The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-12-30
The Reign Of Terror in the south
Three Million Whites and Blacks
on the Point of starvation--Rapinc
md Bloodshsd Near

One of our travelling correspondents,
who has just made an extensive tour of
| Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Ala
| bama, North Carolina, and South Caro-
! lima, represents the condition of the
! freedmen rs heartrending in the ex-
treme. In all the cetton districts of
those States the great mass of the freed
men are not only on thepoint of starya-
ton, but possess scarcely sutficiepcy of
clothing to cover their nakedness.
At most of the railway stations,
many colored children collect on
the arrival of the trains, and en-
ter into competition with the ia
mished swine and dogs for the possession
of the bones thrown by passengers
from the trains, while scores of lazy
negroes collect about the depOts rs
spectators. In the corn growing dis
tricts the prospects of famine are not
so near, and whites and blacks are on
friendly terms. He declares that the
negroes are much more destitute than
under the old slave regime. In many
counties of these States the forests are
filed with armed negroes, who hunt
lame in day time ard make raids upon
planters stock at night. The reign of
terror is general in upper Louisiana,
lower Mississippi, and the cotton dis
tricts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
The destitutiop, however. is not con-
fined TO the blacks. Thousands of
the white popslation have not
months provisions ahead, and no money
with which to lay in supply. Many
planters, who were farseeing, provlded
a years supply for their families, but
the starving negroes have very gener,
ally pillaged their smoke-houses ana
sranaries, and stripped them clean. His
estimate of the number ofpersons (com-
piled from statistics collected by the
Executives of the States and others)
who will starve, unless Congress pro-
vides some relief, is three millions, two
thirds of whom are negroes. This estl-
mate embraces Louisiana, Mississippi,
| Alabama, Georgia aud the Carolinas.
| He has no estimate of the other
vet unreconstructed States. Unless
prompt action is taken to provide
| for the starving freedmen and
whites, the pillaging of the whites
will become general, the latter will re-
sist, and bloody conflict will be the
result. Planters are generally alarmed,
and would leave the country could they
raise the means to remove their families.
Hundreds are offering their homes for q
mere song, but can find no purchasers.
Plantations that before the war CON-
masded as high as fifty dollars per acre
can be purchased for five dollars. per
acre, so general is the terrsr that reigns,
and the desire of the owners to save
their families from the outrages that are
threatened by the negroes. unless aid
comes from the Government or the peo-
pie of the North.
On the way North we witnessed o
striking illustration Of the effect of Rad
ical teachings. At Greensboro, n. c.,
party of negro emigrants entered the
cars. In the party were two very pref
ty white girls. Investigation resulted
in learning thattbey were ihe daugh-
tiers of an English geld miner in Gull
ford county, n. c., and had voluntarily
left their homes as the mistresses Oftwo
coal black negroes. They are destined
TO vincennes, Indiana, and Xenia, Ohio.
Much indignation was manifested by
the white passengers. and threats of
llynching the negroes were INDUCED in,
but not carried out.-N. T.Herdld.