, 1863-08-11
Condition Of the South
Carolina Slaves.
THE NEGROES AS SOL
DfERS,

THE NEGROES AS SOL
DEERS.
What Shall be Done with Them ?
The American Freedmen's Inquiry Com.
mission, Robert Dale Owen, james McKrys,
and Samuel G. Howe, hare made E prel. min
ary report to the Secretary of War, from
which We condenee the following items of
Interest:
CHARACTER OF TnB REFUGEES.
The r1ces Of the refugees arc such as ap.
pertain to slavery. Deprived Of property,
they do not respect It's rights Accustomed
uraer despo:ic rule to shield themselves by
falst hood, they lie when lie will please =
superior Or avert punishment. Legally un:
able to form binding conjugal relations, they
arc frcont1nent.
But the testimony Of Intelligent superln-
tendents Is to The effect that these vice. are
lot deeply rooted that By recognition Of
the fri cdnan's new rights, and an appeal to
his sslf.5espect, they may be graduslly eradi-
cated; for these people are eager to copy
what are set before them Us the duties and
Obligations Of what ther look up to as tho
superior race, eyen If these prove restraint
on the habits OF license appertaiaiog to their
former condition.
An instance is given OF the conscious pride
With hich u freedman, 6rora as i witness
for the first time, stood W to Ike the oath
and deliver his testimony.
They were found quite willing, when It Was
proposed to them, to have the ties of hus-
band and fa1her lesi.i1natized, especially by 4
ceremony performed in church, usually deem.
tng It privilege. aPpsrtain;ng IT, emanciI,2-
With few exceptions, they show themselves
prompt to acknowledge aud ready to fulfill
the obligations thus contracted.
As to atty exceptional cases Of refusal to
1rarfy when the former relationship is suf-
lciently proved, it is recommended, as to
Should not be permitted to co-1abit without
n,arrisgc, the father should be rean;7cd to
support Lis children and their mother.
4 system Of allotment from wages, in oll
caees, for the support Of families at hone, is
recommended, aid tho proper forms pre-
pared.
Abundant evidence proves that colorel re-
fugees set a high value both on education for
tlitir children acd religious instruction for
themselves 1t Alexandria, one Of the first
acts Of tho negroes, whe1 they found them
selves free, was to establish schools ut their
0Wn expense
AS general raIe, these people are more de-
vo,to,.l than Tie whites. Trey hare more
Resignation, more reliance on Divine Proyf-
1ence, but also more EuperstiLions. These.
the Commission think, should not be harshly
dealt With. It is deemed more important
fy1npathizi,1g1y to meet and encourage, IN
these un.aught people, the religious senti-
. tZirit Of rresestiem to replace t.letr simple
t:ith in the Divine goodness and protection
by dngmas Of llore elaborate aud polcmicA
character. Practically, as regards tie Chris
tian graces Ct kindness and humility, we have
as much to learn from them as they from us
CONDITION or TIE SOUTH CAROLINA SLAVES.
The condition and the character Of the
slare in South Carolfna, differed in essential
particulars from those ot the slaves in Est
olira is cne Of tile States in which the system
Of slavery seems to have reached its furthest
Development, NTH the least modification
from contact, with external civilization.
There It las been larkening, in It's shades of
tnhumani'y, from year to Fear. The Commits
sion found conclusive evidesce That, half a
century since. its phsse was much milder
than now. Il is the uniform testimony of
emancipated freedmen fronl this State aboye
the age OF sixty 1i.at, In their youth, slavery
vas = lnerciiM and considerate system COM
Iared viii what 1t has been for thirty yeaz5
past, These old men ere bright and fntc'li-
gent compared With the younger Held hands,
In many of whom stolid, snllon despon.
de1cy attests the stupefying influence Of
SLAVE driving under its more recent phase
One OF it, marked Effects WAS III measure
to efface the CHEF features Of the family re1a-
tion. The slave did not eat with his children
or their nolher-"t there was uo ti1c for
brEcn cf 1hc Lifelong habit tha: each should
clutch tho dish containing his portion, and
6hulk OF into corner to devour it In Soli-
tuic. At night, all ages and both sexes art
Aerded proniscuousiy In luts Of king1c
room. Girls Of Is, or younger, became
which even slave could give the mans Of
merriage. The protest Of The church against
such lncontinercy was no. supported, saye In
exceptional casts, by The master.
