The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-26
EMANCIPATION SnccessfrI-


iOliltAl'tl ttll . % Ale -fsA7AtftitN GiARA
The best if not the only way to speak
truth, is to keep clear of false positions.
Assumptions contrary to fact lead one
to assert many groundless things to
support the main position. So has it
turned out on the matter of slavery.
Determined, like Pharaoh Of old, not /
to let the people 80, various false ex-
cuses we put in todetain them. Among
others, It was said that they could not I
or would not support themselves. Hav-
ing always been forced to work, not for
themselves, but for Others, and being
,ut off from the inspiring hope of ele
gaiion in society by labor, the allega-
ton was plausible and gained credence
IS It was constantly repeated. But as
he experiment has been made, we have |
he stubbornness of facts to falsify the |
charge
!. The writer has been IN the South |
western Division Of the Army as Chap |
lain for eighteen months, and has seen
thousands of colore1 persons breaking !
loose from their bonds and coming J
within our lines, and yet generally, if
not universally, they have supported
themselves. In despite of the preju |
dice and caste which combined to crush
them, they managed to find enough TO
do to gain food and raiment. True
many Of them were under Chaplains,
Captains, etc, collected into colonies
and located into separate encanpments
with rations But at Corinth, LaGrange,
Memphis and other points, the super
intendents reported that their labor
more than equalled their expense
Hundreds, yea thousands, have been
employed, for, time, as cooks to com
panies and hospitals, getting no pay at
all, for there was no fund provided, and
yet they managed to live. DO not these
facts forever refute the SANDER that
colored people, when freed, lapse into
pauperisrn Having for ages made their
own living and supported in luxurious
extravagance their oppressors besides,
it has turned out to be an easier task
for them to support only themselves.
Open up all the avenues to higher and
moro lucrative employments, enjoyed
OF the citizens Of our country, and who !
can fail to see the danger that at least |
)ne here and there might overtake
our color in the race for wealth and |
fame?
2. For months the writer has been
uperintending the refugees at Pulaski,
Tenn, and while too many of this class
AVE pushed themselves on the liber-
,lity Of the government for support, |
) ;arcely colored person has asked for
bread Lieut.. Harris has an encamp-
nent Of them there and elsewhere,
with the certainty that their labors will !
exceed all their cost to government |
While Tation9, houses, tents, transpOr-
tation &c, are being furnished every
hour to crowds of refugees, few if any
Of these favors are granted the colored
yoor, for they do as well or better With
out them. IN the light of this almost
startling fact, we ask again what be-
comes Of the SANDER, that negroes are
TOO INDECENT to maintain themselves?
8 How often has it been said that
ghey are too stupid to learn2 In various
localities the kindness of their friends
for the last two years have opened
;chools to instruct them. At Corinth,
Pulaski and Nashville the writer has
'Zamined carefully the progress of the
pupils Beyond all doubt their success
in the elements Of education exceeds
he whites Their desire to learn, their
obedience and order in school and their
diligence enable them to learn to read
n about half the time usually spent to
teach white children this art That
their minds are sufficiently delicate to
discriminate as many of our color do, in
thehigher and more obstruse branches, !
we are not prepared to believe, while |
facts leave no room to doubt that their |
memories and diligence in the rudi- |
ments are superior. In all other 1e-
spects the excuses for enslaving them
viii be found vain, idle and false. In
such a time as this how important that |
truth and candor be maintained to bear |
Us over the stormy seas of fraud, in
Justice and treason w. 2.