Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-27
Suffering in the south.

The following paragraphs arc from ep;i.
vate letter from an officer OF the United States
army-a Northern man-now cn duty in
South Carolina, TO relative in New York,
published in the Times. There is abundant
reason for believing that the picture it gives
OF Southern suileripg and humiliation, terri
bic as it is, is not oyerdrawn. 1t seems in-
credible that men should exist who are will
ing, for political purposes, to add still further
to wretchedncss SO extreme:
-, SOUTH CAROLINA, March, lSG7.-
: Idon't hear much about Mr.. Peabody's
bequest, butI do hear him generally spoken
OF iu praise and a ccrtainmeasnre Of gratitude.
The truth is, that these people are SO tortured
with debt and poverty that they hardly mind
ANYTHING which has not dirtct relalionin get
ting daily bread aud necessary raincnl. |
do hope 10 God that we nevcr-shall approach
the horrible crime and cruelty Of coniiscallon
or any similar measure of inerc vengeance.
Looking this desolatod and paIpcrized COM
muuity Of widows and orphans IN the face, [
feel like imprecating curses cn the head Of
any man who strives to add 10 their misery.
The amendment isright; it Furnishes the very
men who ought to be punished it is simple
and not unmercIul justice. 1 approve of
Sberman's Military Bill because it entrees
the amendment But this whispering about
con6scation seems to Inc like the whispering
OF murderers. A large portion OF this people
are close on the verge ofstarValion, and if you
take away their land, or if You reudcr their
landed tcnures so insecure rs tointerferc with
the planting of crops, there will be horrible
misery the South will be>a Poland, an In
/ l., Ill - A.1c ,,1 bopr;bIa ,l;c-r,c,
to us.
There is family within mile ofthis place
living in brush house," shanty of fresh
pine branches. 1t consists Of o mother, who
had son killed, a daughter of twenty, who
had husband killed, another daughter Of
thirteen, and grandchld of three. The ell
dest daughter told me that she had b=en all
over the village to get work, and had failed.
4 few words of pity brought the tiers rolling
down the cldes: girls sallow checks. "Oh ~
she said, 81 have been through power in tho
last two cars" She told me that she wasn't
used to going balcfoo: ia winter, anu it made
her sick, which consider very probable, as
We have had three inches Of snow.
Let US hope that there will be no coniisca-
ton to complete the ruin ard misery OF this
mis!ed and pitiable population. Let their old
political mills clacl they will wear out and
stop some day.
The million ofdollars proposed to be given
by Congress is urged only to relieve the tenl
pOrary wants OF the people Of the South.
General Conway, Of New York, who hss had
an interview with General Howard ON this
subject, reports that the wants OF the South.
ern poor are very great, aud that many in
that section will starye TO death If left unald.
ed during the coming three months. He al
SO asccrtained that Governor jenkins, of
Georgia, has tclegraphcd to the Government
that 10000 white persons, and 10000 colored
are in great need in that Stale alone. An
officer Of. tie Treasury Department, who has
arrived from Alabama, says that he witnessed
the most painful scenes Of want and woe
among The poor whites in that State, and
among some OF the blacks also; that some
persons whom he saw were On the border of
starvation, wearing clothing of the poorest
description, and that some were almost naked.
Some persons suggest tic wisdom OF supply
ing, among other things, implements of hus.
bandry and garden seeds, so that poor people
can in many instances prepare themselves
for selfsupport by cultivation Of the land, as
soon as their present necessities arc relieved.