PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN THE SOUTH-WEST,
Kiev Om.KAxs, Ja.w 3, ]S67.
A Northerner visiting New Orleans for the first
time cannot fail to receive an entirely new appre
ciation of the magnitude of the blow struck at
the rebellion, and of the consternation with which
the leaders of the rebellion received the intulli
geuee, when, on that May morning, in ISG2, the
dreaded fleet of Farragut made its appearance on
the Mississippi, and the Crescent City lay at its
mercy. It is hardly possible fully to understand
how thoroughly this is the metropolis of the
South—a great commercial aud social heart, whose
pulsations are felt throughout the entire body of
the late would-be confederacy, without a glance at
the various destinations of the many hundred
steam and sailing vessels that crowd its extended
levee, and mingling with the crowd of visitors
that, during the winter months, centre here from
every Southern State.
In many respects New Orleans is the same city
now as in 1861. Unlike almost every other point
in the South, it bears no trace of the desolations
of war in its material progress. It is visited by
the same people, whose conversation evinces the
same hatred of everything of yankee origin, and
whose ingenuity develops’itself in the same efforts
to exclude northern people, northern principles,
and northern influence, from their country now,
as then. The same mayor, Monroe, whose rebel
lious conduct after the arrival of the fleet in 1862
would, by the laws of war, have justified a bom
bardment of the city, again presides over its mu
nicipal destinies, professing to have become tho
roughly reconstructed, and a loyal man, par ex
cellence; and his character as such has, within
the last two weeks, been abundantly sustained by
the testimony, before the Congressional Commit
tee here, of many witnesses of the highest social
standing. The terrible riots and massacres of
unoffending citizens, on the 30th day of July,
perpetrated by the police of the city, under the
direction of the mayor, show the standard of loy
alty that is orthodox, in this community.
Many who have heretofore been planters, are
now coming to the city to engage in trade, having
become disgusted with a year’s experience of free
labor.
A conversation between two of the class I over
heard in the cars, the other day, in Mississippi, is
a fair expression of the prevailing condition: jof
feeling in this region of country among the plant
ers The conversation was about as follows:
A. Have much of a crop this season ?
B. Not mor’n a quarter of a crop, and I-don’t
medri ISo try it again. Plantin aint wliaf it’fcsed
to be.
!&. No, it aint. I’m going to sell out as soon
as I have a good chance, and go to the city.
The fact is, niggers won’t work unless you can
makc’cm
B. And they are so insultin. Of course if
one was to offer me a downright insult, I should
knock him down.
A. Of course, of course.
B. , But they are so aggravatin; I cant stand
e’m, and I mean to give up the business.
A northern man, who has made a successful
crop in one of the parishes of this state, gave me
to-day, as an illustration of the encouragement
“niggers” have to work, on a majority of the
plantations, an account of the management, for a
single day, of his nearest neighbour. The plan
tation, a large one, is owned and carried on by
two young men, who, about eight o’clock in the
morning, take a cup of coffee in bed. In the
course of an hour they get up, take a drink of
whiskey, go among the cabins, and curse and
threaten any of the hands who hav’nt gone to
work; about ten, take breakfast, saunter down to
a grocery, and spend a couple of hours with a
pack of greasy cards, and the usual accompani
ment of bad whiskey; return and ride about the
place, giving directions as to the work, &c; din
ner; return to the grocery; cards, whiskey, and
an occasional fight, until late on in the night.
The same programme substantially every day.
These are the class of men who. on every occa
sion, complain dolorously that “ niggers won’t
work unless you are allowed to make’eru ” I have
met, since I have been here, many northern men,
who have tried raising cotton for the first time,
this year. The crop has been, generally, nearly
a failure, on account of the unfavorable season;
hut, except where the hostility of the. people has
compelled them to leave the country, with no ex
perience, they have generally succeeded better
than the old residents, and I have not heard I'rom
any of them the complaint that * niggers won’t
Work.” Many of them complain of petty annoy
ances, and all who are at all out-spoken in their
union sentiments, are relentlessly excluded from
aR Bocial intercourse. Ido not hear of any case of
men being driven out with actual violence, but
the absolute impossibility of bringing to justice,
through the courts, any offender, for outrage com
mitted upon any known union man, begets a feel
ing of insecurity.
