Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-05-22
r OF the Gazette
Southern Correspondence.


KNOXVILLE, Tenn, May Is, '67.
This town of Brownlow notoriety is I3O
miles from the Virginia line down the
East Tenn. Valley. This valley is from
- To 50 miles wide, and is drained by the
Chucky, HolstOn, and Climch rivers. The
upper part of the valley for Il distance of
40 miles Is broken by numerous irregular
limestone ridges, between which. uumer-
Gus rapid streams dash themselves along.
offering unsurpassed inducements to the
manufacturers Along these streams are
narrow valleys of the richest land. The
ridges, too, are very fertile, but too steep
for successful cultivation. Nowhere couId
the manufacturer DO better than in East
Tenn. For distance of 100 miles there
IS not single woo!cn factory. The SPIN
ming wheel and the loom are yet heard in
every farm house. The manufacturer of
farming implements would be exceeding
ly lucrative. Grain drills and reaping
machines are curiOsities to the farmer.
FARMING.
This Is in a Wretched and unscientific
state. Flowing is done by means of a
"builtongue" or shovel plow, which mere
ly scrapes the surface a few inches. Corn
Is planted succesSiVely in the same field
and very often without replOWing, vet an
immense quantity of corn is raised. -
w heat this year is in 4 very backward
state, scarcely as far on az in Pcnn'u |
would attribute this to their time and
manner of sowing. Renters can do well
here. They need not pay any tax on the
land and get twO-thirds of all they raise.
Since the negroes are liberated and farm
ing stock driven away by the armies
there are thousands of acres of the very
best land lying waste for want of farmers.
Farmers with small capital cannot fail to
do well here. Large crops of corn are put
out with one yoke of small oxen.
FREEDMEN.
These are the bone of contention now
as much as ever not who will get the
"nigger' but whom will the "nigger"
have. Radicals and conservatives are
playing this game, each proving to the
negro that he has been his best friend and
therefore entitled to his support at the
coming election. Some freedmen are
obliged 10 vote as their employers want
them or be driven with their families from
their homes. y few are too ignorant to
understand the issues of the contest and
are sold to the highest bidder, and iudg-
ing from what we have seen last fall we
know what party they will support. Oc-
casionally a colorcd man Of influence is
bought by the conservatives. In Haw-
klns county they gave one house and
lot worth 500 to stump the State for them. /.
but he was everywhere hisscd and hootcd
by his colOred brethren and obliged TO de- /
siSt. They knew who their friends We're
in the past.
THE REBELS.
No class of men are more completely .
cowed down than the rebels of Tenn. Not
long ago they were perfectly rampant, .
openly aVOWing that, with Andy John .
son at their head and the conservatives in .
the North to assist them, they would soon .
have the negro where he was before. \
second war and Il certain victory were
spoken OF as settled facts but thanks to
the iirmness of Congress and the military
bill. their hopes are about rs certain of
being realized as that Of Satan was to re-
gain heaven, and like that arch rebel,
they feel pretty bad and now try to vent
their spleen 10y wishing the negro to mar
ry the daughters of radicals, or else go to
hadcs.
70 illustrate their animus | must relate
a dialogue which occurred in my hearing
the other day. Sauntcring into store
while waiting for the cars while in a com +
munity where nearly all were rebels. |
found two very actively engaged abusing
the negro and the radicals, comparing the Il
latter with the aristOcracy of the South,
stating that scarcely a lady or gentleman 4
could be found among them; that they
were an inhOspitable cringing set. every
one working for himself. Just then came
walking IN one OF our boys in blue from
Tenn, whose homespun dress but honest
heart proved him to be no aristocrat and
taking up the conversation he replied:
You rebels We're mighty hospitablc as
long as you could DO it with other peo-
pies money or other peoples work. be-
llcvc in every man working for himself
and l have fought that it might be So
The reason you call the ngger a good for
nothing, lazy scoundreI is because you can
not get him to he your slave and let you
act the lazy scoundrcl, and that is what
hurts you"
bat a short time ago such free speech
would have cost this young soldier his
life but Gov. Brownlow has squads of
militia stationed through the State and all
is now perfectly quiet. SIGMA.