The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1865-08-02

under loads of trumpery, enough to break
down q mule. This amusement knot being
found to pay new idea seemed to strike the
colored mind, so wit: that it might not be
amiss to go to work little, in order to get
some pocket change and something to eat
Under this persuasion the planters began to
get their servants back, contracting to pay
them reasonable hire, when-m mark the sub
tile influence of this Freeman Bureau jobbing
"a most unaccountable reluctance began to
exhibit itself on the part of freedmen to stand
up to their contracts. Down went the shovel
and the hoe, and, as though possessed by some
devil Of unrest, the going to and fro of swesty
crowds with huge loads of trash upon their
heads and back; recommended with fervour
The planters cursed and swore, the weeds
sprang up, the crops suffered, the military
were aghast-what did it all mean? Finally
it leaked out DiversIw orthies..of the Freedmens
Bureau persuasion interpreted the act of Con-
gress to mean that each freedman was to have
forthy acres of land, payment made easy. A
landholder and a freemen, it was of course
beneath the colored man to work, and to this
Very moment the malign influence of this in,
sensate idealis felt by usIhere in every branch
" proa lire industry. Left to himself, the
negrols WliiinS y runrk or ynnld DO b-~~sh-'
by his necessities to do so. Left to themselves
the planters are willing to pay for his services,
but between the two are the probably over
oficious representatives of this organization,
claiming, heaven only can tell what powers
and the consequence is the freedman its lazy,
and impudent, and his would be employer
prevented from, making q reasonable or living
contract with him.
People talk of this thing and that thing as
retarding the paciGcation and prosperity of
the South--of the lingering disloyalty, the
morose sullenness, the invlncible shiftlessness
and pride-but the truth is, the great obsta-
Gle lies in the enormous and fast growing
abuses of this freedmen business 1t is claimed
that the property of every man worth over
$4,000 is at the absolute disposal of this
bureau till he is able to show an official au-
thenticated pardon from the city of Washing.
ton, and that the province of the military is
to uphold, aid and assist its hybrid functio-
naries in all their acquisitions and demands.
Ii the act of Congress means anything like
this, the simple fact is that the whole South
is an estate in trust for the benefit of the late-
ly freed negroes, and that this Freedmen's
Bureau is the trustee to administer it for their
benefit. Words are not necessary to show how
gigantic a scheme of spolation this may be
made, apparently delivering the whole South
over to the tender mercies of officials who are
in position to do as they please. The ex-
perience though, I hope, is different else
where to what i is here.
Agitate this matter il, as a arylander. you
love the South; if, as citizen Of the United
States, you would see these States a source to
the government of power and wealth, instead
of an eye sore. a drawback, and an encum.
brance. 1t is not possible that the govern
| ment and people of the North can know how
this law, made TO protect the freed negroes,
has been wrested so as to insure the greatest
detriment to the prosperity of this whole
South. Y f,d
But enough OF the Freedmen's Bureau The
trade between this place and Savannah is
quite brisk. and the markets are becoming
filled with Northern goods, obtained via that
city. Prices are very high, however, owing
partly to the expense of getting things here
by boat, and partly by that spirit of specula
ton and extortion which, fourishing so rank
| ly in Confederate times, still seems to hold its
| own despite the change to better currency.
To give some idea OF the prices, it may be-
| mentioned that porter and ale sell at rs cents
per bottle; cheese 35a40 cents per pound tea
5Oa$3 crackers 25a3O cents; Goldfish Is
cents, raisins rs cents; candy ST. 25; candles
| 45aoO cents; sperm 60a75 GEMS; figs ST.; mack
erel 5a$5 gu per kit herrings 50a$1 90 per
box. OF home products the prices are about
as folows:- Beet l0aI5 cents per pound; rice
loal5 cents, Supply light0 honey Is cents ];
l
3a6 cents; -four is selling at 8a$10 per barrel;
meal la$l 25 per bushel; tobacco is very ir-
regular. and tightly held, SO with cotton, no
one being DESTROYS TO SELL though some little
was disposed of the other day at 20 cents in
gold per pound. Gold is selling at 40, silver
| 35; Georgia Railroad Bank notes and those of
the Central Railroad Bank, are selling at SO
| per cent discount Bank State of Georgia go;
Marine Bank TO-; Bank of Savannah and Bank
of Athens 80. Ia retail trade much embara
| rassment is felt from lack of change fracs
| tional currency and postage notes selling at
10 per cent. premium.
| The civil reorganization of this State of
| Georgia is earnestly looked forward 10 by the
citizens here and as well as throughout the
State; in many counties of which meetings ex-
pressive of that desire have been held
| The cotton crop of this section and in fact
throughout the State, will be exceedingly
| light Burke county, which produced prior
to the war an annual average of 5000 lies
| will not raise over 500, and the proportion
| throughout the State is about the some-ane
sixteenth of the average yield. Next year. il
the disorganizing agency be not quashed, none
will be raised-this years crop having been
planted by slaves and tendep through the
| critical periods Of its growth, by labor that
could be relied Oh. Two days neglect-one
frolic on the part of the freedmen and away
| goes the crop. The rice yield will hardly be
one-thirtieth on the Altamaha-the unrelia-
billy of labor having proven ruinous to that
delicate product, CARPEDIEM
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