The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-05-01
sufferings at the South.

A private letter IN inc we" lofh LINES
1 frono = violent radical army officer-a North
Il nrn man-gives, if possible, a worse picture of
snf,rng than any we have had. But he
thinks it right to stop persecution somewhere.
orI therefore. after an abundance OF personal
r.arc,ions upon the stupidity and acrimony Of
,kose around him. writes as follows, in words
rbch make ones heart ache and checks to
tingle with shame {:
L Tic truth is that these people are so tor
L ,,,rod with debt and poverty that they hardly
mind ANYTHING which has not a direct relation
n grtljng daily bread and necessary rament.
+, hone to God that we shall never approach
the horrible crime and cruelty of coniScation
4 mr. any similar measure of mere vengeance.
Looking this desolate and pauperScd comma
niy of widows and orphans in the face, feel
like imprccating curses onthe head Of any
man who strives to add to their misery. The
amendment is right; it Furnishes the very men
who ought to be punished; it is simple and
not unmrrcifu| justice. | approve of sher
mans military bill because it enforces the
amendment. But this whispering about con-
f<caon seems to me like the whispering of
murderers. A large portion of this people is
close on the verge Of starvation and if you
take away their land Or if you render their
landed enures SO insecure AS to interfere with
the planting of crops. there will be horrible
misery the South will be Poland, an Ire
land, an India, a hell TO itself and q horrible
disgrace to US.
There is family within mile of this place
living in a brush house" a shanty Of fresh
pine branches Il consists Of mother who
had a son killed, a daughter Of twenty who
had husband killed, another daughter of
thirteen, and grnndchild Of three. The old
est daughter told me that she had been all
over the village TO get work, and had failed
furnished them with some clothing from the
bureau stores, but how they are to live through
the year can't imagine. They were poor
before the war. but not like this. They had
u family Bible once, and father thought ever
30 much of it, A few words Of pity brought
the tears rolling down The eldest girls salIow
checks. "Oh!'' she said, " I've been through
power in the last two years. She told me
that she wasn't used to going barefoot in the
winter, and it made her sick. Which con-
slider very probable as we have had three
inches Of snow.
There is a FIVE points OF crime and misery
al over the country districts of this State. Let
US hope that there will be no confiscaton to
complete the ruin and misery of this misled
and pitabe population. Let their old po''tl-
cal mills clack they will wear out and stop
some day.
| wish the North would DO more 10 relieve
the Southern poverty. It would be good
0olitical movement, and would commence the
work of conversion. Mere mercy that is,
mere lack of characterization brings over
an enemy: but actual, active, positive kind
ness must have its good effect. AS for pun
ishment, we have given up whipping our chill
dryn; can't we give up whipping our brothers
and sisters? Must the North behave like tina
fanatic or maniac who lately flogged his baby
to death because it wouldn't pray? Let u:
have the pleasure of believing that Mr.. Ste
vens will stop short of that.
don't believe there is money enough in
my district to pay the United States take
now due I heard the other day that one 0
the most responsible families had write,
North for charity, and thankfully accepted I'll
teen dollars. They have house, but can
sci! it; land, but cant hire cul'ivafors.