American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-04-26

to see in. the future, who will redeem alI.his
promises, snd Who will 30 most faithfals
thank you, gestlemsn, for the comphmens
yo have paid me.
| Testimony Before the Reconstruction
#l Committee. u y
ttE - } II n NO
now MISSISSIPPI 10 REpREsENTRD.
From large quantity Of evidence. We
ex.rac. the following relative to our
State: -- .-,rg,--+..
Col. j. H. Matthews. on duty in South,
ern Mississippi since July last as provost
marshal, tes,i6es that the condition OF the
freedmen in that State was very bad is'
deed. In ninety-niue cases out Of hun.
dred after Lees surrender. where COZ.
tracts were made with the negroes for
their labor. at the end Of the year 'hey
we're driven of wi,hou. psymen. Of . d..
vision Of crop. ..a
II find tho people generally very bh+
ter, so much so that consider it danger.
OH. for any Federal officer to pass uues.
cor,ea tArough the country. particularly
between New Orleans and Vicksburg, Or
between New Orleans and Jackson.
VIM. F. Downs made q trip down the
Mississippi. and across the country to
Atlanta. in December, IS revenue agens
Of the Treasury. He found the people
generally bitter in their opposition to the
Government. ffT
Rrevet Big. Gen. John Tarbell. after
being mustered out Of the army. purchas.
ed a plantation in Scott county, Mi'sis-
sippi. and travelled through the State gen.
orally. He thinks the planters and edo.
GATED masses generally accept the ,uua>
lion in good faith. ?
He very much regretted. however. q
disposition to cooperate on their part
with the Copperbeads Of the North. A
great deal Of their excited talk should not
I've ascribed to their di.loy.lly. but rather
TO a disposition to indulge IN that free
dom d speech which is allowed in thia
country.
Reports in the Northern States Of out
RACES on and ill-,rentment Of the color-d
people are quite exceptional cases il not
absolutely false. He would as soon trsv>
81 through the South MS through the
North. ..HHe
Hen. VIM. L. Sbsrkey testified that
when he commenced hi, duties as Provis-
ional Governor Of Mississippi be found the
people. fifty to one. perfectly reeonciled
to the condition of things. Even tho
secession party admitted tina, they had
made misealcula,ion. and we're anxious
to get back into the Union.
They came up freely and cheerfully,
and met all the demspds Of the Presi-
dent. Some prejujios has arisen sgsins,
the State because Of balish provision
Of late legislative enactment limiting
the right Of freedmen to hold property,
That action was in oontrover.ion Of tho
laws as they had always existed.
The freedmen are doing unmistakabiy
we'll, but there is no Disgusting the fact
that the Freedmen's Bureau and the col
ored troops have done more harm than
good.
General Howard i. a very clever gen.
tleman. but there are meA ip charge Of the
Freedmen's Bureau in Mississippi Who
are disposed to speculate on white and
black.
/ verify believe tina. II. ct the time 1
was there. all tho troops and the Freed
mems Bureau had been Withdrawn,
could Of bad . perfect state Of order in
two weeks. There are now 10 the State
very little over half % many freedmen IS
there were formerly, There is no tell-
ing the mortality that has prevailed
among them. ..
They have died in immense numbers.
Negroes are. in very few instances, dis.
posed to accumulate property. My expe-
rience concerning them. is that they are
destined to extinction. beyond q doubt.
We mus, judge Of the future BY the past.
and could tell you great many circuu-
stances 10 that eGec.t
In answer to question as to the status
Of the Senators and members elect 10
Congress. the witness said they we're al
Wings except one. who vas . Union
DEMOCRAT. The Wing party, IS . gen-
ersl thing. were clear Of the odinm Of
secession. The State Government, l
regret to say. is not 10 the hands Of on,
sentative men. The Judges Of the High
Courts Of Errors were ell secessiouis's.
We really bad no respectable material to
run against them. The Attorney Gener-
al is in the - me category. -