The most marked instance that has come to my
•knowledge of daring the fullest measure of south
ern prejudice, was ? -that of Col. Frisbie, who, a
year ago, when' his regiment of colored troops
were musterecLeut of service, contracted with the
entire force, 'took them to Rapides Parish, and
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, ISG7.
with a quarter of a million dollars capital, leased
five plantations on Red river, in the most lawless
and desperate community of the whole South. In
the course of the summer he was obliged to send
for arms, and organize his force for self-defence,
lie was successful in his planting, gathered his
crop, and, during the present week, brought his
regiment back into this vicinity; but such was
the organized and constant persecution in the
shape of frivolous arrests, and suits at law, threats
ofassasination. and every conceivable species of an-
noyance, that all the cotton 6n Bed river would
not induce him to repeat the experiment for an-
other year.
The normal condition of this essentially French
town, is excitement and exhiliration, but the past
ten days have been so marked in this regard, as
to form quite an epoch in its history. For the
first time in fifteen years, the ground was yesterday
morning covered with snow. A lady at the hotel
table, with true southern politeness, remarked she
knew it was the nasty radical Yankees that
brought it. That, however, has not been the
general tone of remark A philosopher, native
in this locality, observed, a day or two ago, that
the temper of the New Orleans people was pro-
perly classified under three heads: the sugar pe
riod, the vinegar period, aud the aqua forth pe
riod, and that they were at present passing through
the first classification. The Congressional Com
mittee to investigate the July riots were, on their
arrival here, overwhelmed with-attentions. De
putations were, on the very first morning, succes
sively received from the Mayor, the City Council,
the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General,
Chief of Police, and from a committee of the
“ best citizens,” offering rooms for their accomo
dation, every facility in the prosecution of their
investigation, dinners and social hospitality to an
extent that would have occupied the committee
a month had they been accepted. All were cour
teously, but firmly declined. Their mission here
was one of stern duty, and there was no time for
festivity; the authorities tendering them were
themselves accused of complicify in one of the
most atrocious wholesalenmrdersever perpetrated,
and a tribunal sent here to determine their com
plicity could not, without embarrassment, accept
the hospitalities of the accused. The committee
occupied rooms at tlie St. Louis Hotel, remained
in session twelve hours each day, not excepting
Christmas or New Year’s, and accomplished an
amount of work in ten days that, as committees
sit in Washington, would have occupied three
months
The result of their investigation, when pub
lished, will disclose in detail such atrocities as
almost to make one blush that he is an American,
and will fasten the responsibility, as in the" Mem
phis riots, on the very men whose sworn duty it
was to protect the defenceless, and .to see that the
law was not violated. In the case of New Or
leans, however, the heinousness of the offence was
aggravated by the attempt to break up the delibe
rative body, under whose action these officers
themselves held their commissions, and the na
tional humiliation it involved is greater because
of the action of the chief magistrate of the nation
giving color of authority to the perpetrators of the
atrocities for their murderous work
The other body of radical congressmen, known
as the Congressional Excursionists, had no official
duties to prevent the acceptance of any hospita
lities tendered, and never were more crowded into
two days, than the distinguished visitors enjoyed
on Friday aud Saturday last. The scene of Ben
VVade, escorted arm iu-arm by Gen. Beauregard,
was an unusual one, but the effect of such excur
sions, in which the representatives of oue sectiou
met iu friendly intercourse with the other, canuot
be otherwise than beneficial. F. 11.
FROM OUR ITALIAN CORRESPONDENT.
