New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-03
THE SOUTH.
TIssFssIPPL

OOEDTTTOy OF THH PRL EDMRN-SRCRSsIrf foR TTIR
CONTINUANCE or TH2 URGAU-RELATGOsS or
TIKI WHITES AND or THg COLORgD PEOPLE
STATE OF POLITICAL FEELING.
Correspondence OF Tue n. i Tribune.
VIcKsuuRG Miss Juy t. 1896
The situation Of the freedmen according To- The state
ment of The Heralfs correspondent, who accompanied
Gems Steedman and Fullerton IS deplorabe indeed. But
nv observation has been Of a different charaoter The
contract system is the only ono that can at present regu-
late without injury the planter aborer the labor Of
the cotton growing States. While at Helena, Ark
visited % different plantations including three that
owned and worked by Cen Gideon Pillow. Wherever
the Bur,au exercises the least authority there no con.
fct between the blacks and whites the labor question;
but every planter with whom | talked said that the
mOyal or discontinuance OF the Bureau would result in
great injury the planters and no benefit 20 the blacks
On the other hand the blacks assert that the Bureau IS
tho only bar between them and return To system OF
Slavery absolutely than that which existed before
the emancipation.
have noticed that in localities where the freedmen
protected their interests, they are succeeding better
than the whites In Phillips County, Arkansas there are
10 900 blacks and 900 whites OF the blacks only three
four owned any property az the beginning OF the war;
the rest being slaves Now the majority Of the merchants
OF Helena are blacks and more than Onehai the cotton
that il being produced IN the country owned by thm
Quite number have leased plantations, and the rest gem
orally working for half the crop Although largely ~
the majority the coOrcd people are quiet ana orderly
Capt Sweeny the Bureau agent informs me tAlt oi the
number of blacks who have been killed by the whites this
Spring he has found after investigation but one who was
IN fault and that one under the influence OF quor
Many Northern men have told me OF Ouirages committed
upon the freedmen but as they were planting tAy al de
sired me 10 withhold their names.
In this state think my opportunities for observing the
condition OF the two aud the Vorknes OF te bureau
have been far superior To those Of Gems steedhhh
and FHllerton and their clerk correspondent. I'M
gentlemen were not in the STATE over siX days yet thef
clerk the correspondent Of Tie Her0d says II s " Ot7
as Al tras bcforc the nun he hardcsf and mast i1ricAs
State IA HE Union, and iu the next paragraph Doe de-
nounccs the Bureau. and says the " Freedmen tond Ne
batter of uith0m Gorcya5Qcaf WefnurSHg than T.m H.
These statements conflict II the citizens are such law
less characters land 1t MIST be- admitted they are lie
freedmen would be in dcplorabc condition indeed With
ont some protection from the General Government And
even with it, they well as agents Of the Bureau, are
frequently murdered.
some twelve negroes, IT, pretty good indication Of
what the result would be II tie troops and Government
officials were removed. | now count up l53 black
men who have been killed by whites IN this state and
Arkansas during the last months and only three
whites who have been killed BY negroes and in two Of
those three cases the homicide clearly proven 20 have
been in sedecnse. The average rate OF wages IN THIS
State Is $40 per month, this Of includes board
washing quarters and medical attendance. The citizens
generally crDrcs Moscrcs EHiEfercfcd m the matter OF
Congressional representation. M0h Of than s0y " H'7
don't care a d-R whether their representatives, are all
mtted or not as they have no desire to affiliate with
Yankees; do dcy wish 10 participate ~ Gofefh-
nenf that is both fOrOgH and OdOus IA than Ihls eI-
preston have heard used az least thousand times and
that too by the representative people OF inc south.
Mai Preston, OF Gen. Woods staff. who has the most
direct intercourse with the people OF both colors, informs
me that bad feeling everywhere exists among the South
ern whites towards Northern men and negroes Only NE
other day while nduc with lady, within two miles
Of this city, two shots were fired at him.