Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-12-31
THE WAL OF THE souTH.

EAdICdusuli mas ruined the Southern country,
and that fair land, once blooming as therose,
now sits sorrowiug and in anguish. Last year
it required the straining of the charities of
the North, to arrest tie progress of starva>
ton, and tie recent accounts which come up
to US from authentic SOURCES, show that the
condition Of the people is little better at pre-
cent than when these efforts were made for
their relief. The arrangement of labor
throughout the Southern States, the unwil.
liuguess Of the negroes to work, aud their
natural improvidcnce and want of capacity
for providing for their own necessities, cou-
pied with their enthusiastic desire to take
part in the Affairs of government to the ne
elect Of erytLing else, finds them without
tho necessary means of subsistence for the
winter, aud thousands of them are now ckiug
out miserable, thicviug existence by pilfer-
ing from the moro fortunate whites. This
distressing condition Of afTairs is directly
traCeab!e to the policy of Congress in placing
the negro in possession of the ballot, instead
! OF providing laws requiring him to earn his
bread by the sweat Of his brow" The white
people, determined not to become the prey of
| the negroes, and not TO permit themselves to
/ be bCggared by their robberics, are every.
| where armiug themselves to resist these en-
cIcachments, and already number of ne.
| groes, in different parts Of the South, have
been murdered in the very commission Of
their unhalIowed depredations This in time
must necessarily lead to Il war of races. in
! which deeds Of atrccity will be pcrpetratcd,
the very contemplation Of which causes tho
| heart to sicken. The latest accounts we have
Of these diStresscs is conveyed in the annexed
| letter Of correspondent of the New York
Herald. We may add that these statements
are confirmed by private letter which we
recently received from a near relative in AL
ALBANIA =
rapid run over parts OF Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi and Tennessee, has afforded me some
insight into the condition of the freedmen
that may be interesting to the public. In
! New Orleans ! learned at the headUuarters
| of the fifth military district that official in
formation satisfied the commanding general
that fully one million whites and blacks in the
I district were without means of Subsistence
through the winter, and nothing but an APP
pIOpfiaNi''u congress SOuIu save thousands
| from starvation.
| Most OF those in want are in Louisiana
| Texas which suffered but little from the war.
has been fortunate in raising good crops, and
| in that State both whites and freedmen will
/ be able to keep starvation from their doors
In Louisiana, especially the upper parishes,
the condition of the freemcn is indeed de.
p'orabIc. Their contracts for the year have
! ended, and the majority have saved nothing
, On the point of starvation, they have organ
lied into bands and are killing the stock Of
the planters unfortunately. When they
! cannot find cattle they steal mules, run them
over TO Mississippi and Texas. and by their
sales raise the means Thcrcwi:h to subsst.
Throughout Mississippi the negroes are
also quite destitute, and but few have pro-
visions, or money to buy suffc.cncy to sub
sist unit! Chris mas. Here, too, they are or.
ganzing to make raids upon the whites and
supply themselves and their families. In
several counties they have held meetings
in their churches, drilled. elected their lead.
! crs and effected thorough organization. + x
! Several with whom have couversed candid
/ ~ admit that the blacks arc in state of star
walton, and that in their meetings they have
! passed resolutions and bound themselves to
! stand by each other in procuring provisions
! from the fOcks of the planters In some
cases where raids have been made upon the
stock OF planters, the negroes have been shot
by the former, who are very generally arm.
ing to protect their property. A few days
ago, above here, on the Mobile and Ohio
Railroad, the carcass of COW was found par.
TALLY skinned, and the dead bodies of three
negroes lying near it. They had evidently
been surprised and killed by tn whites.
The present policy of Congress is hasten>
ing on war Of races that will result in moro
atrocities thas those of ST. Domingo. The
whites Of the South may for while submit
to thc suffrage Of the negro, but when the
time comes that these raids upon their stock
are general, and their own families are re-
duced TO want in consequence, depend upon
1t they will rise to Cxterminate the negroes
All planters with whom have cunversed
say that next year they will only plant grain
enough to subsiSt their families aud they will
do 1t By their own labor; that the negroes
are so wrapt up in the enthusiasm Of politics
that they will not work that those who do
work squaLder their earnings as fast rs Sc
cured, aud take no thought OF the morrow.
Were the Radical committee Of Congress 20
send down funds Tor the subsistence of the
unfortunate negroes, instead Of carpet bag
cmissarics and FORMULATING trebrauds to
stir up strife, they would render good service
i'll the cause OF humanity.
You will recolcc' thar plot was discov>
cred here some weeks ago to plumber this
town. Major Norton. of the Twenty
infantry, arrested some six or eight, but they
were discharged for want Of proper proof
The troops lave been since, Withdrawn. and
the people have armed in expectation of an
attack before Christmas Yesterday Eve hun
drcd negroes, whose families are very jesti-
tufc. were discharged from plantations within
FIVE miles of Norton a small town on the