The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-06-02
CORRESPONDENTS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1868.

where visited many points highly interest
ing in association with the late war. The
ruins of Richmond are still extensive and
sad-looking, though much rebuilding and
improvement are going forward. trod the
broad floors OF Libbey Prison. There are no
traces of those who once languished, or plot
ted escape, within those walls. The floors
are comparatively Clearly, and with a COM
Portable bed, one might appreciate this as q
wholesome building. Icould see now nothing
of black. sinking, tobacco-stained or blood
stained floors that some writers had awaken
ed my curiosity and sympathy about. These,
however, may have been new floors, for such
stains could not have been extracted, and
leave no trace. There is nothing, except
the double barred windows. that reminds
you of the tens of thousands of unfortunate
warriors who had unwilling lodgings within
these walls.
But l noticed people more than places. l
cared not for mere localities and relics. Many
battle grounds are but undistinguishahle old
plements of war, picked up on sacred spots,
are hut old iron to me. It was, perhaps, a
little curious to observe long lines Of black
ened road. where industrious men had been
busy burning ties, and twisting rails; but
still my chief interest was to observe the
marks Of the war upon the people: so went
to church, during Sunday passed in Rich
moud.
I went TO ST. PauI's, and listened to DR..
Mnnegerode, who had formerly been so at
tentivelv listened to by one Mr.. Davis. But
/ looked more than listened. looked at a
church 'ull of ladies, about three-fourths of
whom were in mourning. There might have
been many recent mourners, but the most of
them wore a hard, sad look, as though they
had mourned long, and would mourn forev-
ermore. IT may, however, be economy that
keeps up the continued suit of sable, and
perhaps prosperity, by and by, may bring
back gay colors and costumes to the churches
of the South In the Second Presbyterian
Church, l was much affected by the appear
ance Of the congregation, and by the dis
course of the preacher. He spoke of the
great bereavements of his hearers in way
showing that it was a theme often touched
upon. He thought it was not possible that
there was any interest they should care for
outside of Heaven; and he so handled this
available subject-that of bereavement-for
the softening of the hearts of unawakened
hearers, that he brought forth copious tears
from the ever-foving sources of widows
eyes; and be might claim for Heaven, what
perhaps were tributes to the memories of
Southern battle-felds.
/ attended a small country Presbyterian
Church, called Mount Zion, near Pendleton,
S. c., and of the forty-six persons who com
muned on that day, five only were men, and
twenfy-eight of the women were in deep
mourning. How the South mournsl The
land mourns. The mothers lanent for their
children, and will not be comforted. Many a
mother has said to me: 81 would not have
given my sons little finger for all the slaves
of America; but he was blown up at Peters
burg" or, he lies in the trenches of the
Wilderness, and his precious life was lost in
vain" The South is in deep mourning. The
blaekness of desolation covers the land; and
black mantle slave-is lord in the South
ern balls. saw the black Legislature in Co.
lumbia. 1t is very black, with little mitiga-
ton of lighter shades: 46 blacks to 16 whites.
You might expect to find there among these
present masters of the Hamptons, Single
tons, Rutledges, and Calhouns of the proud
old State, some educated mulatto lawyers,
capable of approaching and carrying out the
will of the conquerors. Said the venerable
and woodworking General John S. Preston
to me: at would not have mattered, to
have hung our leaders, and TO have decimated
our conquered armies, We could have suf-
fered The punishment would have been
short and sharp, and what were left of us
would have felt no loss to their honor or
their manhood; but to set our ignorant
plantation slaves over US, is a malignity of
ungenerous vindictiveness that never was
done by conqueror to conquered before"
The South, however, ought 10 cheer and
look up with the bountiful crops of cotton
and corn that are now being gathered. l OBJ
served along the line of road in South Caro-
lima, the fields white with cotton lint, now
unfolding rapidly on account of the frost.
The ladies and gentlemen are picking the
cotton, and show determination to hold on
to their homesteads. The cotton will give
them the cash to meet all their demands.
Another good crop will fill the land with
prosperity. Already Southern lands begin
to advance in price, and in short while,
there will be a real estate speculative mania
in the Southern States.
The ruins of Columbia are great and DESC
late. The beautiful City of Gardens, that
was the pride of the South, is partly a wild
for the haunt of the squirrels and quails.
Wild animals have increased through all the
Southern country. l saw bears in Columbia,
caught within five miles of the town, and /
was told that hundreds of bears could now
be caught in the swamps of the Wateree
whereas to have heard of one there eight
years ago, would have awakened great curl
osity and interest The hunters never came
home from the plains of Virginia and the
battle-felds of the West; and so the bear
and deer, the mink, opossum, racoon and
squirrel have had long peace, and have ex-
tended their lines, and hold high carnival in
the Southern backwoods.
The gloom that / have spoken of is more
annarpnf ahouf the larye towns and the 10 "