Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-03-31

The CoNTRABANDs AT PoRT RoYAL.-Rev.
Mr.. Wayland, recently of this city, and row
chaplain of one OF the Connecticut regiments at
Port Royal, writes as follows 10 the Christian
Waterman & Reflector =
81 see that appeals are being made to &he
charitable to provide with clothing the thou
sands who have taken refuge under our flag,
as well as the tens of thousands Who NAV be
hereafter emancipated by the progress OF our
arms. will not pause to inquire whether
tins suggestion comes from unwlse friends of
the colored people, or from those lar-sighted
enemies OF the slave who desire to see him
retained i'll a state of vassaage. But | would
earnestly protest against such course being
adopted. We are trying to make MEN out of
these slaves. But to be men, tree men, it is
not enough to be no longer subject to the lash,
it is to assume the responsibilities, the duties
OF freedom along with It's iinmunties. To be
independent Is, not to be dependent is il not?
AND he VINO is supported, fed, clothed by
charity is dependent, surely
1.-The first lesson the negroes need 10 learn
Is, that as freemeR they are to enjoy the bene.
fits and to suffer the penalties of their own
acts; that they are to possess all they earn by
labor, and are to possess nothing without la.
Dor. By perpetually mpressing the contrary
lesson slavery annihilates industry Now il
we begin by making the negroes paupers, then
paupers they will remain. II once encouraged
to beieve that clothing and the other necessa.
ry comforts will come without work, it will be
impossible to root the conviction out of their
minds. An irreparable injury will be done
them, and the worst forebodngs OF the enc.
mics Of the race, who have asserted that they
were Incapable OF self government and eleva
ton, will be verified. We should see a new
~ tiOn nf bo r,II;.
of the wise and the sins of the good are out.
numbered by the crueties of the benevolent
and of the profound declaration that charity
relieves the want which it has created, but
creates more than it can relieve
"But it may be asked, Are not the negroes
now suffering for want of clothing, and must
not the duty of alternating their present woes
take precedence of calculating and cold.
hearted political econopy!' The phan
thropic of New England picture the negro
shivering amid the blasts and SHOWS of such a
winter as sweeps over the hills of Massachu-
sets. But, in reality, the winter here has
passed. Indeed. there has been but one black
frost and one white frost, during the whole
winter on Hilton Head. And now we are
beginning to suffer from heat. There is no
fear that the negroes will suffer from want of
warm clothing.
II will venture the assertion that the con
| trabands are and have been less exposed to
suffering from the inclemency of the weather
than our own troops. The negroes have been
better housed than they and have not, like
our soldiers, been obliged to be standing guard
at night in all weathers. The ndscrimipate
bestowment of bounty, for which an appeal
has been made, is rendered peculiarly needless
by the order of the general commanding,
which provides for the employment, at iair
wages, of all the contrabandS who repair to
any of our posts.
"In view OF these considerations, it seems
to me that it is eminently the part OF u wise
christian humanity, of true friendship for the
negroes, to cast them upon themselves, to
treat them no longer as beasts OF burden, nor
yet as children, to be petted, nor rs paupsrs,
to be made objects Of indiscriminate and ener
waiting charity but as men, capable of self
maintenance, US men susceptible OF elevation