The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-25
NUMBER l57.
From the y. O. Times
The Material and Political status OF the
LETTER FROM PROFESSOR DEBow.

To tke Editors Union and imcriCdH, Nash
I riUc-You requested line from me on my
return to the Southwest upon the general
condition of affairs, and upon the prospects
which the future seemed to open. i shall en-
deavor briefly to comply.
Everywhere in the interior of the country.
as well as in the towns. there are evidences
of activity, and people, who were reduced
to the greatest extremity, show spirit and
determination in graphing with the situa-
tion which is truly astonishing. and every
branch of business or employment is already
| crowded. The planters, however, struggle
! aginst a thousand difficulties. The ruin of
estates is but small part. They are per
picked and worried by the labor question,
| and until few days it seemed As II the
freedmen had abandoned all thought Of
further occupation. More recently It Is said
| that they are contractors, and on favorable
! terms but il must he admitted that the
! greatest distrust prevails of their future.
The planters find ii impossible to procure
advances to work the estates. Capital Is too
cautious to seek such adventures Thou
! sands of estates are in the market Tor sale
at half or a quarter their former values, or
| for rent, but there are few transactions.
! Agents offer the most inviting lists but offer
| in vain. The capital and Labor which were
| to have come from the North or Europe have
| not yet appeared, and the evidence 50 far Is
| complete that the Southern crops Tor another
| year will be very short and that a million
bales of cotton will he a very liberal esti-
/ mate.
The great activity which prevails and
which is so imposing to the eye ought not
! however, to deceive. 1t is no augury for the
| future. The wretehed condition of affairs
/ at the end of the war occasloncd almost y
! struggle for life among our people, and all
/ the little savings that had been boarded up
| or hidden away were brought forth TO re
plenish supplies In the utter exhaustion
there was demand for everything-thys the
large trade which immediately sprung up
| The cotton which survived the war, and
which was generally ditfused over the conn
| try furnishes the means of keeping up this
commerce. 1t was an act of Providence that
SO much was saved i'll the general wreck,
| but when that is gone, collapse may rea-
sonably be expected, unless some great and
unexpected relief presents itself The idea
generally prevails and men speak gloomiiy
of the future. Certainly there never was
such n field for enterprise as that which the
South furnishes, but the capital is wanting.
So far for the material question.
Now as to the political. There is an in
tense feeling of disappointment and chagriu
prevailing, and people who n few months
ago accepted the situation and were i'll good
faith endeavoring to perform its duties,
express themselves with bitterness. They
perceive disposition III the national coun-
ellis to humiliate and degrade them. They
are required to make sacrifices from which
their manhood shrinks. Their honest pro
fessons are mistrusted, and the magnanlm-
ity which might have been expected from IA
generous foe has not been shown. This re-
mark does dot apply to the President, whose
noble course is universally Landed Even
those who were called Union men in the
past and those who were re-cOnstuctlonlstS
during the war, speak with indignation. Ii
was not for this they bargalned. They pre-
dicted generous policy ON the part of the
North, and are twitted by their associates
with their over confidence. Certainly
great change has taken place III public senti.
ment and the radical party may take credit
to themselves for engendering feelings, of
alienation and hostility greater than
would have resulted from another year of
war
Ninety-nine in the hundred of the South
ern people were devoted to the Confederacy,
gloried in it's achievements, doubted not an
instant of its just cause and its eventiul
triumph and sacrificed or were willing to
sacrifice for it all they possessed or expected
to possess of life or property. When the
crash came they We're overwhelmed The
path of duty, however, soon opened TO them.
The couqueror was entitled to their allie
glance. They would give it freely, openly,
unreseTvedly, and the fidelity which they
had shown to the cNtiuCt gov eminent
proved them to be faithful and true and
loyal people wherever their allegiance was
given Never in history was there more
generous effort upon the part of the con
quered to submit themselves with propricty
and dccorum No repinng, no sullenncss,
no covert hostility. Their work was done
their cause had failed-hopelessly, and they
acqiuesced! 1t was practicable to have
worked with the existing elements, and pro
duced an early restoration of good feelings
and return ofthe better days of the republic
1t was the alternative left, and the best men
of the South hoped for such event The
majority of the North had ii in their power
to heal up all the old wounds, and SO to re
construct society as to make one homo
geneous mass out of our people. Have they
acted with wisdom and prudence, modcra-
ton and justice, or from prejudice and pas
sion! Let them answer.
For one had confidence that there was Il
sentiment i'll the North which would become
the dominant one, and which would sus-
tain the generous efforts of the President in
the direction of reconciliation and recon
struction, and so declared myself openly
and publicly. | argueit from history and
from n knowledge of human nature, and
alicnatcd some old associates i'm doing SO. IL
was the clear dictate of interest "a well Ak
of reason | thought. No one desired more
than ] did to perpetuate the old Union upon
the basis of equal rights to all sections and
the inviolablity Of the Constitution. felt
with Mr. Calhoun that under the COnstitu-
ton it was Government to love, honor
and serve. Ideplored, though ] admitted
the necessity under which the South felt
herself constrained to move. Her fortunes
were mine, and / was the last to abandon
them, / gloried in them. But that is all in
the past. i am again a citizen of the Uni
ted States, and it is due to that Government,
to which had the option of allegiance on
not (for / might have emigrated,) that !
give faithful and true service. 1t is my
Government and my country. and l should
do all in my power to promote her prosper
ity her honor, and her name. / have entered
upon that work already in connection with
the restoration of the South. There is no
other power to divide allegiance with. !
give it wholly and freely or not at all, and
this / believe would have been the senti>
ment of our entire people, and will yet be
their sentiment if wisdom and prudence rule
the national councils, God grant the era OF
good feeling may return and that speedily.
Whatever may be the fortunes of the South
they will be mine, and yours Messrs. Ed
itors, for all that are ours of family or pos
sessions are within her limits and are likely
to remain so. Your obedient servant,
J ID. r. DEBOw
A TOUCHING APPEAL FROM FREEDMEN.