Smyrna times., 1865-11-29

!
ny of their prciudiceS, and they get along first
rate with the Jews, who, all will admit, make
quiet and law-abding citizens. The way
things look Just now, the South is destined to
be the "New-J crusalem.
THE NEGROES.
A few weeks ago gave you pretty correct
view of the freedmen Of Alabama, and will now
confinc myself to Georgia. The task Of sue
ccsstully placing the emancipatcd slave precise
| ly where he should be, and of giving him and
! securing to him all the rights of other non-vot-
ing inhabitants, is, in my opinion, more hercu-
lean than the reconstruction and restoration
trial itself. There are about half million of
freedmen IN this State, twO-third; Of whom
are at large, while the other third remain still
with their former masters The two-thirds at
large get along in various ways. Some are in
duStrinus ana do well. for there is plenty to do
for all those who will work. Thousands of
able-bodied negroes exist in a state Of indo-
lence, and only manage to keep body and soul
together by begging and stealing. Then there
are thousands Of AGED and inhrm, and children
who are cared for by the Freedmen's Bureau.
although, | will add, two-thirls Of all theaged
and lntirm negroes and children in the State
are cared for by their former masters.
RELATIONS OF THE WHITES AND BLACKS.
No unparalleled person can close his eyes TO
ton exists between a large portion OK the white
people and corresponding number Of blacks
IN a measure, both are to blaMe. [ see these
Things wherever | 20, and | know that they cX
l3t. Further, | feel it my duty 70 represent
these things to the reader precisely rs they are.
To commence with. them the negroes in body.
(and this applies to all Of the Cotton States, as
well As to Georgia, believe that on or about
Christmas or Newf ear :, distribution of all
I S.,rs+ l., ., I
valuable property thcreupOn, and that thcv are
all to be the recipients of well-epuipped and
WeIFstocked farms. In addition to this, they
labor under the impression that the Freedmen S
Bureau is to provide them all with the neces-
Sar'eS OF life, and that thereafter they will have
plenty to eat, drink, and wear, with nothing to
10. Some of the more tiInid of the white pco-
pie anticipate Instructions and the like about
that time, and encourage the negroes in their
tallaclOuS opinions by their indiScre1t exercise
OF fears relative thereto. There will BE no in
Surrectlon; but, until Christmas, the negro will
continue to believe what | have stated above
This idea is confined almost wholly to the plan
tatlon negro.
Secondly, in relation to the freedmen, many
OF them seem to think that with freedom there
are no responsibilities; that they are to be re-
lleVed from all the cares and turmoils and obi
cations Of life, and that an emancipation tron
Labor and i life Of pleasure and Incidence is to
b. their Iot hrnceiorth ON this terrestrial sphere
This unhappy error must be corrected 1t is
being corrected.
Again, in making contracts, the freedmen
are not to be trusted as a class. even hy those
who are willing to treat them humanely and
compensate them for their services fairly. They
WORK until they are disc0ntcnted, and then duit.
Such performances would engender the loss of
an entire crop Of cotton or Of corn, and must
not be tolerated
Now as regards the white people: granting
that large majority Of them accept the pres
9nt condition Of things gracefully and without
murmurln@; granting that they are willing to
make contracts with the freedmen and are will
ing to remun"rate them justly; granting that
they are disposed tn treat this unfortunate race
humancly; and granting that they are Willing
to abide faithfully by the laws which shall riv,.
these beings all the rights and privilege, cx-
tended to other non-voting Inhabitants: grant
ing all this, l say, there are hundreds and
thousands OF white people in this State either
Itom ignorance or from obstinacy and yjndic-
tNehe,S' who are utterly unprcpared for the
present condition Of things, and are determined
u Eicld no acqulesccnce thereto.
rms class, | am happy 10 saw. arc b,,t tbo
| smaller portion Of the people of (inorr;. Fr,,,
various parts OF the State. much to the disn,aI.
OF those who are exertln9 all their mower and
influence to dlSpel prejudices allav animositins
and promote u fratcrnal feeling between the
two races, daily discoveries are made of the de-
signs Of these bold, bad, incendiarcs. many of
whom have been summarily punished. As
general thing, very few Of this class have been
slaycholdcrs-they are either ex-nigger-drivers.
eX-m@ger-traders, ex-nigger- whippers, or rep
| Te'cntattyea OF that portion of communities
known as the poor whites slaves with
white faces
But some of the leading, and some of the
wcathiest ex-slavcholders are not entirely
g'ilt,eSS Quite number Of thi, class have
actcI unfairly with the freedmen, and have ex-
erclSed' I'D ihlS connection, a good deal of bad
temper. Some of them seem to have forpot
ten that the black man is free and. am sorry
to say, some Of them have been pniltv of iniI,:-
tlce and cruelty. In Speaking Of the unrclia-
blllty OF the freedmen IN making good their
contracts, J must do them the justice. To SAY
that Ueg are not entirely alone to blame In
stances have been brought before the Co,r,n;,.
soncis Of all the sdb-districts in which tb..
freedmen have been compelled to work for snrb
starving wages that they could not earu enough
to keen themselves out Of debt, to say 'n0thino
Of providing for their families. And there are
not few who threaten the freedmen with sla-
very. or worse, Just so soon as the military and
the Freedmen's Bureau shall be removed. So
you sec there are bad white men as well as
bad black men. Any person who attempts to
throw the entire blame upon the white people
is narrow-mnded and fanatica while he who
opposes the Freedmen's Bureau, and curses
the negroes as the authors of all these wrongs,
is also narrow minded and prejudiced.
still adhere to what | said in this connec-
ton in letter from Montgomery, Ala, that
| the Freedmen's Bureau, well Officered and pro-
perry conducted, is at present absolutely me-
! cessary.
WHAT EXTREMES OF RIBBON MEAN
They say" that one of the latest fashions
with the ladies is wearing long ends of narrow