The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-05-25

AIOiA A'OIblOiH pcopl0 -uuIiL very re
Gently, at least emigration from tn
North to that section of Virginia soutI
of Richmond, was scarcely known un
til within the last year. Before tn
war there was little inducement hel,
cut to emigrants, and since the 'littl'
onpleasantness," a great many VIII,
would prefer a southern cline, hav,
hestated to take their families to a re
gion of country, TO them, unknown
fignorantly supposing that they woulc
not receives welcome from the south
ern people, and that they would beir
personal danger from the colored pop
uIation. 40 20 L.'i"'
In this, the people ofthe North have
been led astray by Radical papers hol
ding out the idea that the South now
abounds in Ku-Klux-Klans laying in
wait for all Yankees, and that all ex
rebels, are hostile to Northerners, and
that the white and black population
are arrayedi in hostility against each
other. AS far as my observation goes,
this is false. 1 do not speak for all
the South ; but for that portion of il
about which I write, viz: Mecklinburg
county Va. Good citizens are, as,,well
received in our county, as in any place
West or North, and treated with much
more hospitality, and need have nc
more, fear for their personal safety,
than in Ohio, Pennsylvania or New
York % ST. - '5 i q
The whites and blacks, are gener-
ally on good terms. I do not mean
on terms of social equality; but I do
mean they get along as:well as north
ern people get along with negroes
The idea of social equality, is not en-
tertained by the people of our county,
any more than it is in California,
where Chinese occupy the position of
servants. 1t matters little where a
man has heen brought up, il, he is in
teliigeut and refined. lie does not seek
cpmpanionship amongst those far be-
low him in intellect, education, and
refinement, and if those who make so
much clamor about equality would
live among The American citizensof
African descent one year, they would
wonderfully modify their notions of
social equality. a.,o, .~r ,.f.a /.
: But / was to. speak of climate, soil,
The climate is "strictly temper
ate" We neither have the veryhigh,
nor very low temperature experienced
in northern,latitudes. i4
1The;summers are longer, but mer-
curry does not rise higher than in Ohio.
go, was the highest point reached last
summer, and in Ash land, you frequent
~ have itas high, and sometimes high
er. The thickest ice we had last win.
ter was one and half inches; and for
the most part, The winter was like April
'r May in Ohio; but this was not G
air sample ola south Virginia winter,
being unusually mild. Farmers feed
abont three months in the year, and
AN plough or make fence any month
nithe year. The soil is of various
kinds, red clay, grey clay. .sandy,&c.
The red, is perhaps, the strongest and
viii produce corn or tobacco, best, but
here are good farms of either kind o.
oil.
The surface of thecountry surround
ne; Christi ,nsville is gently rolling, /
Tot so level as northwestern Ohio.-I
their ideas of Southern Vir
,lnia, from seeing, West Virginia, Iin
he vicinity of Wheeling but the two
countries are altogether different -
Mecklinburg county, Virginia, is not
o billy as Ashland Co. Ohio. Vir
,inia has as great a variety of surface
md soil as any State east of the Mis-.
river.
The principal crops are corn, tobac-
o, wheat and oats. Clover grows
inely, and as it does not freeze out in
he winter one sowing is sufficient for
ears. 1 have seen good clover that
lad not been sown. for fifteen years.
Wheat crops last year were good and
he quality of our -four cannot be ex
,eIIed in the State of Ohio. The
Corn and Oats were almost a failure
asst year on account of an unprece-
drouth such as the Oldest In
labitants do not recollect. Usual
y there IS quite enough rain.
! Water is abundant, and of the best
The little streams do not
Try up as they frequently do in Chic
n the summer season. The, spring
water is mostly soft and pleasant 'to
he taste, The climate lis healthy,
here being very little use for doctors.
Consumption is mdchmor rare than
Ashland county, and no epidem mic
las prevailed since my residence
here. .g~. irti |
The timber is about the same as in
your own county, and there is plenty
Of it. There is also on many farms
-.ou1I -;oo boo.t ,;no &c