Genoa, December 25th, 18f>6.
CHRISTMAS— -HOW CELEBRATED IN ITALY.
As Christmas comes round, polities give place
to pampering of the appetite and exchange of
presents. This is the one great general holiday
of the whole year, to which many have been look
ing forward for months in ardent expectation of
a feast. Poor people sometimes stint themselves
for days, that they might have a lull table on
Christmas. The midnight mass and the church
ceremonies of the early morning, are little thought
of' iu comparison with these more relishable reali
ties. It is the custom here to keep the shops
open all night on Christmas eve. Gorgeously
lighted up and adorned with evergreens and flow
ers, they present a pretty sight to the crowds who
parade the streets, feasting their eyes on the de
lectable dainties, and anticipating, with no ordi
nary pleasure, the treat of to-morrow. I\have
been told that the present generation grieve over
the departed glory of the past, when Christmas
day was celebrated by no less than three sumptu
ous meals, at each of which the amount consumed
was enormous.
Yesterday I was present at the festa given to
the children of the Waldensian school. It is an
annual treat to the poor little things. A large
Christmas tree had been prepared and covered
with presents, and there was a goodly gathering
of the parents and others. The children came in
when all was ready, singing a hymn composed for
the occasion. Of course there were no absentees,
and altogether they numbered more than 70. It
is gratifying to be able to add, that the vast ma
jority of them are Roman Catholics, but .we find
that not only do their parents send them willingly
to school, but are much interested in the progress
they make, some yesterday expressing high satis
faction with what they saw and heard. After
the pastor had spoken to them about the birth of
Jesus, they received their gifts and went away
glad in heart.
EDUCATION. HOPE OF ITALY IN HER CHILDREN
AND YOUTII.
There are three teachers—one for the boys,
one for the girls, and one for the infants, who
average 25, besides daily' Scriptural instruction
The minister, once every week, collects them all
together, to question them on the Bible, and see
what advance is made. Then there is the Sab
bath-school, conducted -on the prin iple of Mr.
Woodruff from America, who paid us a visit al
most three.years ago, and did a vast deal of good
in establishing and improving schools in many
places. The “ Scuola della Domenica,” the Sun
day-school Magazine, was then started, and has
succeeded admirably well. Besides the Walden
sian school, there is another in connection with
the Free Italian Church, whieh has been in ex
istence many years, and has branches in Turin
and other cities. It is divided into 4 classes—
-42 children in a 11—27 of them Protestants, the
rest Catholic. I have before me the report of the
Committee of the Evangelical Schools in Leg
horn and extract from it the following infor
mation : The number of children who have
frequented our schools the past year has
been 192. All of them, with two or three excep
tions, are of Roman Catholic parents. In the
the boys’ school. 83; in the girls, 53; in the in
fant class, 57. The result of the annual exami
nation was most satisfactory in writing, reading,
arithmetic, sacred history, geography, and the
Italian grammar
This will give you some idea of the state of
evangelical education in this land. The percent
age of those who can read and write in the north
of Italy is not very high, but in the south it is
deplorably low. I forget what the precise figure
is, but am safe in, saying that 90 out of every
100 are unable to overcome the three R’s. This
is the natural result of the bondage under whieh
King Buniba kept the Neapolitans. Now, how
ever, there are signs of improvement. The go
vernment has established schools in every parish,
where education is free, and, upon the -whole,
good. Religion is, of course, perverted; still,
many of the facts of the Bible history are made
known to minds that would have beeii sunk in
utter ignorance of every thing, had the old regi
me continued.. The great hope for Italy lies in
the rising generation. Often have I heard this
stated. Comparatively little can be done with
the present. They are so ignorant and careless,
and thoroughly engrossed with commerce, that no
impression can Be made; The young offer a more
promising fieli# - Sowing the good seed now,
there will be a harvest afterwards. Hence, one
of the principal cares of every pastor, is the school
in connection with his church. And in each
centre of evangelization, the children are carefully
and earnestly taught the word of God, whieh is
able to milks them wise unto salvation throu°-h
faith in Christ Jesus.
