The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-25
LETTER FROM HALIFAX, COUNTY
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch,
THE FREEDMEN IN THAT sECTIoN-ToBAcco
WHEAT, CORN, AND DAT CROP.


HALIFAX COUNTY, Va, June %.
The dcarth of news in this section OF the
country n this time is the best indication
that every body is attending to his own
business and letting that of others alone.
Even Madame Rumor, who adds by travel
| ling
New ~isor TO her height ne" p'"'h' 10 her
| wings, 80
has disdained to light, for even q little
while. among our cultivated fields or coun-
try villages. but has rather taken her
course, suppose, TO our great cities, as
She did in her journey through Libya.
! This spirit of seltshness, whether agrcea.
bic or not 10 newsmongers is one of the
fortune Of so many of our people, whose
minds are So directed to the greater evils
that Cypress or threaten them that those
which do not affect them directly give no
concern. The great Fenian and European
wars they care nothing about they hold
no Irish bonds): and as to the Radical war,
which is all on one side, they would never
think of il but for the frequent vlsltations
of their cmisSaries, the tax -gathercrs, the
petty invaSions of the "Freedmen's Bu-
reau." or the bitter invectivc of some
newspaper. | could wish that the whole
southern people, newspapers and all, would
ignore the Radical party and its leaders,
for ! am sure it would add greatly 10 our
present comfort even 10 endure our Ills
without being oppressed with thoughts OF
those who have visited them upon us. |
think paper which would make ii one of
its principles never to mention the names OF
radical leaders and editors, infamous Judges,
female lecturers, and miscegcnationlsts,
would soon obtain unparalleled popularity,
not only in the south, but among all pco-
pie Of taste in the north. 1T would be the
greatest step that has been taken for many
| wears 10 preserve the purity and chaste-
ness of our language, by ignoring such new
words of direful meaning as were never
before heard of in any languagc--words in
which are ccntercd
| "Such strange extremes
| From different natures marvellously mixed. q
This hint, hope, will be appreciated by
those Richmond papers which have been
making such efforts to restore the original
purity of our tongue. / remember, how
ever. the story Of ErostratuS, who burned
the temple of the Ephesian Diana, and do
not expect that such silence, however uni
versal, would prevent such persons from
blackening the pages Of history. And
while | am writing about using names, may
not hint at the thoroughly repugnant
democratic way our papers and people
have of speaking of Mr.. Davis, General
Lee, and others 1t seems to me, who
have been soldier, and taught to regard
them as my leaders, a very great breach of
respect, and familiarity which they use
only who cannot pretend to claim it. l
am glad TO believe these cautions totally
inapplcablc to the Dispatch.
The freedmen in our midst are working
remarkably well, but they are paid well
for it. do not suppose that laborerS in
any part of the world are more comtorta-
| bly, situated than the freedmen of the
south, and they would be thoroughly con-
tented if so many false promises and in
duccmcntS to idleneSS were not held out
to them. In nearly every family they are
| taught and afforded those means OF learn
ing which white persons under the same
circumstances enjoy. 1t is to be much
dcplOred that so many OF them have gone
to town, like Yankee Doodle, and gotten
the "teather in their crown" EuripideS
may have spoken somewhat the truth when
he said " that the first requisite to happ-
ness is that man be born in famous
| city - but do not at all believe it true
when applied to the freedman'S visiting the
city. His paradise is the city; and when
| he has once been there, it would require
more than two angels with flaming swords
to keep him away. In the country they
seem perfectly contentcd with their pre-
| sent lot, and if the northern States would
only return us the money, with interest to
date, We paid them for our slaves, IRE would
hc satisfied with o,u present condition in
this respect.
The farmers are nearly through with
their harvest OF wheat. There are only
two crops in my knowledge that will APP
proXimatc a half crop. The grain is OF the
best quality, however, and many farm.
ers think that the advanced price of wheat
will make up the deficiency in quantity.
1t requires no great scholarship to tell the
gain on one bushel of wheat at four dollars
as compared with that of four bushels at one
dollar per bushel, when the freight alone
is fifteen cents per bushel in each case.
The tobacco crop, from all can learn
from the most experienced planters, is as
promising as was ever known before.
Great attention has been bestowed upon
this crop, and the best land put in cultiva-
ton, on account of the necessity of the
success of the crop this year to the future
prosperity Of the farmers. Crops of two
hundred thousand hills are very common,
and many farmers even reach three hum
dred and fifty and four hundred thousand.
Allowing from three to six hills to pound,
according as the tobacco is heavy or fine,
one can easily judge how great their eX-
pectations are.
The corn crop is abundantly large and
much advanced; though, like that of Cou-
sin Sally billiards. cousin, is "smartly in
the grass" The three very heavy rains
we have had since the planting Of this crop
have materially damaged the corn in the
low grounds, fear; for the farmers have
scarcely had an opportunity to work it.
/ never saw better oat crop from pre-
sent prospects, and if no blight comes upon
it in its advanced stage, it will be abun-
dant, and timely compensation for the
deficiency of the wheat crop.