Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-12-28
~CIcILIAN-s, CHRIsrMAs GRErrING

Il NI
that animated the banjo picker Of the
Dlantation negro of the olden time, crops
out in new forms and shapes in the
manumitted slave, and can be seen
and heard at any corner of our streets
at any hour IF the day. Scarcely anight
passes that the atmosphere ofour city is
not vibrating to the busy feet Of negro
dancers, while the squeak Of their violins
would lead one to suppose that the riddle
Of perpetual motion had at last been
solved. As we were saying, the streets
| to-day were full of darkies, and as We
feel an interest in these people, we
walked through the loud talking, laugh
ing andjesting groups, to notice the bent
of their inclinations. It was Saturday
afternoon, and those who had been at
work during the week had been paid off,
and were out anxious to spend theiI
earnings. The extravagsnt disposition
Of the negro in the purchase Of useless
trumpery is proverbial. His want Of a
proper appreciation of money, his love OF
fnery, his incapacity to jedge the in
trinsic value of the articles which catch
his Y e sill spring from his unftness for
/. the new position in which cireumstan-
ces have forced him, and should
all appeal 10 the ripper and wiser judg-
ment and sense Of justice of
the superior white man, that he may be
protected from extortion and saved from
The consequences Of an improvident and
foolish outlay. This extravlganee and
love Of show were plainly visible on
every hand. Here was a big darkey car
rving home a fancy clock, there was an
] other with a fine Saratoga trunk, while
a third had his arms incumbered
with tawdry articles of ornament in
master. glowing with the gilt and var
nish of the shops, and each was loudly
boasting how much he had paid for his
newly acquired property. The vain en-
deayor TO live after the style of their
| former masters, or to approximate it as
near as their slender means will admit,
seems to be the darling idea Of these peo-
Die. The women have fine dresses, and
the children are loaded with Christmas
TOYS, and nothing is too costly or expen-
sive if the party desiring it have the
means Of its procurement. As the State
mu1s look TO the support Of these people
if they do not support themselves, it Is
unfortunate to see them thus squander-
ing their means. 1t is due them to say
We speak of the citizen freedmen-that
many Of them are sober, well-behaved,
and industrious, though a very large ma
jority Of them are quite the reverse.
We are glad to chronicle that nearly
all the able-bodied freedmen are prepar.
ing to 90 to work next year. When the
excitement and whisky drinking Incl.
dent to the holidays are overland We
hope they will pass over without leaving
any permanent stingbehind-we hope t.
see less of idleness, more sobriety, anC
better order among the freedmen; anC
let US not only hope, but pray that some
time merit gear we will be relieved Of tn,
colored military. 1t cannot be disguised
that the presence of the colored military
is an incentive to criminal acts, in . larg,
class ofnegroes, male and female, whC
would otherwise be disposed to act right
Upon the slightest p~rovOcatiOn, and otter
without provocation, they will abandon
their employment, and proceed at one,
to the "sOjer's office" with a cock and {
bulls story, demanding the most unhearC
Of terms, andrequiring the presence o. It'll,
party who unfortunately has come unde
their displeasure, thus subjectng him o
her to the most annoying inconvenience,
detriment to business, and loss of time
II the civil authorities were left to regu
late the affairs of the freedmen, even il
the absence Of the required Legislation
mentioned in our last letter, it would b,
infinitely better for the white people anC
the black. We trust that such will soor
be the case. Those mOrbidly sensitiv,
parties in Congress who talk so mucl
about the danger Of the negro being re
duced again to slavery through the ac
ton of the people Of the South, may b,
told in the elegant ~phraseology Of thef
countrymen that they don't know
nothing about it." The freedmen hay,
no trIer or better friends, if indeed they
have any other friends, than the peopl,
Of the Sogth. And the freedmen know it
Christmas is coming! andw will ban
ish for the o politics, the military
and the Freedmen's Bureau. Last Christ
mas we were in camplOoking desperately
to the realization of Confederate dreams
living as best We could, and comforting
ourselves with the cheering columns o.
the APPEAL. You gallant band Of com
rades, who shared with Us the hard
crust Of a soldier, twelve months ago.
where are you? On tonight heartily
we greet you, and wish you a Merry
Christmas (! Some Of you are n0Ionger
among the ranks of single men blessed
with woman's love you have added to
the blessing it in marriage.
and gathered around your own happy
hearth, you have longsince forgotten the
cold nights, The hard fare, the weary
b~iyOuac, and the long marches Of the
last winter Of the war-but whether
blessed with woman's love, or still
among the patient crowd who are wait
ing for its fruition, truly and heartily we
wish you all a Merry Christmas f! Nav
the yule log burn brightly for you, and
mny the holly and ivy that wreath your
Christmas tree, be typical in their
perpetual verdure Of a pure and happy
life, and a hale and green Old age A.!
Men Of the gallant old Seventh Ten
nessee Cavalry, vino from the beginning
to the end Of the bitter strife, for four
longyears, preserved intact the unstained
reputation Of your noble mother State.
who quailed before twice vour
numbers, who held aloft the glorious
symbol Of your faith until it was sadly
but honorably surrendered, 1t will not be
treason surely TO wish you a Merry
Christmas! Men Of camp Columbus, Of
camp Desha, where are.yOu now? Men
Of the Second Missouri Cavalry, Of the
First Mississippi Cavalry, Of the Texan
Legion, Miles Of Duff Reaiment. andau
the gallant fellows Of Chalnner's old Divi-
sion, and Of the dauntless Forests con-
mand, where are you tonight? We
greet you all, and wish you a happy. a
merry Christmas. On the stiffness Of
this winternight's air We wait you bles-
sings, and pray that your cruise Of oil
never fail, that you may never he
wanting in your basket or in your
store" May true and constant love bless
your lives, and may you live 10 tell the
story ofyOur campaigns toyour children's
children.
We wish everyreader Of the APPEAL a
merry Christmasand a happy New Year.
CICILLAN.
RSrThe Kentucky Legislature re-as-