TRANSLATION OF THE MASS.
A new work is just about to issue from the
Claudean press iu Florence—tbe translation of
the Massa—the mass—from Latin into Italian.
This work lias been assigned to Signor Ribetti,
of Leghorn, a man well fitted for the task. Be
sides translating it, he supplies copious notes on
the absurdities, contradictions, and falsehoods of
that famous litany. It is rather remarkable that
no translation into the vernacular has yet ap
peared; and if the book only excites the priests
to denounce it from their pulpits during eomiun
lent, the probability is, that such public adver
tisement will immensely increase its sale, and
may open the eyes of not a few to the real nature
of their worship, about which I am confident two
thirds of the most devout worshippers know al
most nothing.
BARBAROUS AND UNSETTLED STATE OP SICILY
The Palermitan insurrection has been sup
pressed, and the cholera, after a month’s fearful
ravages, has disappeared, but Sicily is still in a
very unsettled state. The Italian Government
had taken little pains to conciliate the people
after their annexation to the new kingdom ■ and
they would not he warned of the danger, which
was visible enough to those who did not shut
their eyes. Hence, it came upon them suddenly,
and severe measures had to be adopted for re
storing peace. This has not yet been fully ac
complished. Bands of brigands invest the imme
diate neighborhood of Palermo, and there is no
protection for life or property. The barbarism
of the middle ages reigns. A new outbreak
would be no extraordinary occurrence. Sicily is
rather a hard nut for the ministry of Victor
Immanuel.
The great question of the day, however, is that
of Rome. Now the Venetian fetes are -over,
and the king returned to his capitol, universal
attention has been directed to the eternal city.
What would happen when the French troops
went away? Would the Pope remain, or would
he flee? Would the Romans rise at once or
would they patiently wait the proper time? Such
questions were put on every side, but no answer
could be given. It was so entirely unprecedented,
no one could even form a conjecture. The tele
graph brought us tidings of regiment after regi
ment embarking at Civita Vecchia, until at last
the French flag was lowered from the Castle of
St. Angelo, and the Pontifical standard hoisted
in its stead. There was no ceremony, no salute,
no concourse of people on the neighboring piazza.
The whole thing was done in the presence ot a
few casual on-lookers, and without the slightest
demonstration.
The Emperor has been true to his promise—
perhaps only too glad to rid himself of such a
heavy burden. It will be a very grave necessity
indeed, that ever makes him tike it up again.
General Montebello’s interview with the Pope is
well known, doubtless, to your readers. The old
man would not believe that his defenders were
really going until the last moment. When he
saw the General come to say farewell, he could
doubt no longer. In the anger of desperation,
his holiness lost his temper, and said things which
would have been better unsaid Lifting up his
hands and eyes to heaven, he paused in the mid
dle of his reply, after stating that his help was in
God. The action and attitude powerfully im
pressed, yea, filled with deepest awe, the minds
of the officers before him, who half expected mi
raculous interposition on his behalf. He then
made some significant reference to the state of the
Emperor’s mind, as if it was more affected than
his body, and expressed his intention to pray for
him, that he might become a Christian, as he was
ruling over a Christian people. This unfortunate
manifestation of temper has done damage to the
cause of the poor feeble old man. Montebello
was extremely angry, and the speech has been
excluded, at least the angry parts, from the offi
cial French papers. Hitherto there has been no
disturbance in Home itself, or any of the provin
cial towns. Every thing remains quiet. Tnc
National Committee are busy at work, and the
Romans sensible enough to leave themselves and
their interests in such safe keeping.
