Year: 1875

said the Judge, "he thinks he il getting to be
man; but few years later, when he gets whisky in
his belly. pistol in his pocket and the devil in his
head he is q full-grown man." This sentence was
delivered in such way to make the young man
ashamed to hold up his head in Judge Johnson's
presence ever since.


PEACE AND PROSPERITY.


Murders have occasionally occurred here since the
war, but they have been no more common than
among agricultural communities in the North. In
Of the the murderers have been white and
the victims black and vice versa but the law has
always beeu allowed to take its due course in such
cases. No lynching has ever taken place. negro
who got intO trouble with q prominent member OF
the bar here, who also member Of the Leglsla-
ture, and shot him, had fair trial in the court and
is serving out sentence of 20 years in the Peni
tentiary Negroes sometimes pfer the crops, but to
very great extent and no such thing as the
"deadfal system, which prevails in some sections
of Alabama Mississippi and Louisiana, and by
Of which % per cent of the crop is sometimes
stolen, is known here. In short, life and property
are as safe here as they are in the farming districts
of NewYork or Massachusetts,
As tie natural result of the condition of affairs
have descrb d, the cOlored people of Middle Georgia
are as prosperous as any ! have ever seen in the
South. mentioned the fact i'll my letter of yester-
day that the prisoners DOW held in this place are
nearly all respectfully dressed for men in their sta
ton in life A few have saved money and purchased
land others rent land from the white people some
work on shares, but the majority are employed by
the white planters by the month. Those who are
able to hire land are dong exceedingly well.
/ had long conversation yesterday with very i'll
telligent colored preacher of this county who was
arrested last week, but who was discharged yester-
day. as there was not particle of evidence against
| m IIn ufa n nj at X
poets to have IL or II bales of cotton this year,
besides sufficient corn and provisions to carry
hlm through. Had it not been for the dry
weather last month lie would have had
hundred barrels of to sell. lie owns
two horses two cows, two ycarlngs, about 20 hogs,
and has two good wagons and two plows. lie Is not
in debt but holds the notes of responsible persons OF
this city for 5000, and his credit is good, both here
and in Savannah, where he sells his cotton for any
amount of goois he is liable 10 purchase Another,
with whom talked to-day by his labor cleared
more than $500 last year, besides supporting his
family building a house and barn. and clearing up
and fencing n considerable piece of land. The


have cited are of course, exceptional but there are
others doing nearly as well as this old preacher, and
all of the colored people Of this section have plenty
to eat plenty to wear and good houses to live Ill.
rode last evening through Brannunsville negro
settlement just the outskirts of the town. Here
plantation has been divided into lots and sold to the
freedmen on easy terms They have comfortable
houses some built of logs and framed each sur
rounded by garden and cotton patch. The settle
ment appears to be in much more prosperous condi-
ton than that at Hsdale, established by Gen. How
ard across the Eastern Branch in the District OF Co.
luinba.


have been especially particular in my inquiries
in regard to tue condition Of the colored people of
actio and
people, in order that might be able to deal more in
telligently with the plot insurrection which the
people Of this part of the State think they have dis
covered. If, when come to oexanIinc the evidence
We find 1t all Of doubtful character it will then be
of the greatest Importance to understand perfectly
the nature of the soil from which this disturbance is
said to have sprung and the material out of which
the conspiracy has been manufactured.


said early i'll this letter that had been able to
discover no signs Of trouble between the white and
black people of this county prior to the 2fth Of
July last. review Of the events of that day, and
what has followed shall reserve for another letter


q. L. w.