Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-20
JACKSON AS 1T Is,

serve WOulu OVertaA Jne ROOu leeuHgs
and Christian desire of any man, so
dropping them, we will go over
JACKSON AS 1T is,
for, as it was, the history of the little
china and cedar grove is too well known,
But its destruction by the vandal hordes
during the war, and its occupation since
by Egyptian locusts, deserve a word.
In 1868, when Vicksburg was besieged,
this city was made the headquarters of
Johnson's army,because of its junction
with the several roads, and plentitude of
water and food 1t thus remained the
camp and field of operations until the
4th Of July, when the surrender Of Vicks-
burg took place, and until Grant made
his appearance on the banks of the Pearl.
Without struggle it was yielded and
left to the mercy of the foe, which mercy
was well distributed by its entire burning
to the ground. The citizens suffered as
the citizens of no other place suffered,
losing all they had and receiving in re-
turn as pay ten-fold insults. The de-
struction of its beautiful buildings and
groves was its last, for then its citizens
was scattered to the four winds
of the earth. Those who left
their homes lost them, mostly
under the head of abandoned lands.
After the surrender it began to rebuild,
and continued little by little until, with
the exception of few shanties, it pre-
sents quite an appearance of olden days. 4
But, alasl where are the olden faces
Few are to be seen here now Its Oldest
and best citizens, having lived during its
best days, died before the wicked reign
of Alcorn, Ames Revels and their infa-
nous and God-forsaken hordes But we
trust the present condition of affairs will
not always prevail; and it will not, if the
young men now being reared are taught
to despise and condemn the oppressors
of the Southern land.
THE GOVERNORS MANSION,
before the war; was one of the prettiest
buildings in the city; and it, too, was
used nearly as stable by Ames. Alcorn
has, with the fifty or sixty thousand dol
lars voted him, endeavored with paint to
put on an appearance of respectability, |
but has only in small measure sue
ceeded. With all the paint, lime, linen
and costly chandeliers and furniture, he
has failed to erase the imprints of Ames
and his "brave and daring few" The
stencil of their socks and the scents left |
by the respectable (?) colored ladies"
still greet Alcorn and his mobiles; and
the invitations so cheerfully extended |
between the hours of "two and FIVE" to
+" irrespective of color" by Alcorn, will
imbed in the walls of that building
scent that all the chloride of lime in the
country cannot dissipate At night the
halls are lit up land why not, since the
State pays? p with all the grandeur and
characteristic of |. L.; yet |
they will not resound with music and
the light trippings of Conservative toes
only the black and tan mingle there.
THE PENITENTIARY, f4
before the war, was a magnificent struc-
ture, but since and under its present
(being let out to lessees) is
but corners for hog-beds. Here is a
shop working eleven hands;
there a paint shop with two; carpenter
shopwith thirteen; brickyard with twelve
or thirteen; and perhaps fifteen or twenty
engaged otherwise and the remainder,
ABOUT TWO nunureu, WOrhlnB hlcndru-
sons plantation on the Mississippi river.
Pretty state of affairs and good full
fillment Of the promises of the lessees,
viz to work the convicts inside the walls,
and to partially rebuild the factories and
otherwise improve the prison. What
right has the Superintendent of peni-
tentiary, or its lessee, to hire out prison
ers to work fields, gardens, saw wood,
work railroads, or anything else that acts
against the laboring people outside the
walls, or the interest of the State? But
his act is characteristic Of most capital
SITS, and especially the hard-skulled
ogies who have too long ruled this State.
There are other parties trying to lease
he penitentiary upon las they say bet
er terms-that is, to run the peniten-
iary upon the same ground that Rich
lrdson is now doing, only the State must
,ay S750,O0O for them to do It'll They
epresent the State of Louisiana. Ii
u. y.