The New York herald., 1868-03-03

war, this village has remained ln profound obscu-
rity. The tread Of hostile armies has spared it
from desoaation, and, except in the gen.
orally seedy appearance Of the inhabit.
ants, tho tourist would never perceive the
slightest sign Of warfare about il. Griffin is
situated on the railroad running from Atlanta to
Macon, aud is pleasant little town Of about four
thousand inhabitants. As in all small places in
this section Of the country, the few streets it
boasts Of arsyery wide and on one OF them l. all
the business done. The county in which the vii.
lage is located (Spadngl is enc Of the richest ana
healthest in the State, tho people here belonging
to what was formerly known as the " s.aveholding
aristocracy." AS a natural result, they are, as a
general thing, quite intelligent and hospitable,
and hold very high social position.
The first and most natural question OF travellers
in the South relates to politics. and that question
frequently propoundcd to divers individuals. In
this village nobody cares anything about political
principles. The struggle for Office and power be-
tween democrats and republicans in the North il
thought nothing Of here, or regarded with the ut.
most indifference. On one point, however, the
whites are almost unanimously determined and in
terested. That point is universal suffrage. Tell them
that Grant will be our next President or that hs
VIII not and shrug Of the shoulder is the only
response given. Bat just hint that they viii have
to submit to universal negro suffrage and their
eyes fash with Indignation. Then ysu obtain q
reply, and it is that their submission will last just
so long as soldiers garrison every part OF the
country. Let them be removed and the negro
must be the better man If he exercises his newly
bestowed privilege. Beyond this single political
question the people are utterly indifferent. When
the war first ended they were interested and
Ayta A,<k l,,& -, sl.o
struction laws were passed and negro suffrage
forced upon them everything has been blank, SO
far as politics are concerned. II is true there Is
democratic club here, on the roll Of which nearly
every white man in the county has affixed his
name but even it fails to be a centre Of attr2c.
tion. The news Of the johnson. Stanton imbrog;e
and the passage of the impeachment resolutions
were received with surprise. but beyond that no
interest was manifested. This indifference seems
irksome after leaving Atlanta, with her Convsn.
ton and political sensations. You feel that there
is something wanting in a people who care nothing
for the welfare Of the government under which
they live.
While it is true that the Griffnites eschew poll.
tics, 1t must not be supposed that they view the
attempt OF Congress to negroize The State with
even camness. The feeling in this respect is
fierce, bitter and overwhelmingly hostile to the
radical po icy. Men who were unonists through
out the war are the most intense opponents OF the
measure have spoken to-day TO not fewer than
fifty men and, with but q single exception all
were united in declaring that under no crcun
stances whatever will they ever acqucsce in the
policy OF negro suffrage. Ii NAV be forced upon
them now, they say, but the day will come when
the North will perceive that the whites Of the
South would have been better and truster allies
than the blacks, and o. that day the
duct. or course there is covert threat
lurking beneath such remarks; but it can mean
anything or nothing. The single radical that
met with nm here is a Yankee, aud he edits little
apology OF a weekly newspaper, called the Ameri
"loyal" men are not safe in the county; that the
rebels endanger their lives, &c. But despite these
grave charges he weekly abuses the great mass OF
the whites simply because they happen not to
agree with him in politics. And these care the
very men, by the way, who are doing most 10 en-
bitter the people against the government. When
you hear of MIR. So-and.So, OF Georgia, being q
truly loyal"--i. e., radcal--man, sci him down
as scamp; for since have been South have
not or heard OF one Of this class without his
having decidedly bad character. And yet these
are the men who will hold the various Offices In
the State should the Congressional plan succeed.
In the foregoing nothing has been said about
our "coored fellow citizens" With deep regret
it must be recorded that nothing favorable can
be written Of them. Politically, they are quiet a,
present. but socially they are msre active than
ever. The negroes have certain iailings which
are Inherent in their natures. hog pen, chicken
roost corr crib and family store house alike dc.
velop and make practical most decided weak.
ness Of theirs IL is not then, to be wondered at
that the roasters, corn, chickens and other pro-
mysterious manner imaginable. The" delauers,n
" abstractors," or anything else, to be polite are
frequently discovered, and they invariably prove
to be sable citizens. The meanest robbery that |
have heard OF ;s that Of farmer in this vicinity. He
employed number OF hands, furnished them with
stock agricultural instruments and other neces-
saries for farm and agreed to give each man
ono.haf of what he made. When the crops were
gathered last fall ii amounted in food and cotton
TO two thousand bushels OF corn. forty bales OF
cotton, large quantity OF oats peas aud several
stacks OF fodder strictly complying with his
contract the planter divided the proceeds In two
parts and gave one of them to the negroes, which
they pretty soon sold. As the planter, under his
agreement. was compelled to feed the stock, lie
placed his ia the crib, intending 10 use it for
feeding the mules and during the present
year. One night n short time ago he heard some
in the crib, and catching mp his shotgun left
the house and proceeded towards it. He arrived
just in time to catch one Of his own hands well
laden with the corn, and upon examining the crib
it was asccriained that not three hundred VI the
one thousand bushels were remaining. or
course Lis freedmen had taken II all.
This evening | succeeded In inducing an old
countTyman TO enter into political discussion
with me. He declared emphatically that he
thought the country was going to the devil The
people OF the North were all crazy, and some OF
these days they would wake up and Gnd dictator
ruling them. For hs own part, he didn't care
dash what became Of the country. lie had been
ruined by the war, had lost his two sons, aud now
he felt no further interest in the government. As
] rose TO leave the old man be shook my hand, and
his eyes roistcncd as he said:
"You are from the North, hut won't yor admit
that 1t is pretty hard for 10 love government
that is trying 10 degrade me! No, no; can't do
10 for nv poor boys graves ale IN front Of my
house and look upon them every day"
There was paihos in tue old mans language,
r mournful earnestness in his tone that touched
an saddcned me. IL was the impress iblc moan
OF heart tnat had losl everything worth living or
hoping for.
A Well Reconstructed Nnilrond-Thn City of
n,acou-Democraiic Headquarters - Some
Political Activity-Thc War department Ina.
brerIio aud impenchment-Nha hat - Thought
OF Thcm-lIors Tales OF Depr cdatiens by
MACON, Feb. 90, lscs.
To ride upon n clean and comfortable rkroad
car ia the South Is quite luxury at the present
,ime. From Washington to Atlanta, excepting
those of tie State read only tic cars are most