Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-09
Condition OF the south-RepOrf of the
Special Committee.

Southern States, to investigate their condi-
ton, and report whether they are fit for adj
mission into full communion in the the SIS
terhood of Union. As most of the gentle
men composing the committee have already
made up their minds on the subject, don't
see the use of the contemplated tour, espe-
cially as their report has been agreed upon.
As the the document will be looked for with
considerable interest, / have procured a
copy of it, for the publication Of which i
trust will not be accused of breach of
faith. Here it is: i 3
"WGsHINGToS, Jan, 1866.
80 the Honorable Senate and House Of Repre-
seztGtircs:
Your committee, appointed, to visit the
States lately in rebellion, and and investi-
gate and report upon the condition as to
loyalty and fitness for readmission into the
Union, have performed the duty assigned
to them, and beg leave to make the follow
ing report: f Is =
Naturally, the first place visited by your
committee was Richmond, Va, the capital
of the late Confederacy. Our coming had
been heralded in the newspapers there, and
the demonstration at the railroad depot on
29f .eSFiyal maE be tsken. a. in some degree
city. We found a large concourse OF eisizers.
of African descent, awaiting us, and as we
disembarked from the cars, they hailed us
with shouts CT welcome, mingled with "this
way to the Spottswood House" "here's yer
buss, for the Continental" "here's yer cab
for any part of the city, baggage to the
hotel, gents" &c.
sit was grateful to the hearts 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 already
that the only truly loyal people of the South
were of the colored race. We could not de
cline Inequalities so generously rendered us,
and accordingly we selected two carriages
from the large number placed at our dis
posal. We were driven to the Spottswood
by our hospitable friends, who charged us
two dollars apiece, and half a dollar extra
for baggage. After so much kindness from
the colored race, we were unprepared Tor the
harsh treatment we subsequently received
from the white oligarchs at Richmond. The
proprietors of the Spottswood gave us rooms
in the fifth story, back, saying to the clerk
as we have been informed by a faithful At
rican who blacked our boots at quarter a
pair, that they were good enough for Yankee
Radicals. The same spirit Of disloyal hate
was manifested to US in the dining room,
where, in response to our repeated call for
Goldfish and pumpkin pie, We were served
with nothing but bacon and hot cakes. We
asked why this was done, and were told by
loyal waiter, to whom we had just given a
postal half dollar, that Mr.. Spottswood said
he didn't keep hotel for the accommoda-
ton of Yankees, and, therefore, persistently
excluded Goldfish and pumpkin pies from the
bill of fare. Your committee do not deem
it necessary to dwell upon this evidence of
smouldering disloyalty, nor to compare it
with the hastily formed opinion of General
Grant respecting Southern sentiment. Our
objec: was to get beneath the surface of
things in the South, to find the true charac-
ter of the social sub-stratum. We remained
in Richmond few days, to study the char
acter of the people. On all hands we found
evidences Of distinctions ON account of color,
except in a freedman's colony, where the
blacks received the whites on an equal foot
ing with themselves. We also noticed
disloyal disposition to speak of Stone
wall jackson and General Lee in terms
of praise and commentator, while General
Buffers name was only mentioned in con-
temptuous connection with silver spoons, and
occasionally little plated-ware, and he him
self seemed to be better known as the Bottle
Imp of Bermuda Hundred, than in any
other way.
Our next visit was to Atlanta, Georgia.
Here we had long consultation with a
treasury agent, who had had ample means Of
on the subject of Georgia loyal
ty. He gave it as his opinion that to admit
the Southern States to representation at this
time, would BE highly injudicious. He
did not believe there was a white native of
the State loyal enough to take his place, and
asserted that to remove him and others
situated, would be not only danger
Gus to the welfare Of the country, but would
also be the height of ingratitude to men who
had risked character and reputation for the
patriotic cause of cotton and ten or twelve
dollars year. Your committee
entirely in his opinion.
While in Atlanta your committee heard
many expressions Of sentiment which go to
show how far General Grant is mistaken in
what he saws in his late report. On one oc-
casion especially we heard what convinced
us that the lava of secession still burned in
the Southern bosom. The case was that Of
a young gentlemen from Massachusetts, Of
poor but honest parents, who had come to
the South in the capacity of freednen's
school teacher. He had casually made the
Of Southern lady of two
score and ten, whose husband had fallen I'M
der the rebel flag, leaving her a widow of
handsome estate. The young gentleman,
DESTROYS of matrimony and plantations,
pressed his suit and was progressing, as he
thought most favorably, when one evening
the widow told him at d tea party, in the
presence of large number of people, "that
she'd rather be buried alive than marry a
Yankee" The patriot school teacher no
longer plies the rod Of chastisement over
refractory freedmen. The star Of his hope
has gone down, and he has gone back to
Boston, wreck of his former self
Your committee next went to Montgom-
ery, Alabama, where, as at Richmond, the
colored citizens hocked to meet us, and We'd
with each other for the carrying of our bag
gage We paid them fifty cents carpet
sack from the depot, and they were enthu- |
siastic in their demonstrations Of loyalty in
receiving the currency from us. In this |
city evidences of disloyalty met us on every |
hand. A Vermont missionary had been in |
suited few days before our arrival, for at
tempting TO introduce John Browns Body |
anu we III nanB Jeil DaNls Oh SUR APP
pie Tree as Sabbath School hymns. A hop |
had Just taken place at the leading hotel, TO |
which whites only were invited, and TO |
which the freedmen were excluded on ac- |
count of color. The consequence was an in
dignation meeting of the freedmen, at which |
equal rights we're demanded. A repetition |
of balls and hops, exclusively white in |
their character, will lead to Jamaica insur-
rections and Haytien rebellions, magnified |
a thousand times in their dreadful results. |
At Montgomery, as at Atlanta, we met
Treasury agent who was opposed 10 imme- |
date reunion, and warmly in favor Of ter |
ritorial condition for the Southern States. |
He mentioned incidentally that he had a /
son-in-law in New Hampshire who would |
make an excellent Provisional Governor,
and cousin who would do FOL, territorial |
delegate to Congress, Above all things he |
hoped Congress would not Eten to the hy- /
pocritical cries Of Alabama loyalty. He as
aured us that there was no loyalty in the |
State, except in his Office and said il would |
be base injustice to supersede him till he had |
finished the making Of a hundred thousand |
dollars.
Owe next proceeded TO Charleston, South |
Carolina. Here We had long interview |
with Northern gentleman whom we knew |
TO be in every way reliable. He had re-
sponded to his coontry's call, in the early |
DAYS Of the war, and had been unvarying in |
e.. H. nos,.s. a.ra~ cfuoa awcapf