The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-10-26
The Negroes South, and the
FreedmeD,S Yurcau.

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The subjoined extract is from letter
;, dated Wilderness, South Carolina, Oct
llth, 1868, and published in the State
Sentnei. The writer is making a tour
through the South, and has every facility
for making himself acquainted with the
way matters are carried on in the South
ern States, by the Freedmcn's Bureau -
The present is all in doubt. The ne,
groes are worthless. They do not average
two hours work day to hand, and are
saucy and impudent L icy carry Their
freedom so far as to think they lower
themselves if they say sir, mann or MISC
to those addressing them; and in all ar
engagements for labor they claim to be own
ers of half the stock on hand and to be
raised, as we'll as half the crop and the
planters furnish them honses to live in
Did [ have lot of such hands at work for
me in the North, and act as | have seen
them here, they wo I'D just work one day
ard no more. If a former master or mis-
tress reprimands any Of them for anything
rude they may DO, or say, "Sam or Cleo
you must not take that article, it is not
yours, / want that" they retOrt with in
suits and claim that the article named is as
much theirs now as the former masters
and if the master or mistress insists on
their right and uses the least rougbness,
off the outraged freeman posts to Orange
burg, Columbia or Charleston, to report to
the generally worthless upstart in cons
mand Of that illegal nuisance, the Freed
mems Bureau"
On such complaints being made, an or
der is issued at once for the arrest of the
white trash" who dared to insult Sambo.
This happens not seldom, but hourly. In
fact. this foolish and worthless Bureau for
Freedmen, and the impudent tyrant gen
orally in command are running the poor
unfortunate negro, both for himself and
the country If this is continued much
longer, starvation is the negro's lot this
coming winter. They are now roaming
the country, filling the towns and villages
all day, and going back to the old planta-
ton at night to stea what Sherman's men
did not take away This is not the state
ment of a pcny-a-lincr, hurryng through
the State on railraod car | have seen
for myself, having passed through the
plantations in many places from Augusta
to near Orangeburgh. am going to see
more of the State this week, and will have
an opportunity ofjudging farther If see
an Improvement in my carriage rambles
through the State (and will see all that
is worth seeing) to Columbia Barnwell,
Oraugeburgh and Charleston, will most
assurediy give the negro the benefit of it.
If an Improvement can be brought about
in the condition of this race, now being
crushed between the "nether millstones,"
this abominablc Freedmen Bureau" will
deserve no credit for it, as | cannot but
believe, from all have seen, that it is the
negroes greatest enemy. as it is daily max
ing him more useless to himself and the
country, and the best act President John
son can do for the negro, now admitted
free, even by the people here, is to abolish
Major Gen. Howard and his worthless and
expensive crew of bureau officials
The future, to me, Looks hopeful for this
people and the country. They accept
unanimously the situation, and see white
people a. work all around, if they never
did SO before. The greatest anxiety the
people have is 10 see and find out if the
negro will work for pay, and take care of
themselves, as our white working men do
in the North So far the negro is rot do
ing so, though offered work daily. -
first, they accept the work, but two days
is enough at one time to labor, and so the
planters are at the mercy of the negro
Hence, say, the States will have to pass
some kind of protection laws against such
desertion from work agreed upon; if not,
there are only two alternatives for the
black race; che to fall back where he has
been from the formation of the Govern
ment, in slavery, and the other the fate of
the Indian determination. Then the
question will naturally arise, which is the
most humane or Christian, that of slavery
or determination for this useful race of
people, properly managed