The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-03-26
coresponsnee Of The cineinnsu coznsrolsL
A Southern Journey Summed Up.
CINCINNATI March 16 1863.


CINCINNATI. March 16, 1868.
For two months [ have been jour
neying in the unreconsiructed States.
| have swung around the circle
through Louisville, Memphis. Jack
sou (MississippD, New Orleans,
Mobile, MOntg imery, Atlanta, Au
gusta, Savannah. Charlie ,tou, Il ,leigh.
aud Richmond. and have written my
impressi us from day TO day. nothing
oxtenuating or settling aught down
in malice. think | have gathered
my facts with cautious pen. In
previous letters | described many
scenes aud events that carried their
own lessons. | .ketchel six Of the
Southern constitutional conventions,
and in reading over those sketches 10
print, with matured experience, |
end no word to blot In this letter
(Which shall have the double merit of
being the last and the shortest). |
simply desire TO express in a. few
words as possible Ga: convictions that
! ave resulted from a varied contact
with Sjlthcrn sentim ,nt, as i. exists
to-day.
Of tie industrial condition Of the
Southern States | have said every
thing there is to say. Tha' section
will do all that can be hoped for if il
raises enough this ycar to feed itself
The new system Of labor is seeking
its levels. Agriculture there is in u
transition state. The plantation is
going out. aud the farm must come
ia. Ton years hence the Southerner
will be cutivatiug a hundred acres
instead of scratching over thousand
ON borrowed money and unpaid for
provisions.
If any Republican discovers his
cr.plating getting thin, let him
take a two months Southern journey.
A thoughtful and observant man will
find himsalt newly electrotyped in the
party faith that swept away secession
aud slavery, and which. if true to it.
sclf will expand and enuoble bv
stalosmanship what it so steadlastly
helped to save by the sword.
In three or four letters, | grumblcd
ut the indiscretiOn5 of Congress, but,
all the while, the Southern people
aud newspapers were treating my
moderate Republicanism with tonics.
Six months down there, | fear, would
have made me Radical.
The Suuthorners conceive that .hey
dill nothing particularly wrong in the
part they ;Ouk IN the drama Of the
rebellion. They feel no repentance,
aud no regret, unless it be for failure.
This may be human nature, we'll, it is
human nature not TO let then govern
the country uglin. They have fond
nope that, through Andrew johnson
aud tho Democratic party (both of
whom they secretly dc'pise), they
will be doAtcd into supr-m me power,
as of old. II is strange that they can
so delude themselves, but such is the
fact. The North comes, said Chas.
Summer before the war. The North
has come with vengeance. Ii
grows by emigration a thousand .
day. How much does the South
grow? In what manner are the new
cOlorcd citizens to DO dsfranchised
aud degraded when Davis, Loe
Toombs, Breckinridgo AMI the rest
resume control Of the Government
Tho Southern whip used to have Sc
eessinn for snapper. What will che
NV thong BE-? 1t was formerly The
fashion to let rebels build hOstil,
earthworks right under the inoifen
sive noses of national forts. Is tn,
same cousiderate policy assumed fol
the future?
These queries may seem childish
Hut | am speaking Of the childist
Southern weakness to comprehend
that their minority may not agair
wiyo the old imperial wand over she
tuiling aud patient masses Thei
think their star is only in eclipse
We must DO resolute, aud teach theu
that it has set forever. That lessor
wei learned, they will begin to be do
sirable citizens.
/, Tho freedmen have surprised IN,
by their native shlcwduess, aud guot
sense, their cautious, aud submissiv,
behavior. aud the keen, intelligen
interest they take in their new poll
tical privileges. If they were ono
tenth as vindiotive and contemptuOu
, in their manner toward the whites a:
the whites are towards them war oI
races would have ensued long ago
From close observation | believe then
10 be humber in department thai
before emancipation, As class the,
are anxious TO work aud get on in tn
, world. They are more industriou
THAI theiv late masters. Aud thougl
= the word has been abused, they ar
as loyal to the Government as it
possible for men of their cSpacitio
to DO, They would respond TO u ua
tional summons to GTms with alacrit
A., and enthusiasm. BY their votes i
:, the various conventions they hay
shown that they feel no hatred &C
/ ward their old oppressors, aud a.
= nothing boy oud security for the flu
A ture.
Scratch a Southern, aud you 6n
an iutolerant.
h lie is not willing to have you vot
4 as yoAr conscience dictates. Del
4 his local dispotisns, aud you will
=. socially ostISeised, your nams will I
> Published ia a black list, you will /
sueered at aud iuEulted. Ii you are
u Nortkern man, acquire citizenship b
}, the legal period of resistance, aud 3
q nominated 10 office, you will be rid
culed as Yankee adventurer-
;, "carpet-baggsr,' Witness the Ala
y bama election 10 February, uitnel
=" the Souihera newspaper tTeatGcnt (
all the constitutional conventions.
&c How about Southern loyalty?