The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-01-25
Reconstruction.

0Cu0 vi Ull6 OluCtLltbtt SN6e"tSft'esS5 AAH.S
with considerable enterprise, furnished his
paper with the following document. 1t
is an excellent burlesque He introduces
it in this fashion:
THE REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
The Special Radical Committee on Re
construction intend, it IS said, to visit the
Southern States, to investigate their con-
dition, and report whether they are fit to1
admission into full communion in the Sis
terhood of Union. As most Of the gen.
tlemen composing the committee have al
ready made up their minds on the subject.
I don't see the use Of the contemplated
tour; especially as their report has been
agreed upon. AS the document will be
looked for with considerable interest, l
have procured a copy of it, for the publ
cation of which I trust I will not be ac-
cused of q breach of good faith. Here it
is.
WASHINGTON, January, lS66.-To the
Honorable Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives Your Committee, appointed
to visit the States lately in rebellion, and
to investigate and report upon the condi-
ton of loyalty and fitness for readmission
into the Union, have performed the duty
assigned to them, and beg leave to make
the following report:
Naturally, the first place visited by
your committee, was Richmond, Virginia,
the capital of the late Confederacy. Our
coming had been heralded in the newspa-
pers there. and the demonstration at the
railroad depot on our arrival may be
taken as, in soae degree, indicative OF
the popular sentiment in that city. We
found large concourse of citizens of
African descent awaiting us, and, as we
disembarked from the cars, they hailed
us with shouts of welcome, mingled with
t;This way to the Spotswood House"
"a Here's yer buss for the Continel,"
aHere's your cab for any part of the city, y
a Baggage to the hotel gents" &c. 1t
was grateful to the heart of loyal men to
be thus welcomed in city SO lately the
headquarters of rebellion, while at the
same time we began to feel convinced al
ready that the only truly loyal people of
the South were of the colored race. We
could not decline the hospitalities 80 gen
erously rendered us, and accordingly we
selected two carriages from the large
number placed at oar disposal We were
driven to the Spotswood by our hospita-
BILE friends, who charged us two dollars o
piece and half dollar extra for baggage.
After so much kindness from the colored
race, We were unprepared for the harsh
treatment we subsequently, received from
white oligarchs Of Richmond. The pro-
prietors of the Spotswood gave US rooms
in the fifth story, back, saying to his
clerk, as we have been informed by a
faithful African who blaeked our boots
for a quarter pair, that they were good
enough for Yankee Radicals. The same
spirit of disloyal hate was manifested to
us in the dinningroom, whore, in re-
ssponse to our repeated call for Goldfish and
pumpkin pie, we were served with moth
ing but bacon and hot cakes. We asked
why this was done, and were told by a
loyal waiter, to whom we had just given
postal half dollar, that Mr.. Spotswood
said he didn't keep hotel for the accom-
mediation of Yankees, and, therefore, per-
sistently excluded Goldfish and pumpkin
pies from the bill of fare. Your commit
tee do not deem it necessary to dwell upon
this evidence OF smouldcring disloyalty,
nor to compare it with the hastily formed
opinion of Gen. Grant respecting Southern
sentiment. Our object was to get beneath
the surface of things in the South, to find
the true character of the substratum. We
remained in Richmond q few days, to
study the character of the people. On all
hands we found evidence Of distinctions on
account of color, except in a froodman's
colony, where the blacks received the
whites on an equal footing with thom-
selves. We also noticed disloyaI dispo-
sition to speak of Stonewall Jackson and
General Lee in terms of praise and COM
mcndation, while General Buffers name
was only mentioned in contemptuous con-
nection with silver spoons, and occasion
ally little plated ware, and he himself
seemed to be better known as the Bottle
Imp of Bermuda Hundred, than in any
other way.