The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-07

SPECIAL Correspondence OF the HERALD.

lions eneraI Howell CObb's Experiments
Meeting Of the Destitute at rho Commfssary
Department of Macon-This IL n Sorry
Standardization Day mt the Frcedmen,s
Bureau-The Spectacle and Some Of Its
Chnracters-A Discourse from Uncle "Poiy.
observation-disclosures and Vegetables Con,-
MACON Ga, June 2, 1857.
General Howell Cobb addition TO his practice OF the
law in Macon is working With his son, several cotton
plantations in Southwestern Georgia. the richest portion
OF the State All together he has some twenty six hun
bred Of land under cultivation, and excepting the
tho field peas and the sweet potatoes necessary for
tho years Subsistence Of his hands from the COM
ing tho harvest these lands planted in
cotton Four Of these plantations they all suite
worked by blacks including tho late slaves OF the
planter and his family, and one place 10 under the ex-
pertinent Of white labor native whites. mostly small
farmers Tet destitute by these hard times" He is IN
PRODUCING some experiments in the care OF his
laborers. Under tho old system all the slaves Of the
plantation collected together near the big house,
in village called the negro quarters The visitor at
the shrine OF Mount Vernon will have noticed these
quarters Just the Of the masters house. Gene
raj Cobb says however, that tho budding Of hundreds
Of negroes together demorazes them less and
no IL about trying the experiment OF dividing their
quarters that each squad will number only twenty
persons. Each field hand with family will, In add
ton his and board share Of the crop. be
apporoned patch Of Ave for his wife aud children
TO cultivate for themselves with such assistance no
may DO able 70 give them Saturday afternoons and
other intervals Of leisure from the work on the panta
ton For the Sabbath venient chapel attached 70
these plantations assigned for the exclusive use Of
their people Religion among the Southern blacks Ia the
great object Of thor existence Their belief Ii simple and
sincere and the cultivation OF rs unqusstoning faith
in promises Of the Bible carefully attended 70
by their in past for rsconced the slave
to his position chattsl and 10 all its consequences
in tho separation Of his family in view Of his great re-
ward In the world to With his emancipation the
freedman still has his highest consultations in the Bible,
and hence the wisdom Of looking 70 his interests In this
regard. General Cobb, with tho reputation Of kind
master under the old system ID thus adopting the now
relations with hands their nxed ideas OF the su
preme importance Of their church. He thins too that
In dividing them into small squads detached from each
Other many Of the vices resulting from the old system.
potwhstan ding the negros religious dsvotions win b
avoided and that this reform viii in time be universally
adopted He thinks that even the native whites are not
70 n, Sons me o. ss would
surely succeed anywhere South back Of tho maisous
The Bureau Of Freedmen, Refugees and Abandoned
Lands II doing good work in Georgia Through the
courtesy OF Mr. John DanielIy special agent Of the
button Of the government supplies OF and bacon 70
the destitute and helpless people under his care o. this
frame building known the Commissary Depot, some
hundred and nifty destitute creatures were assem-
Sss A.. a~I MANY .la sddon Win "m. basket wh
and bscks nearly equal n number the blacks q the
hour q me dsy Two soos n sn . ss,as =
portion OF ten The charities Of the Bureau
limited TO the extremely destltcse and helplesa
destitute widow for instance, who has no more than
three children provide for II she s able 70 work, 10
excluded from the benefits OF the bureau.
This assemblage was, indeed, 20 sorry sight" Tho
women with few sxcepsiors, were mere ghosts Of wo-
men, scantiy clothed; yet there were some who had
;ssy shfsnH rom oSservapn The whites however
nearly ALL II not all, Of the poor white class, and
many had probably been living on the verge OF this
dcstitutlon ell thelr hvea Some were smoking their
pipes; some sitting on the ground, with folded
hands, awaiting turn and others engaged In
explaining their situation 70 each other a." said one
shaking with the ague "wouldn't be here II could
work. for pretty fast when I'm WELL and nx
up the young Iadies linen but I've got i've little chill.
dren. and they have not bad a mouiul since ysster-
day" "I" put in another, "woud work; but therc is
70 DO had All the rich people that was are doing
their own work Again, here cripple, there was one
another doubled over with the nnrmtes OF poverty,
some were barefooted. and all had . starved appear
ance two or three young girls who looked 70 be
.So"ghsin and not the INST sound Of laughter broke
from them in the space OF an hour
Tho blacks were moro cheerful for the negro natu-
rally light hearted Even In their rags and hunger they
could talk their usual gossp but they, too, were
melancholy set In thus considering the two races
apart not DO inferred that they separated
a the depot They all mixed together a. L all OF
one color and family all except about dozen negro
who we're gathered round patriarch Of their tribe
who said his name was Poydoro He Was comforting
them with the consultations Of religion, In little inn
prompto exhertation, and thus ne went on
dis world. What is all dis to me-. am old. l am left
BY myself OF all know'd when was young man
a. % ready sd &c.
ton up yonder. Dey don't depend dar on do cotton
crop DO corn crop Or de wheat crop or Dc Frsedmsns
tore lin him: trust IN Him; keep rs word and your re.
for yoc any how. II don't git no corn to-day, goes
home aud down on my knees pray TO de Lord, and
S aS sd s Ss FER ny sssSs
Hsre shs old negro philosopher suos!ded, eu, imms-
datsy called out "aake way dar, good people Lame
foks old folks and sick folks stand 70 side and
do poor blind man come 70 do window" and the poor
assisted TO the window by his fellow sufferers in
tituton, who thought themselves comparatively for
tunats in being able 70 see the misery around Thorn,
while he could only feel his own.
The agent tells that cases OF destitu-
tion adults, relieved from his depot i've hundred
for Bib county Including Macon ciyl, two hundred
and nfty for Crawford county, and two hundred and
nfy for Jones The allowance 10 nifty pounds OF
per month for each recipient aud pounds Of
bacon. taking the minimum Of two hundred and My
the average OF tho "extrcney destitute and help
u ~ oy spnpea Pon we ,cs n
Der Of counties in the state I'm every one OF which
there is an agency tho destitute poor Of Georgia
mostly tue widows OF rebel soldiers who fed by the
government, amount In round numbers 70 tnrty-four
thousand scala In reslny the number probably cx-
cecis nifty thousand And yet these contributions from
the Bureau bat scattering dropsin the empty bucket
OF Georgia But The bsckbcres are npenins, the poor
Arc beginning 70 gather them ana 'nsss VIM .n tae
many family TO make out q luxurious meal on the
basis OF . quart Of pounded corn made into ponc or
hoe cake, enriched for want OF pausf, WIN 'he is'
from few ounces Of bacon
This tine poor or the Bureau A. We have said, though
large item, still but an item In the desutuuon OF
Georgia We shall have something further 70 say on
the general subject when We shall nave obtained some
necessary facts.
The Political Feeling A1eng the People
Death Of judge Lumpkin--The Crops, Ac.
AuausrA, Ga. June Q, 1867.
A meeting OF the citizens OF Fulton and De Kaib
counties vas held ., Atlanta to-day 70 form oonssrva-
tive Union party.
r-..nhe ana rssolutlous were adopted denouncps