 10
a city so lately the headqanrtsr Of the rebel,
lion, while vt the same lime we began to
feel convinced already that the only true
loyal people of the South we're Of the color.
Cd race. We could not decline the hospital
tiles so generously rendered US, and accord:
ingly We selected two carriages from the
large number placed at our disposal. We
we're driven TO the Spottswood by our hos>
pitabIe friends, who charged US two dollars
apiece and bslf dollar extra for baggage.
After SO much kindness from the colored
race, we were uuprePared for the harsh
treatment which We subsequently received
from the white olgarcbs OF Richmond. The
proprietor of the Spotlswood gave US rooms
in the 6fth story, back. saying to his clerk as
we have been informed by faithful African
who blacked our boots for quarter a pair,
that they we're good enough for Yankee
radicals. The same spirit Of dis'oyal hate
was manifested 10 Us in the dining room,
where, in response to our repeated call for
Goldfish and pumpkin pie, we were served
with nothing but bacon and hot cakes. We
asked why this was done, and we're told by
a loyal waiter, to whom we had just given a
postal half dollar that Mr.. Spot,swood said
he didn't keep hotel for the socommoda.
t;an rs VooEoos tharofo.a tl,
excluded Goldfish and pumpkin pies from the
bill Of fare. Your committee do no deem il
necessary to dwell upon this evidence Of
smouIdsring disloysIty. nor to compare i,
with the hastily formed opinion Of Gen.
Grant respecting southern sentiment. Our
object was 10 get below the surface of things
in the South, to find The true character Of lbe
sub stratum. We remained 10 Richmond a
few days to study the character Of the peo.
pie. On all hands We found evidences
Of distinction on account Of color. excepting
= freedmau's colony. whore the blacks re
ceived The whites on an equal footing with
themselves. We also noticed disIoysl disl
position to speak Of Stonewall Jackson and
Gen. Lee in terms Of praise and commenda.
lion. while Gen. Buffers name was mention
ed 10 contemptous connection with silver
spoons, and occasionally little plated ware,
and be himself seemed 10 be better known as
the Bottle Imp Of Bermuda Hundred, than
10 any other way.
"Our next visit was to Atlanta, Georgia.
Here we had a long consultation with a
Treasury Agent, who had ample means Of
information on the subject Of Georgia loyal
~ Ao h;. Hh.t ~
Southern States to representation at this
time would be highly injudicious. He did
not believe that there was a white native in
the State loyal enough to take his place.
and asserted that 10 remove bin and others
similarly siturted, would not be only danger,
ous to The welfare Of the country, but would
be also the height Of ingra,itude to men
who bad risked character and reputation for
the patriotic cause of cotton and ten or
twelve thousaad a year. Your committee
concurred entirely 10 his opinion.
while in Atlanta your committee beard
many expressions Of sentiment. which go to
show how far Gen. Grant is mistaken in what
be says in his report. On one occasion es
pesially We heard what convinced Us that the
lava Of secession still burned 10 The southern
bosom. The case was that of young gem
tlsmau from Massachusetts, Of poor but hon.
est parents, who bad come 10 the South in
lhe capacity Of freedman's school teacher.
lie bad casually made the acquaintance of a
southern lady Of two score and ten, whose
husband bad fallen under the rebel flag,
leaving hcr q widow of handsome estate.
The young gentleman desirous of matri-
mony. and plantations, pressed bis suit, and
was progressing, as be though. most favora
oily, when one evening the widow told him
at tea party, in the presence Of large
number OF people, that she'd rather be bur
led alive than marry Yankee" The pa,ri
OF school-teachsr no longer piled the rod Of
chsstiss'nent over refractory freedmen.-
The star Of his hope has gone down, and he
has gone back to Boston, = wreck Of bis for