Year: 1868

pose OF looking at the country ana gettlng Ln'
benefit of the cool prairie breeze during th'
summer


I The country from Jefferson to this place il
nearly all densely timbered and much of the
land very rich. Dangerfeld, in Tiles county
80 miles North of Jefferson, was once flour
ishing little town, with two good schools, male
and female under the direction of the Cum
berland Presbyterian Church, and once had
near 400 students. But now the schools have
gone down and many of the houses are in ru.
ins, showing the blighting influence of radical
rule.
On our way we passed through what is
known as Sulphur bottom''-a scope OF coun-
try about ten miles wide which is covered with
cottonwood trees, with dense underground.
Most Of this land overfows in winter and
spring and the road is sometimes impossible
for several months at time This is the ter
ritory occupied by the irrepressible Baker who
has defed the Yankee authority for so long,
| One Gen. Magiaughlin, last winter invaded
his Bakers dominions with full regiment of
cavalry and pressed quite number of citizens
into service and spent two OF three weeks look
| ing for Baker, all to no purpose. Notwlth-
standing they reported him killed. when the
gallant Gen. NJ. and his troops embarked on
the steamer at Jefferson, Baker and one of his





| the bayou and saw them depart.
This forest is safe retreat for robbers and
desperadoes, and travellers are frequently robbed
and sometimes murdered in passing through.
Crime is very prevalent in many parts OF the
State now and generally goes unpunished, since
white men have been removed from Office and
their places have been filled with scallawags
| and carpet baggers. Many of these officials
are themselves thieves and murderers. 1t is a
notorious fact that not five per cent of the offs
GERS of the State lay any claim to responsibility.
Even the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Of Texas, was, few years before the war, ex
PEELED from the bar at this place for accepting
fees on both sides of the same case. That case
is now on the records Of Red River county and
could not have been unknown to those by whom
he was recommended


The mongrel Convention has been In session
at Austin since the 1st of June, but have done
but little except quarrel and have now formed
two distinct parties-one advocating an extreme
negro government, disfranchising all honest
white men, the other advising mider course.
Ex. Gov. Jack Hamilton is the leader of the
moderate party and his brother heads the eX
tremists. 1t has been said that ''when rogues
fall out honest men get their dues, and it is to
be hoped that this quarrel may result in some
good to the people of Texas.


Nearly all the troops have been withdrawn
from the interior, but the people are still
scourged with worse than the Egyptian
plague Of locusts and lice, in the persons of
bureau agents and Yankee school marms The
Radical government after stripping the poor
negro of happy home, plenty of food and
raiment and kind guardian, and giving him
in their stead what they call freedom in the
form of poverty and wretchedness-has sent
these bureau agents here to embltter them a
gainst their old masters and friends, and in
many instances robbng them of their hard
earnings in the form Of fees and at the same
time pocketing the fines so unjustly imposed on
white men. Since the withdrawal of the troops
however they have been much more circum-
spect in their department. One poor block
head at this place who claims to be from moo
Dirk" forgetting that he had no bayonets to
back him tried to disperse crowd of boys who
were firing guns in honor Of the Presidents
acquittal; the boys refused to obey and he
next ordered citizen to Jail, but rot finding
any one to assist the constable and fearing that
he might have the tables turned on him, the
poor scallawag beat hasty retreat to his room
fully convinced hurrahing for the President of
the u. 5. Is not an offence against the civil
laws of Texas.


Scores Of school naayms and bible Dangers,
haring sunk too low to be tolerated, even in
puritan5cal Neao England society-have invaded
every portion of the South, as they say, to i'm
prove the condition of their wayward and down
trodden African brethren and sisters.


The only visible fruits Of their labors so far
are an extensive crop of mahogany colored
non-descripts; designated by one Of our old
Va. statesmen as "Malungeon, or O cross be-
t,ceen the african field hand and the Yankee
school teacher.


The Radical negroes are all opposed to emf
of 70 al
that they, the natives, are the rightful owners
and rulers of the country


negro member OF the late Louisiana State
Convention from Shreveport made speech ON
his return-said that the native white man
must go ahead for the present by reason OF his
superior education &C., then came the negro
who would soon be the equal Of the white man
in political and civil rights, next came the ne
gro's dog and then the DUTCH


This aroused the Hebrew friends, of whom,
there are quite number in Shreveport, and
they went to work among the negroes In their
employ and made it generally known that all
negroes who voted the Radical ticket would be
turned out.


The result was that large number of 'nigs"
voted with the democrats and defeated the
RAIDS, by a large majority. The RAIDS, howev-
er carried the State of Louisiana, and now have
a man for Governor who was turned out of the
Yankee army during the war for swindling sol
ders out Of their pay The It. Governor is a
black African--ex barber of the steamer 'Star-
light which runs on Red River yet.


When his sooty excellency called the Senate
to order and appointed secretary pro tenn, he
prescribed an oath for the members-the iron
clad not being strong enough. All took it but
two democrats, so they were turned out and
two Radicals appointed and sworn in, in their
stead


The people here are fully aroused and when
the scallawag Constitution is presented to them
it will be voted down by a. heavy majority.


The democrats are organizing all over the
State, and in many places the negroes are also
forming Conservative clubs and preparing to
poll a very respectable vote against the Consti-
tuition and for the democratic candidate for
President, provided, Texas is allowed a vote in
that election.


Lands are now selling very cheap here, owing
to the scarcity of money and the stay law be-
ing pronounced unconstitutional by the Su-
preme Court Of the State.


The Season has been very good so far, and
crops are quite promising. Cotton especially
is looking very fine.


Cattle are leaving the State in great numbers
for the Western market. 1t is estimated that
not less than half million have already been
driven out this season.


- ~ - 'MAGNOLIA." I.


FRIENDSHIP Friendship is not plant In
digenous to this cold bleak world, but deli
cate exotic Of rare beauty and fragrance, yet OF
difficult culture The smile of confidence is
the sunlight, the tear of sympathy the shower
that hastens its growth. 1t cannot endure the
1 L. Ill H. eIo