Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-03-15
RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, MARCH o, 1866
Condition at ,he south.

=
.,o Of the testimony reported by the
construction Committee Of Congress
y rglatIon to the condition Of affairs il
r,nrs.see. The same committee have
'sn,o ADMITTED a large amount OF evil
ssnce relating to Arkansas, Mlsslss ippi
bahama Georgia Louisiana Florida
and Texas.
IN relation TO Alabama Gen. Thomas
,estihes that
IN some portions OF Northern Al
ahqma public sentiment is decidedly in
Svor of the Government, In other por-
ions of the State, / mink the sentiment
Eth n,oplc may be expressed in this
wsv,Ig they thought they could establish
aSouthgrn Confcderacy they would pre-
Jsr II but seeing no hope of that, they
5esira TO live under the Constitution Of
tbe United States There is In Ala.
rama. a strong, decided disloyal senti-
nent though | think the Union senti.
1ent predomlnates in many portions Of
ehe State. In elections that have taken
nlace in that State, do not know that
+ has been universal thing for can
didates 10 put themselves before the peo-
Ne as having participated more or less
actively in the Rebellion. There were
Two distinct parties in Northern Ala
hama. and the Union candidates were
defeated but think the Union Candi-
dates there, for the State Legislature
were all, or majority Of them, elected.
think, In Central and Southern Ala.
hama the successful candidates were
either officers Of the Rebel army or &C
tive and working Rebels"
"If national troops and the FraeGc.
mems Bureau were to be withdrawn
rom the State at this time I do not be-
Iieve that the Union men or the freed
men could have justice done them. In-
Justice toward them would commence
IN suits in courts for petty offences ard
neighhorhOOd combinations to annoy
chem so much that they could not re-
side there am satisfied that until u
better state 0. feeling shall arise there
if all restraint should be removed, the
fesdmtG would be thrown back into a
condition 0. virtual Slavery-that Is
they would JG compelled BY legislative
enaCtments "a labor for little or no
wages, and legislation would assume
such form that they would not dare
cave their employers tor fear Of pun
.shamept and unless white men who
nad led Union men through the war had
very strong personal friends they could
not live in the State"
Il was born in Southern State, and
reared to the age Of ~ in that country.
Since then | have been in the army. MY
services have been mostly in Southern
States, and on the frontier bordering on
Southern States. There is no danger OF
trouble from negroes remaining where
they are unless the whites treat them so
BADLY that they are compelled in self
defense to rise up against them, There
il section Of Alabama where the peo-
ple under the direction of philauthro-
pic gentlemen of that State have gone
TO work, Of themselves, to establish
Eeedmans Court, or something equiv
.ent to 1t, through which they propose
70 administer fair and impartial Justice
between employees and negroes, They
have also undertaken to establish schools
Tor religious instruction Of negroes and
FOR education in primitive branches OF
knowledge, The disposition OF negroes
.or education is universal aud practical
among the younger portion OF them,
Their capacity for receiving instruction
mas not yet been fully developed, but
rom all | can learn from conversation
with different persons, they possess q
fair capacity for acquiring knowledge,
think the second generation can be
instructed much more easily and thor
oughly than the present one because in
q measure the mind Of the negro Is en-
Girely uudeveloped at the present time
except in matters Of practical observa-
tion. | think in every instance where
The negro has been assured that he
would be paid fair wages, he has
gone to work willingly, and has con-
GinHed to work as long as the contract
las been faithfully performed on the
part of hls employers
In relation to Georgin and Mississlp-
2i Gen Thomas testiGes
do not think Georgia differs matcri-
ally from Alabama There may be
somewhat more of personal hatred
coward negroes in their relation
freedmen, but as yet it has been easily
controlled through the Freedman's
bureau, and that feeling is constantly
improving in all the States. People of
mississippi appear to me TO be more
dmpa'eive and more prone to stand up
ior ana assert their oDiuions. Il is \
oIncuit matter to describe the difference
between people of those two States, yet
therc Is a difference. I consider the
people Of Mississippi the least promi.
sing People Of that State do not listen
70 arguments and discussion with as
mncn calmness as the people ofAl.
ALBANIA do.
U-Oo you know anything from in
.ofmatlon or report Of secret organiza-
gIons in the South said to be hostile TO
Ghe Government. Al have received
several communications to that effect
put persons who have given me this in
formation have desired that their names
should not be mentioned, and as vet,
no direct accusation has been made in
regard to any one person or. any class
OF persons; there have been steps taken