The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1866-09-19

United States;
SIN obedience to instruction dated May g
1885, directing me, while carrying on. g specific mis-
sion, Ito examine carefully into tie disposition Of
the people Of tie southern State lhruaea aneA I
might pass, towards the goyernmeas gE le United
States have the honor to report.
4 THAT IN all the States l visited found 10 sign or
symptom of organised dsloyaty t. che general gov
ernment. found the people taxi Hg 0u. currency
and glad to get it, anxious for norHa9 capital ana
northern labor to develop the resoure If er wase3
country, and well disposed toward .ga northern
man who among them with that ouiee. il view.
! In some localities heard rumors q secret ar58ut
satiols, pointing to renewal Of t#e reaea5oa. ua
Investigating these secret societies could discover III
/ them nothng more than charitable institutions having
for their principal object tile relief Of The widows aHd
orphans Of Confederate soldiers who bad fallen in tho
war.
Outing The whole Of my travels found & to 5s as
safe afd as convenient to miugle with ghe people Of
the spath, freely discussing any ana every topic hat
cameup as in any other section of NE aael States.
l was often among them unknown and lie aHur Of
their acts and conversation was then e sane as wueu
my name and official position were thoroughly under
stood
Tho people Of the south may be divided into Two
classes. There is the industrious clas aaoaag
estly 10 build up what has been brossa d8wa striving
20 restore prosperity to the countrE, au aaercsea
nainlg in the great question of pro- iag food and
clothpg for themselves and families These form taa
great maiority of the people. The tIeea auothag
class, an utterly irresponsible class, composed mainly
of yGnng men who were tie "bo..s" ~ southern
sorieg before the war, and chiefly soar tLa5E sane la
loFng5ng round tie cOurthouses aua bars chicken
fighting and gambling. These ht. lgeH greatly
broken up by the war; many Of t.em taEe 0a.a
kilIcdl but those who remain are st 5IsGrai8E o'a
mcns in the community, and are dol uaH Htseu.r. q
Il III this class OF men and uuma.r a Size poorer
whites, who have formed gangs for hone. stealing. III
is they who in instances huve made sat.5 .u
oticerE of the lreedmens bureau and have .resJ@0
the freedmen. Ii is they who afford las ata protest
or saying that there is among the people IN as sNulE
feeling Of hostility towards the Ue5 States eag-
crnment. But they not the Representatives off t.e
southern people They form but .ga65ean. nf
horityin The community and even saeE agralel
not s0lmuch 10y feeling of opposite % tga govern
Geut as by reluctance to Their owa livelihood
by honcst labor and individual cxert.rl
That cases OF authentic outrage haE.occnra3.n tHa
south Is patent to every one familiar lJ aa current
ncws Of the day. But these cases a. en ard fur he5
tWeeu and it Is both unjust and ungalaruas 8 .harra
the responsibility for such of Law .z-1rs H3ou o-
whole southern people. For some ma.egas purpose
accounts Of these isolated disorder #za leon COLI
lectcd and grouped together and broadcast over
tle north, 50 as to give to the public mind utterly
erroneous impression to the condition oil southern
society. Tie fact IS that wherever E4a.an and
tur1Gtnce lave manifested thems g-a outside lue
class to whom have above alluded there aaa been
some local or specific cause to aecoga. tas b. Law
lcssHcss Ike epidemic has EXTENDED oFeF par.iaa.
lar bets OF the country and, like am epidemic. le
uaiiT traceabe to some mlti'tOr7 n4Hs1 I.at
among these causes must be named 3 sa g8rgau.t,
pill and oppression
For five years the southern people have been the
SUBJECTS OF gross nisrUle During the their gov
ernmeIt Il military dcspotism. derendenG SOLELY
On the dctum of an individual. Since the war they
mre been left more less in chaotic state-their
government scmlclvlI semimilitary, rather a di-
vision OF rule between the military, the freedmens
6ureauand the provisional governments What might
l4Irl hth tho 1tts III ,Is -