Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-20
NEGROES AND WHITES AT THE
GnTTTT

tIely ulUeEtnt SohuillOHS lEOm WHAT tueg
held four years ago. Those two classes
are the slaveholding arristocracy, or rich
men of go, and their then negro slaves.
The former find themselves, after their
f~ruitless efforts to destroy the Union, re-
duced to poverty, and the latter, by the
result Of the struggle, raised to the dig
nifty of freemen. These two classes, in
their changed conditions, are now the &C.
cupants of a country rich in natural re-
sources, though at present, to a great eH-
tent, desolated by the devastations OF war;
1t is natural to presume that, standing IN
the relations which they do to oneanother'
that there should be an enmity existing
between them. There appears, however,
to be no malice harbored up in the minds
of the freedmen against their former mas
tiers, and almost without exception, wher-
ever they receive good treatment at their
hands, they continue at the old planta-
ton, and when opportunity is given, work
faithfully for wages. On the the part of
the subiugated rebel whites, the same feel
ing does not exist. They are to lazy to
work, and they hang around the military
stations to live on the bounty of the Gov
eminent which but recently they were en-
deavoring to destroy. The only subject
on which they seem to exert their minds
is as to how they may again reduce the
negro to a system of v~assalage. Their
efforts to practically reduce them again to
slavery, stir up in their breasts feelings OF
resentment which results disastrously to
the country. The whites NOT only, in
many cases, treat them with contempt, but
they strive to take every advantage Of
them. They thus stir up %revengeful feel
ings, and create well founded distrust,
which naturally operates to divert their
minds from labor. Where they are dealt
with justly, they have proved themselves
to be industrious men, and good citizens.
A Georgia paper says that in its locality
" the planters have already made equitable
terms with the negroes, and in the whole
of the county but six negroes left their
work for q single day" In Virginia, on
the other hand, the masters have been try
ing, by combinations, to reduce the wages
of the negroes to a mere pittance, and the
result has been to drive them from the
fields to loiter around the towns. At a
recent meeting of planters in that State
a series of resolutions relative to the
new relation between the negroes
and their former masters were
adopted. One of these resolutions
fixes the price to be paid for an able
bodied negro nan at 50 per month. he to
closhe himself, pay his doctor bills and
taxes. Another resolution declares that
no land will be rented to negroes under
any consideration. 1t was further deter
mined that no negro would be employed
who had voluntarily left his former mas
ter, without satisfactory reasons should
be assigned therefor, and not then unless
the negro should exhibit n certificate of
recommendation from his late master as
to character, etc. In that part Of the
country the New York Worlds correspon-
dent says the people are totally destitute
and idle" The reason is obvious. The
whites will not work, neither will they
pay the negroes for doing so, or allow
them land which they can till for them
selves. The negroes know that IS per
month is no price for their labor. They
used to be hired out by their masters for
FIVE and six times that sum. If they do
not work under such regulations they
surely can not be blamed for it. They
stroll about the country and lead q vaga-
bond life !; but who are to blame: Surely
the whites. The Lynchburg Tirginian
says of their assembling in towns and
subsisting by charity, as thousands Of the
rebel whites are doing: The civil au-
thorities also should be fully empowered
to protect the community from this new
imposition. The magistrates and NUM-
cipal officers everywhere should be per-
mitted to hold a rod IN terTorem over these
wandering, idle creatures" The fact Of
the case is, that the power to protect them
selves should be put into the hands Of the
negroes. So long as they are abused, not
allowed TO help themselves or to help
others, except in the most slavish manner,
they will constantly become less industri-
Gus and less capable of governing them
selves. The whites will not work. The
negroes are the only class Of industrious
men in the South; and the only way in
which the South can be brought into a
state of prosperity is to give the working
class, the industrious men, a voice in the
Government; a power to prevent their
being trampled upon by the lazy. proud,
ragged and saucy rebels, Give the loyal
and industrious negro the ballot, give him
equal privileges, and he will take care of
himself. He will work for himself, and
the poor, proud traitor will have to bestir
L;ms.yf or ho lof, bnhin6
PARDON AND AMNESTY. There is &
grea, influx of. petitions for pardon and
amnesty on the part of repentent rebels.
These petitions are made directly to Presi-
dent Johnson, who is aided in deciding on
them by the Attorney General and Secre-
tarv of State. The following is the blank