Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-11
CHUAf.
From the Putnam County (Ohio) Sentinel. I
LETTER FROM THE SOUTH.
CLARksyILLE, Tenn, April 5th.

OLAhhs'iLLE, lENN., april otn, 1906.
In complying with your request to write
you from the South, ] must make few gen.
eral remarks suffice for the present. To
speak of the beauty and unbounded nat ural
resources of the South would only be to reit-
crate what many Of our readers already
know. The social and political status of the
people, is a topic of much greater interest
To one who has stosd aloof from the terrible
conflict through which this people have just
passed, no orther feelings than those of deepest
regret can be awakened when brought in
contact with their social excellence. While
much of their former enthusiasm, which
shed halo of light over their social being,
has fed forever, they still evince a nobleness
of soul, such as never entered the thoughts
and feelings of many of their accusers.-
They speak of the war with perfect freedom
and recount its horrors and review its cause,
and consequences "more in sorrow thans
in anger And while they condemn the
policy which precipitated the conflict and
the dastardly and demoniac deeds of federal
officers they utterly disclaim any feelings of
resentment towards the true soldier, who
only did soldiers duty. A generous officer
or an orderly soldier, is held in high esteem
among them. There are instances of feder-
oil officers and soldiers returning and going
into business in the very towns in which they
were formerly stationed, and such as had
conducted themselves with propriety have in
no instance been molested but on the con-
trary have been welcomed, and patronized
the same as old citizens. Indeed they are
glad to have well behaved persons from the
North come and settle among them. To all
such they give hearty welcome. Even a
clustering abolitionist would hardly be mo-
Tested, but he would most certainly get an
'all-killing letting alone"
While it would seem the business and CON-
merce Of the South is reviving much faster
than could be believed, there Is evidently a
deep gloom still overshadowing their future.
This is attributable to q want of faith in the
stability of the Government at Washington.
They disclaim all belief of any political di.
visions Of this country, but change of our
form Of government and all its fundamental
laws is feared and dreaded by them as the
climax Of evil. They are looking to the
success of the conservative element Of the
North as the ouly possible hope for the flu.
ture. If President johnson can only hold
the Radicals in check until he Is reinforced
by our fall election all may yet be well, but
il the country should fail to support him,
they believe that all will break up in the
widest anarchy.
We who have only seen the battle afar off
can have but very imperfect idea ofthe depth
of their anxiety on this point A reverse in
the battle Of the North will bury the last
hope Of these people who are already sinking
under an accumulation of woes that would
have sunk any other people on earth. Time
and space forbid anything further at present.
You expect word about the Free Ameri-
cans Of African decent.
Poor Sambo he looks as If something had
happened; he hardly knows what and seems
scarcely to know who he is or where he is
going. He is an example of misguided phil
anthropy Tor rather fanaticism) that the
world might profit by. But disease, superin-
duced by his brutal habits and total neglect
of the laws of health and master to enforce
them will soon demonstrate the f,lly of the
blind leading the, blind. They ,ciH not take care
Of themselves. 1t has cost this cooperation
(Clarksville) three hundred dollar to bury
dead negroes in the last year. There are
but few berths among them ever known to
the world. Sambo says, ''cant afford it,
! have, however, seen several specimens
of "half negro and half Chaplain" among
them.
More hereafter.
CUMBERLAND