The New York herald., 1867-04-29

sun sends down shower Of gold. Now we see the
crest Of long mountain range. Peak follows
peak like the pillows OF ocean, Seemingly they
swell and sink away, they did In those
prmeva days before the hills were fixed and
when the unstable earth surged like the sea- And now
the scene Is wild and fearful Of the traces of nature
IN agony. terrible convusion has been here. The
mountain has been cef. asunder the jagged wound
Mains Vast crags have been hurled in dire confusion
and hang threatening to all appearance insecure
and ready to thunder down the precipce bringing swirl
destruction our devoted heads
But leave further description TO the pencil OF the
artist It remains for merely to map out the coun.
try. At the Tennessee line the elevation OF land is
about 200 feet above tide From this point there Is
Ridge, distance Of sixty-four miles From this last
point 1850 feet high, the descsnt is abrupt and in ten
miles we come 70 an elevation Of feet From here
70 Morganton 70 gradual SLOPE broken and again
by hills with mountains in the distance Throughout II
are many hne fertile spots 1t Is lovely country for
Is entirely dssiitut. " Of either 'fi indeed If Il We
except charmed circle around Ashevle and
Morganton, within which the amenities OF life are
poesole there are not moro than half dozen habtabe
houses between tho Tennessee boundary and the last
named place. grand and beautiful country. . we'll.
TO enjoy that can appreciate ITS advantages The
rude mountaeer is net alive TO its beauties nor even
capable OF making the most OF its material
sagacity and shrewdness that have been impaired 10
him by his mode Of lfe he lacks almost everything that
Of any kind but Of the rudss He has no coatryance
piece OF mechanism Of the simplest description puzzles
his Wits comp!etely It's doubtful whether any Of the
countries OF Europe can show specimen Of humanity
representing rural population more abandoned TO the
mere resources Of naturo-inore completely shut out
from every kind Of ~ llcia instruction. Rude and
primitive to the last degree you find him, when he
10 supposed 10 be IN easy circumstances. enjoy
ing nothing 'hat would be called comfort away
from his native hills Hospitable he IT, and ready to
share with the stranger who knocks his door but the
rre, though abundant, Is tempting, and the kindly
oored shelter IL much between you and the canopy
OF heaven harbors the wind and the stranger alike
and the rain knows the to the nge sde To culti
vate bis little corner Of land and be proprietor Of hog
may have his store Of salt pork and hominy is the
mountaiReer's chief and almost only His house
Alone Ana vh ~, % 49, - " & ~ nu [ ne .es EUou enousn
county can boast OF better! The farmer may have
host OF servants doing nothing and beggary account
OF log hus trying to do duty Offices scattered about
his unpaned and halfruined mansion but once inside
the house nobody would know the difference There is
the same bare appearance, the same discomfort, the
surely the mountaineer's condition is pretty slim; but
there is . simmer The wretched class known a. the
by the way side at every turn Their case bard in
deed Thoy rove from place to place. and mover seem
like the Gypsies but unlike them in every other They
have not the Gypsies' force of character Thev arc
simply miserable, and miserable because they hatc
to work-a haired that is tradition among them. Per-
haps originally their fathers despsed labor cccr
patton too mean for the gentle OF white men but
that is no longer the idea precisely They lazy and
idle just to be lazy and dle having not enough noble.
ness Of feeling left to make for their mode OF
life In no point Of view do they feature that
can call forth more than pity and oahng Their prac-
tces are revolving "How do they live S you ask and
are answered, "By begging and stealing"
are. The abandoned seem to have no particular
name the better class II IL is gross fatery to call
them so, are most frequently known 'mover from
Lneir hnoit OF moving from place to place. They
always running away from their reputation and from
iebt They rent little bits OF almost waste land come
,ut minus at the end of the quarter and not having by
heir 'takng manners gained the regard Of the people
u the neghborhood they conclude got up and get"
o other parts where they ars not so intimately known
THIS being the better class there not much chance
eft for the rest and in fact they not one redeem
ng trait being unmitgated tramps and panpers lost TO
lheir faces is totally brutal, especially in the women
With their matted hair beetina brows and dull rayiess
eyes from which not spark OF intehgsucs or human
womaniy grace is there In its place hideous deform
ny cronches In unwomaniv rags and asks peousy for
aims Now and then they work at least the better dis
posed, when dire necessity forces them TO II or the
nature OF the work suits their rowing tastes Collecting
ginseng is the favorite occupation sang as they call
~ round a. certain seasons in large quantities. and
tho whole community Of mountainous turn sang dig.
gers ana hunt the mountain side through oamy
pie said my Informant; sTt is like sport, and they
make three dollars day at it. which makes II very
uico lndeed." Three dollars dAv! they
make two at the gold mines near Morganton: 80 II IA
better than gold digging in North Carolina at least
There worry little 70 be said in regard to the political
Jews OF the mountaineers other than has been stated
ready Their notions the subject OF reconstruction
IRE quite simple and notwithstanding some objections
which they urge from not fully comprchendng The
question: perhaps, they arc innocent or any Intention
hat looks In the least ike Offering opposition to the
arriving out Of measures that have reconstruction in
ay against the spirit OF tho Military bill
hey merely assert hat strict obedience the letter Of
VIII both dsquafy many OF the best friends of the
anse OF reconstruction, who honorable evade
wen the letter OF the law and will quality tho worst
lass Of rebels who will not scruple to perurs them
selves II does IL there were some truth In this;
md when u Is considered that there longer any
really reoelous minded persons in sufficiently large
numbers TO constitute the remnant OF a party il appears
strange that We cannot encourage to cooperate with us
the best OF those who formerly in rebellion rather
,nan 'ne worst There may b. man now and then.
wnom nature has endowed with passion than prin-
cple who has not got the fever OF rebellion but
tnere nothing more apparent nothing remarkable
nueed throughout the south than that rebellion Is dead
idea IL snoreover to see how
Tue emancipation OF slavery is accomplished fact;
nov now , us accidents and attendant circumstances
are nken as matter OF course, and how, still
more strangely, the South called upon from the
necessities OF the case and By the law Of efpreserva
ton. TO push this reform To unlocked for extreme
Looking at this picture, fancy will curously consider
that the South, once started go the van Of reform
they are great camp meetings and reyvas and such
sorts OF taing and day may carry lis banner into
New England as the champions Of n cause that shall
have Tor IT. object the rghtng OF real fanced
wrongs suffered by tho shoemakcrS OF Lynn or the
weavers OF Stockbridgethat shall have FOR its object
the removal from the hand OF task Of those Of
tender years who picker tenders warper tenders and
almost any tender that requires 10 be hard and greasy
Eeocllon Is surely dead idea, and the term rebel is
put TO NO good use now in the land. II Is the cry OF
faction. IL has meaning In national economy
In s'atcsmarshr Tho South cannot 60 back The
negro IS emancipacd and help himself and the In.
dcations that ho is helping himself and is doing
quite rs well in the South as in the North.
Al A 3 A M A.
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or TINE HERALD.