Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-02-07
LETTER FROM CAMDEN, S. G,

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CAMDEN, S, G., January, 1871.
DEAR BEAcoN.--lt would seem,
to me, unusal to be so far, and SO
long, away from home without say
ing q word to you, and through you
to our many friends. | wrote you,
y year and q halt ago, from
This place, in which had something
to say about the old German hero,
Baron DcAaIb, and some Of South
CaroIlna's brave, whose monuments
still stand within the limits Of this
old historic city, memorable forthe
grand events and achievements OF
American arms in and about her
limits during tie Revolutionary
struggle with our Mother Country,
and tor the sad events and disgrace
full achievements OF others, during
the late internal war. And since
those scenes Of carnage and ruin
have passed, other disasters have
bcialIen her by the destructive
element-fre, which has again and
again, and, | believe, again, laid
waste some Of the tai?esL portions
of the well-built city, and notwith-
standing all this, Camden is Camden
still. There wero on the streets
yesterday and to-day not less than
one hundred vehicles OF various
kinds each day, from the cart,
drawn by q single OK, to the four
mule team, loaded with cotton, and
every bale oft sold here and mostly
Graded out" ! have pitied Missis-
sippi in her lost estate, and felt like
mourning often overth misfortunes
of her people; yea, / have felt my
own spirit droop when | have seen
the last mule of u poor man auction
ed off by our inimitable "Goorge"
under a lien for supplies to enable
the poor fellow to make crop. Bat
N looking around me here, and wit
Messing the straits to which the peo-
pic Of my native State have been
put, aud see how cheortuIiy they
appear under their departed great
ness, | have taken new courage in
comparing with hers, in my own
Imagination, the condition Of the
people OF my adopted Mississippi.
Here 1t IS not uncommon to see Il
gooQ iooklhg, pert ora gentleman
a'IrII9 his one OK, Win ms Oaie Oh
cotton, or Two or three hundred
pounds OF FODDER, IN his his cart,
bringing 1t TO market, or one mule
ana an OK by ms Slde TO tWo-horse
wagon or the faithful ola morse Gf-
der tho saddle with one OK on the
on sac INC announcer zone oheIn tne
ic4d, with the head OF the family
'rlVlnS-thc "oid woman ana the
gals J. the wagon, gong nome win
their supplies, i"r which they nave
exchanged their loau OF cotton,
which the whole family maze ave-
gathered. The strangest sight, how.
ever, was TO see Il wayfaring soyer-
eign making his way to court on
his poor, lean OK as his saddle
horse, on which he does all his
riding and with which he does his
pi6wing and makes his crop. THIS
gives you but Il faint idea Of the
condition ofthings here, from which
you may see Mississippi is not at
the bottom yet. Butl have a worse
picture than that to draw, if lean
show it to you as | saw it. The
Circuit Court is in session. \ case
Of grand larceny was called; the
defendant was arraigned by the
clerk and pleaded not guilty. A
jury was ordered to bo drawn and
was proceeded with, in as solemn
and precise manner as would have
been done in a trial for murder with
us. The defendant was allowed
twenty peremptory challengors,
which he exercised whenever an
intelligent man was presented,
whether white or coIored. The
result was, twelve ignorant black
men we're sworn and empannelled.
The State introduced three witncss-
es whose characters were not i'm
peached, who proved positively