The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-02-20
letter rom Smith County, Texas.


Letter rom Smith County, Texas.
we publish below 4 letter from ali old friend Q
ours, without endorsing Us cgsdeat tendency toward:
1 radicalisn The gossippng news it contains IS wei
worth the space it occupies:
SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS, February 1 1857
KeSsrS. L. billiard G Coin compliance with tht
request of my friends that [ would give an impair
tul statement Of the condition, feelings and futuFF
prospects of the people of this portion OF Ieza
while travelling through it, I have concluded to glYt
the following impressions and facts just as have
learned them at different points and from various per
sons. With your permission have selected your paper
as the medium, because find it is more generaItJ
read than any otherfor the reasons, as IS genera y
said, that it is more consistent, reliable and sure tt
contain the latest and most important news. very
fatterinc public commentator, cerainl y-one that
should stimulate to much greater ezefon on your par
to extend it's circulation.
The farmers are truly in very backward condition
in their preparations for the ensuing crops, partly,
is said owing to the fact that the freedmen have been
very careless about entering into contracts. Two mo-
tiyes have been assigned as reason tor this delay
One is that the freedmen generally contend for por-
ton Of the CROP while the planter wishes to pay stated
monthly or yearly wages. The other is that the plan
tiers themselves are really Indifferent whether they
tmake not entertaining serious doubts OF
success under the present SYSTEM while there is a
third opinion, occasionally advanced b. some, charg-
ing the freedmen with ndisposition to work or to
try to provide for their sustenance and future comfort
The Frecdmcu's Bureau is, in some places, regarded
as an al necessity while in others it is damned
as a nuisance.
The crops OF the past year are much less than was
anticipated, after making due allowance for the
casualties Of worms and bad seasons. have met
with planter who has not fallen much below his
calculations; and many of them say they have not
cleared expenses. Very many, with the closest econ
omy, will not Luve sulfciency of corn to make the
next crop. There localities where this statement
would not be true, but in general it is strictly So
In politics. there mantestly two distinct parties
The Conservatives they styled, made up Of for
mer sccessonists old political leaders and oficehoder5
under the Southern .e'onfederacy, and the Union
men who have always opposed every effort Of the
other classes either to weaken destroy our consti
tutonal relations to the Federal Government. 1t is
true the latter party i'll the minority, and their
quieess has led many persons to suppose them much
less numerous than they really They found,
more less numerous in every county, town and
neighbOrhood that | have visited. Various reasons
are given tor thclr silence and retired of life
some fearing injury to their persons property,
others an ndlsposltion to engage in heated discussion
and party strife; others, again, more noisy and fear
less, swear that while the President was framing the
amnesty oath so as to make treason odious actually
made loyalty damnable, by requiring men who were
always loyal and had never taken any part lot in
the Contederacy to take the oath that he had
to take the oath OF amnesty alleging that they have
committed no wrong, and therefore need no pardon
heard OF an old gentleman who had been elected to
office just previous to the act Of secession who when
required to take oath to support the Concdcracy
vacated his scat, saying that he had taken oath to
support the Constitution of the United States thirty
three times, and he would be damned before he would
now take one to destroy it. Though very intei-
gent and influential man. learned that he bad politi
cally exed himself, never having voted taken any
part in politics since.
Quite stir in Tyler for the last few days A Mr. |
Whitmore, who has been Il notorious Union man, had
left about to leave, for Washington City, and
the Union men as report says) got up petition
asking his appointment Governor of this Territory
should the State be divided and tcrritoriazed. An, !
other report has it that be has gone to New York to
procure materials to establish Union paper in Tyler
to be called THE Radical Of '67." Still another ru-
NOR has it that he is authorised to sell in small farms
hty or sixty thousand acres of land to actual settlers
who will remove to Texas next fall. The lands are
reported to be lying in Smith, Cherokee Van Zandt,
Henderson and Wood counties
Mr.. Whitmorc, find is regarded by Union men as
gentleman of the highest order Of intellect possess
ing great abilities politician and an untarnished
political record, and firm supporter of Governor
Houston in his difficulties with the secession conven-
ton that deposcd him. Would that the mantle of the
old hero and martyr had fallen upon of his fol-
lowers who rallied around him in the hour of his need.
lis memory must live and his iortitude be admired
while Texans have heart to feel mind to call up
the exciting deeds Of the darkest hours Of their his
tory.
find good deal OF interest manifested in behalf
of railroads. Still I cannot say there is much dispo-
Sition to invest the part OF those having the ability
cannot divine why this indifference exists for be-
Yond question, with proper energy and the judcious
expenditure OF comparatively small amount of
capital in railroads, this would be second to State
n the Union.
The system Of farming here is what think might
DC denomnatcd the extensive and eXhausting scale.
man will cultivate hundred acres to raise twelve
II fifteen hundred bushels Of corn, when onethird the
quantity selected from the same land with one-hafI
he labor, would yield him more corn lie will keep
iru'TIIcu mead or hogs IN order to make five or
tx thousand pounds of pork, while thirty with very
title more consumed in the way of food, will produce
i'm twice that quantity Of meat He will also keen
dozen COWS to get crock of milk that would lie
vice filled by one good one Can it he believed that {
spent night with planter within the last week and
IS table was supplied with butter, both at supper and
reakfast, made in New York? This gentleman owned |
omc twelve hundred acres OF good land and is cult
atlng four or five hundred acres of the same.
have heard but one serious objection urged against Z
le country, that Of Nrotractel droughts during the
INNER. These occur of distressing character =
ace III three years. There frosts to dread /
I'd the soil is such as to stand drought remarkably
ell. The summer months are hot bat O. the winters II
e so mild! All tie labor on the farms can be done It
'ring these delightful months In The North we have Il
late and early rosts to dread besides we arc sub
otcd to distressing droughts often once in every
e ycarS-if not 50 long, equally destructive. II
shall go from this to Wood county, and with your
omission would like to trouble you again. n
Respectfully yours, .,
vIAToR vERUs "
THE COTTON TRADE-The New Orleans Times, of
e 10Th, publishes the following extract from the %
Letter" of Mr. Samuel Cranwel, one Ct ID
leading cotton factors Of the Crescent City; -
have just received the circular Of the Liverpool r,
ton Brokers' Association, made up to the evening ~
the 7th January, 1867. 1t shows 10
STOCKS.
Jan. II, 1867. Jan. H. 1866 tr
aerican ........... ..163, $40 1861 $50 bales. 81
aZll NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Fl ,JpU ol,JlO - tn
yptlan, Smyrna, etc ...... 1850 1850 re-
est India .............. lilo 9,4SO - th
st India (all points, .232, $50 1880 w.
ina .......... ........... 1920 1900 ~ ~
Total. sol 800 4lT,l0 mi
Excess Of stock Of all kinds Nth January, 1867 ~ w
II same date last year So, 6lO bales. "
The stock at the close Of 1866 was: -,
q