, 1863-08-26
Frccdn,en,s Report for August.


Rev. D. B. Nichols, tho Superintendent OF
Freedmen, ard He1l known in this city as tha
Superintendent: for many years, Of the Chica-
go Reform School, has made hisreport forthe
month Of August, written at Camp Spring
dale, on the Arlington estate, from which we
gather the following Items Of interest:
The teaching Of this people rs far back as
slaye1y hasn history is to lead them to rely upon
the wEite man for all they receive. The mas
ter clothed, fed, planned aud thoughs for his
into hle being. that 1t became second nature
with The blacks to suppose that they could
not feed, plan and think for themselves.
Thua, the work Of education with this class
is to be, first, to diveEt them Of the erroneous
views Of the teachings Of the peculiar institu-
before they can take their places in society.
They must be made to understand that they
are under obligation to support themselves
and families, and TINT they have no right to
demand able bodied Whtte people or black
people to furnish them either sustenance,
shelter or clothing.
It had been the policy of those who were
| gathered at contrabaud camps to expect their
ratious and shelter as matter Of course, With
| out cost or troEble to themselves; nor was
this all, for at the slme time Tint the Govern.
meut we're furnishing raticns and shelter to
l AASEE HEteiGa tNG NGtE EGAA11s5 Ill
| boxes ard barrels without number, suppl gtntg
/ thin with clothing.
ibis vas going On while the husband and
the father were receiving 325 per month
trcm the Quartcr1naster's Department, and he
comes to visit his hmily at least as often As
cuatlors to live of the rations Of hts wife
ovtr the Sabbath. Others received $1.o0 per
cord for ood- d-chopping, and made the same
] arrangements about qunrtering for TWO days
on their fasaiHes aud living of Government
ratinns.
Iow il cannot but be perfectly obvious to
the most casual observer that such state Of
things vas not calculated to lead these peorle
to take care Of themselves. Now, the disci-
pliae Of these camps and their teachings IL
fur different In the first place, We 10 not
start upon the principle that the Government
torelieye itself Of al Increasing burden Of
supporting class Of paupers, which might.
IT properly traiTed, earn portion OF their
living, has established these firms, and put
these people On them to till the ground, md
thus do something for their own support.
fully inauguratcd hy yourself Is Me sa:nse'
which meets the difficulty in the right place.
You have ordered TINT debt and credit ac-
count be kept with each head Of famlly-that
the Government pay the laborer fair com.
peEsatlon for his services, and then charge
|
geet that the compensation be limited to $40
per month for able bodied men, and S6 per
month for ab1e-bodied women, and the price
Of children to be regulated by the amount OF
service they can render in the same proper
ton.
Now the people under this course Of treat.
ment would soon come to know and expect
to find their own families In food, with shell
ter, clothing. and al the comforts of life. Let
then houses be erected of q uniform stylt,
where each family can have sufficient quar-.
let their hoH5es be BE-, furnished 1aa wh beg
! heaty turniturc, and then let corresponding
taft be placed upon tho whole sufficient t
coier all the depreciation Of house and furnl
tun By use. Now who will cay that p1ar
ILL this would not be great and glorious
success Who will say that such plan is moi
bob economical and Wises Who will asscs
thit the Government will be the loser by ths
adoption Of plan IKE thiss Who Elll 81.
/ caEied out, viii not effect ctualy stop tie m