Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-23
Condition of Tennessee.
Correspondence of New York Horald.l

k COLUMBIA TgNN., september W
Maury, county, Tennessee, besides
being one of the richest counties in the
State, enjoys, according to Radical story,
most unenviable notoriety as the hot
bed of all that is murderous in the shape
of Ku- K!ux cut-throats and negro butch
ers. The finest plantations in the Com
monwealth are located in Maury, and the
major portion of its extensive negro pop.
ulation gain a6livelihood Ibyoworking for
the planters. took horse from Colum-
bia the other day, and, despite all repre-
sentations as to the dangers that North
srn.. mudsill" would encounter on The
road, occupied three entire days in
driving from place to place in the, ,inte-
rior, occasionally stopping by the way
side, at,a country inn or a negro cabin,
to fin nd refreshment for man and beast"
The negroes, with whom conversed
freely all along the route, and at every
place l stopped, much to my surprise,
seemed to know less of the horrid Ku-
KIuxes than the "refugee" " negroes who
loaf about the streets of Nashville and the
Legislative halls; and whenever l asked
them how they had the courage to remain
in such a dangerous section OF the coun-
try, they turned up the whites Of their
eyes and looked at me with the most per-
feet wondermeut / stopped one night
in the cabin of an old negro, who, with
his three sons, cultivated a very nice
little farm adjoining one Of the planta.
tions, aud as he was quite communities
tive old fellow, speedily got into his
good graces and had little talk on
the condition ofthe negroes in the county.
II dunno how sum niggas does, marse,
he replied to one of my questions, but
we is comfortable. De white folks help
us long, too, when the crops isn't salu-
brious." IA f..a-
q Bu. are you not afraid of the Ku-
KIuxT ap q aaatiee
" Bress your sole, dey don't bodder us
folks. never seed any 'Cssionally1 1
hears dey is gwine to do orful things
bout heah, but dey don't truble us Oar
is Pete, be knows em; he can tell you
dey play de debil wid de bad niggars, an
dere is stunuin' bad niggsrs round now
times"
CHere Pete, one of the old mans sons,
nodded assent 1g 1ra lg 49,
"The bad negroes don't frighten you,
do they r. arocs --El DINO
-" Yes, dey does. Dey guv me. more
anxiousness den / car for ku kluxes.
Dey steal whsteber dey gifts dar brack
hands Arter We ootch 'em ofen." -.
"What did you do with them p
al didn't cotch 'em, but the Kluxes
hunt 'em like 'possum. Dar was dat
cussed niggar, Jim Freelan', who wuked
on de plantashun fore de war as smart
as any. he was de vustest niggar ever
seed He gwined OF wid q polimtishun
and be got so big arter while he couldn't
talk TO odder niegars- He fotched lots
Of fellss from de town when be cum
bsck, and played de duce wild some white
folks. One missus was TUX away and
hurted orful. She died arter. / heerd.
Jim was cOtch one night BY Kluxes and
sum ov our boys helped TO fix EN-, and
we amt heerd on 'em sencep
Don't you or Pete ever 60 10 election
meetingsf
.De boys does sumtineat I doesn't
Don't car for sich. De marse ober dAr
tell Us what It's bad bisnesA. l bleve
'su, fur cbery one ob de brsck niggars
What 'ewined sway from heah vid de
while polimtishuns, when dey Gun back
won't work no bov. Dey talk on poler-
ticks and ssrse de white folks fearful,
aud sum on EN- amt particklsr nights,
and takes de chickens eben from de cot
ord iolks De Kluxes clean EN- out
once 10 while. and uncle neber gvtne
70 cFy bout il. nedar" q
Another sight pat up ct planters
honse, near Ashvood. whose name snp-
press af bis Own request / vas treeted
With the greatest kindness By himssf
and family, and sas allowed every PRIV
lere Of conysrsing With the negroes on