CONCILIATORY SPIRIT OF THE ITALIAN GOVERN
The Italian Government have sent an envoy to
the Papal Court on a mission of reconciliation
They are prepared to yield a'great deal, as in the
appointment of bishops and manner of their con
secration, and form of oath they must take. How
it is all to end, time alone will show. The latest
proposal one hears of is, that the Pope should re
main in Rome with the shadow, but not the sub
stance of temporal power; his people continuing
subject to him, while sharing all the privileges of
Italian citizens It is to bo hoped, at any rate,
that Oavour s gra d principle of f i free church in
a free state, will be mainta ued and acted on, so
that the gates of the eternal eity may lie open to
the heralds' ot the cross, and the glorious gospel
preached once more in it as in the days of the
Apostle Paul.
AN ITALIAN ESTIMATE OP THE POPE’S BLESSING.
As an index of the state of the public miud re
garding the v.lue of the Papal blessing, the fol
lowing paragraph recently appeared in the papers
here:. “ Pius the IX blessed Italy in 18-18, aod
every thing went to ruin from the Alps to the
Adriatic At G-aet-a he blessed the old PourboD
and his dynasty Every body remembers the
disgusting death of the one, and the miserable
end of the other. In Ancona he blessed three
large merchant ships As soon as they had gone
to sea they foundered, and their crews perished
He blessed Lamoriciere and Pimodan, when he
urged them to fight against the Italians at Cas
telfidardo One fled dishonored, the other killed
by an excommunicated bullet. He blessed the
Polish revolution and it was put down in blood.
He blessed with his whole heart Catholic Austria,
and she was conquered and humilitated by non-
Catholie Prussia. He blesses now the Empress
of Mexico, and the poor lady goes mad. For the
love of heaven, let not the Pope re-blcss poor
Italy, or she will be certainly ruined.”
SAYING NO TO ONESELF,
That is wliat self-denial exactly means.
It is very remarkable how much our Saviour
makes, and how constantly He spoke, of it.
He took the greatest care that not one of
His disciples should be in doubt on the mat
ter ; and especially on occasions when they
were in danger of makinga mistake, such as
in seasons of His greatest popularity, and
when the multitudes were thronging Him
with peculiar demonstrations of admiration
and attachment; or when some particularly
dear view of His messiahship caught their
attention, He impressed upon their minds
ie fact that His service was no holiday
work, bat something that would call for self
denial every day. “Whom do men say I
am? He asked. “The Christ of God'”
joyfully exclaimed Peter. “If any man wi „
come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily and come after me ” the
Lord replied. He was very frank, and would
have no man become his disciple under any
misapprehension as to the terms or the re
suits of idiscipleship.
Self-denial saying no to oneself’ has from
dol Ye t °-t ’ bCen tte law 0f His ki“S
-m. Yet it is no arbitrary enactment hft
only just what we should expect, somethin*
growmg out of the nature and thenceiS
ofthmgs. What good is there which men
get that does not involve self-den^
not? 0 " 8 good that does
1 Goethe, in liis remarkable poem. I
exclaims, What has this world A r
•Thou slialt renounce! Thou slialt reiio;;
And so it is every where; we are called
to renounce some present gratiih ;u:. »
future or higher good. It is a law that a
over everything with which we have to .
hold the present in check, and aboyain
the future. Sec how it is in the mail
gaining knowledge. How much one h
deny himself! The school boy must
himself his play; the man say no to hi,
lenee, his pleasure, his ease, while he :
himself to the work of disciplining
storing his mind, he must say no to
panions, to blue skies and green field-;
invite; say no to appetite that li is inti
may not be clouded, if he will be wise,
how it is in the matter of health, hou
pctually one must say no to himself,
must not wear, he must not eat, he mas
go just wheu and what and where | K '
Or, you might carry the reflection on i i n,
lower and the lowest realm of bodilyuppe
and propensities. If a man intends to e
bis food even, he must deny —say no to,
self; it will not do for him to give u
strained indulgence to his taste or de:
he must eat to-day with care, so as to i
his body in a state where ho may e
another meal to-morrow, and in the eon
days; he must even compel himself to
that the food may have a keener relisl
and by.
