The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-11-16
The Freedmen.

frequently RECALLED with choice scraps OF
,'socalled information concerning the eA-
cellent character, the industry, the do
nestle virtues and general good be
bavior of 1.-The freedmen" in the South.
In fact, it is considered loyal to be-
lieve implicitly all the rose colored re
ports that emanate from the Freed
mems Bureau, and it seems to be gener-
ally conceded that to maintain charac-
ter for intense Unionism," as the phrase
20 now used. one must be gifted with
credulity enough to swallow, without
single qualm of doubt, the most mar
vellous stories concerning the brilliant
good qualities of the negro. Inc Ne"
York Tribune, deseauting upon tne VII
tues of these extraordinary beings sa'd
recently:
Those who clamor against the freedmen
IN tbe Sontb as degraded class, who are
either starving in the calaboose or breed
inc ipsnrreetions, should look at the con-
l;fion of-affairs in Louisiana. Here is a
state that before the war had 326.726
slaves. and 1851 free people of color
The free negroes of Louisiana embrace
in their ranks some of the wealthlest ana
most respectable people of the State, ana
as a class have always been highly re-
spactrA. They do not fall under the
definition of freedmen, as now accepted.
or the freedmen proper, il is estimated
that nearly ninety thousand are old
rrppsri! Ia vote The records OF the
Er..eG:ncu's Bureau show that ont OF the
wIioi. nUniber there are not a Thousand
maintained at Government expense,
these being, most probably, negroes who
nave been thrown out OF home ana LABOR
Gy the abandon Eent of plantations, to-
reth2r with the old and lnhrm. In all
the communities of freedmen adegree Of
order aid Industry reigns that is very
pleasing To see The only trouble the Of
iiyere OF the bureau have is from the
old Baurhon shareholders, who never
learn, and never forget anything. They
cannot abandon the whip, the hound,
the iron cellar and tie bludgeon Not
yitEstardinc & is obstacle, all alCDG the
plantation sections, schools are establish
ed. and the freedmen are taught These
schools have nuW 20GUv sChOlars-y0uug
minds who are. we hope. To lead and
discipline the coiorcd race, and be the
fathers aud m0thrra Ola new and Gu
lightcncd gemeratios
OF courSc. Mr.. GREELEY. living i'll New
York. knows al about the condition Of
the negroes IN Louisiana. but then how
terribly mistaken those men must be
who live in Louisiana, surrounded by the
freedmen, ana who cant see" any Of the
evidences of "Nrder and industry" of
which the Tribune speaks so positively
The ignorance of Southern men concern
ing the industry and education of the ne
procs whom they see around them i,
very surprising, and it is an evidence o
their total depravity and gcHcial 'cnss
ednes," that they sometimes accuse the
immaculate patriots OF the Freedmen ;
Bureau Of Wi"g. For Instance, the Edi-
tor of the Shreveport, louisiana, Ne'CS
says:
The truth is, there Is 40 nuch thing rs
industry among the frcedm"u IN THIS
Stale. IL tire editor al he Tribune could
he induced L. visit Shreveport or amy
Other town al the State, he would. prob
ably, De brought To II realizing sense OF
the immense capacity inr lying possessed
by the members composing the Freed
mems Bureau. He would witness here
thousands of idle and worthless negroes,
dirty. lazy. ragged, living from hand TO
mouth. stealing everything that they can
Law their hands upon, and absolutely re-
fusing all honest abOr 10y which to earn
a living. We could give the philosopher
of the Tribune fact after fact, occurring
under our immediate observation, show
ing that every word that We have utter
ed is strictly tiue. Then il he will visit
the planters-aud he will find many Of
them intelligent and worthy of his asso-
ciation-aud open his eyes to the truth,
he will acknowledge that the planters
are the worst abused men on earth, and
that they have TO deal with a problem
that all the Yankees in Christendom Gait
not solve, that is, to make the negro
work without the authority of a master
Ameofing III aid of the Freedmen was
held in Newark, Ohio, one dag last week,
aud addressed by Rev. Mr. MARTINDALE,
who is connected in some way with the
Freedmcna Bureau and has lately re-
turped 10 the North According to the
published report Of his speech, he don't
seem to have very positive idea as to
the character OF the superior beings
among whom he has been laboring but
presents Two pictures of the negroes and
the public can believe whichever it
plesses You pays your money and you
takes your choice" He said:
Before they could be admitted into the
Freedmen schools, they had TO be wash
ed with soap and water and scrubbed
with broom or brush, to remove an ill.,
easement Of glease and dirt, ere truth or
virtue could either reach or impress their
hearts"
Morally, he said they were in worse
condition than they were physically, bad
rs this was. He had been in the South
over three years; had been among the
blacks all the time; had nerer seen one.
male or female, old or ;oung, slave or
freedman, but what would lie, steal, de-
ceive, commit adultery, and act the Cyp-
rian in the most open and revolving
manner These strong and unexpected