Year: 1866

are receiving exceedingly
nigh wages; Mr.. Alcorn, my colleague,
IN the Senate, authorizes me to state
that in the seven counties he mentions,
one county in particular, if labor could
be had, thousand freedmen could be
at twenty-five dollars per
month


@. In addition to their board?


A. Yes, sir; board them and furnish
them with sugar and coffee and give
them twenty-five dollars a month over
and above their board; he told me that
a thousand freedmen could. find en-
ployment in that one coupty if they
could be had, and 1 think that on the
Mississippi generally they are getting
almost any wages they are pleased to
ask; l Go not believe that there are
now in the State but very little over
more than half the number of freed
men that there were formerly of slaves;
certainly not more than two-thirds;
they have died off; there is no telling
the mortality that has prevailed among
them; they have died off in immense
numbers; I should say that very little
more than half the amount of land
that was under cultivation before the
war will be under cultivation this year;
we are disposed to think that the ma
iority of the people of Mississippi
would rather take their chances in the
Union than take them in the Confeder-
acy, even if it were possible to estab-
lish it now; I always believed it would
be their ruin if it was established, and
| believe, I think I can say with great
certainty, that no portion Of the peo-
pie of Mississippi expect one dollar OF
the rebellion debt to be paid; there is
one class of debt which is not properly
a revolutionary debt, what We call our
cotton debt. In time of great scarcity
the State undertook to relieve the COM
munity by issuing bonds on cotton,
which were loaned to the planters
that it was not revolutionary debt at
all; it was intended merely as an ac-
commodation to the people; but even
that was void, for the reason that the
State had no right to issue bills OF
credit. and our valid Constitution did
not allow the faith of the State to be
pledged at all, so that | regard every
species of our debt as q rullity, and
our former history shows that we are
not much inclined to pay our debts
I do not think the rebellion debts need
be considered any obstacle in our way
at all, for I do not think any portion OF
them will ever be paid. | think the
people are desirous of giving the freed
mer fair charce-perhups man IS
inclined to make up his Judgment from
limited means Of information, but l
believe that if the people had an op-
portunity to restore slavery and it was
left to their vote, as general thing
would vote not to do it; if each man
could get his negroes back by voting tc
restore slavery, perhaps the people
might vote to restore it; but if you
should submit the general proposition


to strike out the emancipating clause


from the Constitution and allow the


people to acquire slaves in the future
! if they can, am satisfied they would


vote against it. 1 think they have nc


wish to be encumbered with slaves


again.


@. If you have no objection, pleas


state what you know in regard to th'
persons now here claiming seats IL


Congress from Mississippi.


A.. I have no objection to stating
, what know: Mr.. Alcorn, my colleagu
[ in the United States Senate, was al
old Whig, and was very much oppose
} to rebellion and secession, and to tn
} party that brought it about; the Rep



} resentatiYes elect to the House OF Rep
: resentatives, without exception, wer
: opposed to secession; they all belonge'
to the anti-secession party; our peopl
4 were particularly admonished BY m
that they ought not to send men her
! who were tinctured or stained wit
secession, and not one Of our delega


ton, I think, had a connection wit
secession; they were all opposed to Il
Y they were all Wings, except one, VII
: was a Union Democrat; the Wing pal


ty, as a general thing, were clear of th
a odium of secession; I will state thii
t Several of these gentlemen, howeve
; engaged in the rebellion after it cam
I on; Col. Reynolds and Col. Piuson ha
) command of regiments in the Confet
d crate service; when the State went on
S I suppose, they felt they should 6