The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-07-21
4 Northgrn Mans Impression OF
the South.
TIE REPORT Of AN INTELliGl.S. y"
SERVER.
ALBANY Sunday Press.

Albany Sunday lFtHN.
Col. J. ID. Van Bnrcn has retNrnc"
from An extended visit to the South,
and makes a most gratifying report
as 70 the social and industrial condl-
tion of the people in that section. IN
the first place he found them socially
suuc,;or even more than is generally
supposed. They are literal minded,
LARGE hearted, rctiutl in manners and
high principlc1. He found them, al
most to a man,
VERY POOR,
hnt imhutl with an l'rd"mltahIe splrI'
of self reliance and industry. Men
aud women, too--vho before the e.
vii war we've possessed Of large
wealth and all the advantages winch
that condition brings, we're reduced
to the want of Tic ncccSSa'irs OF lie.
But having tie qualifications of true
manhood, they were able to look their
desperate situation sqnarrly in the
face without shrinking. They sa"
ard comp,cLcnded what was needed
-downri .ht industry, and they pIac-
ed themselves in the harness to per
form the new duties their necessities
had imposed upon them. Aud they
did chccrfnlly, too, all of them.
WITHOUT WHINING OR COMPLAINING.
At first the fruits of their labor
were small, bnt they were sure. They
became economical, and struggled on
with perseverance. The only thing
they had to complain of was the very
onerous taxation they were subjected
to through the corrupt, or loose. or
rxtlavagant administrator of their
public affairs by officials whom they
had no voice in selecting. This was
the only cause of complaint they had.
They accepted the situation they
found themsclve, placed in at the
close of the Ta:-the conGscation of
their property down even to Their last
mule they yielded to this without a
mnlmur, content to enter the fields of
industry and work out their own re
demption from poverty. They ac-
cepted, too the burden of carrying
along the
EMANClPATED SLAVE POPULATION,
which, suddenly turned loose, with
the idea that their working days we've
over and ended dragged along, steal
ing their living when they could not
beg it, and taxing the energies care
and attention Of the white population
to such an extent as to interfere with
their own personal dntitS.
INDUSTRY GENERAL.
Col. Van Buren, says there is not a
single white man idle in the section
he visited. Even the ladies of the
Soutll-those who, prior to the war
were surrounded with wealth and all
its 1uxuries- are engaged in labors OF
various kinds. One lady, whose hus
band had large possessions, but of
which he was stripped entirely, being
a good housewife, set up little bread
and roll bakery. She kneaded the
dough herself and attended to its
sale aud distribution, and now she
has quite q business employing many
hands. Another case was that of a
man of wealth whose last prop-a
mule-was taken from him and he
was left without the shadow of a
scmblance even of the wletewith to
feed himself and family. He Went at
work driving a team, hauling brick.
There we're hundreds of incidents of
this kind, the Colonel says, and it
did his heart good to see with what a
lively, good natured spirit these men
turned their hands to anything which
was honorable and honest to help
themselves.
THE PROBLEM.
He has full faith in their solving
The problem before them-whether
the South can be made as prosperous
as it was in its palmy days. He
thinks their redemption is nigh at
hand. He says they are particularly
courteous to their Northern brothers
who come to them in kindness and
honesty-who will join them in indus ::
try and enterprise. They give a
hearty welcome to such. They in
vite and urge the investment of cap
ital in the productiveness of their
soil, full and abiding faith in which
they have. They know better than
any one else of what it is capablcs
They frankly admit that the slave
labor never did justice to it, and that
they would never select that labor
themselves. 1t was there ut hand,
part and parcel Of their estates and
had to be used the same as other ac-
:cssories.
PRESENT BUOYANCY.
At the ple>cnt moment they are cs-
peeially in buoyant spirits, as they
see opportunity offered them of Sc
!ecting their officials themselves, by
which they hope to reduce the drain
upon their incomes by heavy taxation,
which they have suffered now for over
ten years. This, Col, Van Buren,
gays, was one of the most promisin g
signs he Witnessed for no matter
how hard one may work, if lie can
see no prospect ofgain before him he
cannot put much heart in his work.
KILLED BY THE STING OF A
BEE.-A distressing event occur
red at Lydney on Friday week,
and was the subject of a Coroner'S
inquiry, on the following day, viz
sAe death OF Henry Larkham, sen.,
4 retired farmer. from the sting OF