Seo how it is, too, in the social world,
one intends to be happy, or make auy
else happy, lie must say no to himself,
temper, you must not, you shall not b
sway. My selfishness, you shall not go
you shall not disturb the peace of the ho
Now, it is this universal principle rum
through every thing, that our Saviour m;
the ruling principle of His kingdom,
should expect nothing less. The Go
takes what applies to the lowest, and dir
it to the highest good. Do.you think t
if it is necessary to deny oneself' to ob
these inferior, and even contemptible g
things, it wiLl not, ought not to be ncces
to get the very highest? Do you think i
if it be necessary f'pr you to deny your,
to say no to yourself, to be wise, to m
yourself comfortable, to keep well, to ni
your food or your sleep, that it will mu
necessary for you to say no to yoursel
become good, to become holy and (it
Heaven ?
No; you must say no to your body;
appetites and propensities are to be dc:
when they clamor for indulgence; w
they call, you will have to say, •• no.
must not.” Some habit or desire has b
your companion all along, but now you v
to follow J esus; so you say to it, “ farewi
It holds your hand as you think to lea
you try to shake it off, but it clings
tighter; you make a sudden effort a"nd
grasp is for a moment loosened, bat
another its arms are around you hol li
you tightly. Now you cry “ stand m
but it does not obey. You struggle, ami
struggle becomes a wrestling, it is hard :
forces the beaded drops from your liter;
and by, iu a happy moment, you hurl v
foe to the ground, and hold it there, vw ■
need not think that all is over and well .a
It has its eye fixed on you, it waits <mlv
opportunity, and will shake youoff and 1,
you in its turn. Yon watch and sav.
you shall not get up again.” This ‘is -
denial.
You did not make terms with your S : ,v
when you came to Him. If you did .
never came at all. You have only il,
that you came. No, you gave up all.
inn m ?r t S T$ : 110 t 0 a t? reat many thin::'
yoursdf. Pleasure will call, hut I'mv ,
ca l louder, and you must say no to
I here is a sick chamber to be vi>iird. i
the P atient repulsive am! p.-evi
the night is blustery and cold, your chair:,
s ppers snugly placed are very invito,.: i
the place of prayer and the little cirri
brethien claim your presence; yon sav.
il lT* t 0 S°>- but are to ,/•/- ’
ITmt tO /°> that "’ha. v
yourself. ° llbt f °r—you are to say a
°P,ol'ty Y°u Call vour own:
b ?ve itT ed r hard for ik voua.v
f ? m, a T ay f ° l ' Gbl ‘ iat - You do no. -
Shat !t exac tly; you are to d„>
SvYv t, y ° U d 0 ™ to do. V.
v-on’ h le A Va Y> that it is your own. V
call ® a 3 V ear ! of Price whirl. y
vvho\ think that the mcreliaiiini.
I nei \ hat > SOld all that he had to huv i
chonr!e. r bcald of any one getting it '
cheaper terms. You did not Now chi*'
yousoW ,// r L thepro P ert y is n °t vours.
Stm nlrl W V h u^i S 5t that yea call ally - :
a tesfhforT^ atter of self-denial one mav t"‘
reSion t?'V’ e isioU ’ lf y« u have an .a;
o’ d ° es n °t every dav i'V4 i: “
relfofon % n ° K to Yourself, iris not
Tnri j You have probably made a
trvimr l here A? no s °rt'of use lor a ■«*
the whi be a Christian and yet trying :l
not wist 6 +-° esca P e self-denial. You llL ‘;
fowofPL tln ? e , 01 ‘ trouble. It has hoc" t!l
hundred nSt 3 kl "gdom more than curl"**
not maf yearS ~ aQ invariable, law. Ik «’:
lalie a special exception in your case.