The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-02-01
The geaford 8azette.
THE DEsOLATED SOUTH.

| The Public Ledger rather ostentatious
| ly publishes private letter on tht
condition and prospect of business ir
the South, addressed to one Of the lar
gest commercial houses in this city,
"frOm gentleman of large influence
in England" who is now travelling il
the South. Asvery probably the large
| commercial house contributed some
what to the sad state of things which
the letter describes, we are deeply in
debted to them for producing it. But
as We have done nothing to bring about
this end, have no drop Of blood and nc
desOlation on our consciences, there i:
peculiar pleasure in producing confir.
matory evidence to the same effect. A
friend, says the Age, writes to us from
New Orleans on the Sth of January:
'It is of course impossible for me tC
write you from this place without say.
ing something as to the first impres.
sion produced on me by the changes
everywhere visible.
81 came up the river by daylight
| Cultivation never extended lower than
forty miles from the Balize, but from
that point up it is a scene of utter des-
olation. One large sugar place was at
work, and one only; elsewhere, DESC
lation, ruins and solitude; weeds in
stead of cane; yet l am told that on
the bayous and in'the iDte; ior of the
S tate the work of destruction is still
more complete.
Passing over the great changes as
to individuals, what chiefly strikes me
is the perfect quiet of this city; its po-
lice are notoriously bad, yet its streets
are safer than those of Philadelphia or
New York. There is great gloom, but
an absence of excitement. The posi-
ton of affairs is rendered worse by the
disastrous results of last years plant
! ing, owing to series of natural caus-
es, such as have hardly ever occurred
in the same year. This has brought
ruin on many whose prospects at the
beginning of the year were good.
Hundreds of planters are here trying
to obtain advances to cultivate their
places during 1867, but at present they
have met with but littlesuccess in their
applications. AS you have much later
news as to Washington movements, 1
say nothing as to politics, but it is OBJ
vious that nOinvestments can safely be
made in a country whose fate is so un-
certain that no one can say whether,
in six months, it will be a State, Ter
ritory, or simply under military
despotism. Robbed Of their negroes,
their land was the only possession left,
and that is being made valueless.-New
Orleans is apathetic, quiet, CONNER
cial." There are no plans, no hopes,
no prospects.
"The farce Of the Riot Committee of
Inquiry has been played out, and in
time you will hear all about it. Mr..
Boyer, of Pennsylvania, has acted very
well, and done what he could under
the circumstances When Gen. Frank
Blair attended to give evidence, Mr..
Boyer said openly before his colleagues
and the public, "why do you come
here, General?" ave have come to
make case, and we only want Radi-
Gals and niggers." The labor question
is settling itself in this State in spite of
the Freedmen's Bureau in a tolerably
satisfactory way. The negroes behave
well apd are civil. On some places
they don't work well, in others they
are as industrious as before. Old, we'll
known planters have little difficulty in
getting laborers, chiefly their old hands.
The labor contracts are verbally very
one-sided, and in favor of the master
If they were enforced. 1t is question
of faith, and the negro prefers to trust
his master rather than the Bureau peo-
pie. In direct opposition to what was
said to be the case, sugar places are do
ing better than cotton, so far as labor
isconcerned. In OtherStates, Alabama
and Mississippi for instance, there are
greater difficulties. The smaller plan
terS Oatbid each other, and promise
what they cannot perform. If the
country was without political interfe-
renee, these things would settle them
selves. AT present the prospects for
this generation of proprietors is very
bad. But whoever may reap the ben
eft, these rich river lands must contin-
ue to produce, from their great natural
advantages. The poor uplands Of the
Atlantic States, upper Alabama, and
the hill lands of Mississippi, are being
deserted, and there is large emigra-
ton of negroes and planters to the
West, chiefly to Texas"
On all this we have no comment to
make, except that the dread response
bility of all this ruin and sorrow rests
upon those whose wicked sentimental
ism made this dreary war.
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