The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-07-14
ITEMS FROM TlIE South.

Christian Spectator, writing to his paper,
furnishes the following interesting items
of the persons. and things he has seen
while travelling down South:
At Brookhayen, Miss the dinner
house, an old gentleman in homespun in
sisted on my dining at his expense. At
parting, | asked him, :. Is this the way
you treat strangers down here in Dixie?
Do you feel it to be your duty to pay for
their eatihg?" We ought to do it, he
answered, when they come as far as you
have for the church. If you feel under
any obligations to me-" he added. 9 dis
charge the debt by praying for me =
and the old mans eyes filled with tears as
he spoke. " My name is -" he con-
tinued, and then lie proceeded to spell it,
lest. as he suggested, ] might pray for the
wrong man. That dear old brother be-
lieved in prayer evidently.
Jackson has sadly suffered from the
war, but is still pleasant looking place.
Many of the finest residences were de-
stroyed, with nearly all the business por-
tion of the city; the wrecks and ashes
still mark where fine dwellings, large
stores and factories and machine shops
stood. They are rebuilding the principal
business street, but in rather rude style:
of one-story board houses.
The great body of the Methodist ne
groes of the South will unite with the
African Methodist Episcopal Church and
the Zion Methodist Coloreds Church.
Many adhere to our church, resisting all
solicitations and inducements to leave US.
! ! know not what is to be the future Of
| fIe black race in the South It does not
look promising at present.
/ | dined with Governor Humphreys,
late General in the Confederate army.
He is member of our church, hero
and a Christian He was the successor
of General Barksdale at Gettysburg, and
j is idolized by the men and women OF
Mississippi. He is quiet. plain man,
about fifty years old, gentle in his man
ners and with worn and weary look.
He is not very hopeful Of the future Of
the South. If all the public men of the
country were of his stamp, ali would be
I|well.
/ In the heavy timber on the Big Black
/ | saw startling evidences of the awfully
destructive character of the missiles EN-.
/ ployed in modern warfare. Oak trees q
foot and half in diameter cut in two By
cannon-balls, The woods looked as il
decimated by thunderbolts, that had
crashed through them, destroying, splint
ering and soaring every liv fling.
/ 1t would be too much to expect of hu
man nature for the Vicksburgers to be in
very good humor yet Their suferings
were peculiar and long continued. When
looked at the caves with which the
whole city is Loney-combed, and remem
bered that delicate women and helpless
children we're compelled to abandon then
homes and burrow in these subterranear
retreatsAwhen | looked at the ruin o
: their homes-whcn [ talked with wiye,
: and mothers who had lost their husband
and all their noble sons In the conflict
|, when | was told Of the wanton cruelty
and destruction sometimes practiced-i
seemed to me that g reconstruction " wa
going on in Vicksburg as rapidly aseoult
= reasonably be expected. Of Grant ant
Mcpherson | heard nothing but what wa
honorable to them as men and as soldiers
; They presented the sword of manly con
! flict to the foe in the feld-around tn
helpless threw the mantle of a soldier
!, protection. But Dana, who was in com
9 mand here awhile, he stands in Vicks
l burg about as Bntler and Banks do il
: No,r 0r1napc
: At station called Hickory. but wher
c could see no hiekories, something 60
: wrong or broke the engine, and We wer
detained four or five hours. / was hun
gry. and made an investment in cracker
and sardines at the little store. / had n
lappetite in New Orleans, but how l re-
: : ished this meal? Such is the peryersit
: of human nature, that we are sure t
: want1what is ont of our reach. After
: had eaten, I thought of the crowd {
freedmen in the back car, many of whol
: : I was sure were hungry and out of money
: I walked in among them, and in a cheer
: full tone asked: g How are you colore
:, folks getting along about something
: eat g A dozen voices answered eagerl
= that they were getting along badl
enough-one stout fellow saying, with a
: earnestness that carried conviction, I"
: have been mighty hong,y all day"
went over to the little store and made a
:. Investment for their benefit, and then lai
! down on my cushion to rest. After tha
= | was popular man in that second-clai
car. All its inmates were anxious to wa
on me, or do something for me. hav
: heard the negro charged with ingratitud
: but have never found him ungratefu
!, May those who have the responsibility
: governing and providing for the million
? of this unfortunate race act wisely an
: : truly, and may God in his mercy brin
: both the whites and blacks of the Sout
:, out of their wilderness of sorrow
of At II o'clock we arrived at Meridial
The place was burnt by Sherman, but
now being rebuilt I stopped at Il
: Jones House. The Jones House is n
I'd equal to the Cosmopolitan. The beds
m the Jones House were not clean, and t
at many bed-fellows STARE the traveller
u couch. The servants at the Jones Hon
Il are not well trained The education
de the night-clerk Of the Jones House HI
n, been neglected he had not advanced
is his studies as far as chirography. B
ne they were kind at the Jones House.
nd the Jones House and Meridian no mo
- now.
n
n yIcTUALs AND CLOTHES. exchange /
81 CARDS girls as singular creatures. As
m instance: Offer one of them, it says, 60
ed wages to work for you, and then ten chanC
to one if the old woman can spare one of
girls. But just promise matrimony, and