New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-11

o,tont "a sure of unlimited attention. The talk Is
almost az aotly the same as that which was heard
quarter of a century ago in the log-caDns OF tno
settlers in the forests Of the Mssssinewa and tine
Wabash. in Indiana. There is the Same confident
assertion. the same uncrltieal acceptance OF lhe
most absurd stories and the same intolerance OF oil
dissent Ate, supper this evening about dozen
men were seated around the stove 10 the ounce Oh
tbo hotel while an old man with bad face re-
,oo+od the familiar rubbish about the superiority
NJ sni,itualsm over Christianity. He ridculed the
Christian religion as the product OF barbarous
times and the greatest foe to expansion and pro-
oressp Everybody listened with much apparent
intorest and now and then some OF tho hearers
asked questions designed 10 elicit additional In
formation This was always forthcoming, and as
I knew of no reason why the same process should
not 90 on dd tnfnium, was about to go TO myroolh
when something happened to draw the expouhuer
of te philosophy of harmony as he called It, INTO
o, al reuiniscepces connected with the early his
tory Of the town of COrinth. SAID he: " was con-
nected with that killing affair here mentioning
the time and giving the names oil the o'her men con
corren handed - pistol during the operation
7 vas indicted but the matter was compromised
The talk now became moro general, ana passed INTO
alsort of entertaining and pleasant review OF tne
various killing affairs in the history OF the town
ohIe and TO me interesting. The character OF the
man who did the killing" was In each case dis
cussed with much interest. and almost entirely IN
the vay of praise and eulOgy. some ono had the
temerity TO affirm, in regard to particular muir
dcrer that no was inclined to be overbearin that
mo q was somethin' OF a bully; wherenpon the ex-
pounder of the philosophy OF harmony replied WIN
considerable heat: Only when no was drunk!
Never but when no was drunk! He was perfect
gentleman. and there never was nothin' rough
obout him when he WINS sober" Here another old
resident volunteered the interesting Information
that this perfect gentleman was never sober lot
n number O. years if he could git whiskey"; and
added that after the murder referred to he never
stopped till he drank himself to death. Yes" the
Spiritualist added sympathetlcally' II 'SpoSe his
conscience troubled him."
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR Il DUE
Now 7 have not come TO the South in the interest
of any marty or of any theory Of things. l desire
IN bo entirely lust and fair and greatly wish that
everv+bine that is TO bc seen here really favor
able and good 1t is not because OF sectional pref
udice or partiality that express the opinion that
the conversation which have partially reported
above had some features which are characteristic
of the portion Of our country in which u occurred
I 90 not say characteristic OF tho south" Inc
South is so large. and there Is so much. difference
between its various regions. that am not yet pro-
narod In saw that any one thing belongs to the
South distinctively aud in general. Perhaps other
portions of the country may Justly claim tho pos
session of similar ideas and similar methods OF lfe
heard conversations very much OF the same char
actor in some OF the remote counties Of Kentucky;
and Il NAV be that shall hear such again in
Louisiana and Texas. But am certain that have
meyer heard the same kind OF talk in any Northern
10 no. uain tod
people in nearly all OF then confess that IN all
the Northwest people talk in much the same style
about tho killing OF Indians. Tho people there
seem to me very generally TO 10 atrociouSly cold
bloodod and murdrrous in their treatment OF In
dams and their feelings ard them Hero, how
ever. tho murderer and tho murdered and the adj
mrers Of the murderer ali belong to the same raco.
all recognize tho same standards They are all
perfect gentlemen" but all admiration and sym
pathy are given IT, tho man who dooS the killnR.
The man that gets killed is of small account. No
body hos anything 70 say Tor him. What Ii the
reason of thisi Ia il tho result OF tho habitua rec
ognition OF the fact that in every case OF killing
TO say anything liz favor oil the slain man would DO
regarded taking mp tho quarrel on his side ana
would thus mako moro killing necessarily AZ any
rata whenever have heard conversations of tins
kind have observed that no horror or reprobaton
of the killing is expressed and no blame for the
murderer, except that it is sometimes said that
such and such a murder was cOld-blOodod and de-
liberate.
do not for a moment forget that in every South
crn State which | have visited the best people.
the real leaders of society. regard all such things
with horror equal 10 my own. have seen many OF
these people in Virginia. Tennessee. Kentucky.
Alabama. and Mississippi. I am certain that there
are many moro SUCH whom shall not have time
or opportunity To see do not in the least atrih-
ute Ia them the unfavorabe traits which Some
times describe IN these studies Of Southern ife nor
accuse them of any responsibility for their o1ist-
cnce And have frequent occasions for regret that
true and unobtrusive nobility and beauty OF char
actcr ate Of necessity less easily described and
chronicled IN a newspaper than other qualities less
worthy Of respect. ! am studying all sides OF
Southern lite, as far as possible and what is best
and worthost in tho life and thought OF tho people
will not be without record in these letters
uSDRNIABLY A"PUBrIC HOUSE"
Ono other incident Of my visit to Corinth, and
must close this letter. L could learn nothing at
other places about the hotels here but nquring on
tho train was directed to the best one" | found
it a largo house. looking we'll enough; but when
went TO my room | found there was no key for the
door When | required one the landlord assured
me that keys arc entirely unnecessary In this cOun'
try. and thon he oxpatated with much feeling upon
the simple innocence aud goodness Of all the people
of Mississippi and OF the inhabitants OF Corinth
and It's neighborhOOd in particular. till asked IN
what security no had Ibis house being full that
some bad man from Boston would not sometime
gain admttanco and wrong his guileless and nm
guarded guests. Bnt no assured inc that no such
serpent ever entered this Eden. | was not afraid,
but felt iIritated by the shiftessness" of a ma
who protonds to keep "a irst-class hotel" aud
quarters guest in a room which can give neither
privacy nor security. had asked for n room with
fire, and with facilities for writing. Those were
provided and sat down 81 my work, near tho fire.
L. L. Il. L. LII