New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-02-15
ANoTHER BLOW.

radicals blow which ougnt 70 " = - = 4.
fortunately however those pachy dernataca, sen
tlemen do not mind it at all Ihey are u''e 'n
pervons to the assaults OF truIh' Jus..oo "
mon sense. OF course they VIII pay Just az h.,le
baed \, Cen sherman, testimony in regard to the
canat;on @ of af.airs at the South as they paid to
i can Grants. Those two distinguished soldiers,
i, tle innocence of their military hearts, imagined
that Congress wanted facts for their guidance in
forming an estimate of Southern affairs. Quite the
contrary. Facts are gust the things which are not
wanted. If Gen. Grant and Gen. Sherman had IN
vented some horrible and thrilling tales of wanton
cruelty to unohending freedmen; if they had de-
seribed the Southern people as being on a general
rampage in pursuit Of wildly fleeing negroes
with the full intent of Sitting every African
throat in the land; if they had intimated the I'M
minency Of another war, as the consequence OF
irrepressible "disloyalty and perennial Tea-
son; if they had dwelt upon the enormity OF
| restricting the intellectual and educated negro
race to the inferior condition of laboring class,
| and on the hideous injustice of expecting these
| petted darlings Of New England philanthropy to
| work for their Lying, the radicals would have
| welcomed such facts as valuable auxiliaries OF
their own designs. But as they can get stories OF
this kind only from the letters Of imaginary cor
respondents, they have come to regard the real
facts Of the case as entirely superuous and irrele-
yant So Gen. Grant and Gen. Sherman might
Just as we'll have saved themselves the trouble of
telling the truth, as far as Congress is con-
cerned.
Nevertheless, it is of some interest to us to
know in what light Gen. Sherman views the tenn
per and disposition Of the Southern people; and
We therefore give his recent report of a visit of
inspection to the military department of Arkansas:
55t WASHINGTON, February 2
Tothe Senate of the United States
In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the
30th ult. requesting the President, if not incom-
patible with the public interests, to communicate
to the Senate q copy of the late report of Major
General Sherman upon the condition of the States
in his department, in which he has lately made a
tour of inspection, transmit herewith a copy of
q communication dated December %, 1865, ad-
dressed to the headquarters of the army by Major
Gen. Sherman, commanding the military division
of the Mississippi. n ANDREW JOHNSON.
st.. st. Louis DaE THE n.a IS s
Gen j. A. Rawlins, Chief Of staff, Washington, D g.
General 4 have just returned from partial in
spection Of the Department of Arkansas. 1t was
my purpose to have extended my visit up to Fort
Smith, but the Arkansas river was too low, and
yeled remains substantially as il was during the
war-by way of White river, Duval's Bluff, and
hence forty-eight miles Of railroad to Little Rock.
The Arkansas is at all seasons too precarious to be
relied But the White river, lying in the alln-
vium Of the Mississippi, retains at all seasons a
depth Of water of three and a half feet as far as
Dnvall Bluff.
The railroad hence to Little Rock is in good
enough condition for all present purposes, and has
been restored to the possession of the company
who built it, and is operated to the satisfaction of
Gen. Reynolds. and his chief quartermaster, Col
Noble. It would contribute much to the military
the State of Arkansas, if the railroad could be
finished to Memphis Isaw Mr.. r. G. Brnkley, of
Memphis, President of the railroad company, who
seemed very anxious to finish it; but said the
company had lost SO much by the war that, unless
he could receive help from the government, he
feared be could not undertake it.
he road was once in operation from Memphis
TO Madison, on the st. Francis river, with fine
bridge completed over that stream; and at the
time the Federal army occupied Memphis in 1862,
he had a thousand tons OF railroad iron on hand,
ready to be applied on the unfinished section be-
tween Madison and Dnyall's Bluffs; but this iron
was taken by us and carried away to Columbus.
KY, and used in repairs on the Mobile and Ohio
Railroad then in our military possession from Co.
lumbus to Corinth. The costly bridge over the
St. Francis was burned by the rebel Gen. Hindman
Mr.. Brnkley agreed If we could help him tn
| grade the road from Madison to Duvall's Bluff and
TO cut in the woods, along the line, the necessary
number Of ties, he would undertake the purchase
on credit, Of the necessary quantity of iron, and
| to construct continuous railroad from Memphis
TO Little Rock. Gen. Reynolds has now at Helena
three colored regiments, at Pine Bluff one, and at
Little Rock another He could easily apply the
labor 5of two or more of these regiments to the
grading of this road, and in getting out the ties !;
anu Mr.; Brlnkey agrees to pay for this labor in
land belonging to the Company, lying adjacent to
the road Z sa a8T,. 8
General Reynolds, commanding the department,
ana Sprague, commissioner for freedmen in Arkan-
sas, approve heartily of this plan, and think we
iprtIv infn INF
if by all means Accordingly ask that unless it
be proposed to mnsters0ut the colored regiments
that the War Department will sanction the plan SO
far as to authorize General Reynolds to order the
execution OF the work during the present winter
and spring months.
found all the troops in Arkansas in good CON
diton, and well commanded, General Sprague be-
ing admirably adapted to his command. General
sprague has also the respect of the civil and mil
itary authorities. The negroes in Arkansas can all
find profitable and lucrative employment, and are
protected in all their rights and property by the
civil authorities.
met no one citizen or soldier who questioned
or doubted that their freedom was as well assured
in Arkansas as in Ohio. Governor Murphy said
that negroes could acquire title to real estate or
any kind Of property and the Courts, both Federal
and State would protect them. n s .s
There Wasa universal expression of confidence
in the present condition of affairs except on the
part of some former rebels who thought the
present test oath prescribed for them was too
stringent and severe. convention of them, con-
vened, know not how, was Id session at Little
Rock whenI was there, and a committee from it
waited on Cen Reynolds and myself inviting US to
attend. We agreed to go, provided no debate or
proceeding were IN process during our visit. On
our entrance to the hall the President addressed
US in language as loyal and earnest as possible and
asked our advice. Responded and gave them the
best advice 4 knew how, amounting substantially
as follows
That political matters since the conclusion of
hostites had progressed, and was sstill progress
sing as fast as they could expect That doubted
| If any action on their part would be regarded as
the act Of Arkansas, but that any respectful rep.
Presentation of facts from them in their individual
capacities, in the nature of petition to General
Reynolds, to President johnson or to the National
Congres s., would doubtless receive every proper
consideration At the same time called their at
tentiou to the poverty of their county, and how
much better it would be for them to give theirper.
sonal attention each to their own affairs rather
than bother themselves with the general matters
| Of politics.
After leaving Little Rock i learned that the con.
yention had adjourned So that hope things will
remain as quiet as before. Indeed, SO far as nv
observation goes, there is perfect satisfaction felt
/ BY oil classes Of people, except on the part Of a
very few who are looking to future combinations
involving the local and uuimportant State offices.
| found everywhere in the South a large number
Of our officers and soldiers looking out for land
| and employment; and doubt not that during the
| next year all the land which is cleared viii be
under cultivation, very consideration portion of
it under the direction of industrious, energetic
young men, and that all branches of business in
Arkansas will be stimulated by the presence of d
class of men which has not heretofore existed in
that State. Single individuals now travel un,