Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-25
Condition of the South.

saChusctts, VINO mas been uANcllne w '"""
Carolina and Georgia for several months, as
special agent Of the Treasury Department,
sends us an interesting communication from
which we extract as follows =
Mus House., CHARLESTON, 5. G., |
March I, 1868.
If had the ability to weld the pen that
would fully describe this country and this
people, so that the readers imagination and
conception of them would picture to his mind
the reality as il is, should deem myself a
happy man. But no, | cannot do it the
language at my command is inadequate, and
therefore my pen--through no fault OF its
own-lails to perform the task.
will merely state that il is fully acknowl-
edged by everybody here that al arms they
have been ,clippef but after this general
acknowledgment there is great variety Of
opinions as to what is the actual effect or re-
suit thereof, and consequently as to what is
their present status.
The naughty, original, to the manor
horn Carolnian, when he looks anywhere in
any part of his once lordly but new war-
biasied state, sees ncontrovertible evidence of
the whipping, everywhere; from the sea
shore to the Blue Ridge mountains and from
the North Carolina boundary to Savannah
river, all thing, bear the sears and show the
devastation of war all alike, city and coun-
l try The naughty southrou secs all this, and
lac feels il too but this is not all, nor is il
/ the worst that he sees and feels he feels the
most deeply, and he curses them most veno-
mously for the loss of his aareS. He now
/ looks upon his hundreds or thousands Of acres
once cultivated by his 0icR negroe, from who's,
toll he amas~ed wealth aud rolled in luxury
aud secs those acres and the former improve
mcnt- thereon all one mas. of ruins, the one,
stately mansion has been burned to the ground
or it has fallen into decay, having no pain
thereon, and some, pcrhap, many, of the door
and windows are broken or entirely gone, tn,
ehimncy- and brickwork and woodwork gcucr
ally are cracked, broken and going fast 9,
ruin, whilst even the roof itself is gradual,
flying away upon the wings of the wind lcay
ing the great, bare, Imprinted and uncarpetc,
interior picture of desoation itself Tn
pianolortc, if not spoiled entirely has forgot
ten its former melody and gives not forth th
music of former days perhaps the hand tina
once touched the keys has crumblcd into dust
a sacrifice to the lost cause. or perhap. tn
spirit of despair that fills 20 many a Southern
maidens heart, has palsied the hand that one
has swept along the keyboard
The furniture, once rich. beautiful am
Ielcannt. is now carried AWAY. or Is broke
Tor terribly dehced and scarcely thing
= enough can be rot together To do III
cooking and supply even rude accommodation
for eating. drinking. sitting. and living down
o The planters mansion is generally burned. d
in the condition have stated and then ther
{ /, the lone rance of ne,ro cabins in the rca,
3 that have also fallen into rain; doorle,.. wiz
dowle.- and. what is IN the planter the mo.
, heart-rendiug. tenautless. fine richie. that G,,
merly inhabited them. 10 the tune of tror
e $4,000 10 900 TO cnch cabin ha. ,r9Jbc
/ airav. and i, done gone' forever. His ON,
5 buildings CONSISTING of kitchen. stable. s,or,
r house .moke.bon-e. corp.crib oin.bouse co
=, ton nr,.. sbed. cte ara burned and iii m
note. bonds or other Southern .oourit;,
8 which he held whilst In the nrids nj his ,r,.,
e mes. have turned into a.bc. lie :. in N
4 deptb. Of bitter despair. she nlaved higb
and Inst nh mr. very ne,rl, ali I'm, b;mg.l
: Iife IN hin, and what remains If III Emil,
d now indeed ;. cruel hitter lie i 7, mi
= erable bapLr,nt .tand;,,, a,p;d.t bis own, min
II bav;n, lo.t IN addition n All sse his ann, ?;
:, j-eyebjn Ono az beso mon who c,r,nerl
had in his pos-ession all the thing. above de-
cribed. and who had also been 4 INDIE
+ member of Conoress. and more recently 90
5, arnor of Southern state told me that he IA,
It now no house. lands or home of any kind. M
20 any property or estate whatever and that
could not possibly nav ten cents on the dolli
on what he owed His former slaves b,,
lie been endowed with the franchise which he h.
= lost, thi. is to him the most cruel. The n
N kinde,t cut of ALL"
~ MANY more whites than ueeroe, ask L
aims. Notwithstanding it is often said in II
north that the NEGROES are STARVING to deaf
and that "they are diving of ike rott,
sheen The fact il. thew wont .t,rve +,
though they win sometimes steal ,sbereon
live. WHY should they not? They ba,
been deaiorali-ea. for they themselves ma,
t. been from their births up to the close of n
a. war stolen frOg7 themselves
u | ought. in passing. to nav trib,t. of r,
" pect to that noble class of union PATRIOTS
DOM men anu WOmen-NhO lived here durIl
at the entire war. suffering in body mind al
al estate to the extent that northern patriots d.
SO hardly conceive Of and who came out witho
even the smell Of secession upon the skirt.
their garments they were tried and not fou
ne wanting they have been purified so as
en- fire they are band Of NOBLE PArero,
is There are some as good people in the Sou
NJ as the world ever sew-gentenien and gent
e. women-who are models of Gods nobl,
y work Most of the planters and their conf
ng res-the lawyers, doctors, and clergy-w
nd have saved something from the wreck. a
o. still as proud and naughty as ever. and III
or they will continue to be until they ce.>e
. live they are good rebels still
Vi One thing is certain a great and "A radi,
nd change in every regard is being wrought G
he in the rebel states and aItbou,,h tho old mol