The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-01
THE FREED NEGROES OF LOU
ISIANA.
Happy Condition OF the Negroes
success OF the New Labor Regula
lions, &c.

Happy Condition OF the Negroes..-
Success OF the New Labor Regula.
lions, &c.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
NEW ORLEANS, Thursday, March 10, 1884.
Here, in Louisiana, wonders have been
wrought A few months ago, to find a
negro who could read was a wonder to
find one who could write was greater
wonder and to find one who understood
arithmetic was a greater wonder still.
Fortunately, good Providence has seen
fit to ordain better things, and now, here,
in this sin-cursed city, nineteen hundred
colored children are reading and writing
in the day schools which they attend.
One year ago, Colonel Hanes was feed
ing from the Government COmmissariat
more than twenty thousand negroes. Be-
side this number, there were quite twenty
thousand who hung around the camps and
elsewhere, obtaining their living partly by
cooking, washing, fishing and stealing yet
these were, to a large extent, an incubus
upon the government.
Now all the negroes have been placed
in condition of profit to the government
and to themselves. Not only does the la
Dor system furnish employment to those;
within the limits OF this department, but
had We ten thousand more, they could all
be employed without expense, but rather
with great benefit to the government
The benefits that will return to the Gov
ernment this year, resulting from the Op-
erations of this system of labor, will more
than pay all the expense that the refugee
negroes have been to it since the Occupa-
ticn of the State by our forces.
Facts furnish the he~t pcUui vf the sue
cess Of any system; and, when we com
pare the condition OF fifty thousand ne
groes in this State last year with their con-
dtion now, we need hardly allude to g
thousand particulars We feed 10 day at
public expense fifty colored orphans, and
about one hundred aged men ana women.
Rev. L. ". Conway. who has been as
signed to duty under Col. Hanks, the faith
ful Superintendent o. Negro Affairs has
Just visited some Of the parishes of the
State. with tie view OF periectiny the
means OF uniting the separates, families of
the colored troops, as well as tie register
ing of all the eolored persons in the de-
partment, and has ascertained in regard to
the disposition ui' the negreS themselves,
that they are now quite Happy; and with
the assurance given that their children
shall have the blessings Of education, they
feel very cont ntei and exceedingly CRATE
full. Thee people are now very jealous OF
their rights, and they know very well
when they are wronged, and that, by re-
porting any injury done them by their EN-
ployers TO Col. Hanks, they will surely re-
ceive redress. They consequently feel
greatly improved, and are very willing to
work.
The danger regarding the entire success
of any labor system for the colored peo
pie, lies in the miserable designs Of many
selfish planters, who, when the crops ccmo
in, would pocket the money earned by the
laborers. In order that justice shall be
done to these people, there should be ap
pointed to each department a Superin
tendent OF Freedmen's Affairs, with full
powers from the Government to rectity all
abuses On the plantations, and TO exact
strict justice from the employer and the
emyloyed trust the law in regard to
the organization of bureau in the Gen
eral Government, which shall manage the
wno!e subject, will pass, and that the So.
perintendent of Negro Affairs in the va
rrious depa: tments, may, in conjunction,
with that, be able to do service which,
in the present unOrganized state of affairs,
is greatly needed.