Year: 1868

We have gathered some interesting facts
relative to the condition of the South, and
particularly of Mississippi, from brother Of
Judge Wyche, who has just arrived. The
state of the country is gloomy enough, from
DIR. Wyche's statement:


The rule established over that country has
been ruinous both to the laborer, the land.
holder, and the capitalist Before the war,
the labor of negro man was worth for the
farm from $3.50 to $500 per year, in gold.
At the close of the war, farmers began in
1866 by paying $40 per month to the man,
in currency. Ia 1867, SIS in currency, and
for the year 1868, only S. or So per month.
Even at these reduced and reducing rates,
the farmer was losing money, and growing
poorer every year. While before the war,
from six to eight bales of cotton was raised
to the hand now, for the year 1866 and '67
the average has not been over from bale
and half to two bales. Many thought to
give the negro an interest in the crop would
make him work better, but he works just as
! 4,,sA. ..4-f-rI UUuJFaeJ NtVV v.----ara
is in writing before two witnesses, or the
negro has the right to have you go before
the Bureau, if he desires it, to make the con-
tract. There is not enough corn raised in
the country to feed the people, and corn was
worth 81 so per bushel, that was worth only
so cents before the war Every one, with,
out exception, as far as the Doctor knew,
had either been broken up or greatly dam.
aged by planting. He attributes this to the
Indifferent manner of the negroes working,
and the unfaVorable seasons for the past two
years. The stock of horses, mules, &C., now
in the South are worthless, and consists
mainly Of the old mules and horses sold off
after the close of the war, which had be-
longed either to the Federal or rebel armies
All values Of real estate have greatly depre>
ciated land that sold readily for S25 per
acre, in coin, before the war, now commands
only from SO TO IS per acre, in currency,
and for the largest portion Of it there is no
sale at any price. Not more than one acre
out of six is now cultivated that was titled
before the war. The rich cotton lands on
the Mississippi River, and the Yazoo and
SunAower lands-the cream of the cotton
lands Of the SOuth-are almost entirely un.
worked, owing partly to the destruction of
the levees that protected the lands from over
flow, and partly to the unwillingness of the
negroes to so back and work so far from the
towns.


One cause of complaint is the uncertainty
hanging oVer the government of the country
For instance, while courts are established,
and suits prosecuted In them, yet when a
man has obtained his judgment, and is about
securing his claim, the military come in with
some order and stop all proceedings which
fact was illustrated by case of sister of
the Doctor, who had rented her land, and
under the laws of the State, the landlord had
lien on the crop for the rent, and as the
renter was about moving the cotton of, the
lady got outa warrant TO get her rent, but
just at that time the military issued a gen.
eral order, that all cotton raised should go
first to pay the negroes, secondly to the mer.
chants, and then the landlord; and the two
FIRST claims consumed the cotton and left
nothing for the owner of the land If a
negro thinks himself aggrieved, he goes to
the Bureau and makes complaint, and the
officer issues an order, which generally the
negro serves, and if you do not come in be-
fore the officer a guard of soldiers is sent
after you. And so, there is no certainty in
any mans rights, either of person or props
erty-all depending upon the whim and ca
price of some military squirt.


The ballot in the hands of the negro is
represented as hurtful both to him and the
whites and 60 every interest Of the country.
a few vagabond whites from the North, at
tached either to the Freedmen's Bureau or
adventures, went over the State and estab.
lished loyal leagues, and told the negroes to
vote their ticket and the Government would
| give each of them a mule and some meat
and some land On the day of election the
negroes went up and the clerks or other per.
sons handed them pieces of paper and told
them to hand the paper to the judges, who
were just by, and that was about all most of
them knew about voting. One of the negroes
who formerly belonged to our Informant,
after the election, wanted to know of him
What it meant by they giving him piece
Of paper and have him hand it to the other
meuH When told that was his vote, he
wanted to know who he voted for. There
was good deal of immigration to the South
just at the close of the war, but nearly all
have left aud there is scarcely any now, at
least in the State of Mississippi, so that even
the radicals themselves find it impossible to
live and prosper under the state of things
they have created. DR.. w. says, that at the
election for a convention separate polls we're
established for the whites and negroes, osteu.
sibly to prevent collisions but more to pre-
I Al -