The New York herald., 1866-02-12

A HELPLESS AND HOPELESS PEOPLE.
THE DISRUPTED STATE OF SOCIETY.
Southern Views Of the Labor
Question.
Our Southern Correspondenoe.
FRHDERlcKsBuRa, Va, Jan. 20, 1896

"holpleG8 or tn0t heavens WnutS ri8ns
or wrong do not ask myself or them about; but the
hot IL patent met men, one time wealthy, now be-
seechng subsistence; time prominent now ut.
tsriy obscured men who deemed hne robes their
perpetual right clad In tho ooarsest riment men
Of dainty habs absolutely destitute OF more than the
natural Of oleanlinem men who wore onoe con-
sderod exqutes In mode and manners at length look
lnr almost execrable In the and awkward In the
other And nearly all those men were doubtful, many
Of them hopeless 10 the future whys That brings
me TO another classthe Northern radicals These are
evidently the special terror and hate Of the discounted
and denuded .SouthernerA And these rabd radicals
abound In Washington. met one wherever went For
them the black political doahe whte sufferers
Of the South, or even Of the NORTH political nonenes,
Their conversation convinced that justice TO their own
race VII; have 10 DO wrenched from them Their vision
s as opaque the object OF their veneraon black
They werc clescopic phianthropists are micro
scopic eysts 30, at all events, one In Washington VIII
conclude who talks turn them and TO the submits
slve southernes upon whose necks they hold tho heel
and reIentlessly insist on keeping It there.
DOWN POTOMAC
Those rapid concentrations to what impressed me
at Washington will enable you TO judge that started
thence upon my Of investigation without bright
hopes as to the things would sec and the thoughts
would hear uttered in the South amid all this.
Crashing through leo la the Potomac, of steamed our
miserable mail boat the evening Of Saturday, the
27th Nearly all tho passengers wore exConfedentes.
One Of them had only just back to the regions Of
his chdhoods home after contraband absence OF four
yeas he looked wretched In costume and counenance
He was not the stuff OF which soldiers made, and ran
away TO avoid the glory and tho graves, which three
of his brothers had sought and obtained Tho poor
creature was very Respondent
.Tm no coward" he said In explanation; ssbut
fol lonkr
sisters In the fAos even be their only remaining
brother"
"And well you may" cried federal sergeant, near
him Tm soldier, and can't things as politicians
do; 10 cay Give mo the memory OF dead brother,
who TO his cause bad good; give It me any day
sooner than the living hand Of q skulker."
Il was fearfu-the effect OF this reproach that poor
man. civilian undertook 10 console him by showing
how much better to have brand Of traitor on
his name and stain OF patriot blood his soul To
this the federal soldier replied
sDonp you soc he only got out OF the way for
nienos not for want Of wishing luck 10 the traitors
side" And there ended, 90 far as words won't In
little time Afterwards the borders Of the 'battle
grounds"
vRKpERIcxsBUR0,
II was Sunday morning when reached this battle
battered city Of fredericksburg. In ramble through
blacks TO one white That was darkly significant The
place did not quito remind me OF the dcstcd village,
but Il did OF the sleeplng city," Everything was a.
dull and ciammy the atmosphere, ana that was Of
most un.virgnian ungeniallty. Having 80 few'of tho
white citizens TO look at in thestrects the houses that
held them became objects Of interest Not one In five
OF these domiciles was without war mark; and, at
overy steps took ruin reared It's head charred
pile which held its horrid place whero house had
been These hideous relics OF havoc strew every quar-
81 90 s
ons the church sccples and the on the
church fronts indicate unnatural age on youth rather
| than the solemn progress OF hoary, sublime time.
THE STORY or THE Town.
century and quarter ago Fredericksburg had only
the number OF houses which demolished within the
last four years-about sixty all When King Georges
son Frederick tafter whom the town was caed) gave
specially designated as likely become "the place OF
perpetual peace" II so happened, however, that II
scenes and to 60 down TO posteDty with the sharpcst
on Its own face Five battles OF magnitude have
nerness the two Of FredercksSars and spottsyvsn a
| Court House. Bombarbed and sacked In December,
1885, the city Itself has mpcrshabe tokens OF conflict
In It's ruined houses and demolished bridges and en-
In the sack not more than dozen houses were spared
Every article OF value, whether funt else, de-
stroyed Hence citizens destitute OF nearly
every household trace OF past opuIcnce luxury Be-
or burned; and the bank and Post Once among public
| buildings, tumbod 70 the ground In flames million
damage here inflicted on this sort Of property alone
Before the Fredericksburg had branches OF three
al sSs w q sHS o .us S s.
Farmers Bank They represented capital OF about
s7oo branches cf Immensely wealthy parent
enables them pay twenty-five cents specie on their
notes THIS ~ fairly and painfully illustrates the ex
sting impovcrishment from commercial point OF Wow
But cannot, and does not represent tho dosolation
| beyond ard around H.
100 900 barrels year. Is not expected that more than
5000 barrels DO supplied for the ensuing year-ihe
famous corn and wheat producing region but the pros
pcc for any plenty In lis favorite staple n s presents
s%n es % & v s sos wssas s sas bs bsf
there may be fair quantity OF corn raised, the depor-
able condition Of the labor market renders the farmers
uneasy and they wocuIy uncertain "a 70 what 10 do
rHx rABoR QUESTION.
This labor question In the all absorbing here.
Indeed persuaded II IN 20 all the whole South.
II WILL In iis elects penetrate surely every State In the
important feature In my Investigations.
As border region, during the late struggle this early
lost large number OF w. abieboiied lsborers Those
who renamed until their freedom was insured, were
barely enough for the ordinary purposes OF local pro-
ducton for local purposes Instantly after learning their
exact position, under the universal emancipation even
these asm hands, everywhere here became restless and
nockcd 70 the towns In many cases thcy did this TO
Az 80 ,hoa, snv ons. s' m ~ & 70
did 70 avoid work. or 10 obtain other work than Geld
work In all cascs they contracted habits of Incidence
and rascaiity, 20 the perfection Of which there
adequate check ct hsa, nor do feel certain there
The officers OF the Freodmen's Bureau while admitted
TO be very courteous gentlemen charged with being
ignorant Of their duty, or nenicicnt In H.
| ''sir, said q "Union" vrginian TO me, 'st ~ the
black man not the white those officers believe and for
| act %
found this sentiment very general aud, in ts conse.
guences II IA destined 10 no decidedly detrimental 10 the
best interests Of both races have strong
attesiafous OF this which shall reserve until my per.
scnal experience is enlarged as 70 along Neanwhlie
put here the views OF most Intelligent and rcspec-
table citizen OF tbs place. which, at my request he gave
and In these words: =
sourHxRs rkRnRR's VIEW os the IABon orKsnex.
III was the aim OF the agents Of the federal govern
men a. must be presumed, 70 adjust and restore tbe
aber Of the freedmen 10 the cultivation Of the lands
South the measures adopted BY them In this portion of
Virginia have been sInguIay nlconrivcd and nencaci-