Some cases there we're In which slaTehold~
er, either prompted By conviction or urged b.
hare certain religions sanction; but 1t Is
evident 1hat, rs = rule, legal policy forbade
the conne citing Of sac.edness OF 1nd1Gsolublc
character with aretation Which tomorrow the
owner might choose to break up.
As little respect was usually paid to the ma.
| ternul relation rs to the marital. On most
plantations pregnancy neither exempted from
| corporal punishment, nor {exctpt for three
sometimes four weeks after childbirth, J from
the ordinary field tasks. Humane masters
sometimes, indeed, diminished that task a
! pregnancy advanced; bnt On the other hand
cases occurred where the negress vas over
| taken f'y the pains of labor, and gave birth tc
ler child, in The field.
! Tie plantation If Mr. Akin, one Of the
| largest in the State. was noble exception
| among others, to this general system Of hu-
| manly.
Under such slave system us this, where
| humanity is the exception, the iron enters
! deep into the soul. Popular songs are the
| expression Of the inner life; and the Negro
| eorgs Of South Carolina arc, with scarcely 81
| exception, plaiutige, respondent. and TeIi
! gi0us. When there miugles tone Of mourn
| tol exu1tatlon, it has reference to the futurt
| glories Of Zion, not to worldly hopts.
| In the snail Isolated communities IN somt
Of the Sea Islands, the father and mother be
| Ing ofteu near blood relatives, aud the least
valuable slaves being usually placed there be
cauec Of the unhealthy cllmate, tho negroes
| as 4 class, arc decidedly interior to thoge o;
more northern States. North Carolina slave!
sent to Soatk Carolina complained bitterly O.
| the change.
The South Carolina negro, however, Il
| found, with ioconEfderahle exceptions, to be
susceptible Ct reform By judicious manage
ment. lie takes kindly to work, If his wages
are regularly sE ~ paia: 4 superintena9at Whs
for year past, testified that he had scarcely
| found d case in which colored man, having
reasonable security Of moderate Waces, wa
net ready to labor. Evidence wns given this
many who, as slaTes, had beea deemed Grip
pies OF 1Gtls1u, or superacnuatcil, now, unde
the stiinulue OF wages, work ungrudging1y.
NEGROES As SOLDIERS.
The evidence which has come before th
| Commission bearing on the capacity Of til
negro ne soldier, Induces them to recon
mend that the Government should br7pg int
tie field. as early as possible, two huudrc'
| tl.ousaLti cclored troops, or upward. The,
recommend this as alike advantageous to tn
cause of the Union and to the race to whicl
these troops belong.
Cplorcd troops, linking pride In their po
Fition, exhibit great neatness and care of thei
persons, uniformH, arms ard equipments, an'
| in The Police Of their camps Usually skiltfu
| cocks and providers, they exhibit resource il
;ukiIg care Of themselves in camp.
The religious sentiment strongly character
izirg Africans may, in the case Of tho coiore,
solcicr, he successfully appealed to BY leader
| who share II Is q powerful element Of enthu
sjum. If tile officers fce1, and fmpart to thcf
n,cn the fre1ing, that they are fighting in th
cause Of God aud Liberty, the Commission be
Deye tLat no part Of TIC army may be nor
| with these people more than With more ID
depepdcut race, success depends uron sympa
thy bet reeu their officers and them. Thus
how important soeVer the proper choice 9
officers in I'LL cases, the Commission think
to be more important In the cage of co1ore
than Of white troops; deeming it probabl
that colo1ed troops badly otacercd might b
lsabse TO giye way more readily than b.dl
ctilcered regiments Of the more self relian
white race Colored soldiers criticise thei
othcc1s very sharply. TAsro ts NJ much diasl
Af....& &Ar ~. 81