Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1884 — A Letter From The South [ARTICLE]

A Letter From The South

We give herewith a portion of a private letter received a few Jays since by a well known citizen and eksolUier, of Rensselaer, from a Southern republican, living at Dove Park, in Arkansa Mr. Duther-age has always lived in the South, as we understand, find was a Loyalist at the time of the war, but was forced into the Rebel army. We quote from the letter: “* * ♦ Gen. John A. Logan, in his letter of acceptance, in speaking of the South, tells the whole truth. I will give you a few facts on the subject. In 1874 the government of this state fell into the hands of ex-Rebels. They. at first, acted as they ought. Dealt justice to every man alike, regardless of his political opinions, and all weht well, for a short time : but soon these men got things their own way, and then commenced working plans to put the Negro under them, as they were before the late Rebellion. The first step they made, was to get up a good code oi laws, only to blind the balance of the world, while they could shackle the Negroes and white Republicans. As soon as they got things fixed to their own notions, they then laughed at all Republicans, and told them, by their actions, tljat these good laws were only made for Republicans to obey. So at first they gave the Negros and Radicals, as they called them, very good laws, but thr.t did not last long: they soon commenced making new laws, for the Radicals and Ne-

gros, and they have kept making laws Tor them untiltheßadicalsand Xi gers have no more protection in this state than a lot of wolves would have in the state of Indiana. The poor laboring man here is taxed, to keep up the public roads, ten days work each year. Should he miss working one jay, bg is arrested and fined, $lO, with all costs, which, in many’ instances! runs up to S2O. And if he has hot the money to pay, he must work it out, on a convict farm, at 2.1 cents h day’: and if he does not work to suit the boss, he is tied up and whipped, just as slaves were before the late war. A very nice young man came from Illinois to this state, a few years ago, and put up at a l?oai-ding house, in I’ir.e Bluff, aud failed to get a job at his trade, he being a mechanic; after spending all his money, and failing to get work, he concluded to go elsewhere, and lacked a few dollars of paying up his board bill: so he was arrested and taken before a magistrate and fiined, then sent to a convict farm to work out his board bill, fine aud costs, at 2.5 cents a day in the cotton field: but as he could not work in the cotton field, the foreman tied him up and jvhipped him, and repeated it until they killed him.

The way the thing works here, a Bourbon cannot commit a crime sufficient for the Bourbon grand jurors to find a bill against them, but a true Republican can not live so strict, but the Bourbon grand jurors—which they a'ways have—will, every time, find bills enough against them to keep them under bondage. So you see that John A. Logan speaks the truth. I could write a whole month, and chroniclei nothing; but truths of the same character as these 1 have written you in Ibis letter' Now. after I have given yod the bad, I will give you the good. As I have before said, Arkansas is one of the best states in tliis Union: and the day is not far distant when she will strike for freedom. And then, when all of her people are free, our Northern brothers will come down here, and join us in building up and enjoying one of the best countries on God’s KartD: and friefid then I want you to come and live with us, and drink cf the waters of the Millenial Springs, near Dove Burk, until youi soul is truly happy: and not only yourself, but many thousands of our Northern friends 1 want to see pouring into this good country: and 1 want to see them ad made happy, and I feel very certain that I shall soon see it, and that' before long. Your friend.

WM. C. DUTHERACE.