The daily gazette., 1875-03-20
From the Presbyterian. '-'''
Ne,0s From tho South.
BY Res. j. n. p. Otas, D. D.
GREENSBORO, ALA, Fob. 25, 1875.

| OS Aeee' u. Ia. Z. Otw, ~. ".
GnnnNsBoRo, ALA, Fob. 25, 1875.
About three weeks ago I loft m,
nome in Wilmington, Del, to make
visit to my friends In Middle Tennes
see and South Alabama. II is abeut
TWO years since l left my homo snd
work in the Southland, to take charge
OF the church of which am now the
pastor. l can perceive many changes
that have taken place in the South
during this time, and very f0w, II any
OF them, are for tho better. Every.
where the universal talk ia about the
"hard times The people are dis
couraged, and there is tone of sad.
ness and dependency in their general
conversation.
In Middle Tennessee, where thers
was great prosperity when left there
TWO years ago, tho crops of last year
were short in consequence of q drought
last summer. did not see nor hear
OF anybody In actual want, but msny
were keenly feeling the stringsncy Of
their reduced circumstances. The
merchants have not been able to onI,
lect more than half of their fall Bills.
and consequently their spring pur.
chases will be very limited. The i'm.
preston was made upon my. mind,
however, that the talk in Tennessee
was more respondent than 1t ought to
De. II the crop for the present wear
should be a good one, and Command
lair prices, that will bring back to the
people their easy circumstances, Hnot
prosperity.
In South Alabama things are In a
more sad state-in almost a rujnots
condition. find tho people not onIy
despondent, but almost in desnair
Ihe crop OF last year was better than
usual, but tho people are crushed
down under the burden of an almost
ruinous taxation. Every thing looks
to be Ia dilapidated condition. ZEN.
ces, barns, and houses on the farms
are broken down; and hundreds of
acres that were formerly under profit
apie cultivation, are now thrown out
ana overgrown with weeds and briers.
Death and emigration have reduced
the laboring population Of South Ala
bama at least one-third. Fine planta.
tions that were formerly purchased
at from seventy-flye to one hundrad
dollars per aero now being sold at
from four to six dollars Der aoro.
Many OF them are sold for taxes. and |
largo number Of them are bought In |
by the State for the want of other
buyers. 1t 10 needless to add thai
under these circumstances, the spirit I
Of. the people is broken. |
POLITICAL MATTRRs.
30 far as have been able 10 zee. and
TO gather from general conversatiea I
Am sure the accounts that reach w In
ne n North Of political disturbances In
ne South are greatly exaggerated, -
HOST OF the affairs that 4re reported as
,utrages OF the whites against the
blacks have nothing Of q political na.
ure In them. There are many people.
ome white and some black, who will
lot work and these lazy and utterly
worthless ones are unwilling to starve,
nd arc, therefore, trying to keep them.
elves alive by stealing. II is In de-
ence OF property against the dsprsda,
IONS OF these lawless thieves, that most
u the troubles have arisen, which have
'een reported as political disturbances
nd o4trages. From all that see and
iear, l am firmly Of the opinion that
is the earnest desire and honest ef. |
ort OF all the better class Of the pso.
lie, both white and black, to live In
,eace and 1t Is my honest conviction
hat the people of the South are an op-
'ressed, suffering and sorrowful people,
vho are disposed to be Q law-abidinr
eoplc, and will be so, if left to them
elves to regulate and control their own :
ocfal relations and political affairs, In
ccordancc with the Constitution az At ,
resent amended. III
ECcLEsIAsTIcAL MArrERs.
can here state, what have always 9
nown to be fact, that the ministers ),
the South, as Q class, are Q high
oned, pious and self-sacrifcing com
any OF earnest, faithful and conscian- I
ous laborers in the vineyard Of the q
ord. This statement 10 based upon u
~ own personal aequsintsnee With Q
lrge number OF Southern mipistses Of ,
II denominations, and ii 10 meant to 2
e direct and emphatic contradiction ];
the report recently made By the y
ev. B. L. Ives, of New York, ats reg =
lar weekly meeting Of the Meth sAist h
Of Boston and vicinity, et n
Tesleysn Hall in Boston, Nsss. l do T.
and conscisntiously q
'oRunee his sweeping chsrcgss, % L
ported ia tho newspapers, against a,
c Southern ministers as clasa, TO be
lse and slanderous. But among the
'uthern ministers there are, perhaps, Ia
me bad men. M II